True Depravity?

Ok, so this morning I had had a solid breakfast at the Country Kitchen in Weymouth and was making my way back to the office. As I was stopped in a red light, this driver, an Elizabeth Hurley lookalike, comes careening around the corner (she had a green light) in a little Volkswagon as if she had forgotton to slow down for the turn. Y'know, Oops! I did it again and all that...Then I realized what was happening. She looked like she was giggling, had a cigarette in her left hand (which was also clutching the steering wheel) and had a phone to her right ear (using her right hand, of course).
I mean, what the hell, man?!

Here comes another one, mates

There is yet another article about exercising being the most effective method for weight loss. However, there is an interesting tidbit. Apparently exercise becomes more effective if performed right after a meal (my Mom always said I shouldn't strain myself after a meal!).

Most people in the western world already know what needs to be done to lose weight and feel better. But a lot of them don't always do what is necessary. It is a question of inertia. You can print all the articles in the world. But if people aren't willing to get out and sweat it...

As for the actual tidbit (training after a meal), I always tell people (who ask me about training) that perfect health begins with developing good posture. If you have imbalances, then exercising will exacerbate such skeletal problems over time. So improve and fix that posture first. Here is a great article by Ian King on fixing imbalances:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=281kilter2

And another one (you should really read this if you have a desk job):
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=07-075-training

And the best time to train:

When one feels like it!

This could be at 11 at night or 11 in the morning. Whatever works and, most importantly, whenever one feels like it. I have gone home after work some days and took a few minutes to do some burpees, sit-ups and single-leg calf raises (using a telephone directory). Then, once a week, right before I fall asleep, I might do a bit of bridging for the neck. The gem here is this: I do it when I feel like it. This way I am guaranteed of not having any burnouts or loss of interest in my training. I don't have to schedule anything. And by not scheduling a training session, I don't have to meet it! So...just do it.

Here is the original BBC article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6712923.stm

Class or Crass

The Miss Universe pageant has been under fire from critics for a good while now. At the Miss Universe 2007: "Pageant organizers say the contest carefully selects women who are intelligent, well-mannered and cultured."


Miss Serbia = Beer.


Miss Russia: Oh, she has got class! What poise! Look at that neck!


Miss India: I don't see any "culture" here. Do you?

Looks like some chick from Japan eventually clicked with the judges.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (a brief film review)

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer is the tale of a man, Raja Chowdhury (played by Rahul Bose) and a very orthodox Brahmin girl, Meenakshi (Konkona Sen Sharma). He is a wildlife photographer from the northern part of India currently in southern India for a shoot. She lives in Kolkota, aka Calcutta, with her husband's family but is currently visiting her parents in the southern state of Tamilnadu. Word arrives that Meenakshi's mama-in-law is sick. So, Meenakshi, decides to leave for Kolkota immediately. Now her parents, concerned about her making such a long journey alone with her newborn child, hook her up with Raja, who has completed his project and is returning to Kolkota.

I don't like writing long posts (unless its thrashing Britney Spears for not keeping her head shaved). Plus I am not a professional reviewer. So I might inadvertently give a spoiler or two away. All I can say is this: There is a segment in the middle of the movie where their travel is interrupted by communal riots between Muslims and Hindus. Yes, they are all Indians (click here for an example of a communal riot in India). This causes a big delay in their journey north and allows Raja and Meenakshi, with their starkly differing backgrounds, to bond. Meenakshi discovers certain truths (sometimes disturbing to her) about Raja which makes her pause and take stock of her own beliefs and dreams. Will they reach Kolkota in safety amidst the communal strife around them? Find out for yourself.

A very good road movie indeed!

Art or Rot

Last night I was over at David's place and he put on this documentary about a punk rock and roller by name GG Allin. GG died of a heroin overdose in 1993. Did you think he died fighting for his country in Operation Desert Storm?! I guess that last remark just about sets the tone for this post.

Now ole GG considered himself a hardcore rock and roller. He habitually performed naked and brawled with his "fans". The act would also involve GG defecating on stage and then rolling around in it. I suppose talking about his signature move might give a bit of an indication of bringing down the standards of my blog but I had to mention it (otherwise I am a traitor to my...blog writing escapades). Now as a character study (which I think was the point of that documentary), it was a fascinating look at a man who could make Lindsay Lohan look like my high school class valedictorian. To be fair, he had a couple of good points. For instance, he doesn't seem to have had a grudge on his brother (I can't remember the other good point). The saddest thing was that his brother, who was part of the band, seemed tame when compared to ole GG. And I couldn't quite shake off the feeling that the brother had no choice but to be in deep...well...sh*t because he a) was not an enterprising chap, b) was ugly and c) was unfortunate enough to be born to GG's pa and ma. In short, the brother seemed to be simply tagging along.

When they were finally ready to close the lid on GG, the funeral home chap was asked not to hose down GG (he was still "reeking" from the previous night's show). I rarely flinch at anything but that documentary was so far down queer street that I started making a list of people that I was going to consider normal going forward (starting with Paris Hilton). As usual, I am going to end this post suddenly.

KAR Vs TN

That's the state of...well, the state of Karnataka vs the state of Tamilnadu in glorious India as portrayed in this article that a friend of mine in NY forwarded.

I am not even going to take the time to analyze the level of hatred that is evident in most of the replies to that article. I couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed when reading those racist replies. The really disturbing aspect of it is that, judging by the fluency of English in some of the posts, it is clear that some of the posters are well-educated as well!!

Twin (x 2) Peaks

There is a rumor going around that the Olsen twins will be the next Bond girls.


The Olsen twins...before they could "bond" with anyone.

A lot of people are upset again. I mean a lot of people were upset when Daniel Craig was announced as the next James Bond. But look at what he has managed to accomplish. Now I am not saying that the Olsen twins would make an impact just like Craig did. But Craig had a resume of illustrious work behind him before he took up the role of the world's most famous superspy. The Olsen twins don't have a lot of varied experience. Plus they lack class and a certain amount of regal poise (the polar opposite of a Britney Spears, for instance) which are definite requirements for a Bond girl. So maybe they will just show up for an "overnighter", if you get my drift.