The Economic Times is the unlikeliest place to search for some poetry. Yet, that’s precisely what I found two days back. Tucked away in an article were some lines from a song by one Janis Joplin:
One day, up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away…
..He’s looking for that home and I hope he finds it…
..But I’ll trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday…
..To be holding Bobby’s body close to mine…
..Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…
Applies to so many of us, doesn’t it? The last line hit me like a bolt from the blue. Probably the world and all of us with it are hurtling towards such a freedom. How many of us want it though? :-(
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Wanna know how to make every drop of petrol last longer? Visit the site of the Petroleum Conservation Research Association - http://www.pcra.org/English/transport/drivingHabits.htm and get your hands on a few tips.
The Brethren
It’s raining CIA for me. And yes, I am talking about the one at Langley. First it was John Grisham’s “The Brethren”. And now it is Vince Flynn’s “Protect and Defend”. Come to think of it, years ago when I religiously watched Agent Scully and Mulder as they went in search of the truth that was “out there”, I was under the impression that FBI is THE agency till I realized that they didn’t have any jurisdiction outside the boundaries of the US. :-)
So, now about “The Brethren”. It’s about 3 convicted judges who have been cooling their heels in a minimum security prison. With so much time on their hands and the future a bit uncertain they stumble upon the idea of running a scam – that of conning rich closet gays out of their millions through a series of letters. Just when the money starts rolling in and the judges are warming up to their game - Murphy’s Law applies. Their net snares someone too big for their own good and then the real fun begins. At the backdrop is the US presidential election and the looming shadow of the CIA chief Maynard.
A peek into the electoral process for the world’s so-called most powerful man, a 101 on running a scam and a game where every move has a lot staked on it – “The Brethren” never disappoints!
So, now about “The Brethren”. It’s about 3 convicted judges who have been cooling their heels in a minimum security prison. With so much time on their hands and the future a bit uncertain they stumble upon the idea of running a scam – that of conning rich closet gays out of their millions through a series of letters. Just when the money starts rolling in and the judges are warming up to their game - Murphy’s Law applies. Their net snares someone too big for their own good and then the real fun begins. At the backdrop is the US presidential election and the looming shadow of the CIA chief Maynard.
A peek into the electoral process for the world’s so-called most powerful man, a 101 on running a scam and a game where every move has a lot staked on it – “The Brethren” never disappoints!
Protect and Defend
Weird title for a book, isn’t it? At least I thought as much when I picked up this Vince Flynn novel to scan its back cover for the story in a nutshell. The keywords were all there – Iran, Nuclear Facility, Israel, Mossad and the CIA. Enough of a reason to bring it home!
The plot is sinister and rather terrifying in today’s world where people are getting crazier by day and odds against something impossible happening are falling by the minute. This time the poor Russians have been given a break and so the Iranians are the bad guys. :-) Iran’s developing nuclear facility is blown to bits and the needle of suspicion points to Israel, and the US. Iran vows vengeance and this is the opportunity that the cold-blooded Lebanese terrorist Imad Mukhtar was praying for. However, there is one man standing between him and the destruction of the US – CIA operative Mitch Rapp.
If you want a glimpse into the complex world of international politics, this book is for you. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Only thing is that I wondered how the 5 daughters of the Iranian minister Ashani at the beginning of the book got reduced to 4 by the end of the book ;-) Any explanation, Mr. Flynn?
The plot is sinister and rather terrifying in today’s world where people are getting crazier by day and odds against something impossible happening are falling by the minute. This time the poor Russians have been given a break and so the Iranians are the bad guys. :-) Iran’s developing nuclear facility is blown to bits and the needle of suspicion points to Israel, and the US. Iran vows vengeance and this is the opportunity that the cold-blooded Lebanese terrorist Imad Mukhtar was praying for. However, there is one man standing between him and the destruction of the US – CIA operative Mitch Rapp.
If you want a glimpse into the complex world of international politics, this book is for you. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Only thing is that I wondered how the 5 daughters of the Iranian minister Ashani at the beginning of the book got reduced to 4 by the end of the book ;-) Any explanation, Mr. Flynn?
Recently I came across the following story about Mahatma Gandhi:
A couple once came to Gandhiji with their little son and requested him to talk to the child. The child was quite fond of sweets and the parents thought that only Gandhiji could convince him that consuming them in excess wasn’t good for his health.
Gandhiji asked the couple to come back after a week. When they returned he talked to the child about the harmful effects of eating too much sweet. Surprised, the couple asked him why he didn’t do the same when they first came to him.
“That’s because I didn’t want to talk to him about abstaining from eating too much sweet without first getting rid of the habit myself. It took me a week to get over my fondness for sweets” Gandhiji told them.
In today’s age when the politicians don’t think before, during or after talking, this story sounds too good to be true!
A couple once came to Gandhiji with their little son and requested him to talk to the child. The child was quite fond of sweets and the parents thought that only Gandhiji could convince him that consuming them in excess wasn’t good for his health.
Gandhiji asked the couple to come back after a week. When they returned he talked to the child about the harmful effects of eating too much sweet. Surprised, the couple asked him why he didn’t do the same when they first came to him.
“That’s because I didn’t want to talk to him about abstaining from eating too much sweet without first getting rid of the habit myself. It took me a week to get over my fondness for sweets” Gandhiji told them.
In today’s age when the politicians don’t think before, during or after talking, this story sounds too good to be true!
Shaken - not stirred
It’s time to get shaken - not stirred. Nope, I am not referring to the after-effects of the financial tsunami that is rocking the world presently. I am referring to “Quantum of Solace”. If you just said “huh?” you have either been hiding in a cave or belong to that club where people don’t give a damn about the latest shenanigans of Her Majesty’s agent 007. I am a member of that club too :-)
I have watched earlier James Bond flicks starring Sean Connery and Roger Moore. So I am somewhat familiar with the general caste of characters like Q (loved his gadget-laden cars as much as 007 did), M (I rejoiced when this 007 boss turned feminine with Dame Judy Dench playing the role), his friend Felix and poor miss Moneypenny. I also remember a few baddies like the fat obnoxious GoldFinger (loved his plane!) and another tall character with teeth made of steel…..he was called “Jaws” I think. The title songs of “You only Live Twice” and “The Living Daylights” are my favorites. :-)
Though the chases – on road, air or water – were always fun to watch I was never impressed by 007 – mainly I think because of his habit of chasing women. I vaguely recollect a movie in which the legendary spy is about to tie a knot when the prospective bride is bumped off by the villains. This however was an exception that proved the rule!
I have always thought that Sean Connery never looked sauve enough to play Bond – he has a somewhat rough look about him. I think Roger Moore fit the bill better. I must confess that when Pierce Brosnan played Bond I watched the movies just for him. :-) Timothy Dalton had a confused look about him as if he is on the set of a wrong movie. And I think Daniel Craig looks too old to play the energetic secret agent. I wonder why Clive Owen wasn’t selected as the next Bond instead.
I have seen a few of the Bond novels tucked away in one corner of my library. Though I am told they won’t be much fun to read I might check out one or two instead of watching the movie when it hits the screens on 7th November.
Though I wonder if they would have done better to remake the movie “The Living Daylights” to keep in tune with the present times – afterall, the mayhem on Wall Street has scared precisely that out of everyone :-)
I have watched earlier James Bond flicks starring Sean Connery and Roger Moore. So I am somewhat familiar with the general caste of characters like Q (loved his gadget-laden cars as much as 007 did), M (I rejoiced when this 007 boss turned feminine with Dame Judy Dench playing the role), his friend Felix and poor miss Moneypenny. I also remember a few baddies like the fat obnoxious GoldFinger (loved his plane!) and another tall character with teeth made of steel…..he was called “Jaws” I think. The title songs of “You only Live Twice” and “The Living Daylights” are my favorites. :-)
Though the chases – on road, air or water – were always fun to watch I was never impressed by 007 – mainly I think because of his habit of chasing women. I vaguely recollect a movie in which the legendary spy is about to tie a knot when the prospective bride is bumped off by the villains. This however was an exception that proved the rule!
I have always thought that Sean Connery never looked sauve enough to play Bond – he has a somewhat rough look about him. I think Roger Moore fit the bill better. I must confess that when Pierce Brosnan played Bond I watched the movies just for him. :-) Timothy Dalton had a confused look about him as if he is on the set of a wrong movie. And I think Daniel Craig looks too old to play the energetic secret agent. I wonder why Clive Owen wasn’t selected as the next Bond instead.
I have seen a few of the Bond novels tucked away in one corner of my library. Though I am told they won’t be much fun to read I might check out one or two instead of watching the movie when it hits the screens on 7th November.
Though I wonder if they would have done better to remake the movie “The Living Daylights” to keep in tune with the present times – afterall, the mayhem on Wall Street has scared precisely that out of everyone :-)
I am not surprised that a Sadhwi is implicated in the Malegaon blasts. I don’t have much of a faith in these holy men and women anyway. I have always believed that God can be reached directly. None of us has to go through these middlemen for that. Politics and religion is a highly imflammable combination – one that has brought the world to the brink of the disaster and will push it in the abyss if not checked in time :-(
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