As usual, Ragha found someone to cheat. This time, Vasanth Christopher’s cousin, Sam who, by the way, was always found making multi million dollar deals on the phone, huddling in a corner at IIT Saarang yesterday. Of course, I was asked to come as an after thought, only a half an hour before. Adithya, Ragha and me drove to Saarang in Sam’s car at around noon. We wandered here and there a bit, watched people performing impromptu dance to some soundtracks on makeshift stages, people walking with their faces painted, dragons and flowers tattooed on their arms. It was what it should be. A cultural fest. Fortunately Sam knew where he was going and led us into Central Lecture hall or something. I think it was Decibals event. Or Acoustyx. I don’t remember seeing any poster. Bands played mostly with acoustic guitars, basses, drums and keyboards here. An A cappella group from Bangalore was there too. Watch here at Marc’s blog an A Cappella group performing. They were quite good. A decent performance. 3 boys and 4 girls, each adding a different sort of music. Needless to say, they were not engineering students. They sang Alien Ant Farm (or MJ?) ‘Smooth Criminal’, Rockapella ‘Zombie Jamboree’ and two other songs. They were meant to sing only three songs I guess but seeing the response they got, they asked the audience if one more can be sung. The audience drowned the IITian’s refusal who was compering the event and the poor chap had to allow it. We left after that shortly, after gulping some food bought at the stalls. You can bet we didn’t buy the food. Sam did.

And I think this is one of group’s video.

Damn, damn… and damn again! The photos cannot get anymore slicker than this. And if you haven’t noticed Batman’s got a new suit, better than the one in ‘The Batman begins’. Yes, the new movie is allegedly shot in IMAX. Typically, the feature films that play in IMAX theaters are simply stretched out to fill the enormous screens that can dilute the picture quality and give the movie a wide, squat look.

Since we seem not to have those IMAX theaters here, in traditional theatres, the scenes will appear more vivid (think HD television standard). And shooting in this format is difficult. IMAX film, which is 10 times the size of standard film stock, is costly and must be shot using bulky cameras.

I just hope that Christopher Nolan doesn’t screw it up and rather stick to the story. But the images tend to brush your apprehensions away like they are dust on a brand new Batpod!! Take a look. The bad ass Batpod.

Here’s the description of the monstrous bike from the LA times. The tires “are both a monstrously huge 508 millimeters, and the engines are in the hubs of each wheel. Steering isn’t by hand but by shoulder, since there aren’t handlebars. Instead, there are shields that fit each arm like sleeves and have the ability to rotate around the bike’s frame. The two foot pegs are set 3 1/2 feet apart on either side of the tank, which the rider lies on, belly down.” COOL!!

And finally this posture reminds me the quote - ‘I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman.’ (Courtesy: Marc who says he remembered it from Batman, the animated series). The movie hits theaters on July 18th, 2008.

Heath Ledger who played the Joker in ‘Batman Begins’ sequel apparently died of drug overdose. Joker’s death is tragic. Simply tragic. Now, that’s all the more reason to watch the movie. His maniacal laugh in the first teaser trailer was absolutely stunning. In fact, I was actually looking forward to more of Joker’s action. It seems that the Batman sequel took its toll on him and might be a cause for his ‘accidental’ death. In his November TV interview, he’s quoted to have said that he had trouble sleeping while portraying the Joker, whom he had called a “psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy” and that the drugs worked only for one or two hours. This shows the tremendous pressure these actors are in and how hard they drive themselves. Unlike some of our highly over-rated actors with questionable acting talent let alone screen presence down under in India. Especially, down south where they call themselves ‘Supreme star’, ‘Ultimate star’ and such superlatives. I wonder why they don’t drop dead.

Here, read about this wonder drug ‘Ambien‘

The full story, here.

Also, a 6 full minute bank heist trailer from ‘The Dark Knight’. Bad quality, but watchable.

What? WHAT? WHAT??

Alright, how low will a national newspaper stoop to attract readership base?
“Get both sides of the story” one says and the other one says “Institute releases vital statistics”. And I’m on the look out for any other DC hoardings in the city with a more smuttier tag line.

6,07,446 copies of DC in circulation in Andhra Pradesh, it says. No surprise there…
I’m not that big fan of DC but I know some who are. I find DC extremely obsessed with page 3 celebrities. Who cares what parties they hit after sun-down? Every page you turn in the supplement, there’s a obscure celebrity staring back at you.

I’m not endorsing The Hindu either. Yes, it tends to get boring sometimes but at least it doesn’t put up hoardings all around the city claiming ‘Institute releases vital statistics’ on some model’s breasts. You get my drift.

Btw, I found this picture in this dude’s blog.

I had been to my college to get a bona fide certificate for passport application. It was nice riding the scooter, wearing the helmet and all without a driver’s license as the day was somewhat cloudy, although it never converted into a downpour. Anyway, I reached my college, had a light-hearted talk with one of the lecturers ( no, I’m perfectly sane) and went to the manager’s office to get the certificate. There, the bona fide was typed out and a print out was handed to me. They then asked me to fill up a requisition form for the bona fide ( how brilliant! after the bona fide is printed!) and get it attested from my new Vice Principal who was temporarily (or permanently?) alloted the Audio-Visual room which we haven’t found any particular use so far. I enter his room, give my bona fide first inadvertently because he has to put his signature in the bona fide too. He signs the bona fide and hands it over to me. I then remember my folly and ask him to sign the requisition form as well. Here’s what happened:

V P: What is this?

Me: Requisition form, sir. The manager wants you to sign that one too.

V P: I want a requisition letter not a form.

(You signed the bona fide anyway, dumbass. Does it matter?)

Me: It’s the one that we have to fill up for a bona fide, sir.

V P: Then ask your HOD to sign this form first or else I won’t give you the bona fide.

(The bona fide is in my hand, mind you)

Me: But, sir, she isn’t there in her office right now and I can’t come again tomorrow, sir.

(Which was quite stupid of me cause I had it anyway)

V P: I tell, you go (sic). Don’t waste my time.

The Manager was kind enough to let me have the bona fide even without his squiggly signature on the stupid form. I don’t know why people are such cretins, especially in my college. Engineering college.

I’m tired of explaining to people the meaning of beta. Each and every git goes like this, ‘Show me the money dude, I’ll sign up’. MGinger won’t start sending out SMS ads or cheques right away. The other day Mginger found a slot on CNN IBN where they met up with the CEO, MGinger based in Bangalore. He made it clear that the companies trying to get their products onto the market are trying out new mediums and this new venture, being the first in India is certainly catching on as their subscriber base has touched a 300,000 mark in just a month’s time. Once a strong subscriber base is established naturally companies will pour in. Why don’t you get it? What’s so hard in this to believe?

Companies paid TV channels to air their ads while you were denied your right to the share of the money. Now the ads come straight to your inbox and you’re paid for reading them. It’s a new medium that’s working out. So sign up here:

http://www.mginger.com/index.jsp?inviteId=99918

I can understand the concern of girls reluctant to part with their personal information online. I don’t know when they will start to get real (cause they are partly stupid) and stop being paranoid. But what’s with boys?! Stop being a sissy and get back your balls!

Adbux is another money making venture. You click websites, say 10 per day and get paid $0.01 for each website you click. First sign up for a free account in paypal.com for money transfers. Sign up here:

http://adbux.org/?r=fogdude

For proof that Adbux pays you check out Marc’s blog right here: link

This movie simply deserves all credit. Breath-taking attention to detail. This film is possibly a comeback for the director Alfonso Cauron after the infamous Harry Potter’s third movie installment which invited harsh reviews for the movie being too dark. However in this, it’s the grimness the clincher.

The dystopian vision of the future, a bare 20 years from now is nothing but total chaos. The world seems to face a biggest crisis of all time - an infertility epidemic. The futuristic London city subsumed by constant threat of terrorist attacks, religious fanaticism shows that the epidemic hysteria is all - pervasive. What really got me liking this movie was the constant stream of advertisements shown in the London city for suicide pills! Political statements are abundant in this movie touching on the current issues of increasing paranoia about immigrants in the UK to the disturbing images of the Abu Gharib prison camps.

All in all, a compelling movie that makes you sit up and watch it time and again, to take in the bits that you seem to have missed the first time around.