One Idiot To Rule Them All

In the Summer of 1988, cine-lovers were treated to yet another romantic flick from the Nasir Hussain Films banner, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. This one, a desi adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo & Juliet, became a hit and ever since has been a staple on every movie channels romantic flick line-up.

But apart from the movie's story and its popularity, there was another element to this flick that perhaps is more significant. QSQT marked the debut of Nasir's young nephew, Aamir Khan. The 'chocolate boy' was a nationwide sensation with his charm and soft spoken persona and became the new kid on the Bollywood block.

Fast forward 21 years, that new kid is now one of the most commercially successful actors in the country. With a body of work that is more diverse than our nation's population, Aamir Khan is an artist par excellence. His deep commitment to every project, that he is part of, is in a word, commendable. Khan has long shed the chocolate boy image and has since donned many different hats on and off the screen.

With his latest movie (well as an actor at least!) Aamir went all out with the publicity drive, to the extent that his personal blog dons the new movie's theatrical poster on its home page.

He may not be considered as a superstar in the same way as his contemporary, Shahrukh Khan. But ask any decent film critic and he is certain to tell you that of the two, Aamir is definitely a true actor. And I agree. Aamir's versatility and knack for perfection is apparent in every role that he has portrayed over the years.

Over the past two decades, Aamir Khan has been part of many movies, most of which have been absolute gems. But there are a few movies that I feel truly reflect this actor's brilliant talent. Here are my top picks, starring Aamir 'the actor' Khan that any Khan fan must watch ~

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

Another hit from the Nasir Hussain Films banner, and yes another romantic flick. But this one is a high school romantic caper (possibly the only successful one!) and doesn't end tragically unlike QSQT.

Khan is the spoiled younger sibling of a high school bicycling champion. Aamir's wayward ways and despise for the sport and his gradual transition to becoming the new champion of the bicycling event forms the crux of the movie.

One of the many highlights of the movie is the musical number, 'Pehla Nasha', which is undeniably one of the most amorous and romantic songs to be ever written and composed in Indian cinema.


Andaz Apna Apna

A cult classic, this is the only movie in which Aamir shared screen space with another Khan, Salman to be precise. Aamir and Salman star as two hapless youngsters who are on their way to win the hand of a supposed NRI damsel.

Throughout the movie, the two Khan's, Amar and Prem, are trying to one up each other. The plot gets many comical twists thanks to brilliant performances by the supporting cast which includes Paresh Rawal and Shakti Kapoor.

Although there is no coherent character to portray here, Aamir is at his slapstick best in this movie. With absolutely inane dialogues and equally inane comic situations, Aamir's comic timing is commendable.


Rangeela

Okay, most of us probably only remember Urmila Matondkar's steamy dance moves, but for those of you who actually saw the movie you would agree that Aamir was absolutely brilliant in this movie.

Aamir plays a typical Bambaiya bhai in this movie, who sells movie tickets for black and lives his life to the fullest. Khan has a crush on his friend, Minnie, who is an extra in the movie business but dreams of becoming a superstar someday.

Khan's portrayal of a 'tapori' became a benchmark for all wannabe 'Munnabhais' and is one of his most memorable roles till date.



Sarfarosh

Aamir plays ACP Ajay Singh Rathod, a senior police official investigating and eventually bringing down, with his team, the terrorist network plaguing the country. Khan shares the screen with Naseeruddin Shah, another fine actor, in this one.

The movie in itself is a rare gem, and Aamir gives one stellar performance with superb dialogue delivery. Khan's character seems so grounded in reality that it is very easy to forget that he's actually playing a part in a movie.


Lagaan

Now here's a movie that is an absolute masterpiece! Lagaan is the story of how a village defied the then British 'Raj' and defeated the Queen's men at their own national sport of cricket.

Aamir plays the village lad, who believes in the ideals of independence, freedom and equality and who leads his team of players to victory in this epic tale of good versus evil.

Khan's commitment for the role was again apparent as he perfected his accent, diction and look to bring that authentic 19th century rural feel to his character.
The movie also marked Aamir's foray into the production business and highlighted his strong business acumen.


Dil Chahta Hai

Another cult, classic, Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut pitted Aamir with Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Khanna in a story about three friends and the ups and downs in their lives.

Khan plays a typical urban youth, who doesn't believe in the concept commitments of any sort and lives life one day at a time. This is pretty cool considering that he was already way past 35 when he played the character.

Aamir's witty dialogue delivery and knack for looking the part make this movie an absolute must watch for any Aamir fan!


Rang De Basanti

Director Rakeysh Mehra's solo hit, here Khan is an Delhi University ex-student, who hangs out with his college friends.

Khan and his friends, enjoy the good life with a happy-go-lucky attitude until an event shatters their world. Their transition from the carefree to the brave and revolutionary is what Rang De Basanti is all about.

Despite being an ensemble movie, Khan is outstanding in this flick. His rendition of a typical Delhi student is uncanny Once again the actor in him surprises us all with his penchant for perfect diction and body language. Khan also lent his voice to a song in the movie. Now that's what I call multifaceted!


Taare Zameen Par

Khan wasn't the protagonist in this one as he made the transition from actor to director. TZP was a movie that dealt with a very sensitive topic, that of dyslexia among children and the society's perception of the disorder. And Khan's direction paid off as the movie enjoyed both critical and commercial success.

Khan's many years as a fine actor are obvious as his direction captures the best from every actor in the movie. Damn even behind the camera, this man is a genius!







And now, the Khan is all set to entertain us once again with his rendition of a college student in Rajkumar Hirani's  3 Idiots a cinematic adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's five point someone. I for one am definitely going to catch Khan's latest (and probably blog about it as well!). I am still stunned that despite being 44, he is still managing to look younger than Sharman and Madhavan in the 3 Idiots promos!

Aamir Khan, an actor, a producer and a director par excellence. Truly, this Idiot deserves to be appreciated for his awesome talent and unparalleled genius.

Action TV

Growing up, there were many television shows that I enjoyed watching. But being a guy, there was (and still is!) a genre of shows that had special appeal to me. These were the shows about men and their machines. No not those machines you pervert! I'm talking about the mean vehicles that these heroes used, to chase down the villain and then use the vehicle's awesome arsenal of weapons to blow the bad-guy to kingdom come. Yeah there were the shows that epitomized raw machismo.

Developed during the decade that truly endorsed the action genre, the 80's, these shows were dime a dozen. Some lasted for a respectable number of seasons, while others vanished without a trace. But for a true fan (such as myself!) these shows are more than just nostalgia. We grew up on this, so it kinda shaped our own perception of the action genre and was perhaps our first formal introduction to the world of 'Super' Automobiles.

Every time I see a new action adventure series, invariably I begin comparing it to these retro shows. My benchmark, out-dated as they may be, are these old action series, where Good was good and Bad was really really bad and you didn't need an intricate and twisted story to get the TRPs. It was all about the action, plain and simple!

So here are the top three shows of the Automobile Action Adventure Genre (The AAAG!), that I absolutely love! And for extra effect, I've even thrown in the Intro sequences of each. Enjoy!

Airwolf

The protagonist is Stringfellow Hawke, a loner who is recruited by a covert government organization called 'The Firm' (yea i know sounds kinda cheesy) to recover a stolen supersonic attack helicopter code-named Airwolf.

Well our hero does succeed in bringing the prized chopper back home, but decides against handing it over to the government. Instead Hawke ,with the help of his confidant and buddy Dominic Santini, hides Airwolf in a defunct volcano. Hawke refuses to return Airwolf until the FIRM can recover his brother, St. John, who has been missing in action since Vietnam.

To get access to Airwolf, Archangel, the deputy director of the Firm, offers Hawke protection from other government agencies who will try to recover Airwolf in exchange for flying missions of national importance for the FIRM. What followed were four seasons of chopper-tastic action and loads of dog-fights and mach flights.

The helicopter used in Airwolf was, in one word, awesome. Agreed that today almost every war helicopter has a larger arsenal than the Airwolf chopper, but back then, this baby was gold. I would spend hours just picturing myself at the helm of this beastly beauty! Sigh,  too bad no one has thought of reviving this superb show or even considered a feature-film adaptation. Or have they?

Street Hawk

Here the protagonist is an ex-motorcycle cop, Jesse Mach, who is recruited by the government to test their top secret project, an all terrain motor-cycle, Street Hawk, designed to battle urban crime. The bike in question, is capable of reaching top speeds of 300 kmph and has an arsenal of weapons comparable to a Sherman Tank!

Obviously Mach's true identity is a secret, shared only by one other person, federal agent Norman Tuttle, who is also the designer of Street Hawk. With Tuttle as his eyes and ears supplying real-time information from their base, Mach embarks on assignments with his mean machine to stop criminals cold in their feet.

Although short-lived (only 13 episodes!), the series developed a cult following (with me as one of the cult members!) and is often regarded as one of the best TV shows featuring a Motor-Cycle.

But what was most memorable about the show was the theme music. Rendered by the German electronic music group Tangerine Dream, the opening sequence is an adrenaline charged symphony of sounds that will raise you testosterone levels by some several notches! In fact I love the main them so much that I've downloaded three other versions of it and just enjoy listening to them on my mp3 player.

Knight Rider

Forget Baywatch, Knight Rider is the show that shot David Hasselhoff to fame. By far the most popular of the three, this epic action adventure series chronicled the exploits of one, Michael Knight, who drives a state of the art sentient talking car with artificial intelligence.

Knight is actually police detective Michael Long, who after a near fatal gun shot is rescued by billionaire Wilton Knight who gives Michael a new face (via surgery) and a new identity, Michael Knight. Wilton selects Michael to be the muscle in the pilot program of his Knight Foundation-funded public justice organization, the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG).

The car was the Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT), a Pontiac Trans Am controlled by a computer with artificial intelligence. Michael and KITT are brought in during situations where "direct action might provide the only feasible solution".

Knight Rider spawned an entire franchise with toys, games, and tons of other merchandise. However Efforts to revive the famed KITT in different avatars on the small screen have proven somewhat unsuccessful, with even the latest adaptation featuring an upgraded KITT (voiced by Val Kilmer) being taken off the air after one season.

What I enjoyed about the show, apart from the obvious drool worthy modified Trans Am Pontiac, was the chemistry between KITT (well the AI of KITT) and Michael. Their conversations were packed with humor and dry sarcasm, which made the show a treat for everyone. But yes, the car itself was oh-so desirable. Even today, I doubt anyone would refuse the opportunity to get behind the wheel of KITT (or KARR for that matter).

Action at it's best!

Men and their Machines!

This post is part of my Retro Series, in which I talk about all things from my childhood which are now considered as retro. Check out the other posts in this series by clicking here - Retro Series

Return Of The Clients

If you been using twitter (and after reading my previous posts, I sincerely hope you are!), then you are definitely familiar with the twitter website and it's features or lack thereof!
Don't get me wrong, the web-site is very simple and clutter-free (unlike facebook and orkut), but reading tweets from multiple peeps becomes somewhat of a challenge. Also, you have to constantly refresh your page to check on different portions of your twitter page (read favorites, followers, mentions, etc.)

What if you could organize the people you follow, keep all your favorite tweets at easy reach and have a holistic view of your twitter experience?

Enter the twitter clients!


Table Top Wonders!
You've got Outlook (or ThunderBird if you're into open source!) to manage you mail offline. So why should your tweets be treated differently. Desktop clients are the key to tracking your tweeps and their tweets in an organized and fun manner. Here are some of the best desktop twitter clients -

TweetDeck

Managing your tweets couldn't get simpler than this! Built on the Adobe Air, TweetDeck offers integration with your twitter, facebook and myspace accounts.
TweetDeck is the complete package, upload media, shorten your URLs, maintain your hashtag history and even translate your tweet!
A prominent feature of TweetDeck (one which makes it my preferred desktop client) is the column. Create separate columns for different functions, i.e. one to track all your DMs, one for all your mentions, one for your list of followers and so on. This is great if you're interested in organizing all your tweets and focusing on specific aspects of your twitter timeline.
If you are serious about tweeting, TweetDeck is definitely the way to go!



Seesmic

Next to Tweetdeck, Seesmic is perhaps the most sought after twitter desktop client. And for good reason. The client has a web, desktop and mobile avatar and also supports integration with your facebook profile.
Although I've downloaded the seesmic desktop client, I don't really use it much, but those who have,swear by it. So do check it out before you zero in on a client.
Pssst...if you are really interested in a more detailed comparison between TweetDeck and Seesmic, check out this link


HootSuite

Although a web based client, HootSuite offers most, if not all the functions available in TweetDeck and Seesmic. Labeled as the twitter client for professionals, HootSuite is essentially targeted at those organizations who wish to leverage twitter for their social media presence.
But that doesn't mean that you need to be the CEO of a company to appreciate the features provided by this baby!
A few things that I liked, were the customized shrunk links that allow you to track the number of hits on the target web-page, provision for scheduled tweets and profile statistics summary.


Fun On The Run!
Tweeting is all about keeping your updates mobile. Let's face it, not all of us spend hours together in front of the PC, well not voluntarily at least. So if you need to keep feeding the twitter bird on an hourly basis with your tweets, how do you do that? Well thankfully there are a plethora of clients designed for every mobile phone platform (read OS). Some of the most popular ones are -


Gravity

Designed for Symbian smart phones (read Nokia N&E Series and the likes), this is by far the best in its class. Apart from supporting all the standard twitter functions (retweet, reply, favorite, Direct Message, etc), Gravity also features other cool features. These include forwarding a tweet as an SMS (super awesome!), uploading pictures to multiple media sharing sites (Mobypicture, posterous, twitpic, twitgoo, yfrog, img.ly), creating groups of your followers and even schedule your tweets.
Gravity also integrates with Google Reader. So if you have a RSS feeds synced with your Google Reader, then you can read them right off your phone!
Recently even a facebook integration has been introduced. Although it's still a little buggy, but nonetheless a great addition to an amazing mobile client.
Be warned, this application is not freeware and comes with a price tag of $9.95 (plus taxes). But it's worth every cent!


Tweets60

Tweets60 was the first free native twitter application for Nokia S60. Tweets60 lets you change your status, read the tweets of people you follow, re-tweet, and manage who you follow.
With a fairly simple interface and basic functions of twitter, this is the a great mobile client for those who don't want too many fancy features.


Tweetie

Tweetie is the twitter client for the oh so sought after iPhone and iTouch. Well to be fair, it is originally the twitter client for the Mac, and has a mobile version for Apple's touch products.
Needless to say that the features of this bad boy are at par with the other touch applications. And in true Apple style, Tweetie has seamless integration not only with your web profiles but also your phone address book.
Apart from that the client is fully loaded with features like one-touch media upload, group management, landscape support and much more.
If you own an iPhone (or the iTouch), this is the client you need on your device.


And with that, the Twitter Critter series comes to an end. Through this series I have tried to cover as much area as possible to make your twitter experience as simple and hassle-free as possible.

I hope that these posts have been helpful in demystifying the twitter universe, oops I mean Twitterverse.
Do let me know if there are any other aspects of Twitter that you'd like more gyann on. Till then...


Happy Tweeting!


Previously in the series:
The Twitter Critter Strikes Back!
Attack Of The Apps

Thanksgiving...One Year Ago

Last year I was lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving in the motherland of the holiday, USA. I was in Denver, Colorado on a client assignment. To celebrate the long weekend, my colleagues and I decided to take a trip to Las Vegas. Being our first trip to the gambling capital of the world, it was highly anticipated by us.

We were to leave early morning on 27th November, a Thursday. The day before, we were at work, making final presentations and getting sign-offs from the client. The general mood across the team and in the office was of joyous celebration. We had managed to meet the project deadlines and deliver satisfying results to the client and were all set to celebrate the results of our hard work with a terrific weekend getaway.

Then I got a message from a friend back home in Bombay. His conversation stated that portions of the city's downtown were under siege by some terrorist outfit.

The date was November 26th, 2008. The siege he referred to was the terrorist attack on the metropolis that began at approximately 9:30 PM and lasted for a gut-wrenching sixty hours.

We immediately scoured the internet to obtain some sort of video footage of the attacks. News Channels were broadcasting the grotesque incident live via their web channels. What we saw, we could not believe. Glimpses of men dressed in casual attire wielding Ak-47s and hand grenades at the Taj Mahal hotel. The five-star hotel had been turned into a battle-ground.

Elsewhere other members of the terrorist group had taken siege of various locations across the southern tip of Bombay. Restaurants, hospitals, train stations, schools, these men had not shown any remorse of mercy in their choice of targets and victims. Their motive was plain and simple. Death to all!. All of it seemed surreal, almost unimaginable.

What seemed like an eternity was in fact 60 hours. Almost three days, the city was held captive on in its own turf by terrorists. The outcome? Over 148 civilians died, 14 police officers and 2 Commandos lost their lives, several were badly injured and the city that everyone thought was indestructible was brought to its knees.

Bombay has had its share of disasters, natural or otherwise. As a citizen of the bustling metropolis, I have witnessed most of them. The communal riots of 92, the tragic bomb blasts that ensued the year after, the deluge of 26/7 in 2005, the local train blasts in 2006. These are some of them many events that have been etched in my memory. But there was something different about the attacks on 26/11. Something that made the entire episode seem not only tragic but alarming.

Although I was not in the city, when the tragedy occurred, my family and friends were. My father and brother work at office complexes in the Nariman Point area, which is close to Colaba. My grandmother lives at Vile Parle, where a taxi cab exploded . Many of my friends live near the CST station area, where one terrorist was on a shooting rampage with his rifle. Thankfully none of them were harmed, this time.

Flash forward to one year later, today. A lot has happened since that fateful day. But the memory of the tragedy still haunts us. For most they are only images that we saw on the television, articles we read in the newspapers. But for those who were caught in the middle of the maelstrom, the day is a grim reminder of the tragedy that befell them and a date that will be forever etched in their memories.

And the media is not helping in easing the pain either. Barely a week before the first anniversary of the terrorist attack, electronic and print media have been capitalizing on the event. With "Special Reports", "Exclusive Footage" and purple prose editorials, the media moguls are leaving no stone unturned to cash in on this tragedy. Even a cellular network operator is riding the wave with its own "tribute" to the heroes who sacrificed their lives to end the tragedy.

Noble as their intentions may be, one can't help but wonder, if all of this is but another way to publicize their own brands under the guise of nobility. But hey, that's just the pessimist in me talking. Who knows? Perhaps we are witnessing a strong social sensibility among the corporates.

Another and a far more important question is this - Has justice been served? A year after the attacks, we have one terrorist under custody awaiting trial, The governments of India and Pakistan are playing ping-pong with dossiers, the "Super Powers" of the world have yet to take a firm stand and plenty of unanswered questions.

So what are we celebrating after one year? From what I can tell, we can celebrate this, the simple fact that we are here. that the city has bounced back and that you and I can celebrate this Thanksgiving without incident.

But wait, didn't we already do that after the bomb blasts of '93? And wasn't this the same attitude adopted by us in response to 11/6 local train bombings? Sensing a pattern?

It is nice to know that as a city we have repeatedly emerged from our darkest hours as victors. But after a certain point that should not all that we should aspire towards. Rising from the ashes like a phoenix is fine, but striking the enemy in the gut is better. We need our government to take decisive action not only against the terrorists themselves, but also against those who are guilty of supporting such terrorist outfits.

So people, let us celebrate Thanksgiving this year. But let us celebrate this Thanksgiving to honor and thank the souls who went beyond the call of duty to secure our freedom on this day, one year ago and even before that. Let us give thanks to the fact that you and I are still here to remember this day thanks to their actions.

But let us not just stop at giving thanks. Let this day remind us of something even more significant, that terrorism is very much an issue for all nations, developed or otherwise. We can no longer turn a blind eye towards the tyranny of a group of people and lead our lives in oblivion. Make no mistake, this is a war, one in which the enemy is prepared to strike innocent civilians like you and me.

Fighting this war on terror and winning it for our future generations will hopefully earn us our due thanks in the Thanksgivings to come.

Attack Of The Apps

Welcome to the second post in the Twitter Critter Series (third if you consider the original Twitter Critter Post!), focussing on the new social networking (soc-net for short) site, Twitter.  In the previous post, we saw the basics (and I mean real basic basics!) of using twitter. This week's post focuses on how you can leverage your twitter account to truly immerse in the soc-net experience.

Look Mommy I Shot That!
Networking on the web seldom involves mere textual updates of one's life. Today we can share our personal experiences with family and friends in full color, motion and sound. YouTube, Picasa, flickr and many others allow us to upload those candid moments to the web and share them with everyone.

Sharing pictures or videos on twitter can be as simple as posting the link of your photo album elsewhere (picasa, youtube, flickr, photobucket and the likes). But why resort to such 'prehistoric' methods? Twitter has spawned, or is at least supported, by many third party media upload websites. The seamless integration between your twitter account and these applications, enables, nay, empowers you with a one-touch upload and tweet functionality.

Here is the low-down on few of the third-party applications to enlighten you on the possibilities of your twitter presence.


Say Cheese!
A Picture, they say, is worth a thousand words, which is tremendously helpful when you're dealing with a 140 character limit! Some of the most popular photo upload and tweeting sites include -


twitpic
A simple no nonsense site which lets you upload photographs directly from the website or through supported phone applications. Apart from seeing the snaps that you uploaded, twitpic also lets you see what the world is uploading in real-time.



snaptweet
Snaptweet allows you to integrate your existing flickr account and tweet uploads to the Yahoo photo sharing service. You can send your latest photo or send tagged photos only or even send all emailed photos.





tweetphoto
Fairly similar to twitpic, this service allows you to tweet about your photos on twitter and facebook






Lights, Camera... Action!
If a photo is equivalent to a thousand words, one can only imagine the power of a video clip. Here are some of the top video sharing services for twitter -


twiddeo
Twiddeo lets you upload video files (mpg, wmv and avi file formats). The service also allows yout upload directly from your webcam and as well as your cellular phone (using an email based service).


vidly
Rated as the application of choice by many, this video sharing service also has an iphone application which lets you directly upload via your treasured apple phone.



12seconds
Fame may last for only 15 minutes, but it takes only 12 seconds to become famous. Record your emotions, thoughts or just what you're upto in a 12 second video clip and upload it to this site and watch it spread like wild fire across your twitter and facebook accounts!



Mix It Up!

Don't want to be restricted to just images or videos? Well then try these sites that offer multiple media tweeting support -


tweetcube
TweetCube allows you to share files on Twitter, period! Upload your images, videos, music and more and your files are automatically posted on Twitter.


mobypicture
Not to be confused with twitter's own fail whale, this whale of a photo and video upload service allows integration not only with twitter, but also other sites like facebook, flickr, youtube, blogger, wordpress and typepad (Phew!).



There you go, some really cool web-applications to add media richness to your twittering experience. So what're you waiting for? Start sharing!

The next post (which is the final one in the series) will shed some light on some great twitter clients to help you tweet from anywhere!

Previously in this series: The Twitter Critter Strikes Back!

Next in this Series: Return Of The Clients

Why I Like Bal Thackeray

Let me begin by clarifying something. I dislike the Shiv Sena and it's illegitimate spawn, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Wait let me correct that, I do not like the agenda and beliefs that these political outfits and their like stand for and promote.

Unless you've been living under a rock or are not from India, you are no stranger to their brand of politics. Their stand on employment and welfare of the "Sons of The Soil" has caused much disharmony in the state. Off-late their agenda has taken a very brutal and ugly face in the form of public violence and blatant disregard for the laws of the land.

I guess by now you're probably confused about the title of this post. Well allow me to explain. The aging supremo of the SS (hmmm... why does that sound familiar?) attacked Sachin Tendulkar for saying that "Mumbai belonged to all Indians". In an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, Thackeray, warned Sachin to "keep off the political pitch" for his own well-being. Or else, he would have "run out" from Marathi minds.

In a country, where Cricket is a religion and Sachin its God, attacking the legend himself, is an open invitation for criticism. Political parties, intellectuals and civic society leaders have expressed extreme disgust towards the editorial by the 82-year old Sena chief. Some have even deemed the literary piece worthy of the dust-bin.

Thackeray's editorial has in a sense united Indians against his kind. His comments enraged the millions (dare I say hundreds of millions) of fans of Maharshtra's, scratch that, India's beloved son. This rage, ironically is turning out to be a strong catalyst for many to realize the truth about Thackeray and his kind.

Trust me, the men behind these political parties are merely capitalizing on the sentiment of the average Marathi Manoos. Given the opportunity, these Sainiks would gladly sell their "beliefs" to the highest bidder.

I sincerely hope fans of "The Little Master" and others as well, will see these men for what they truly are and ensure that they NEVER get in a position to wield power.

So, in conclusion, I must thank Bal Thackeray for his vociferous attack on Sachin Tendulkar. It has resulted in enough political backlash and public criticism to silence him for quite some time.

The Twitter Critter Strikes Back!

 I know I have already sung songs of high praise about twitter in an earlier post. But many of my friends, who are quite active on other social networks (facebook, orkut), don't seem to be very accepting of the latest entrant in the soc-net scene. So I decided to break the ice, so to speak, between these skeptics and twitter by spreading some 'gyaan' through my blog.

This post is the first of a three part series detailing (in a manner of speaking) various aspects of the Twitter Universe (or as we tweeps call it, the twitverse!). This post will talk about the basics of twitter and how to use it. The next post in the series will talk about third party applications that help you enrich your twitter presence and the final post in the series will discuss various twitter clients to help make your twitter experience simple yet effective.




So What is this twitter thingie?

Conventional Blogs tend to be lengthy and are usually topic/theme specific, periodic and well let's face it sometimes downright boring (qualities that this particular blog hopes never to live up to!). It's almost impossible to leverage your blog to stay in touch with your friends, family and colleagues, well not on a personal basis at least.

Enter the micro-blog. Same concept as a blog but with a size limit. You pen your thoughts, but since the length of your "post" is limited (with 140 characters, that's an understatement!) your thoughts are pretty short. This lets you get creative with your posts and lets you  update people about what's happening with you or as the tag line on your twitter page says it - What Are You Doing? Users 'tweet' their thoughts, rantings, comments, jokes and absolutely anything that can be put into words. Well within 140 characters to be more precise.

If you're familiar with facebook, twitter is essentially the 'What's on your mind' section of your facebook page. At the core, Twitter is all about letting the world know what you are upto, plain and simple! To start off, simply go to the twitter website, register yourself and you are ready to be part of the twiterrati!


What do I tweet about?
Most newbie tweeters get intimidated by this thought (I know I was!). Well it's simple. Tweet about what ever catches your fancy. What are you doing, or going to do, or have already done! Start with a simple "Hello World" (programmers you can dig this one right!), talk about the weather, the news, latest movies, music, food, pets or even  the color of your boss's secretary's eyes! Yes tweeting is all about being who you really are and what goes on in that head of yours!

But you can only hold up a conversation with yourself for so long. Being on twitter (or any other soc-net site) is about building your network. So start following other tweeters. Start by finding your personal friends who are already on twitter. Invite a few from your mail address book if they aren't already users. You can even use twitter's own Recommended Users list. But don't go overboard and follow every tweep you see. Gradually build up your twitter network. Then start tweeting with them, about them, or just at them!

Follow The Leader

In twitter lingo, following someone is equivalent to adding that person to your twitter network. Following someone automatically lets you see their tweets. Conversely if someone follows you, they get to see all your tweets. Following someone results in their tweets being displayed on your twitter page. The list of tweets you see is commonly known as a time-line.

And don't be surprised if you find random tweeple (twitter people a.k.a peeps) following you. If you don't like that kind of thing, don't sweat it. you can keep your tweets private and allow only people whom you authorize to follow you and in effect your tweets.

Apart from your own network and other random people, there are many celebrity tweeters out there who are worth following, start with them. Since following anyone on a twitter is fairly unrestricted, you can follow your favorite celeb tweeters and stay in the loop about the latest gossip and happenings in their lives.

Do keep in mind, just because you are following them doesn't mean they are following you as well. With twitter, the follow could be one-way. But don't worry,if your tweets are interesting, they'll soon turn around and start following you!

Give And Ye Shall Receive

Want to mention your fellow tweeter in your tweet? Simply send out a tweet by prefixing his/her user name with a @. You'll see that the peep's name is now a link redirecting to their profile. Neat nah? This is a great way for you to mention your friends on twitter and encourage others to mingle with them.

Another way to mention your fellow peeps is by retweeting. Retweeting is similar to the concept of forwarding messages or emails. Retweets are prefixed with a RT followed by the fellow tweeter whose tweet you are retweeting. Its a fun way of spreading jokes, news articles or any interesting material across the twitverse. Retweeting is equivalent to flattery in the Twitter World (hmmm shouldn't that be Tworld?)

Like something a fellow peep tweeted? You can save it for quick reference by simply making it a favorite. Keep in mind that your favorites, like your tweets, are public.

Talk Back

Want to answer a question someone tweeted? Have some advise for another tweeter? Then reply to their tweets. Replies are similar to mentions. The difference is that a reply begins with the user-name mention and continues with your message.

A reply only appears to those for whom it is meant. However if someone were to visit you profile page, these replies along with the intended recipients are visible to them. So a more secure way of communicating with a fellow tweeter is using the Direct Message (DM) feature. Simply start your tweet with a D followed by the reply message.

Keep It Relevant

A feature of twitter which I find personally very useful is the hash tag. Prefix any word with a # and it becomes a keyword with a hyperlink which can be easily searched. Any and all tweets in the twitverse that contain that particular word can be found by simply clicking on that word in any tweet. This feature is particularly helpful when you are tweeting (either randomly or to fellow tweeters) about a particular topic and want to review all past tweets containing that word.

The hash tag is also used to start trending topics which can be followed and continued by other fellow tweeters. This is very useful when you want to track what people are talking about and keeps you updated on the latest news and trends across the globe.




Voila, it's as simple as that! Hope this hs been helpful in understanding the way twitter works and has cleared most of the queries that you have about the soc-net site.

So go ahead and create your twitter profiles. Start following interesting tweeps. By the way, my twitter profile name is Aaragorn1984, in case you were considering to follow me!

The next post in the series (may not be the very next post!) will shed some light on the different third party applications that will enrich your twitter experience via media sharing.

Happy Tweeting!

Next in this series - Attack Of the Apps

Ajab Movie Ka Ghazab Review

What was touted as the romantic comedy of the year turned out to be yet another average flick. Raj Kumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani disappoints cinema-goers with a lackluster plot and very predictable story.

Boy meets girl. Boy loves Girl. Boy becomes Girl's best friend. Girl in love with Someone else. Boy willing to sacrifice love for Girl's Happiness. Someone else not perfect match for Girl. Girl Realizes that Boy is true love. Boy and Girl confess heir love to each other and live happily ever after. That is APKGK in a nutshell. Okay maybe I'm being a little harsh. But the story is pretty ordinary with nothing terribly fresh to offer.

The movie is essentially a romantic comedy focusing on Prem (Ranbir Kapoor) and his love interest, Jenny (Katrina Kaif). The first half focuses on the attempts by Prem to express his love for Jenny. Barring a few scenes, this portion of the movie is a bore and makes you wonder where is it all heading? Post interval the pace picks up and so does the humor, but marginally. The movie does have its moments where the audience will crack up. My personal favorites were the dialogues between characters of Ranbir and that of his father (Darshan Zariwala).

The USP of the movie, apart from the director, is of course the lead pair. Both Ranbir and Katrina are part of the new generation of actors and are youth icons in their own right. Their appeal to the respective sexes (or whatever sex!) will definitely bring in the initial crowds. But alas eye-candy is not enough to fill the theater seats.

The young Kapoor is as dashing and as suave as can be, even when he plays a small town dreamy-eyed lad. Katrina, well her appeal lies on multiple levels, unfortunately none of them are related to "Good Acting". This is yet another movie where the sexy lass fails to emote beyond a few scenes. However her performance seems Oscar worthy when compared with that of Upen Patel. Dude, seriously you were doing so good as a model!

If there is someone who manages to keep you from walking out of the theater, it is Ranbir Kapoor. The New Kapoor on the block proves his mettle with this movie as he manages to carry the rom-com almost single handed all the way through till the end.

Some may argue that the disappointment arises due to the inevitable comparison between APKGK and Santoshi's comic masterpiece Andaz Apna Apna. True as that maybe, it doesn't overshadow the fact that APKGK isn't a very GREAT movie to begin with. One can't even say that the story had great potential, since it isn't a very original script. Santoshi has attempted to pull off a Jab We Met mixed with a little Namastey London garnished with a dash of his own Andaz Apna Apna. The result is one not very memorable romantic comedy.

One of the few things, that I liked, was the song and dance sequences. Most of the songs (well at least the ones that are doing the rounds of the radio chart toppers), have been beautifully shot. They have a very music video feel to them. I especially liked the number 'Tera Hone Laga Hoo'. Although I still don't understand why Santoshi insists on filming his naach-gaana outside India?

Surprisingly many newspaper critics have given rave reviews for the movie. I guess that just goes to show that everything is up for sale these days! Frankly, I'd say don't waste your money to catch this movie with an overly priced multiplex ticket. Instead watch it as a matinee in a few weeks. Or better yet, wait for a month or two and some desperate satellite channel is bound to showcase this as their "Super hit" of the month.

TED - Ideas Worth Spreading

Recently I came across a Website that really changed the way I look at my profession. For that matter, it really transformed my perception about the nature of different professions and how they are in fact related to one another, no matter how diverse. But before I go into the details of the website, a little background about what the web-site is promoting.

TED or technology Entertainment Design started as a conference, held in Long Beach, California way back in 1984, which brought together people from the fields of, well you guessed it, technology entertainment and design. At the face of it this combination seems odd. But this odd mix of people sharing their own stories about their work and their experiences snowballed and today the conference, which is an annual affair is sold out a year in advance, has speakers from many other backgrounds and has inspired millions.

The premise for the conference is simple. Innovators, leaders, experts from each field share their ideas. These 'stories' are aimed at not any specific audience or a privileged few, but at all of us, you, me, and everybody. At the core of TED is the belief that an idea can come anywhere at any time and from anyone. Also that idea can spread at the speed of light and has the potential to move mountains. The TED conference is a medium for those who wish to share their ideas with the world in an effort to improve society as a whole.

The TED philosophy -

• An idea can be created out of nothing except an inspired imagination.
• An idea weighs nothing.
• It can be transferred across the world at the speed of light for virtually zero cost.
• And yet an idea, when received by a prepared mind, can have extraordinary impact.
• It can reshape that mind's view of the world.
• It can dramatically alter the behavior of the mind's owner.
• It can cause the mind to pass on the idea to others.

Many of the ideas are in the form of stories or anecdotes. Speakers come from different walks of life. To give you an idea of the range of topics, here is a list of recent speakers at the TED conferences held in the last few years:

• Eve Ensler -Creator of the Vagina Monologues
• Peter Diamandis - Runs the X-Prize foundation
• Abhay Deol - Bollywood Actor/Producer
• Bill Clinton - Former US President
• Jane Goodall - Renowned anthropologist
• Nandan Nilekani - Founding member, Infosys
• Al Gore - Former US Vice President, Nobel Laurette
  
• Bono - Singer, Activist
• JJ Abrams - Hollywood Producer/Director
  

It is quite apparent that the spectrum of speakers at the TED conferences is pretty colossal. But these are just a few of the speakers that have contributed in the last two and a half decades of TED.And each speaker brings to the floor his or her unique story.

The beauty of TED lies in its simple format. Over a course of 4 days, 50 Speakers get a fixed time slot of 18 minutes each to share their stories. The stories range from the hilarious to the inspirational. But each story is enriching in its own way.

TED is now a global phenomenon, not restricted to the conferences at Long Beach, California. In fact, the latest TED conference is being held right here in India at the Mysore Campus of Infosys and is playing host to many national and international personalities.

This brings me to the website that I mentioned earlier. In an effort to ensure that the stories/ideas of the many speakers don't get lost in the annals of time, TED launched TED.com, a 'clearinghouse' of knowledge, where ordinary people like you and I can view the inspirational videos of the speakers from past TED conferences.

I am sure that most of you watch some of the many many inane (albeit funny) viral videos that are ubiquitous on the net. Every other day someone is posting a link to some funny or ''Awesome' video file on YouTube or the likes. While these videos are a great stress-buster, they're more likely to be forgotten or have little value-addition to our lives or to the society as a whole.

On the other hand watching a video of any of the speakers from past TED conferences on TED.com is an enriching experience. Not only does it introduce us to new stories of people from across the globe and across industries, but also provides a new perspective on many global and local issues. Do yourself a favor, watch at least one TED video in a day (it takes not more than 20 minutes). I guarantee, within a week, you will start looking at the world in a new light.

You can go to the TED website and start viewing these videos instantly. Or you could fill out a simple registration form and become part of the TED community. Advantages of being part of the Community include being able to interact with other TED community members, mark you favorite TED videos and themes, share your idea with others and much more.

To get a taste of what TED is all about, view the video below:



But why? Why go into all this trouble of getting people from disparate backgrounds to come and speak about random topics and experiences?
Well each experience, each story, each idea is random in isolation. But when you rise above the boundaries of individual backgrounds, these ideas are connected. Every idea is the result of someone's imagination. That someone may be limited in his or her thought process and may not see the impact or the reach of his/her idea. But when you throw your idea out their in the open, it starts taking a life of its own, it starts breathing, it grows and it germinates many more ideas. No matter how different our professional and personal backgrounds may be, we are still connected as a human race and hence so are our problems and as a consequence the solutions to those problems. The TED conference, in my view, is a wonderful testament to that notion and thus is great legacy that we can leave for future generations to carry on.

For further information on TED visit the following links
http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/5
http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/42

Retro Gaming

Remember your very first taste of video-gaming? Those pixelated images that felt phenomenally 'state of the art', the "orchestral" MIDI soundtrack and that mundane game-play that was oh so challenging! Well, I do and occasionally also get nostalgic about those old gaming consoles, which are no longer with me (sob...may they Rest In Peace).

Today Gaming has evolved into a completely different ball-game. Graphics are more life-like, sounds more ambient and the game-play more engaging than ever before. And with gaming transcending from the conventional televisions to PC to hand-helds and mobile phones, avid gamers have more options than ever before.

I do enjoy what technology has brought with it, but don't mind indulging in some Plain Jane games now and then. Fortunately the Internet comes to the rescue once again. A web-site called http://www.1980-games.com/ houses some of the best games from yester-years and is a nostalgic gamers' paradise! With virtually every title from the 8, 16 and even 32 bit era, the site lets you play some of the finest games right on your PC!

The layout of the web-site may be intimidating at first but once you start clicking away, you begin to get pretty comfortable with the general navigation. But be forewarned, sometimes you might land on the French version of the website, so you may have to change the language to understand the links. You can change the language by clicking on the pixelated images, at the top, of the national flags of England and France. Alternatively you could simply log in to their US website - http://www.1980-games.com/us/

Once in you can choose form an astoundingly wide array of games which have been sorted by genre and platform. The entire thing works on an emulator and renders the game on your PC exactly the way it would have worked on the original console. Although the game-play is restricted to a fairly small screen, it still beats playing it on a cellular phone!

The web-site offers a great retreat to the age of gaming when it didn't matter what physics engine was being used by the game or what software studios were involved in the development or what degree of detail was being rendered. All that mattered was you got some time-off from the everyday chaos to just enjoy some good old gaming.

So all you gamers who want to just sit back and relish some simple gaming fun, check out the web-site. I guarantee you will keep going back!

In the Valley of Elah

Today's post is pretty close to my heart because it reminds me of the age old biblical tale of David and Goliath.

Mihir Modi, a friend I've known since college, recently did something that really made me privileged about my firend circle.

A marketing executive by profession, Mihir is always on the move on account of work. And he doesn't keep you out of the loop since you can always track him down with his Shashi Tharoor like Geo-tagged tweets.

His latest tour is that of the city of Bangalore. He left for the Indian Silicon Valley sometime after Diwali, this week. Well that's not the interesting portion about him, well at least not the portion I am trying to highlight at least.

On October 22nd 2009, Mihir not only caught two cops red-handed while they were accepting a "hafta" but made it a point to report the crime while bringing it to the attention of passersby.

In a time where the "chalta-hai" attitude has become second-skin to most of us, this young man chose to stand up for the truth and did his bit as an alert citizen. I am sure most of us, perhaps even me, would have turned a blind eye to the deed or even worse, given it no second thought.

So why I am tooting about his bravery in my blog. Well, Mihir's actions serve as a reminder to all of us, including me, that truth and justice do prevail, but it takes courage on our part to see them through.

Let us not forget it is the puny David, and not the gigantic Goliath, whose praises echo in the corridors of time. Mihir truly personifies the David the world needs today!

Here's hoping that his story inspires us all!

PlayTOONS

Playboy, Hugh Hefner's brainchild, was in the news a few weeks ago. And if you've been reading my posts, you'd know exactly why!

The Lifestyle magazine made headlines on 9th Ocotober, 2009, when they announced that Marge Simpson, the matriarch from the famous animated sitcom, "The Simpsons" would be on their November cover. For those who are unfamiliar with the publication (because they were too busy living in the 19th century!), Playboy has been a favorite among men (and even some women) for it's 'tasteful' photography and it's infamous centerfolds.

This new direction by the magazine certainly changed the ball-game and this blogger began seeing things in a completely different light. For starters I started thinking of other potential female doodles, anime, cartoons (basically anything that was drawn!) who could be future Playboy centerfolds.

Here's a list (in increasing order of preference) of some toons that I think would make for some cool covers and centerfolds!

 Leela
The one-eyed mutant from Futurama (also from the creator of The Simpsons!) sure packs a mean punch on the show. But when it comes to being a seductive diva, this future gal is a one wicked cat!








Smurfette
The blue-skinned blonde female smurf is perhaps the most sought after in Smurfville. Wonder what would happen if she did the full-monty. What say Papa Smurf?


 



Olive Oyl
The 'voluptuous' love-interest of our very Popeye has been the object of contention between the sailor man and his rival, Bluto. Imagine what would happen if they got to really see their gal!


 


 
Betty Boop
Ah, a vintage toon finally. For all those who enjoy experienced and mature women, you can't go wrong with this lovely lass from the 1930s






Jessica Rabbit
And finally we have a true contender for the next centerfold, the absolutely stunning, dazzlingly beautiful and incredibly sultry wife of Roger Rabbit from the movie Who Framed Roger Rabit? With her on the cover, who needs anything else!







So if you see any of these toon divas on an issue of Playboy, you know who to thank!

PS: Do tell me which other famous toon you'd like to see make the pages of Playboy by leaving a comment to this post.

Commute To Hell (and Back!)

There is no denying that Bombay (or Mumbai, take your pick!) is well-connected with public transportation. And it's a good thing it is because with over ten million people commuting on a daily basis, anything less than well-connected would spell disaster.

Come to think of it, the transportation system of the city is perhaps one of the contributors to it's success. Three local railway lines, a robust local bus service and plethora of private cabs ferry hordes of people in every which way!

But despite the presence of the nation's most envied public transportation system, there are a few complaints from this humble blogger. Here are some of my observations -

1. Black and Yellow ain't Mellow

The ubiquitous B&Y Premier Padminis may be there when you need to grab a quick ride but they are definitely not the most comfortable rides! Sitting in the cab, with a headroom which was designed for the Oompa Loompas,people like me (for the record I am 6 ft tall!) end up like the Hunchback of Notre Dame after a 30 minute journey. Not to mention that some of these cabs have probably not been cleaned since maybe 1984 and are probably the worst pollutants on the streets!

And of course the rodent-like auto-rickshaws are no different, maybe even worse!

Private taxi-cab companies like Meru and Maxi Cab have brought some respite with their fleet of Mahindra Logans, Maruti Esteems and Tata Indicas, but we still have a long way to go before the 'phiats' are displayed at the museum!

2. tRAIN,tRAIN Everywhere!

Now here is a service that is absolutely top notch. With three separate tracks covering almost every major area of the metropolis and a train leaving a major station every 4-5 minutes, the Mumbai local train is considered one of Asia's best. But that's where the laurels begin to wither,for although the trains and the frequency are fabulous, the stations and the people who use them, are far from it. Major stations like Andheri and Dadar are, to be euphemistic, disorganized and dirty. But you can't really blame just the authorities for that mess, because the commuters are the ones who need to be educated about civic sense and cleanliness.

But what really pisses me off are the commuters who feel that they have earned the right to disturb other fellow commuters with their high-pitched bhajan sessions or group card games or occasional reservation of seats for com padres.

Well at least on the station front, there seems to be some pro-active action by the powers that be, with new stations being endowed with amenities akin to those found at train stations in developed countries. The people, well they are a different story!

3.BEST for the Last

The BEST buses are famous for the driver's knack to squeeze the double-decker red and white buses through some of the most narrowest lanes of the city. But when it comes to halting at the actual bus-stop, that ability seems to take a back-seat literally!

Both the conductor and the driver always seem to be in a hurry, as if racing at the Monaco Grand Prix and never allow passengers to board the bus peacefully. I've actually noticed instances where people have been forced to leave the bus, not due to lack of space but due to the fact that bus has already started moving ahead! I mean what is the freaking urgency! And when will the driver learn to halt the bus next to the bus stop, not in middle of the road ahead of the designated bus stop.

Although we have some fresh new buses with central air-conditioning and handicap friendly facilities, the cure still lies in educating the people who matter!

Gone With The Wind - A Blog Action Day Climate Change Special

People, today's post is a special one. Why? Well it's special because it is being written in support of a global event, Blog Action Day. Today across 140 countries, over 7600 blogs will be publishing posts on a specific topic to help spread awareness among the general public.

And what is that topic you ask? It's one that I support very passionately (and is the REAL reason why I decided to join the event!), Climate Change. So what is this Climate Change? Why the fuss over this on a global scale? Well for those of you who have been living in a cave for the past few years, here's the lowdown.

Humans have been burning fossil fuels for a little over a century now, the rate of which has accelerated in the last few decades. Additionally we have over indulged in other industrial activities such as chemical production, cement manufacturing and deforestation, all of which have resulted in the generation or build-up of certain harmful gases. Apart from the immediate effects of pollution and depletion of natural resources, these activities have resulted in a Green House effect, wherein the atmospheric layer essentially acts as a glass dome (much akin to that of conventional green-houses) trapping the heat generated by the gases like Carbon Dioxide. This trapped heat in turn results in the gradual increase in the temperature of the planet. Now all of us like a little summer heat, but the temperature rises we are talking about are on a global scale. Which means that the average equilibrium temperatures are raised across the globe, even in the frozen north and south poles!

What happens when you heat ice? Simple it turns into water. So what's the big deal, you ask? Excess water is a good thing. After all we keep hearing about the acute water shortage across the planet. Maybe this will solve that issue. Well its like this, imagine you pack a jar with ice cubes and then heat the jar. Good Science will tell you that the ice-cubes will melt, but common-sense will alert you that the jar is too small to contain the melted water and the excess liquid will spill. Replace the jar with planet earth and the ice-cubes with the ice-bergs found in near the poles. Same results, only here the water doesn't spill over, it submerges everything around it. Yes you heard that right, submerges the surrounding land masses.

Movie buffs will recollect story elements from the Roland Emmerich blockbuster, The Day After Tomorrow. The central plot of the movie involved the effects, strike that, the cataclysmic effects of climate change across the planet,albeit with some dramatic license. What you saw in the movie was pretty much what climate change is all about, unseasonal tornadoes, massive hailstorms, flooding, tsunamis, basically the bad parts of the Bible!

If the movie analogy seems far-fetched, look around you. Don't you feel unseasonal weather patterns are ever-increasing. I am sure no one has forgotten the torrential rains on July 26th, 2005 in Bombay. And only two years ago, the metropolis witnessed it's coldest winter (not too cold for my North Indian friends, but still pretty close!). Even in the current year, the monsoon calendar, which usually lasts between June and September, was stretched all the way till October.

This change is happening everywhere, all across the planet. Disastrous Tsunamis, extreme heat waves, delayed monsoons, severe snow storms, the list is endless. And it's not going to stop. In fact the situation will keep worsening until a point is reached where all hope will be lost and humanity will eventually be annihilated! Well okay, maybe I'm getting a little dramatic. But the situation IS pretty grim.

There are enough web-sites, blogs, documentaries, books and a tons of other material dedicated to educating us about the ills of polluting the environment and the steps that we can take to ensure a cleaner and greener future. For those who wish to further their knowledge on the Global Warming and Climate Change phenomenon, consider viewing the following:

• An Inconvenient Truth - a documentary by Al Gore
  
• The 11th Hour - a documentary by Leonardo DiCaprio

You could also visit the following websites;

Effects of Global Warming
United Nations Environmental Programme - Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

As you go through the facts in these resources, the enormity of the issue will begin to come into focus as shall the solution. Time is of the essence and the time is now to act!

Before I conclude this post what I'd like you to ponder about is that while you and I may not live to see the earth for more than 50-60 years (75-80 if we are really lucky!), it doesn't mean that the planet will cease to exist after we pass away. Earth will survive, it will continue spinning about its imaginary axis and go on revolving around a bright star in some obscure part of the universe. What will change, is the condition in which it will live on, the manner in which it will survive.

So the question is this - Will we leave a legacy that speaks of our negligent and apathetic behavior towards our planet? Or will we take actions that proclaim our sensitivity towards the plight of our home-world at a very crucial juncture in it's history?