Johnny English Reborn (2011)

This issue of Johnny English is not as hilarious as the last one but Rowan Atkinson rocks!!! There are a number of very funny scenes but the movie becomes a drag at a number of places. The women - Gillian Anderson and Rosamund Pike - do not have much role to play but they look pretty throughout. But this movie is surely not for people who do not like Mr Bean in any of his avatars. The plot is pretty straight forward and everyone is in place but the end result id not very engrossing. For people who really like Mr Bean, they will find many occasions to laugh and might even enjoy the movie. I for one liked it but not as much as I had liked the first part.

Camtica 4.3

Camtica enables you to create professional screen recordings, presentations, tutorials and more. You can record any desktop activity with voice, webcam and animated mouse clicks. The resulting video can be saved in various formats including AVI and WMV.

Why do you need Camtica?
* To create professional screen recordings, demonstrations, presentations, screencasts, tutorials and more
* To generate effective videos that help you train, teach, sell and more
* To create demonstration videos for any software program
* To show customers how to use your product
* To create on-demand interactive training, tutorials for school or college class
* To create a set of videos answering your most frequently asked questions
* To share your recordings on YouTube, Screencast.com and other videos sites

Features:
* Records entire desktop, selected rectangle region, dynamic region around mouse cursor, webcam
* Records anything on the screen including windows, objects, menus, full screen and rectangular regions
* Records desktop screen with audio and webcam together - personalizing your videos by including a webcam movie of yourself over * your desktop at any position
* Records video chats, Skype video calls, games, flash movies played on sites
* Mouse highlighting spotlights the location of the cursor
* Records video in many video file formats including AVI and WMV
* Supports various video and audio codecs
* Free support and advice
* Free lifetime updates and upgrades
* System requirements: Windows XP/2000/2003/Vista/Windows 7

It’s easy to use as one, two, three.

You may get more information about Camtica 4.3 here:
http://jiteco.com/screen_recorder_software.html

Here is a link to download Camtica 4.3:
http://jiteco.com/download/camtica/camtica.exe

Try it first and then decide for yourself. I am quite satisfied with this. Have fun.

Shaolin (2011)

This is a wonderful movie to say the least. I have always liked Chinese movies as they have a wonderful way of narrating, but this is by far the best Chinese movie that I have seen. It has brilliantly combined a wonderful storyline with classic Kung Fu action. You will also have the privilege of seeing Jackie Chan in action.

The story is set during the Warlord era in China when the West has just started laying railway lines there and establishing their power using the fragmented state of the politics. Andy Lau puts in a brilliant performance in the lead role and the background score is wonderful. If you are looking just for an action flick, this is definitely not the movie for you because, even though there are some pretty awesome action sequences, it is the story that prevails. If you take my advice, read the history of China before watching this movie. That way you will enjoy it more.

The Name

My feet were freezing. The wind blew strong. The sun was shining brightly on the building in front of me but I was in the shade. Winter in Delhi is cold, very cold, and I was freezing – at least that was what my almost blue feet were indicating. I kept staring at the balcony on the building opposite mine on the floor above mine.

College in Delhi was fun and winter meant running off to my grandparents flat in Dwarka. Their sprawling flat on the 7^th floor was a piece of heaven. I was the prince of the house and grandmother spared no efforts to pamper me. There was cable television, air condition, geyser, and my favourite – the balcony overlooking the sprawling fields that had been marked for new construction. I loved sitting on the balcony. The sun shone brightly throughout the afternoon and you could see far into the distance. Sometimes the aircraft from the nearby airport could be seen gliding in to land. It was mesmerizing. I always waited desperately for winter to come so that I could go there.

The flat had three balconies and I almost never ventured to the others as they were shaded from the warm winter sun. That winter was no different. I came the very day my college closed for the winter vacations, armed with a couple of books to read while I spent time on the balcony.

With the sun shining brightly on the balcony and after taking a hot bath, I arranged the two red plastic chairs so that I could rest my feet on one and sat back closing my eyes. Minutes later my grandmother woke me up. She wanted me to remove a few articles from the balcony that lay in the shade, which was basically used as the godown. I showed my irritation at the prospect of having to leave the warmth but she kept on pestering me sweetly and finaly bribed me into going there with the promise of a special treat for dinner.

The balcony was cold. It was piled with junk. It was not the place I would like to spend an extra second in. I rummaged through the various boxes looking for the jacket that my grandmother said was there. There was this cardboard box that was sealed and I began to have a strong suspicion that the jacket was in it. I poked the box from all sides and I felt something soft inside. I caught hold of the box and heaved it off the ground – well, only the box came up and everything inside it burst out as the base gave way. I was furious. That was when I heard that soft giggle.

It came from an angel standing on the balcony of the building opposite ours and a floor above. She had been watching me and could not control herself. She put her hand on her mouth to stop giggling when she saw that I was looking at her. She was beautiful. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. The sun shone brightly on her face and I could see her eyes twinkling. She was magical. Her jet black hair that she was trying to comb blew in the air. I forgot where I was or the sense of anything. I was completely mesmerized by her. My grandmother broke my trance by screaming at me from inside. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Reluctantly I went back inside.

My grandmother was very surprised when I came inside empty handed. I had completely forgotten about the jacket. This made me very happy and I rushed back to the balcony. She was not there but the jacket was – lying on the floor below a few other things. I checked my watch. It was one thirty in the afternoon.

The next day I took my bath quite early in the morning. My favourite balcony was no more my favourite. I had to see this girl again. I stationed myself at the balcony in the shade from noon onwards and tried to look busy by shifting through the stuff there but keeping a sharp eye on the balcony above. Time seemed to stand still and the cold drove me mad but I grit my teeth and stayed put. It was around one in the afternoon that she came onto the balcony in a blue dress. Her hair was wet and blew in the wind. She did her best to dry her hair in the sun and comb it. I tried to look busy but found it hard to look away from her. She looked more beautiful than the first time I had seen her. I could feel the cold no more but could only hear my heart beating in my throat. After a long time she took notice of me and smiled. I smiled back and the smile stuck to my face. She kept on combing her hair till she had tied it properly. Then she gave me a wave that sent my heart flying away and went in. I was in love and madly so.

She always came to the balcony at around one and combed and dried her hair. My whole day was spent waiting for the afternoon when I would see her on the balcony. I could not sleep or pay attention to anything. My grandmother thought I had taken ill as I spent too much time in the balcony in the shade. She wondered aloud what I found so interesting in the garbage dumped there. I said nothing as I registered nothing. It was only her face that kept me company when I was awake or asleep. I tried my best to impress her. I went to the balcony with a book and leaned on to the railing pretending to read intently but I kept staring at her through the corner of my eyes. Someday she wore yellow, someday pink, but she looked the prettiest in blue. It was always the same routine, she smiled at me, I smiled back, I kept looking at her while she combed her hair, she waved at me, I waved back, and then she went in. We never talked. I tried desperately to talk but my throat dried up whenever she looked at me. I perspired and my brain would stop working. What could I do, I was in love. I spent ten days looking at her standing in the balcony combing her hair. I even caught a cold, but who cares. Those half hours of those ten days were gloriously beautiful.

On the eleventh day she did not come, neither did she come to the balcony on the twelfth. It was almost time for my college to reopen and I had just two days to see her and maybe talk to her or at least ask her name. I stood on the freezing balcony throughout the morning and afternoon hoping to catch a glimpse of her but the balcony remained empty. I thought several times that I would go to the other building and enquire about her but I was scared. Scared of what I do not know but I could not make myself go to that building. I just stood on that balcony playing out in my mind over and over again what I would say to her when I saw her. Was she elder to me? Was she younger? Did she have a boyfriend? Was she married? What was her name? Where did she study? Will she like me? Will she think I am desperate? Will she talk to me? How will her voice sound? Can she sing? How beautiful her eyes are, but does she wear spectacles? How will she look with spectacles? Does she like books? Movies? Where is she from? There were so many questions and so many probable answers. But she never came. I just stood there on that cold balcony waiting for a glimpse of her. She never came and I never went.

I came back to my college hostel. Life resumed but that girl on the balcony remains on my mind even after so many years. Her black hair, the sun on her face, her twinkling eyes, the dimple on her right cheek! What would I not give for another half an hour on that balcony watching her comb her hair. But I never enquired after her. I was afraid – afraid of what I do not know and cannot explain. All I know is that however much I tried I could not bring myself to go to that building. I just loved her from that balcony.

My grandmother passed away that year and my grandfather sold the flat and moved back to Kolkata. I never got a chance to go back to that balcony and watch that angel of a girl comb her hair in the sun. I never knew her name. I just saw her smile and I was in love.

Why This Kolaveri Di

"Why This Kolaveri Di is cacophonic enough make Cacofonix run for the woods.


Nothing is happening in India. There is this small issue of FDI and BJP tussle. Politicians are stalling the Parliament session. The 2G scam continues. Oh, Kingfisher is struggling to stay afloat. Apart from these tiny hiccups all is right in every part of India. And credit for such a pleasant weather goes to the singer of the Tanglish song Why This Kolaveri Di - Dhanush, who is also Rajnikant's son in law.

The worst wave to hit India since Macarena, Barbie Girl and Saturday Night, the song has simultaneously murdered two cultures - the English language and Indian cinema. That's not enough. The pathetic video to the song has become a Facebook viral, finding fans in Japan, Thailand and NRIs all over the place. Imagine your five-year old singing, "Yo boys I'm singing song. Soup song. Flop song... Why this Kolaveri di?... Distance la moon-u moon-u, moon-u color-u white-u, white background night-u night-u, night-u color-u black-u."

The ill-effects can already be felt and sadly, a fellow journalist is involved. Employed by one of India's most reputed papers, she had the courage to compare the song with Sukumar Ray's Abol Tabol and Lewis Caroll's Hunting of the Snark. She has, in fact, gone out of her way (and mind) to find meaning in the song. This is solid s*** maestro!"

This is taken from a column in The Statesman of today and I found it very interesting. A friend of mine introduced me to this song saying that this was the most brilliant song and it is just awesome (she can be pardoned as she is head-over-heels about Dhanush). I did not find the song brilliant in any way. The tune is quite nice and the best quality of the song is that it can be sung in tune even when one is drunk. Well, the previous statement will surely put my physical safety in jeopardy! I hope this is not the last post I write, but frenkly speaking, I did not get the song and still do not get it. The same friend tried to male me realise that the song had a meaning and that it was a bit chauvinist, but I still fail to see her point. But then, love is blind and lovers cannot see, and neither can she.

For A Few Pieces of Silver: The FDI Stunt

The Indian government has shown an absolute lack of understanding of the Indian economy. They seem to be living in their own world of dreams without any clue as to the reality. The Indian government has announced a 51% FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in retail. The major retail outlets from all over the world are now going to flock into the Indian market. The so-called reason for such a stunt is that this move will create millions of jobs and reduce unemployment. Can anyone give me a lamer reason?

The world economy has been facing a large number of problems recently and has even undergone a major recession that has seem the collapse of many a company and a hike in unemployment. This was true for most countries but India was more or less cushioned against these upheavals. Our economy maintained a decent growth rate and the rise in unemployment was marginal. This was a result of our partial seclusion from the world economy. Thus, when international companies were collapsing due to their stupid policies, the Indian economy was stable as these companies did not have a major share in our economy. The economic troubles are not over yet and the short-sightedness of the international  companies promises an imminent recession that is going to have a far worse effect than the last one.

Opening the Indian market to these companies at this time only exposes the Indian economy and growth to the vagaries of decisions of nincompoop managers who think they know the working of the world economy. This is madness to say the least. Retail market expansion would also lead to food inflation as most of the agricultural produce would be under their control – giving them an opportunity to manipulate the price of food. And talking about employment, if the government had looked at the ground realities in India it would have realized its folly. Millions of people are engaged in retail marketing and make a living out of it. This market is very stable and caters to local needs which in turn lead to more employment at the local level. International retail companies would be destroying this fine economic balance and more people would be unemployed as compared to the number of people who get employed by these companies. I do not blame these companies as it is their job to tap newer markets and the Indian market is a diamond mine. But it was the job of the government to look into the economic welfare of its citizens. With the innumerable corruption charges and scams against the present government, I am inclined to believe that this move had nothing to do with economic considerations, apart from narrow selfish ones for those in power. They have sold us out for a few pieces of silver.

Riviera for Skype

Created by Jiteco, the Riviera for Skype is a software that has a lot of potential. This software can record conversations over Skype. This makes this software an essential software for people who undertake interviews or lectures using Skype. I have been using this software for the past few days and its performance is brilliant. Easy to install and use, Riviera for Skype is a wonderful product and I recommend it to everyone - at least give it a try.

http://www.jiteco.com/skype_call_recorder.html">

Skype Call Recorder

 

You may get more food for thought from Riviera for Skype 3.6.35945 home page: http://www.jiteco.com/skype_call_recorder.html
Here is a link to download Riviera for Skype 3.6.35945: http://www.jiteco.com/download/riviera/riviera.exe