Coffee Cake

Ta Dah! I made coffee cake..... :), It was easy, and very tasty..icing needs more work though. :)

Tired of lists??

Tired of lists?? Too bad...There's another one in the offing. But a little explanation on why I choose make lists to bore you guys. Cos I am a sadist and I love it!!!! hehehehehe..Oh! not good enough?? Ok, for your entertainment on long deary work days? Better? Anyhoo, there's this thing happening in Facebook where there are all sorts of lists being made and people getting 'tagged' to do the same. It is interesting for most part, but some lists are excruciatingly boring, not to say too long to even scroll down. But people still take time to make them and to answer them. I am inspired by these tireless, hard working list people to make one myself too :).Choose the better option, here goes

 

1: Mayawati or  Deve Gowda...? Who'd you rather have as a prime minister?

2: Deve Gowda or the sleeping beauty (beast ;))..? Who'd you rather have as a prime minister?

3: Zardari rule or Nazi camp..? Where'd you rather be?

4: Saifeena or Brangelina..? Who are you more tired of?

5: Lalit Modi or any politician set..? Who's greedier?

6: Aastraalia or Ingland? Who's the biggest wussiest cricket team? 

7: Al Gore or Michael Moore..? Who's more tolerable?

8: Zayed Khan or Fardeen Khan..? Who's the most intolerable actor?

9: The North pole or the Death Valley..? Where should Arjun Singh be sent to 'pass away' in      peace?

10: Finally, Britney Spears or George Bush..? Who's the stupidest..?

 

So monkeys!!!..Go ahead and answer :).  

 

The original Rahman...and his masterpieces

Allright......That's it..This is the 458,658,458th time I am listening to Rahman's 'Jai ho' on the radio. Frankly speaking, there is nothing wrong with the song. It's just that the song is just about ok. But they have been playing to so often and raving about how great it is that I have been complelled to put together a list of his songs which are far better. For the record, I do not claim to be an expert on Rahman, nor is this an exhaustive list of his work. It is just an listof his songs that have made an impact on me.These are great songs, great compositions, and according to me, in the musical land of Rahman, Jai Ho is just average. Here's a list of Rahman's songs I think are great, please feel free to add any I might have missed. Here goes, in no particular order ,

- The whole album from the movie Roja - I cannot choose any, every single song is outstanding.There is a Hindi version, but I feel the Tamil one really brings out the emotions. The whole album I think is one of his best works.
- Thiruda Thiruda - in Tamil - I love the song Konjam Nilavu from the movie.
- Kadhalan - Tamil again - You should listen to Pettai Rap. It is uninhibited fun. The album on the whole is good.
- Bombay - Again has versions in bothTamil and Hindi. Tamil's great, but Tu Hi Re in Hindi is heart wrenchingly beautiful. The Bombay theme makes your hair stand on end.
- Iruvar - Tamil - I have not heard the whole album, but Narumugaye is a song I just cant get out my head. It's timeless.
- Rangeela - Hindi - A fun album - every song is worth listening to more than once.
- Kadhal Desam - Tamil - I think I listened to mustafa mustafa day and night and never got bored. It broke a few records.
- Muthu - Tamil - Thilana Thilana is something only Rehman could have made. Pure fun.
- Minasara Kanavu - Sapnay in Hindi - Vennilavae is Tamil is great - Aawara Bhaware is Hindi is joy unscripted. Feel like dancing every time that song is played.
- Daud - Hindi - I dont know how popular it is but I love the whole album. except probably zehreela pyar. The rest of the album has amazing variation in music.
- Dil Se - Also has the Tamil soundtrack. Since I have listened largely to the Hindi version, I'll refer to it. Has the unforgettable chaiyya chaiyya, Another 'make you feel like dancing in abandon' song. The whole album is simply mindblowing. Listen to E Ajnabi, soulful and beautiful.
- Earth - Hindi - A great movie - An an amazing soundtrack. You need to hear it. Especially Raat ki Daldal hain.
- Doli Saja Ke - Hindi - A cute album. Kissa hum likhenge is the best of the lot.
- Taal - Hindi - Another masterpiece by Rehman - I really cant choose a favorite here. But I am a little bent towards Ramta Jogi.
- Pukar - Hindi - I absolutely love his Kismet se tum. It's an amazing song. The rest are great too. Kay sera sera is a feast for both eyes and ears.
- Alaipayuthey - Tamil and Saathiya in Hindi - A great album in both languages - Snehithane Snehithane in Tamil and O humdum suniyo re in Hindi is what I'd recommend. The whole album is great, in both languages. Do not miss out on it.
- Kandukondein Kandukondein - Tamil - I love the album, my personal favorite is still Kandukondein Kandukondein.
- Fiza - Hindi - Listen to Haji Ali - I really do not have words to describe it. The - Zubeidaa - Hindi - Like the album but my personal favorite is Mehndi hai rachnewali.
- Lagaan - Hindi - Outstanding music - every single song is great. Every.Single.One.
- Boys - Tamil - A total fun album. peppy and happy tunes. Boom Boom is good fun.
- Yuva - Bilingual again - I know the Hindi songs. Dhakka laga Bukka is inspiring.
- Swades - Hindi - Another of his outstanding albums. Absolutely love Yeh jo desh hai mera. Makes you fall in love with India again. The whole album is amazing.
- Rang De Basanti - Hindi - Listen to Lukka chuppi and Khoon chala and tell me you dont feel a lump in the throat. This is Rehman at his best.
- Guru - Hindi - Really like Maiyya maiyya, no complaints about the rest of the songs either.
- Jodhaa Akbar - Amazing soundtrack , personal favorite is Khwaja mere Khwaja.
- Jaane tu ya Jaane na - Hindi - Another peppy, full of life, fun album. Kabhie kabhie aditi will always make me smile.
- Ghajini - Made in Tamil and remade in Hindi - I personally think the Tamil songs are far better (which has been composed by Harris Jayaraj, Rehman only composed the Hindi version, I apologize for the error), but Guzarish in Hindi is great and Kaise main deserves a special mention.
- Delhi 6 - Hindi - I absolutely love this album. From Genda phool to Rehna tu to Kaala bandar to Masakali, I love every song. I think it got a bit overshadowed by the average Jai ho.

These are the songs I love and will listen to anytime and anywhere. Rahman has a vast body of work, across languages. This is just a small glimpse. There are so many more I know I have missed. But these are the ones from the top of my head. The list may increase as Shruthi is always there to give inputs. So here's to Rahman, may he live 300 years and always compose music like he's been doing. :)

Election time..again...

So monkeeys..there's even a song for you guys now...kaala bandar from Delhi 6...hehehehheeh. I think you guys were the inspiration :) I am on a roll and my mental block got sucked down a black hole. Applause!!!..what poetry!!!. Anyway, lets talk about something imporatant here. Elections! They are here..and monkeys...you need to go and VOTE. It's a duty every citizen has to do. Yes, it is, even thought you do your duty and pay service tax, income tax, road tax, employee tax, surcharge, indirect tax, sales tax and other duties. At least voting does not include paying tax (all right...going to vote on a hot day is taxing, but hey! you can probably get rid of Sonia Gandhi..what say?). So here's some basic rules for election season :

- Dont watch any news channel for information, it's likely you wont get any. And there is a high possibility that you'll forget what you already know.
- Dont watch CNN IBN and their exit polls. Rajdeep Sardesai will just yell at you and you'll feel like a child who has behaved badly and is not getting any dessert.
- Get your voters id done...It is the only place where you can see if you have aged gracefully to 60. On the brighter side, you can start saving money for that expensive cosmetic surgery.
- Know your constituency. No, it is not identified by the nearest Coffee Day. There are specific details, Jaago re bandar.
- Know your MLA. Yes. Really. They have a face and an identity. Atleast you can describe who you are blaming.
- Do not trust exit polls. Poeple lie all the time about who they have elected or will elect, so that noone can point to them if Sonia Gandhi or Mamta Banerjee win again.
- Election also helps in keeping the mind active. How? you ask..Please keep track of the party coalitions and make me a graph. JDS, TPD, Samajwadi party, Bahujan Samaj Party. Choose any one and make a graph....Then you can tell if this is easy business.
- There will not be IPL matches on election days if one goes by how Lalit Modi looks. He looks like a lal bandar because he can see the plans for a new house on the French Riviera disappear. So no excuse to not go vote.
- Yes Sachin Tendulkar votes, even though he has tennis elbow and cramps. NOW will you go vote. Yes girls..Aamir does it too, and he does not forget, contrary to recent opinion.

So this election season, go and vote. Vote so that you can crib without feeling that you dont have a right. Voting gives one the the constitutional right (probably even legal) to crib and complain. So monkeys...find out your date with the country's fate. Wah! Wah!..Applause again.

Who will Police the police?

I know..I know..cliched and oft used sentence. But it does make sense. Who will do it? It is a question that needs to be answered, especially in today's world, where you can be attacked while having a coffee with a guy or for wearing jeans. Or even talking a walk with a guy is considered against 'Indian Culture'. Who taught them Indian culture anyway. Ask them who was Akbar's son and chances are 10 out of 10 will not know it. Or ask them what Gandhi did for a living, I'll bet they don't know. They have a distorted version of what is right and what is wrong and are hell bent on imposing their archaic views on the rest of the world, the brunt of which is being borne by women.The police in India, in my opinion have been spending too much time dragging women by hair in public on Valentine's day to pay attention to real issues.
Bangalore has recently witnessed a spate of murders of old people staying who were alone home. Most of these incidents occurred in broad daylight and in areas which are busy. So far there has been no breakthrough in any of these murders. It's like the police have wiped their hands off the issue. In another incident, when there was an accident and the people were getting beaten by drunk drivers, six policemen who were nearby refused to come to help, saying, it is not my problem. Not your problem?????? You are the police for goodness sake. It's your job to break up violence, not be a mute witness to it voluntarily. These are the same police who are more than happy to break up a party claiming such 'rave' parties are filled with drugs and liquor. But surprise! surprise..there were no drugs in the party, probably only liquor. I think it was just a normal party. The organisers should not have let it get as loud as it did because it was the complaints of the neighbours about the noise which bought the ' oh so responsible' police to their doorstep. Then they are at it again, moral policing, seems like that is the only thing they are good at.
You are robbed and you still dont want to go to the police station because you think it's of no help. This speaks volumes about the trust the public has in the police. These are the same people who will provide security for IPL. The same pot- bellied, old, most of the times unhelpful police. I love cricket and IPL but I think this IPL will just end up being a nightmare for the public.
Dont get me wrong, I think the police force is filled with amazing men and women who are brave, courageous and go out of their way to serve the country and the public and sometimes even give their lives while doing so . But for every one great police officer, there are 5 more who refuse to help a woman who is being felt up saying, there's nothing we can do, or saying probably she deserved it. Unfortunately, that is the kind of police one encounters on a daily basis. These are the very people who will run away at the first sign of trouble.
What does one do when the very people who are supposed to protect you turn against you. What does a woman do when a police officer is the one who raped her, where does she go from there? What does a man do when a police officer stands there watching him and his family getting beaten up by drunks and doesnt come to help? Cant there be a law to suspend such people from duty or subject them to a similar crime. They need to understand that when they chose to be in the police force, they have taken a oath to help and protect. I know most policemen are underpaid and overworked, so are millions of other people, for that matter most people in China. That is not an excuse, nor does being a police give them the right to be the moral police. They do not have the right to go ahead and preach something they do not practice. We have politicians for that. Atleast from them, we dont expect anything. Is there any way public and police cancome together to make a responsible, attentive and sensitive police force? What do you think?

Back!

oooook..been a long time...a whole 3 and almost half months. It sounds cliched, but I honestly did not have time to think and I have been a victim of writers block..It's a serious disease for writers or for people who have been looking at excel sheets and ppt's for a long time. I have been looking at a lot of the latter two in the recent past. So I have been afflicted with stage 3 of the disease..The good news is that it gets better from now, the bad being there will be a lot of poor jokes and innuendo's which will follow..So all the best. An update on what I was upto these last few days.

- Ranted against the HR. Annoying useless set of people . Stopped for the time being as it got monotonous (truth being I ran out of really nasty things to say)
- The Americans came. So had a busy week.
- Played the Wii - Like the PS3..anyday.
- Learnt how to bake a cake...honestly..can bake a mean chocolate cake. Am obsessed with it now. (ah! probably should'nt have given that bit of information out)
- Cut my hair...real short...cant decide whether I like how the look or not. Sometimes I do, sometimes I dont, but most days I do.. :) I am a Rock Star.
- Still hate congress and their shameless vote bank and caste politics. They are like rabid dogs sniffing a target.
- Markets are so boring that they can put a hard boiled insomniac to a sound sleep.
- Probably will not watch Slumdog Millionaire till they stop playing Jai Ho..
- Feel that Rajdeep Sardesai needs to be transferred to Al- Jazeera or PTV at the rate at which he is obsessively covering Pakistan politics and screaming down at all of us.
- Feel that Rehman has composed far greater music than the Jai Ho thingie..his jingle for Garden (the sarees) was better than Jai Ho.

The writers block refuses to budge...But it will..and it shall and it will..till then..Jai Ho...