How NASA led me to watch a 1946 Christmas classic.

NASA. Yes, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration – the only agency in the world (or I guess, the entire universe, if you’re a strong refuter of extraterrestrial life) capable of polluting outer worldly bodies. For now at least, unless the North Koreans decide to send Kim Jong-un to Mars before the Americans do. That dude’s sure to take a piss around the crater he lands in, to mark his territory of course.

Back to my point; it was NASA which led me to watch a 1946 Oscar-nominated Christmas classic. The long, winding & fascinating story of the path that ensued is written below. Ok, that maybe a slight exaggeration, but it’s fascinating nonetheless. 

What?

The movie in question stars the classy Oscar-winning James Stewart (fondly referred to as “Jimmy Stewart”) and the sexy Oscar-winning Donna Reed (fondly referred to as “Donna Reed” – yes I know, her ‘fond’ name is the same as her real name, but if people were not fond of her real name, they’ve had changed it like than did with that Jimmy character, noh?). It’s a movie that’s featured in the all-time IMDbTop 250 list, ranking inside the top 30. It’s a movie that was directed by the 3-time Oscar winning director, Frank Capra (remember this name, it’s important you do – at least till you finish reading this post, which I know you will want to, because it’s so fascinating, this story, I mean my story, not the story in the movie, I mean, yes, the story in the movie is also truly fascinating, but this post is about MY STORY DAMMIT!). It’s a movie that was nominated for 5 Oscars. Gah, ok, just go Google it already, I know you’re itching to. Go find the name of the movie yourself. If you’re lazy, you’ll just have to deal with the curiosity (ooh, remember this word also, important!) because you won’t find the name of the movie in this post – trust me, I know, because I wrote this.

How?

It all started (and ended) on the internet (duh! Where else can you find so much information in one place ah?). Well, to be more specific, it started on Twitter. I happen to occasionally logon to Twitter to see what’s going on (only like once every 25 seconds – that’s “occasional” in my books, it’s a fast moving world see.) And I also happen to follow the official Twitter handle of the Mars Curiosity (see, I told you this word was important!). Also, can someone please explain to me why it’s called a “Twitter handle” and not a “Twitter account”, it just keeps reminding me of love handles (sigh, I sound so deprived).

This one time (at band-camp), the Mars Curiosity tweeted something about how the polluted mess on the surface of Mars is moving around and how some gizmo rotating around the red planet has managed to capture it in sequence on film (or whatever they use up in space to capture this stuff). Also, they try to make us think that the Mars Curiosity is actually tweeting stuff from the surface of Mars on its own. Hahahaha. Yeah right! I never believed it. Anyway, so this captured sequence of the earthly-garbage moving around on Mars was all compiled into a nice little GIF animation by the guys at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

This led me to Wikipedia the JPL (for like the billionth time in the last 10 years, because the JPL is just so awesomely cool I think!!!). And the wiki on JPL led me to the wiki on the California Institute of Technology (Caltech, as it’s commonly known). And the Caltech wiki went on to boast about how “17 alumni and 14 non-alumni faculty have won the Nobel Prize” (like, whoa! I know right?). I wasted no time in pulling up the Notable Alumni list of the Caltech. This happens to be a very impressive list of some awesome people who’ve done some awesome things.

So there I was, scrolling through this list of awesome people, and I come right down to the last section of the list (which is Arts – people who went to do awesome things in the field of arts). And there he was. Frank Capra. See, I told you this name was important. Listed simply as a “film director…” my inquisitive wiki-ing continued. Frank Capra, who happened to be a Caltech chemical engineering graduate, went onto make some brilliant motion pictures I learned. One of them happened to be the movie this post is about (no, I’m not going to mention the name, go find out ok!!! Why do I have to do all the work every time?). This led to more Googling, more wiki-ing, more IMDb-ing and I finally ended up watching this 2-hour classic 1946 Christmas black and white motion picture, right off YouTube, in High Definition! (And no, I’m not posting the YouTube link for the full-length movie here, go find it, it’s not so difficult!)

That’s how NASA led me to watch a 1946 Christmas classic, and I loved it. The movie I mean. And I’m currently on a classic movie spree. They don’t make them like they used to anymore.

Why?

Because I had plenty of time on my hands? Because my thirst for knowledge (and any old piece of information) cannot seem to be contained? Because anything related to outer-world things fascinate me? Most of all, because I’ve always had a soft-spot for good classic black and white movies, ever since I watched Casablanca (probably the most romantic movie of all time, or is it?). There’s just something about the way they used to speak back in the old times. The language, the expressions, the idioms and the swear words. They sure had a swell time just kicking it.

Well, what do you know about that!

AIDS awareness on your timeline? B*tch, please!

It’s that time of year when many people believe they are making a difference in the world by posting a pretty red ribbon next to their oh-so-perfect DSLR-camera-captured profile picture on Facebook/Twitter/whatever other mumbo jumbo social media profile. I hate to break it to ya, you are NOT making a difference. If you are one of them, you can disagree with me, stop reading and go on feeling good about the huge difference you have just made or continue reading to know why I just burst your guilt-curbing bubble.

What?

1st of December was declared as World AIDS Day by the WHO to enable interested parties to create awareness to the general public about AIDS, unite their efforts and generally bring about a change to the lives of those who may be exposed to the threats of AIDS due to ignorance, by educating them.

Well, guess what? Today is 1st of December and there is going to be many a song and a dance about how AIDS is really bad and how it must stop spreading and how one must use protection and how one must donate a condom and what not – and all that is well and good. But sadly, today, the well-meaning, well-to-do general public who have access to the internet and who have knowledge of this topic think the only means of spreading awareness to the ignorant not-so-well-to-do masses is via social media, i.e. Facebook & Twitter mainly. A wall post here, a retweet there and they pat themselves on their back for a job well-done in making a change, then go about their lives like AIDS didn’t even exist anymore. B*tch, please!

How?

If I have successfully pissed you off, not to mention bursting the aforementioned bubble, and you still want to keep reading, we may be onto something here innit? You may argue “but no, wall posts and retweets create awareness, people get to know shit and then people start doing shit.” – My point exactly, they do shit!!! (At least majority of them). Then you may further argue “but no, the few who actually do do something real will make a difference noh?” – Yes, the few who actually do do something real have the desire to do so, and will continue with or without your wall post or retweet.

I am not going to just keep cussing those who belong to the “create awareness on timelines” bandwagon, but let me try and explain how you can turn that awareness into something a little more real (i.e. if your lazy ass still wants to do bugger all and have no intentions of moving out of your armchair – like me). Post on walls you may, send out tweets you may, but just don’t make them some lame shit like “Happy AIDS Day” – seriously, that’s what pissed me off and made me write this blog post in the first place (ok, the secret’s out, I am venting…nah, but really, happy AIDS day? Are you kidding me?!).

You want to create REAL awareness? Maybe start by finding out what REAL activities are going on the streets to create REAL awareness, then maybe spread the word to make people move onto the REAL streets out of their cozy bedrooms. Now THERE you can help by using wall posts and retweets to get the people with the knowledge and desire to help, to get onto to REAL streets, take part in REAL activities, join REAL efforts and create REAL awareness to those who need it for REAL. (See how I am trying hard to keep it REAL? :P) That’s when you are keeping the REAL spirits of World AIDS Day alive and helping make a REAL change. “Happy AIDS Day” my ass. Pssh.

Why?

Do you know where the nearest AIDS clinic is? Do you know what goes on in there? Did you know, majority of those who have AIDS and are responsible for spreading it are the innocent ignorant lot who have almost zero knowledge on this topic. To narrow it down further, they are the ones who move into the big corrupted city from their cushy un-spoilt villages and fall prey simply due to their ignorance. Also, did you know, most of these so-called “sex workers” (trying to be a little dignified here because people get all sensitive and shit when I called them prostitutes – ok, there goes the dignity out the window…moving on) are the one who have the best knowledge on the topic, and are the most regular visitors to the AIDS clinics for regular checkups and are usually clean? Yeah, I was surprised too. My point here is, we know, the sex workers know, but what about those who don’t know? They are not browsing the internet and looking for wall posts and retweets, they go on with their lives, ignorant as ever, perhaps contracting the disease, spreading it to the equally ignorant, and the vicious cycle goes on. That is why. (I am not sure what the question was anymore, but yeah, go figure)

I am nearly at the end of my rant. Nearly. If my rant has pissed you off, but made no real difference in your head, joy, go on, back to your wall posts and retweets. But if the humanitarian fire in you just got rekindled, a good place to start would be the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP). Oops, did I just drop a bomb? Why you running away? No, come back!!!

Ah well, I tried. Happy AIDS Day everyone!!!

Shit.

I mean, keep it REAL everyone!!!

To F1 or not to F1

After a long, boring and grueling break for the fans, the 2012 Formula 1 Season kicks off in less than a month in Melbourne [March 16, 17, 18 to be exact]. Me is truly excited!!! For those of you who couldn't care less, well, you're on the wrong post, cos I am going to be just spilling my guts out over my F1 obsessions here, getting all technical too, so run along now. For those die hard F1 fanatics, wooohooo!!!

What (the hell is F1)?
This bit is for the one who couldn't care less but decided to read on anyway (cheeky bastards!). A Formula 1 car is like a big ass superfast go-kart where the drivers are chucked into a cockpit just enough to accommodate their torso. And the drivers go hurling around a very twisty-curvy track for about 2 hours, usually in the hot sun (sometimes in pouring rain), sweating buckets, losing about 2-5kg in the process, accelerating from 0 - 320kmph in a matter of seconds, then braking down to 80kmph again in a matter of seconds at each corner, experiencing G-forces 10 times that of Earth's gravity each time they accelerate or brake at every corner (usually about 10-15 corners on a track), doing about 50 laps on average over the 2 hours. Just to give you an idea, have a look at this episode of TopGear where Richard Hammond takes an F1 out for a "spin". So next time you see one of these guys smashing through on some TV in some sports pub, HAVE SOME RESPECT!!!

How (do I go to an F1 race)?
Ok, so this maybe beneficial to some of you who maybe planning to splurge on moving your butts to watch an F1 racing event either in Malaysia, Singapore or India (the three locations closest to Sri Lanka where the F1 races are scheduled to take place - the full race calendar can be found here). Surprisingly, the F1 fever is on the rise in Sri Lanka and I have found a few interesting options this year. I will start with the obvious, then move onto to the not-so-obvious:

1. Do-It-Yourself: buy airline ticket, buy F1 ticket, book hotel. Ideal if you have experience traveling to such events and aware of the logistics involved.

2. F1 Tour Packages: so far I have learned that Classic Travels and Hemas Travels have tour packages for the F1 races in Malaysia [23, 24, 25 March]. While the Classic Travels F1 flyer has no details listed, though you could call them up on +94772577527 and find out (which I haven't bothered doing yet), Hemas Travels F1 offer looks tempting (ignore the offer deadline, it's bullshit as I found out). If any of your know of any other non-rip off F1 packages, please do post a comment with the details.

3. Roam & Win F1 Trips/Tickets (from Dialog): the only competition to WIN an F1 trip/ticket so far is offered by Dialog. According to their F1 Roaming Competition flyer, they're throwing away 5 fully paid trips for 2 to the Malaysian F1 and 100 consolation prices of 3-day pass to the Citrine Grand Stand. May seem like a long shot if you don't plan to travel overseas over the next couple of days, but if you are, I would suggest getting your hands on a Dialog roaming connection or even convincing a friend who is traveling to do it for you (like I am, teehee). Btw, the Citrine Grand Stand is at the end of the Sepang Circuit, on a long straight before the last corner, in case you were wondering.

Well, those are the options I am playing around with. Again, if any of you know of a better alternative, do keep me posted, pweeeettyyy pweeease!!!

Why (go through all this trouble for an F1 race)?
Well, if you belong to the "couldn't care less" category and still reading, I just maybe able to convince you here. First off, nothing is as good on TV as it is in real life. Secondly, you have not experienced F1 until you have heard the sound of those monster engines revving at 15,000+rpm and smelled the mixture of burning tires & fuel all around the track. Thirdly, nothing can prepare you for the adrenaline rush of seeing an F1 car zoom past you at 300+kmph.

Time to get crackalackin' with my plans to catch atleast one race this season. I am putting my money on option 1, cos I am a control freak and I like this done my way, and option 3, cos I am a cheapskate and anything free is good to go!

*cue DJ Visage - Schumacher Mix* Adios!

The Paradoxical Commandments

- by Dr. Kent M. Keith (1968)

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
   Love them anyway.
       
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
   Do good anyway.
      
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
   Succeed anyway.
      
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
   Do good anyway.
      
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
   Be honest and frank anyway.
      
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
   Think big anyway.
      
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
   Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
      
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
   Build anyway.
      
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
   Help people anyway.
      
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
    Give the world the best you have anyway.

(Source: paradoxicalcommandments.com)

Pecha Kucha...say what?!

No, I'm not swearing in Japanese. Pecha Kucha is a creative “meet up” kinda event that’s turned into a global phenomenon (449 cities and counting) over the last couple of years since its inception in Japan in 2003.

A dear friend calls me up and goes, “Dude, Pecha Kucha Night is happening in Colombo!”, and I’m like, “Ooh, is that like a buffet theme night?” (cos, you know, I am thinking of food all the time, like ALL the time!) – but this time, I was so wrong. So I decided to prod deeper…

What?
Pecha Kucha means “chit chat” in Japanese (if you consider that swearing, you need to grow up!). It’s an event, usually held at night, hence “Pecha Kucha Night” (cos having it during the day and calling it “Pecha Kucha Day” is very uncool like – I think), and it brings together people who have a love, appreciation and drive for creativity.

The basic concept goes by something called a “20x20 presentation”. Anyone who’s got a creative idea, project, concept or anything creative for that matter could present it to the audience in 20 slides with 20 seconds spent on each slide (yeah, I did the math too, it’s a little less than 7 minutes). This way, ideas keep moving fast. Why? Because, according to www.pecha-kucha.org, the official organization managing these events, you “give a microphone and some images to an architect - or most creative people for that matter - and they'll go on forever!” – couldn’t agree more.

How?
Pecha Kucha events are propagated via a simple non-profit network with a loose central management to keep things clean, simple and authentic.

Five quick pointers on how it works:

• Potential organizers will strike a “handshake agreement” with pecha-kucha.org
• Only one organizer per city (so people don’t start competing and profiting from it!)
• Anyone can participate (from your 5 year old daughter to your ever enthusiastic grandma)
• Anything can be presented (the obvious boundaries exist – this is not a hippie gathering)
• Can be held almost anywhere that welcomes fun

Why?
Because a creative voice deserves to be heard, and a Pecha Kucha Night does exactly that – it lets even the most humble creative voice to be heard and appreciated in a dignified manner.

Pecha Kucha Night - Colombo
Yep, Pecha Kucha has hit Colombo – next event taking place on 23 October 2011 at the Warehouse Project in Maradana.  Browse over to www.pechakuchacolombo.com for the nitty-gritties (or if you're a Facebook junkie, here's your fix - facebook.com/PechaKuchaColombo).

Still think I’m swearing? Bite me!