Birds didn’t chirp for spring, neither did my predictions.

Shockers do come but nothing like this; winning the critic’s and viewer’s choice for the best picture, “Aviator” never made it to the stage. Was the academy drunk when they judged?!!!
“Million Dollar baby” winning the "Best picture";.... was the academy right? I wonder..... Hilary swank winning the “Best actress”. now all this makes me want to see the movie even more. If only I had watched it before my last post, I would have had a different opinion and would'nt have lost so much money. Did that sound like an “excuse”; well a critic needs to explain why he wrote what he wrote, right!!

When the curtains fell there was a hush, Clint Eastwood and Hilary were hugging, congratulating and jumping around, they missed the cynical eyes prowling them; especially Martyn scorsese’s. “Aviator” was good; to add to his other classics “Gangs of New York”, “Raging bull”, “Casino” “Colour of Money” … damn he deserved the Best director… I know emotions don’t work; but I’m human .. above all a mallu…. Cribbing is in my blood.

Morgan Freeman; nominated four times and never won. His award poured some water on the fire;

Cate Blanchett’s role was undoubtedly worth a walk to the stage; her role as Katharine Hepburn was dealt very well; hey the director did his job well; is the academy listening!!! Martyn deserves an award!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jamie Foxx – Never again cry on stage.

Chris Rock – I love you; you were great (at least that’s what I heard).

Though I lost my money, disappointment is for other reasons….. how could they forget Martyn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to watch “Million Dollar Baby” ; in my list of boxing movies lets see where this one fits.

Spring is here, so are the OSCARS

Game of guessing and betting is back in town, with just hours left for the glitter and glamour to start,I place my predictions and rouge thoughts on the nominees.
This is my sack of bricks and roses. If anything goes wrong, I am not to be blamed, blame the Academy. Not to forget, this is a mallu's write.

Best Actress.
Annette Bening ("Being Julia"), Catalina Sandino Moreno ("Maria Full of Grace"), Imelda Staunton ("Vera Drake"), Hilary Swank ("Million Dollar Baby"), Kate Winslet ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind")
I say: Kate winslet; for she who did all the "anoop does not like" roles; was in a very different role.With “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” out of "Best picture" race i'll want her to be on stage.

Best Actor.
The Nominees: Don Cheadle (“Hotel Rwanda”), Johnny Depp (“Finding Neverland”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Aviator”), Clint Eastwood (“Million Dollar Baby”), Jamie Foxx (“Ray”)
I say: Jamie Foxx. A lure for DiCaprio still i'll stick to Jamie, for the character he potrayed, more his resemblance to Charles.

Best Picture:
The Nominees: “The Aviator,” “Finding Neverland,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Ray,” “Sideways”
I say:“The Aviator,”; for the way it was directed the flare it has on the screen, for; give Martin Scorsese a god damn oscar.

Reading for those of you who think "Black" will make it to the Oscars; do look forward to a far shot at Indian presence.
"Village" is a nomiee for "Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)". James Newton Howard is the contender though; not its director.

Safe After de Punch........ sequel "On-Bench"

One month "On bench" (software lingo) and 55 rounds of talk with my HR, who addressed me as Mr. Gummar; I had lost it. Felt like an idiot; nothin new , it was always an addundum with my designation; The 'Softbare engineer'.
I have been assigned to a new circle SAP for ABAP training.
Henceforth I will be addressed as “SAP Consultant”, ain’t no more a freakin softbare engineer.
We are being trained on ABAP. Will be working for a ‘sweet’ client NESTLE. I have been promised the best tech and newest architecture, something called the SPLIT architecture (not sure if I got that right) loads of chocolate, milk and noodles; I am very much lookin forward to this project.
There is more to all this tech wise but will be able to pen down when the actual training starts, right now rubbin my ass for a day at office, with some thing they call “The induction”; nice cover up for siesta.

I Almost forgot, my friend got a BP of 180 (normal is 120). For those with slow gray cells; BP happens to be his blood pressure, nothin to do with brain n stuff.
"Sandeep ass hole take care"; ah and just in case u are wondering, he is only 24.

Self-ish

Growing up in a port town (Cochin) in the State of Kerala; surrounded by family. Expectations and aspirations are limited in such an environment. I could have made a living exploiting the usual government jobs offered or stick to the software development job currently having, but prefer to do similar work as a corporate executive. I have one sibling, my sister who is finishing her undergraduate study in a reputed college in Cochin, specializing in ‘Family and Community Science’, my mother is a graduate who never worked and is happy being a house wife; her agenda of family activities is always packed with house hold chores. Most of my family is employed in the government services, which instilled in me at a very young age, the concept of work. The artistic instincts in me grew when I was exposed to the Art field on a professional level, by a guru who was known to my father. My father has always been an inspiration to me. He made it to a government job from a back ward village; all through his hard work and sportsman skills. He got selected to the civil body of Cochin Port Trust and from there he never shifted jobs.
You see, one thing that my father lacked was ambition; as a small town boy, my dad maintained many of the 60’s ideologies of peace, love and understanding. In other words, the establishment, rules, and the conventional way of doing things he avoided adamantly. For some reason, growing up, I grew to resent this. In fact, it angered me so much that after an argument that hit the very nerve of this resentment, I swore to make it on my own.

I joined college in a different town and started to grow away from my family especially my father; my dad and I did not speak to one another for a long time, despite his repeated attempts to contact me.
After all, I was focused. I had my career to take care of. I had my studies, my athletic activities, my money making schemes to pay back the load, my fraternities -- I had my future in front of me. I, indeed, intended to make up for years of ambition that my father squandered. I almost lost the feel and companion of my father.
I am stubborn. I sometimes allow my belief in my own correctness to do more harm than good. Most times, I don’t realize it. In this case, the realization of my stubbornness was like a brick in the face. I had allowed my own goals, objectives and beliefs to come between myself and probably the most important and influential individual my life has seen, and, to this day, I only regret it.