Let's see how far we've come

I haven't heard as many songs of Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty, but what I've heard ("Bent", "If you're gone" and Thomas' single "Streetcorner Symphony"), I've really liked.

But "How far we've come" is the best so far and it's currently on repeat mode on my player (just like Speed of Sound was once). Then I checked out the video and totally tripped on it too.



Brilliant song, seemingly introspective and definitely a commentary on the world if the video is anything to go by. A video of that kind, with clips of some of the most unforgettable moments in history, really takes the song to a different level.

I don't know why it reminded me of Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire", a song which also had a great video, which you can see here (embedding disabled by the poster, a certain, er, billyjoel. huh.)

Good music, I tell you, can change stuff. Ah. Must hear it hear it again.

The tears did it

Or did they?

This was the moment yesterday.


From the NYT

After a political lifetime of keeping her emotions secret, why was Mrs. Clinton finally letting her guard down? Was it a spontaneous outburst or a calculated show? Was Mrs. Clinton using her gender to win sympathy, or was she the victim of a double standard that allowed male candidates to cry — several have on the trail — but not female ones?

Don't miss the last line of that piece. If she does become President, that is going to remain one debated moment in US politics.

Meanwhile, fatigue shows, even for Barack Obama. From the HuffPo

"I've been campaigning a lot," he said. "And you know I say, 'The time for change has come.' The other day I said, 'The time for come has changed.' And I have to admit, everybody still clapped."

But my moment of the day had to be John McCain's moving victory speech, given among roars of "Mac is back".

The people of New Hampshire have told us again that they do not send us to Washington to serve our self-interest, but to serve theirs. They don't send us to fight each other for our own political ambitions; but to fight together our real enemies. They don't send us to Washington to stroke our egos; but to help them keep this beautiful, bountiful, blessed country safe, prosperous and proud.

And don't miss the last line of that speech either.

Three months to go

But still...

Here's my movie of the year 2007.



Magnificent. You've either seen it or..well. "Ye le Preeti, dekha de woh launde ko" and "Acha hai, apne desh mein hi swaagat kar rahe hain aap" were among my favourite lines. I'd love anything that Jaideep Sahni's written but he went one level up with this. I'm looking forward to seeing it again - if only for those superb Delhi shots.

I seriously doubt anything in the coming three months will come even a mile close to this one movie. And here I count OD master Bhansali's "Saawariya" and Farha Khan's "Om Shanti Om". Promos for both movies are already out, i.e. two months before launch (same day - Nov 9th). They might be blockbuster stuff, but honestly, just for pure fun, spirit and emotion, Chak De towers.

I also have my song of the year.

I thought "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd." was probably among the most under-rated movies in recent times. I enjoy "Vaari vaari" simply because it sounds so fresh every time I hear it, unlike any of the chart-busters this year. The picturisation of the song was brilliant and probably adds to the overall experience. I'm a fan of K. K. Menon and as you'd see above he was just mad, mad, mad in this song.

And before I go - Amit Paul for Indian Idol.

Do not disconnect the call

Currently bogged down with work, but checking in with this YouTube clip (link via Serendipity) on a call made by an HP Media PC owner to a call center. Quite funny. Not in the rip-roaring LMAO, ROFL way, but definitely funny. This caller is one patient dude.



And talking of call centers this is probably a good time for me to tell Standard Chartered Bank that I do NOT want their credit card. I mean, in the last 2 days I've got 65 calls from this StanC call center guy/girl peddling the Titanium credit card as if it's the gift of life.

These people go "A very good morning to you sir, and how are you feeling today sir? Yes, I can hear the birds chirping and the fishes swimming near your desk so I'm sure you're feeling great sir. I would like to take 3 minutes of your valuable time to tell you about the StanC Titanium credit card, which gives you free credit for 50 generations. So you can spend all you want and your grandkids will have to pay the bill in 4,321 instalments, all at 0.5% interest per year. So tell me sir, are you interested? we're also offering an all-expenses paid free cruise to Bali, where your host will be Priyanka Chopra...."

Yes, it's one of those days.

That Jerry Maguire Moment

Those who've seen - and loved - Jerry Maguire would recall Tom Cruise's face, when he gets a brutal reply to his "it-would-take-a-tank-to-stop-your-dad".

This leads him to the path of, um, greatness and his mission statement, titled "The Things We Think And Do Not Say (The Future of our Business)"

Mr. Maguire's face when the Kinko's guy (making photo-copies of his statement) tells him "That's how you become great man. You hang your balls out there", is a study in horror. But I digress.

Since I'm in a...well, certain frame of mind that I'd rather not write more about, I'm reproducing the text of the tank scene below (taken from here)

EXT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY -- NIGHT

Remo's 14 year-old SON (JESSE) confronts Jerry outside the
hospital room. He's a hulking kid, a Pop Warner football
player himself. His voice is in the process of changing.



SON
This is his fourth concussion.
Shouldn't somebody get him to stop?

As he talks, Jerry's cellular phone rings in his bag.

JERRY
(glib, easy)
Come on -- it'd take a tank to
stop your dad. It would take all
five Super Trooper VR Warriors,
right?

The kid stares at Maguire. It feels as if the kid is peering
into his soul... and all he sees is trash.

SON
Fuck you.

The kid turns and exits in disgust. He leaves Jerry standing
in the hallway. Devastated. Music.

You can also see this scene here (video quality is sad)


Now, the Kinko's scene (which starts from the middle of the Mission Statement)...

SHOT OF SENTENCE: We must embrace what is still virginal
about our own enthusiasm, we must crack open the tightly
clenched fist and give back a little for the common good, we
must simply be the best versions of ourselves... that
goodness will be unbeatable and the money will appear.

He pauses, and wipes his eyes, still considering the sentence.

JERRY'S VOICE
(continuing)
Hey, I'll be the first to admit
it. What I was writing was
somewhat "touchy feely."

He deletes it. And then -- zip -- he restores it and
continues on, boldly.


JERRY'S VOICE
(continuing)
I didn't care. I had lost the
ability to bullshit. It was the
me I'd always wanted to be.

INT. KINKO'S COPIES -- NIGHT

Jerry in T-shirt stands proudly watching copies pumped out.
Wired college students, band guys, other Copy People of the
Night nearby.

JERRY'S VOICE
I printed it up in the middle of
the night, before I could re-think
it.

Industrial, multi-pierced Kinko's copy guy examines the first
printed copy of the Mission Statement. He nods approvingly,
taps his heart in tribute. He slides a copy across the
counter, for Jerry's approval.

THE THINGS WE THINK AND DO NOT SAY
(The Future of Our Business)

KINKO'S GUY
That's how you become great, man.
You hang your ba11s out there.

Jerry nods. It's 3 AM, and this guy sounds and looks like a
prophet. In fact, everyone in Kinko's at 3 AM does.

JERRY
(self-effacing)
Thanks.

This is Jerry Maguire's Mission Statement, which never gets read in the movie, beyond its original title.

And finally...Tom Petty's "Free Falling". Ho boy. Now we're talking.

On repeat mode on the player

Speed of Sound - Coldplay.

Perfect. I can't ask for more. Except the video, perhaps.



"Where to, where do I go?
If you never try then you'll never know
How long do I have to climb
Up on the side of this mountain of mine" [>>]

Men - they're not all the same

So, here's my first try at uploading a YouTube clip. This is really hilarious.