Friday, April 25, 2008

It's not lo. It's l'eau.

L'ea Du Robinet

The appreciation of finer things in life is a tricky business and yes, a serious business too! And I'm not talking about people who have finally figured out a way to be moved by Rauschenberg's masterpieces, but you who buy bottled water.

And honey, do the other one. Yeah, I'll gladly do the other one. Swirl, sniff, sip. It has a strong after-taste. It's definitely not fruity. It has a feathery texture. And it has an uncompromising attitude, like something that might wake you up right in the morning. And wait, I even sense just a hint of le roasted-bird du some-kind.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

American Talk Show Eccentricities

Beckettian Depiction

I always thought that American Talk show hosts are an eccentric lot. It is very hard to appreciate Letterman, O'Brien or Rose on a first viewing. Leno, being less eccentric, is more watchable in the short-term but more boring in the long-term.

First-time viewers of Charlie Rose are often unnerved by his affected and ponderous pauses, ill-timed interruptions and abrupt change of topics. Whenever he pauses himself deliberately, it is never clear if he is struggling to articulate a nuanced insight or if he simply has nothing to say. And often, these pauses are broken not by a better articulation of his thoughts but simply by an inscrutable stare solely meant to indicate that he's finished. And when he has to switch topics, he has the habit of loudly and abruptly saying out a single keyword from the next topic followed by well, a pause and a stare.

But, over the years, I've learnt to overlook and even enjoy these eccentricities in what is a very fine talk show. The link points to a hillarious Beckettian depiction of Charlie Rose pausing, interrupting and deliberating with well, himself. As unfinished and awkward the conversation seems, I bet you'll actually agree that they seem to have had a complete and a meaningful chat!

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Baby's first experience with chinese propaganda

The Olympic flame was to pass through San Francisco today and watching that undying flame of world peace have to hide out in warehouses, take alleys, and flee to the airport, couldn't be a better metaphor for where that flame is finally going! Even in protests, does that flame serve as a fine symbol!
But, having seen protesters do everything in their might to stop the flame right outside my own office, I was faced with these two news reports
The Telegraph covers it or check any other major newspaper
Xinhua covers it with 20 freakin' pages of photos with smiling people waving flames and chinese flags

The contrasts were shocking!