Home-grown terrorists? Oh really?

The British media and administration seemed surprised to learn the bombers of 7/11 were home-grown muslims. Oh really? You didn't see that one coming?!

The sense of alienation that an immigrant community may face in a country can drive the members of the immigrant community to drastic measures like this. It's a pity I cant post nytimes links here (requires registration and articles older than 2 weeks are archived for a pay-only service), but Tom Friedman had a couple of very good articles analysing this scenario (now, who isn't analyzing this scenario these days, even *I am*!) which resonated with my thoughts on it too.

Suketu Mehta (who, if I may show off, I met during a film-festival, where he introduced the movie, Bombay, and stayed on to speak with some of us after the show), an Indian author, had a real good op-ed piece where he said the US could use the Indian immigrant community here help them understand the psyche of the Indian commuity in India (with reference to why American jobs are going overseas to India and what we have to do better/differently here in the US) and similarly, the muslim immigrant community could help us understant the psyche of the muslim communities all over. To stereotype and typecast may be one of the most dangerous things at this point.

Every muslim doesn't wanna blow up people - the greatest majority are god-fearing, simple people like you and I who would rather take a subway without the fear of getting blown up. I sincerely believe that a solution lies in not just searching through bags in the subway, but striking the problem at its root, and understanding why someone would wanna do what they do, and addressing that issue. Wonder if it'll happen though..

In the same ballpark of immigrant communities, a great movie I saw recently, Crash - big cast; good acting; strong, powerful dialogues and punch-lines. It beautifully explores the typecasting and stereo-typing that happens in societies all over and without being preachy, very subtly gets the point through.

Passion

Was watching this girl play the violin in a small band in a neighborhood bar near my place - eyes closed, in deepest concentration and focus, completely enjoying what she was doing, totally lost in the music she was creating - made me wonder, is there I would do with that much passion (passing the notable exception of, of course..you know...)??

This summer, I have found love-unknown in fast bowling - always been a batter in school who chips in with slow-medium and attempted leg-spinners now and then. But, playing for the East Meadow Cricket Club in Manhattan, inspired by my captain's faith in my fast bowling abilities, have turned into a hostile opening bowler. Have realized that once I hit a rhythm, I thoroughly enjoy running in, and letting it rip! Cricket has got to be about the only thing that I would exhibit anywhere near as much passion for as that girl-playing-the-violin-that-night.

Watch out for the follow-up to this posting - the-girl-who-played-the-violin-and-stole-my-heart-that-night! :)

Bernoulli be damned!

Ashes 2005 1st Test (between Eng and Aus) - day 3 - Australia trying everything to stamp their control of the match, England as defiant as can be, Shane Warne marking his run-up - from there on, any doubt of which the side in control was, was dispelled! After watching several very ordinary games of cricket involving the Indians last season, to see cricket of such high quality made it worth the time and effort.

Have always been a wannabe leg-spinner - to see Warne plan his wickets out was beautiful. He bowled some square turners well outside off-stump to young Ian Bell (who was playing Warne for the 1st time in test cricket!), to let him get a good sighter of how much turn he was capable of extracting. Ian Bell responded by coming down the wicket and driving Warne through covers a couple of times, confident that he had gotten a measure of the turn. The Master then bowled one just a little shorter and let it rip straight - Bell was caught with his hand and bat up in the air, and pathetically found lbw in front of the stumps. And then one ball to G. Jones that pitched on the rough well outside leg, cut across the batsman, missed off stump, and Gilchrist collected it near his neck - Bernoulli did his best to describe the dynamics of air resistance on a moving substance, but even he may have been stumped by that one - wow! (actually it was Magnus G., but heck, the title doesn't sound that good without Bernoulli!)

I still am supporting England for the Ashes, but may just be one more case of heart-says-England-mind-says-Australia..hope not..come on, England

Seinfeld

By far, my favorite sitcom! Thank god there are enough people around me who have watched enough episodes, who can relate to all my Seinfeld context wisecracks (yaadi-yaadi-yaada, John Boyd's car, hot tea at NYC marathon, etc. etc.). Climbing up the ladder to the 2nd spot on my sitcom list, Curb Your Enthusiasm by Larry David (creator of Seinfeld) - based in the other coast, sometimes makes you cringe in your seat with some of the uncomfortable humor, but the man's hilarious! And then there are all the talk-shows - Letterman, John Stewart, Bill Maher, Jay Leno, Ali G (HOW does this guy manage to con a UN Sec General, Bhutrous Bhutrous Ghali to give him an interview and ask him if the French are funny, I don't know). Put all that together and you get 5 weekday evenings of mindless, mind-numbing, end-of-day-television-viewing of comedies!

Spread my name..

Last Saturday, I was involved in one more of those days of community service. The company I work for (for those who don't know me, I work in a music recording studio in the East Village, Manhattan; for those who know me, oh well, you know..) fielded a team of volunteers to help organize a dance event under the Brooklyn/Manhattan Bridge - bringing modern dance out in the community. Among more noble things that I could have done with my time in community service, I chose this as a fun opportunity to check out this area called DUMBO (Downpass Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and hang out with artsy people in the area. Was a great day out! The organizers & performers had us hand out fliers/brochures in the neighborhood and they were nice enough to include the volunteering team captains' names in the fliers (one of two of the captains was yours truly - probably cost 'em few bucks extra to include ALL of my name in there :) - again, inside joke to those who know me and ALL of my last name - sorry!). Felt good being involved in that event and got some free publicity in the DUMBO area (fliers with my name in it, I mean..) - gives me enough opening lines if I were to ever hang out in the bars in the area again! :)

Got to get me a pinstripe!

Alright this is the movie review for the new hindi movie, Sarkar, but those were my thoughts as I exited the theater :)! Its one more take-off on The Godfather, but when a classic script which is a proven success is re-set in a setting closer to home, its just so much easier to relate to.

Apart from just The Godfather, its got shades of Mani Rathnam's Nayakan and Kamal Hassan's Thevar Magan (both Tamil movies that are in my Top 5 all-time Tamil movies list). Am a huge fan of Ram Gopal Varma (aka RGV, the director), Amitabh Bacchan (essaying Marlon Brando's role), and recently, Abhishek Bacchan (Amitabh's son in real-life, playing Al Pacino's role in The Original), and when they all come together, its a must watch for me. Crisply shot in 2 hours, without any songs, RGV employs many close-up shots to permit the Bacchans (and Kaykay, playing the elder son) to show-off their emoting abilities.

On a personal note, this goes down as the first movie I watched alone! A couple of my friends talk about how watching a movie alone can be a great experience; I *had to* see this movie, didn't care if anyone else wanted to, didn't want to bother convincing/coercing anyone else to do this with me, decided to try watching it alone - was awesome!

I like movies that I can relate to, movies that are realistically shot. A movie like Batman Begins is alright, but just doesn't quite cut it for me (have nothing against them, I know people on whom movies like Batman have the greatest effect on). Not the greatest fan of sci-fi or animations either. Am keepin it real! :)

P.S: And why the title? - you got to watch the movie to get that one..