Kiwi Animation

This one will make you smile and break your heart! It has been around for over a year, but I came across this only recently. Created by Dony Permedi for his Master's thesis, its about following your dreams...

Shame on us!

We Indians have always prided ourselves for our "maturity", and in recent times, for the "great democracy" that we are. But is the way we are treating Taslima Nasreen an indicator of these?

Taslima has been accused of writing offensive statements about Islam. I do not claim to pass judgments on the merits (or the lack of it) of her statements, but I cannot understand how we can let ourselves be insulted by someone who does not even claim to be a scholar on the matter? So much for "maturity".

And yes, the great Indian "hospitality". First, the atrocious treatment in Hyderabad, and later, she was sent packing from Kolkota - only because the government there could not stand up to religious fundamentalists! Was this vote bank politics or a clever smokescreen to divert attention from Nandigram? Probably both.

She was moved to Jaipur and then to New Delhi. The central government’s way of showing guests around the country, I suppose. The latest news is that she has been asked not to set foot in Kolkota, ever.

Our friends on the "Right” did not miss this opportunity to gain some mileage. Taslima was offered asylum in Gujarat. These are the same people who have driven MF Hussain out of the country. How much more hypocritical can we get?

So, which votebank do you belong to?

ಸಿರಿಗನ್ನಡಂ "ಗಲ್ಲಿಗೆ"?

What's the Good Word?

Oxford University Press have come up with what according to them, is the 2007 Word of the year . It is "Locavore", meaning someone who eats food grown or produced locally. Though they are quick to add locavore is very much “on the cusp”, ie not yet firmly established in widespread usage. That means Oxford lexicographers will continue to monitor its progress to see if it eventually warrants inclusion in the next edition of New Oxford American Dictionary. The runners up, most of which I would vote for ahead of Locavore, include Upcycling and Cloudware.

Previous Word of the year winners, as nominated by OAP and other organizations include Blog, Podcast and my favourite Plutoed.


On a smilar note, Sterbetourismus (Death Tourism) has been selected as the Swiss Word of the year, a pointer to tourists' attraction to Switzerland's liberal laws on assisted suicides.

In an Indian context perhaps, some new words for 2007 could be “Gowdered” (when both father and son take you for a ride) or “RGVed” (A badly remade Classic).

Have any of your own for 2007?

Rebus Puzzles.

These are puzzle where you decode a message consisting of pictures or syllables/words. They would appear daily in the Times of India, not sure if they still do. Here is an example...

And the answer is, you guessed it - With or Without You.

Similarly,

is - Turning Green With Envy....get it? simple enough, eh?


So here are a few more for you to crack....
























Clue for the 7th one? Think Godfather..

Copy that?

A Xerox shop near Bhageshwar in Uttarakhand proclaiming how scenic the state is (however unintentionally).




The Panchachuli -1 peak as seen from Munsiyari town. Munsiyari is an idyllic little place from where treks to Milam begin.




A gorge near Reilkot on the trail to Milam.

The place to be for "heavy eaters" perhaps? Opposite Bhageshwar Bus stand.