maroonimations

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:46:05 +0000Vague and PhilosophicalRantsBooksSelf-referentialLiteraryPoliticsMoviesPoetryReligionTelevisionGeopoliticsMalazanLanguageSharingEconomicsGamingTechnologyClimate ChangeDarkWarriorMemoryProfessionalSportsVideo GamesWork relatedmaroonimationsDiatribes, rants, discourses, reaction, and, bloviation on this and thathttp://maroonimations.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)Blogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-6647599716985019027Wed, 11 Oct 2017 03:44:00 +00002017-10-11T09:14:30.034+05:30LanguageSelf-referentialVague and PhilosophicalThinking in Metaphor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I cannot, for the life of me, stop thinking in metaphor. My speech is riddled with simile. I understand the world best when I apply a reductive approach to it. I get animated and my arms start waving when I hit upon the right metaphor.<br> <br> The other day I was talking about software design. We had a team that had gone and built a sub-system that did not talk to any others and just quietly did what it was supposed to. Now the task at hand was to integrate it into an ecosystem of other sub-systems. The only way I could talk about it was to compare it to an internal combustion engine that had been designed in isolation but now the block needed to be lowered into a chassis, and we needed to make sure all the connections were made and the structural integrity was OK and so on. I probably sounded incredibly patronizing as I said it, but I could not help myself. I was dazzled by the image. People likely went on mute and groaned...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2017/10/thinking-in-metaphor.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2017/10/thinking-in-metaphor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-4080593711151517702Fri, 26 May 2017 04:26:00 +00002017-05-26T10:03:29.807+05:30PoliticsRantsSharingVague and PhilosophicalKnow Thyself - An Essay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGL6TG9XLYR-M97fMCxmSiRYOYaYYziE4jeQhPcA2qqKguJAupowL0YvhJCVCQzde02HlhkMRWukFnCcflJOhnPv6hrRnEVgJA5g1u16X10KyQrHYN1NoQLZ32uyw4KGfHr3YOmyk_1Z4/s1600/IMG_20170514_162543_943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGL6TG9XLYR-M97fMCxmSiRYOYaYYziE4jeQhPcA2qqKguJAupowL0YvhJCVCQzde02HlhkMRWukFnCcflJOhnPv6hrRnEVgJA5g1u16X10KyQrHYN1NoQLZ32uyw4KGfHr3YOmyk_1Z4/s200/IMG_20170514_162543_943.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflect!</td></tr> </tbody></table> An Indian actor commends an Army officer for using a human shield and in fact recommends using an author he disagrees with as a human shield. A (now powerful) deranged 70 something lecher tweets inanities from the White House. Elections are swayed by industrial strength trolling. A vacuous polity hides behind sensationalist rhetoric.<br /> <br /> This leaks into day to day interactions in real life too. I was shocked the other day when speaking to a friend casually she suddenly offered "I really hate Gandhi. Something about him just makes you hate him". Really - hatred? Is there no room for nuance? Can you not support whatever politics and historical narrative you believe in and still have room in your mind to say Gandhi might've had a good thought or two? When did it become fashionable to spit on the man who stood for non-violence?<br /> <br /> Every day, each one of us stares at the empty "What's on your mind?" box on Facebook or "What's happening" boxes on Twitter and proceed to either up the vitriol. score a cheap laugh, or like and re-tweet our opinion to the world, regardless of whether it really is worthwhile. That I am doing so now adds to the irony. :)<br /> <br /> Everything always has to have two sides - no more, no less! The minute an event takes place a narrative and a counter-narrative is crafted, and "fake news" or "presstitutes" or some such over-generalization becomes the battle-cry for *both* sides! Talking heads and champions for each side sprout so fast TV screens run out of real estate accommodating them, and the average viewer's glazed eyes go in search of the volume reduction or mute buttons on remotes. They do not however, switch channels...<br /> <br /> Forgotten is the fact that "with us or against us" used to be (correctly) looked at as a naive world-view. Surely we can admit to the fact that Kashmir is an absolute shit-show for all its people, that they have crappy lives, and still say it is Indian territory?! Surely my patriotism is not put in question because I feel like that Major was perpetrating a crime against humanity and this was a heinous act? Is morality one-sided - they ask - why don't you preach to the stone-pelters. Well yes absolutely morality is one-sided! We can never force another person to be moral; the choice always is whether or not we will do the right thing regardless of the cost? Anything else would be moral relativism of the highest order!<br /> <br /> There was a time when everyone did not have a voice. If you were outraged by something the only way to react was taking to the streets. A privileged few had access to the media to air their views and they would drive the conversation. Things did not change until they reached a boiling point, and there are always those who take advantage of the confusion of revolutions large and small and perpetuate their agendae.<br /> <br /> I would not wish a return to such times and I do not think we have really left those times completely; but I don't think we've reached the next step either. I don't think the world is ready for everyone to have a voice. I think participation in polity is strengthening mobs, not enlightening souls. And mobs are easily manipulated.<br /> <br /> The world-stream - that ineffable aggregation of TV, radio, the web, and social media - is a fire hose and we drink from it at the cost of sanity.<br /> <br /> So please - the next time you feel like expressing yourself, sleep on it. I did, before I wrote this. Let your expression not be reactive or a search for the next hundred likes, thousand followers, or fifty re-tweets. That is the way to join a mob. Let your expression be considered, deliberate, and tempered by deep thought.<br /> <br /> The urge to win the argument at the cost of the cause, the urge to escalate the hysteria, scoring points by going viral - these things are ruining public discourse.<br /> <br /> They call it going viral for a reason you know - these gotchas are an infection in the polity. It is time to find a vaccine. Inoculate yourself.<br /> <br /> Know thyself.</div> http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2017/05/know-thyself-essay.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-4690886867625515542Mon, 24 Apr 2017 00:32:00 +00002017-04-24T06:02:01.517+05:30PoetryVague and PhilosophicalDialogue - a poem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> How do I describe a life to you,<br /> If you've never lived it?<br /> <br /> A sea of words rises and falls<br /> Froths and eddies<br /> On the shores of your understanding<br /> And above it<br /> So far asky<br /> Soars the gull of this thought<br /> <br /> How do I describe a sight to you,<br /> If you've never seen it?<br /> <br /> An apple pie wafts upon a sill<br /> Warmth and cinnamon<br /> That pinch of sourness on your tongue<br /> And a memory<br /> Unbidden<br /> Is the longing for joys past<br /> <br /> How do I describe a taste to you,<br /> If you've never smelled it?<br /> <br /> A piano key finishes the crescendo<br /> Sadness and joy<br /> A ringing in your ear that is silence<br /> Applause as<br /> You crave<br /> An encore that shall not be<br /> <br /> How do I describe a sound to you,<br /> If you've never heard it?<br /> <br /> Two hands brushing in the darkness<br /> Fear and exhilaration<br /> A shiver down the spine,<br /> Breathlessness,<br /> Awakening<br /> Promises made needing no words<br /> <br /> How do I describe a touch to you,<br /> If you've never felt it?<br /> <br /> Dimly lit is the path to this moment<br /> Incandescent, unafraid<br /> I peer into the gloom ahead, dispersing<br /> Curiosity<br /> The mist parts<br /> Revelations, climaxes, conclusions without end<br /> <br /> How would you describe a life to me,<br /> If I've never lived it?</div> http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2017/04/dialogue-poem.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-5185074456509664583Thu, 26 May 2016 15:29:00 +00002016-05-26T21:01:03.876+05:30MemorySelf-referentialTopical Fruits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> So I experienced the most vivid food memory, one that made me laugh. Standing in our kitchen, doing the gloriously icky, painstaking, and enjoyable task of making <i>aamras </i>(runny squeezed mango pulp is the closest English approximation, often with added sugar to balance the sour, or with a dash of milk) for dinner, I stood with one fleshy mango seed (<i>koy</i>) in each fist and squeezed, letting all the juice and pulp from it run into the container below. When I opened my hands, the <i>koyi </i>were completely juiced out. No further processing required - just dump them on the pile of skins.<br> <br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTmilExX9TsD5UbPgu0CXs30yzPUGvqEmZvQnUlvHlErm5rmFqY5Dt9S_pq3wSHUdN4ha5QcKNz6YnKdnaeeM1hiiH0-3XRvsdyIdXLgC8iP_Byyt2pQjuTfWMX-p7h5DGXtLUgeFMSlb/s1600/IMG_20160526_201807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTmilExX9TsD5UbPgu0CXs30yzPUGvqEmZvQnUlvHlErm5rmFqY5Dt9S_pq3wSHUdN4ha5QcKNz6YnKdnaeeM1hiiH0-3XRvsdyIdXLgC8iP_Byyt2pQjuTfWMX-p7h5DGXtLUgeFMSlb/s200/IMG_20160526_201807.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">I make less of a mess now...</td></tr> </tbody></table> I giggled as I realized I'd finally attained one of two food related superpowers that as a child I used to think only grown-ups have: one squeeze mango <i>koy </i>processing! (Oh, and let it be said that no one, but no one in living memory, ever came close to juicing a fleshy mango <i>koy </i>in one squeeze like my grandma, Mai <i>aaji</i>.)<br> <br> I was transported to a kitchen from my childhood, where like a starving doggie I would wait by my mom's and my <i>aaji</i>'s side as they prepared the day's <i>aamras</i>. Every discarded skin, every processed <i>koy </i>was handed to me for a final, slobbery clean up job. I never wanted the <i>koy </i>that <i>aaji </i>processed, because it was far too well squeezed - mom's <i>koy</i> however usually had a few fleshy bits still on. She spoiled me rotten, that woman...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2016/05/topical-fruits.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2016/05/topical-fruits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-1068788864222425841Sun, 10 Apr 2016 17:39:00 +00002016-04-10T23:09:09.948+05:30GamingTelevisionVideo GamesQuantum Break - Wow!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wFTrQeryh_mnlCR_cVL1M4mehMA-WotmUBShWkNkIFqPMhWCppS_LyXT-4GeZvP9d7UR1Qn9cD4V8XYclJdI7J_TBQWVwU2JGMDRNzFAKfztnn-zV3n2KD64kE1el9KPH_Mr3SHpSiOD/s1600/Quantum_Break_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40220512" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wFTrQeryh_mnlCR_cVL1M4mehMA-WotmUBShWkNkIFqPMhWCppS_LyXT-4GeZvP9d7UR1Qn9cD4V8XYclJdI7J_TBQWVwU2JGMDRNzFAKfztnn-zV3n2KD64kE1el9KPH_Mr3SHpSiOD/s200/Quantum_Break_cover.jpg" title="Quantum Break Cover" width="183"></a></div> Quantum Break is the most innovative gaming experience I've had in over a decade. Yep, I said it. An enjoyable first-person shooter science fiction (time travel) game, it is to my mind the first true 'Xbox One Exclusive' that would justify a purchase of the console. It was marketed as a hybrid video game and TV show, and what it really is, is 5 acts of gameplay interspersed with 4 slickly produced, tautly written, and very well-acted episodes. Shawn Ashmore and Dominic Monaghan deliver serviceable performances both in the TV elements and in their virtual avatars.<br> <br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2016/04/quantum-break-wow.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2016/04/quantum-break-wow.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-1630986691250536896Sun, 03 May 2015 02:04:00 +00002015-05-03T07:34:25.193+05:30BooksLiterarySelf-referentialAt His Old Man's Side - A Short Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> The following is a short story, yours to read and hopefully enjoy <i>for absolutely free</i>. You could just read it here on my site if that suits you - or if you would prefer to read it on your favorite e-reader please click to view and <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Fm_qIV1OY6ZEhfeko0Sktyak0/view?usp=sharing">download the PDF version</a>.<br> <br> Here are some help pages that should allow you to read this with ease on your favorite eReader platform: <a href="https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/3097151?hl=en">Google Play Books</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200375630">Amazon Kindle or Kindle App</a>, and <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204365">Apple iBooks</a>. If you're more the hard copy types, feel free to print the PDF for personal/ community use, so long as you don't sell a copy for, you know, actual money!<br> <br> This is my first shot at science fiction in a long time, and probably my first time writing in the first person. If you like it, don't like it, have a comment, spot a typo (I did write it in a hurry!), or have a constructive piece of feedback, I'm all ears. Do leave a comment or a +1 below!<br> <br> Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2015/05/at-his-old-mans-side-short-story.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2015/05/at-his-old-mans-side-short-story.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-4867767031775262506Sat, 27 Dec 2014 04:15:00 +00002014-12-29T05:47:08.618+05:30BooksDarkWarriorLiterarySelf-referentialThe Tale of "The Tale of the Dark Warrior"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNKHhdT2utY1RJpyhNFUnthtYshWQQObBw_PW6n8j6QYM1dA1xZCm745dWgv11UxfU02kWJkYz9gYAa8QeTz7lEucNrUh4FjDsh4I3F4K5q5-ljU7Pkp6E6F25cDq6UtXjHXzd_OzG1Wo/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNKHhdT2utY1RJpyhNFUnthtYshWQQObBw_PW6n8j6QYM1dA1xZCm745dWgv11UxfU02kWJkYz9gYAa8QeTz7lEucNrUh4FjDsh4I3F4K5q5-ljU7Pkp6E6F25cDq6UtXjHXzd_OzG1Wo/s1600/Capture.JPG" height="200" width="129"></a></div> They say some things take time. You can't hurry them up, or stall them. Like Wizards of Middle Earth they arrive precisely when they mean to. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/taleofthedarkwarrior">The Tale of the Dark Warrior</a> (link takes you to the official FB page), my novella made up of several short stories has taken its time to arrive.<br> <br> They (those faceless bastards!) also say good things are worth the wait. Whether my work is 'good' or 'worthwhile' or not is no longer for me to say; this I leave to you to decide. Right now I'm just relieved to be able to say - <i>it is done</i>!<br> <br> The 134 pages/ 31,600 odd words that make up the book have taken me over 13 years to write, rewrite, (oh so many times) abandon, rediscover, fine-tune, get reviews and notes on, and (just about 48 hours ago) finalize and publish. I grew up with this book and it grew in the telling with me. Putting it up for everyone to see feels like the end of a phase of my life.<br> <br> From the 1st of January 2015, warts and all, it will no longer be mine and will belong to you, dear readers. I can no longer second guess myself. I can no longer break up those long sentences, fix punctuation, elaborate on a plot point, or scythe away the fluff. <i>It is done</i>, but I am not done with it, and perhaps it is not done with me. Not quite; not just yet!<br> <br> Indulge me then, as I pen down the story behind this little book.<br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-tale-of-tale-of-dark-warrior.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-tale-of-tale-of-dark-warrior.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-6347903697559617404Thu, 13 Mar 2014 03:57:00 +00002014-03-13T09:27:29.984+05:30ReligionSelf-referentialVague and PhilosophicalThe Perils of Certainty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Saq3bj4qP5wHd3E8WfrgiOeH7jyFhIPF7qQSAn5EJtoUOYQFiXho6D_EzUnqahJsBqYGqg9qUwa9L6tBVOdyU5PR7y8EoYH0ynpg-13axrsx8FwrEzdk9QnVBShanmFzTl61bcxeWeuT/s1600/Mauritius+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Saq3bj4qP5wHd3E8WfrgiOeH7jyFhIPF7qQSAn5EJtoUOYQFiXho6D_EzUnqahJsBqYGqg9qUwa9L6tBVOdyU5PR7y8EoYH0ynpg-13axrsx8FwrEzdk9QnVBShanmFzTl61bcxeWeuT/s1600/Mauritius+008.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></div> I just read a thought-provoking article that argues that you are obligated to pass on to your children your own belief systems - but then leave them free to make up their own mind. Go on, read <a href="http://aeon.co/magazine/world-views/is-it-wrong-to-teach-children-to-believe-in-god/">the whole thing</a> (all 3000 words) over at Aeon Magazine. I'll wait.<br> <br> The article starts out very well - the author is disturbed (as I was) by Richard Dawkins' contention that teaching children to believe in God is a form of child abuse. Talking about believers and atheists, the article points out that if you believe something to be unequivocally true and belief in it necessary to live a 'good' life, you are morally obliged to pass it along. It then hypothesizes about an extreme case - does that mean a committed Nazi is obliged to bring up his or her children as Nazis?<br> <br> The answer suggested is - hell no, because Nazism is clearly wrong and its outcomes clearly evil, plus eugenics and the master race are discredited by real science. This is woolly logic at best however, because the latter is true of several belief systems that the author agrees are OK to pass along.<br> <br> My take? Of course we're obliged to pass on what we believe - yes, even the Nazi! However, we are also obliged to present evidence that runs counter to our own argument, and more importantly we are obliged to change our mind if this evidence discredits our own belief.<br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-perils-of-certainty.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-perils-of-certainty.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-7224011334818123304Wed, 15 Jan 2014 15:41:00 +00002014-01-15T21:11:21.511+05:30PoetrySelf-referentialAfterglow: A Poem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <i>"Ah, but these are dangerous waters", said she, "Now you go hunting in the savage lands of memory. Fraught with risk, yes - but oh, so loved! What if you shot something precious? Is it not better to forget?"</i><br> <i><br></i> <i>Sagely said I, "The death of a memory, however beloved, is but another thing to remember..."</i><br> <br> Apropos of absolutely nothing then, from a Lost Archive, the poem. First written and blogged on 21 August 2006. Now, refined. Or so I like to think...<br> <br> <b></b><br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/01/afterglow-poem.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/01/afterglow-poem.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-4444451666200785350Sun, 05 Jan 2014 08:37:00 +00002014-01-05T14:08:54.702+05:30BooksGamingMovies2013 - My Year in Books and Movies (and Games)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFe2aZKbyxMimDA4fFC_Aet63Uu4Tc2d4Uwztx2TzummllNTbSkM37gV6Oof8C-y6LK0beUFfzt4vZPrIQnIVFKFJpwWKtImS-MDzuLsqycFOVADxXfGGTfyqalcV1RSABPOf1Rv0fL70P/s1600/before_midnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFe2aZKbyxMimDA4fFC_Aet63Uu4Tc2d4Uwztx2TzummllNTbSkM37gV6Oof8C-y6LK0beUFfzt4vZPrIQnIVFKFJpwWKtImS-MDzuLsqycFOVADxXfGGTfyqalcV1RSABPOf1Rv0fL70P/s1600/before_midnight.jpg" height="200" width="140"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished a trilogy? Sans Ewoks? Gasp!</td></tr> </tbody></table> Lest someone accuse me of not posting often enough on my blog, or (zounds!) of ignoring it for several months at a time, as I have patently done, here is the obligatory, self-aggrandizing, and, rather fun ritual of writing up the best of all the books and movies that I have read this year.<br> <br> Because I completed a Goodreads 2013 book challenge of reading 50 books, I'll start with the books, and then (because I haven't watched nearly enough movies this year) I'll come around to films. (Plus, I'd already written up the books bit)<br> <br> I'll also deal with video games in this post - but that one's easy to recap right away. Like literally in the next 100 words: Game of the Year's a tie between <b><a href="http://www.maroonimations.in/2013/06/game-of-year-tomb-raider-2013.html">Tomb Raider</a> </b>and <b>Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</b>. Short list! (Yeah, I'll write up a review of AC4 once I'm done playing that vast open world. Ask me again in 2015 if I'm done!). Onwards...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-my-year-in-books-and-movies-and.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-my-year-in-books-and-movies-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-7890041170193697754Sun, 08 Sep 2013 06:07:00 +00002013-09-08T11:42:00.685+05:30BooksConfession of a Book-Shopaholic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DSazeWpPyvg/UiwPVUCKzwI/AAAAAAAAXVE/iVUwjEeqpT8/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DSazeWpPyvg/UiwPVUCKzwI/AAAAAAAAXVE/iVUwjEeqpT8/s200/13+-+1" width="200"></a></div> Forgive me, for I have sinned. I have always been a hoarder, and have often been called a great beginner and a lousy finisher. This, however, goes beyond the pale of even the depths that I could imagine sinking to. I have 40 books lying around the house that I paid for, but haven't read. My face - it is far too unworthy to be palmed.<br> <br> Here's how it works: a book piques my interest, so I pick it up. Used to be, I bought compulsively in bookstores - these days, the Kindle and its squadron of cross-platform apps makes it easy to buy books impulsively <i>and </i>compulsively. Once picked up, if the book doesn't immediately grab me, or if my busy life intrudes, I tell myself I'll put them on a shelf just there. I promise to come back to them <i>eventually</i>. Turns out, I don't very often...<br> <br> To find 40 abandoned or unread, definitely neglected books on my physical and virtual shelves was, as you can imagine, a deep shock. This then, is a public shaming (or as indirectly public as I dare make it). Let me regale you with the tale of how I got here, how I discovered my problem, and what I intend to do about it...<br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/09/confession-of-book-shopaholic.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/09/confession-of-book-shopaholic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-3178745046260203663Sat, 20 Jul 2013 13:37:00 +00002013-07-20T19:07:40.188+05:30MoviesSelf-referentialSunrise, Sunset, Midnight<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6u8-osy7jEr7IMVYtm8vkotjpuBrwh4T5cLzhmdb-KzLiLuAOCSqm6CPJ-2qDrTIpEO2ZNJvuqFL409vSqsS1daOnFA6hyphenhyphenwbLNQ0h9pn0P8waKTkKZmyXjR0YxOu7cYWUO9Lc51mZ-GT/s1600/Before+Midnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6u8-osy7jEr7IMVYtm8vkotjpuBrwh4T5cLzhmdb-KzLiLuAOCSqm6CPJ-2qDrTIpEO2ZNJvuqFL409vSqsS1daOnFA6hyphenhyphenwbLNQ0h9pn0P8waKTkKZmyXjR0YxOu7cYWUO9Lc51mZ-GT/s200/Before+Midnight.jpg" width="135"></a></div> An American man called Jesse meets a French woman called Celine on a train in 1994, they spend a night walking around Vienna, fall in love a little '<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_sunrise/">Before Sunrise</a>'. They part wistfully, agreeing to meet again a year from the day, and the last haunting glimpse we have of them is them smiling - perhaps at how silly that idea seems... Nine years later, Jesse has written a book about that day, and Celine walks into a book signing event in a quaint Parisian bookshop. They spend the time '<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_sunset/">Before Sunset</a>' walking around Paris, before Jesse has to catch a flight back to the States. They leave you, the viewer, wondering if at the end of that evening Jesse boards his flight back, or actually stays...<br> <br> The latter apparently, because here they are, vacationing in Greece as a family another nine years later, and spending an all too rare date night away from real life and its cares and concerns. Or perhaps not, because although in keeping with the tradition of this brilliant now-trilogy of movies, 'nothing happens' - a lot does happen '<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_midnight_2013/">Before Midnight</a>'...<br> <br> Now let me say up-front that I'm an unabashed fan-boy of this phenomenon that Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy have so lovingly crafted. I've been dying to watch this movie for some time now - so I'm saying this is not a review. This is a rave, a reaction, a salute; one last, longing look at the swirls of chocolate mousse still in the bowl when you know you cannot possibly eat a lick more... this is the satisfied burp that tells you, oh no, you're too full!<br> <br> Anyone that calls themselves a cinephile or a romantic must needs find a way to watch this movie; if you haven't yet watched the first two entries in the 'series', I'd suggest you watch those first. I suppose this movie stands well enough alone, but watching the first two movies will give it an extra dose of magic. I for one couldn't imagine watching this movie and not the others; or for that matter write about this latest movie without referencing the prior ones - yes, this will be a long post.<br> <br> I shall do my utmost to avoid spoilers. That said, the fact that the movie <i>exists </i>is itself a spoiler for the end of the second movie, and some of the 'plot' has been revealed in the trailers, so those bits I will reference. And all of that is below the fold...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/07/sunrise-sunset-midnight.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/07/sunrise-sunset-midnight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-4328483453415077636Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:45:00 +00002013-06-19T21:24:41.125+05:30GamingGame of the Year - Tomb Raider (2013)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kVknKNS-1QA5-LiE82r7cZhGKi4OerZHgehyphenhyphenMWd3ISlhA2jZk_0ElUAQUj6paVBl2xtF_SU6X9ixWWOnsIRP63SKH_psVoSwc9aoHpxKmyaKKyDPUrkURAFWWTaKTehQndL4Pskq2jZI/s1600/TombRaider2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kVknKNS-1QA5-LiE82r7cZhGKi4OerZHgehyphenhyphenMWd3ISlhA2jZk_0ElUAQUj6paVBl2xtF_SU6X9ixWWOnsIRP63SKH_psVoSwc9aoHpxKmyaKKyDPUrkURAFWWTaKTehQndL4Pskq2jZI/s320/TombRaider2013.jpg" width="227"></a></div> I've played 7 out of the 10 Tomb Raider games that have come out since 1996, and across platforms (PC, Wii, and now, Xbox) - I only skipped 5, 6, and Anniversary. And before I played the new reboot of Tomb Raider that came out last month, I was one of those people that pined for the good old days of Tomb Raider 2's tigers and Venetian canals.<br> <br> That has changed. Crystal Dynamics have made a reboot that rivals any reboot in any media (yes, including Batman Begins), and not only is it my favorite Tomb Raider ever, it is also my favorite game this year (so far), and it works as a remix of Indiana Jones, Lost, and your favorite FPS...<br> <br> To me, this beats Assassin's Creed III at its own.... uh... game. It features better storytelling, equally good combat/ free-running, and amazing puzzles and exploration elements, all in a somewhat smaller world-size. AC better watch out, because Lara even has her own Eagle Vision now!<br> <br> I started writing this post on Google+ and switched over to the blog as my raving grew in length. I now realize this is the first game I'm actually blogging about. How about that? Well it is a deserving one, that easily deserves a 9 on a scale of 10. Here's why...<br> <br> </div></div></div></div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/06/game-of-year-tomb-raider-2013.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/06/game-of-year-tomb-raider-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-5932363700342913234Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:30:00 +00002013-06-15T21:48:15.360+05:30MoviesMan of Tomorrow - Today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQLLubiNBF0VB7Vw0A4JHh1P4OXPeGn9cb7NwoVSdU88MY1FALUpkddr5oHID63Ar4pf_fq5tSXU4KYXAzeygoNXpUiLcP3ydY6zH3FweuBSduYEe24HgEdPrEM-fzNReIlUEiuHieaOk/s1600/superman-the-movie-movie-poster-1978-1020466243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQLLubiNBF0VB7Vw0A4JHh1P4OXPeGn9cb7NwoVSdU88MY1FALUpkddr5oHID63Ar4pf_fq5tSXU4KYXAzeygoNXpUiLcP3ydY6zH3FweuBSduYEe24HgEdPrEM-fzNReIlUEiuHieaOk/s200/superman-the-movie-movie-poster-1978-1020466243.jpg" width="128"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will believe...</td></tr> </tbody></table> When Richard Donner made "Superman" in 1978, the tag-line was "You will believe a man can fly". Although Star Wars had only just come out, and Krypton could be pronounced as "CRIP-tun" by half your characters (instead of CRIP-taun) without a Reddit-y uproar, it was necessary to reassure the audience this was just a man, not an alien from another world. That world therefore had to be a pristine, crystalline, neon-lit, but ultimately sterile place backed up by the gravitas that Don Corleone brought to it.<br> <br> Superman could be - had to be - the blue eyed, red-brief-on-the-outside wearing Nietzschean hero who (Fascist undertones notwithstanding) would be a bewildered Kansan in a big city that fights for 'truth, justice, and the American way'. The meanest villain imaginable for Superman in this Cold War era was nuclear weapons gone rogue, and no one took a super-hero seriously, so it was OK to reverse the Earth's spin and turn back time and for Lex Luthor to be a bumbling criminal genius with a real estate fetish...<br> <br> Actually corniness was not something to be frowned at - it was a prerequisite! One of the iconic funny exchanges I remember from the movie is this mid-air snippet from when Superman saved Lois Lane as she fell out of a helicopter and off a building:<br> <br> SUPERMAN: Don't worry miss, I've got you!<br> LOIS (hysterical): You've got me..? Who's got YOU?!<br> <br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvY7IDa7PFuERiXAuDGuB7Icfp3BHBkPg2FptWAzZVdpPJR-PSDPoYaQ3Y1KxUwpS-ciYgZalduoIoXqa1gzvc5NyvUBj-52Vh4ydRgdYE2I7JIJvoW7FxypwbcymFxT_H_8a21Aw0iAl/s1600/Superman-Man-of-Steel-poster-new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvY7IDa7PFuERiXAuDGuB7Icfp3BHBkPg2FptWAzZVdpPJR-PSDPoYaQ3Y1KxUwpS-ciYgZalduoIoXqa1gzvc5NyvUBj-52Vh4ydRgdYE2I7JIJvoW7FxypwbcymFxT_H_8a21Aw0iAl/s200/Superman-Man-of-Steel-poster-new.jpg" width="135"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A trustworthy alien?</td></tr> </tbody></table> Fast forward 35 years and audiences no longer have trouble believing a man can fly! We've seen Neo go off and "do the Superman thing" in the Matrix movies. The Avengers have fought as a team to ward off an invasion of Earth. Alternate worlds have come alive, fully fleshed out, in their grime and bile as much as their radiance, in everything from Avatar to Game of Thrones. Zod can no longer be a promise made for a sequel in the era of instant gratification.<br> <br> We leave rogue nukes for mortals like Jack Bauer to handle these days, and even cartoon fiction like 'Ben 10' is deadly serious about the origin tale, and has little tolerance for corniness. Comic books, and movies based on them, are acceptable and mainstream enough that critics spend time debating what the Joker (from The Dark Knight) represents in a post-9/11 era...<br> <br> This is the perilous airstrip on which lands Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel". I thought it does the job of bringing Superman to the post-modern era well, while faltering just a little... I am not much of a star-giving reviewer, especially when the movie is about source material that I am so invested in - but if I had to, I'd give this a 3 out of 5. Let me explain why...<br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/06/man-of-tomorrow-today.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/06/man-of-tomorrow-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-1327601552709995264Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:31:00 +00002013-04-05T08:28:24.151+05:30PoetryVague and PhilosophicalThe Game<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br> To understand the game<br> Needs rising above it.<br> Until, beyond,<br> At the root of meaning<br> One finds the reason,<br> And in disdain,<br> Loses the appetite to play<br> Thus losing the game...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-game.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-game.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-6341014061856000663Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:35:00 +00002013-03-22T10:12:03.802+05:30EconomicsGeopoliticsRantsTechnologyTelevisionA Pirate's Life, Just Not For Me?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ypJly0bFYP0/UUvaAyhpymI/AAAAAAAARkY/-JB5Thd_Lko/s1600/Jack-Sparrow-captain-jack-sparrow-5085096-1537-1023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ypJly0bFYP0/UUvaAyhpymI/AAAAAAAARkY/-JB5Thd_Lko/s200/Jack-Sparrow-captain-jack-sparrow-5085096-1537-1023.jpg" width="200"></a></div> I came across this thoughtful post (titled: <i><a href="http://mastersofmedia.hum.uva.nl/2013/03/19/piracy-was-my-shot-at-equality/" target="_blank">Piracy was my shot at equality</a></i>) in my morning trawl through the internet, and it really resonated with me; if you replace "Bulgaria" with "India" throughout this piece, and made a few other contextual amendments, I could've written it!<br> <br> Piracy has become a four-letter word. In the public square, everyone agrees it's bad. Then everyone not in the US goes home from the debate, starts up uTorrent, and downloads Season 1 of House of Cards...<br> <br> A lot of these people are 'pirates' only because Netflix is stupid enough to (despite being, y'know, an <i>online</i> company) not optimize its access to the global market-place. Or because the big evil "Studios" demand distribution in this country and not any other (this doesn't really apply to House of Cards though, methinks?) Others (even so called rich young brats) pirate it because they simply don't have the money to buy it. Still others pirate it because their government has decided that the depiction of duplicitous politics and (gasp!) sex and swearing is a no no for its populace of tender asexual lambs.<br> <br> But is it really all that bad a thing? This is a question I've struggled with pretty much ever since I got access to the Internet - what, a little less than 20 years ago? What follows then, is a rumination on this still unresolved conundrum...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-pirates-life-just-not-for-me.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-pirates-life-just-not-for-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-9040177712702727451Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:25:00 +00002013-03-02T09:45:19.960+05:30Self-referentialVague and PhilosophicalThe Worldstream (and yelling: STOP!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIerozWmLRdf6nZgRVAG3Al0BY4n51feyEDNxGXm2mtLRpchaXJzhuLkD21hCnoNyhIhVeGua1OHgP_KIFPgQzns-X12x8kIGqcq2AkWfMp1FKAPDGrcszGQ18yHriizX2wrOOJPJaGbf3/s1600/davidgelernter-napkinsketch_wiredopinion_schokshi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIerozWmLRdf6nZgRVAG3Al0BY4n51feyEDNxGXm2mtLRpchaXJzhuLkD21hCnoNyhIhVeGua1OHgP_KIFPgQzns-X12x8kIGqcq2AkWfMp1FKAPDGrcszGQ18yHriizX2wrOOJPJaGbf3/s200/davidgelernter-napkinsketch_wiredopinion_schokshi.jpg" width="200"></a></div> <span>I consciously stay about a month behind in reading long-form items in my Google Reader stream. This is one of the reasons why I am only now reading</span><a href="http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/02/the-end-of-the-web-computers-and-search-as-we-know-it/" target="_blank"> this article by David Gelernter</a><span>; and despite the fact that all the comments it has received on Wired basically accuse him of smoking something while writing it, I find it to be... well, visionary. Among other things, this napkin sketch the author did for Wired (on the left) struck me as one of the best representations of the new paradigm.</span><br> <div> <br></div> <div> The web is changing - or has partially changed, and irrevocably so. We have gone from the "Web" metaphor of the 90s (when Google could capitalize on the way pages linked to one another to come up with a Page Rank) to the "Stream" metaphor, where companies like Twitter lead from the front, and those like Facebook or Google or Pinterest get it with their Timeline and Google+ products. In the Stream, you're not looking for things of interest alone, you're looking for things you <i>should </i>be looking at <i>right now</i>.</div> <div> <br> </div></div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-worldstream-and-yelling-stop.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-worldstream-and-yelling-stop.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-6966911972359820538Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:33:00 +00002013-02-22T09:03:15.358+05:30PoetryThe Scab<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> In the face of mindless malice<br> This city shrugs, again.<br> Outrage, intrigue, blame, concern<br> Vivisected per usual, through a dull ache<br> <br> Networks light up, with concern, with baying<br> Martyrdom is on the departed bestowed<br> The accused accursed, the vehemence ever growing<br> For pundits and experts with brows furrowed<br> <br> Who was warned? Who is to blame?<br> Who was the sod who felt such hate?<br> Who got there first? Who got away?<br> Who wasn't lucky, and you, sir - what say?<br> <br> Spare a moment here, I beg<br> Not <i>in memoriam</i>, nor lofty praise<br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-scab.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-scab.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-1208473173059619204Sun, 03 Feb 2013 04:25:00 +00002013-02-03T09:55:10.672+05:30BooksLiterarySelf-referentialOne Last Turn of the Wheel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I've never been this excited for a book for so long a time. That was the first thought in my head when I finally got my hands on "A Memory of Light", by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan - the final book of "The Wheel of Time". I had been wanting to read this book, this ending, ever since I first read "The Eye of the World" back in 2002. Funny, I thought it'd been longer!<br> <br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxTQEeYp937lyoOU2Org7fUMotUa5WJvVd3rkTgzQF8CLIZOkOiIr5gxxh0iKx9AcDwzNLEPVDQhQTlsvoAGwGbcT5hmGkE6Dyqd8bXbIVhswlRevgMes1ePcEB0tP_X1j7zd9N3PK8dq/s1600/Whelan+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxTQEeYp937lyoOU2Org7fUMotUa5WJvVd3rkTgzQF8CLIZOkOiIr5gxxh0iKx9AcDwzNLEPVDQhQTlsvoAGwGbcT5hmGkE6Dyqd8bXbIVhswlRevgMes1ePcEB0tP_X1j7zd9N3PK8dq/s200/Whelan+Cover.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rand al'Thor (finally) comes to Shayol Ghul</td></tr> </tbody></table> For me, as for many other fans of fantasy literature born in the 80s, this series was our post-Tolkein bridge into contemporary fantasy literature. It has now come to occupy that special place, reserved for ticklers of the imagination like Star Wars, or the Matrix mythos, or Middle-Earth, which once reached makes the thing that got there immortal. Never mind the flaws, apparent and unnoticed! Here is a dream, an escape, that will be dear to you forever after. An old friend that you have spent enough time getting to know that you do not notice the rough edges, or the parochial attitude. A house so well lived in, you don't mind the crumbling paint.<br> <br> Did I love this book? Absolutely! Was there ever a realistic chance I wouldn't? Not really. What follows then is not so much a review, but a retrospective. Reflections on closure, a long time coming...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-last-turn-of-wheel.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-last-turn-of-wheel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-8444252430742356899Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:10:00 +00002013-01-14T08:44:24.566+05:30LanguageSelf-referentialVague and PhilosophicalThe Armchair Astronaut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/G7CwbCEwT_c/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G7CwbCEwT_c&fs=1&source=uds"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G7CwbCEwT_c&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></object></div> <br></div> This video comprises 6 must-see minutes of the Internet.<br> <br> On one level, it quite compellingly points out how our obsession with building an engine to propel us to faster than light (FTL) speeds is silly. The bigger challenge by far, even if we built a USS Enterprise, would be finding our way home again :)<br> <br> On another (less abstract) level, it tries to visualize the path traced through space by an object "at rest" at the equator. In this, the frame of reference it chooses is one that accounts for the Sun's and Earth's motion, but not the movement/ drift of the Solar System itself. I was disappointed when, on a further 'zoom out', they didn't show a projected 3D path for the Solar System relative to the Galaxy near the end... but I suppose that is hard to show?<br> <br> Here's the thing that hits me: despite all this relative motion at ridiculous speeds, <i>the constellations as we see them don't change for thousands of years</i>... I know! As if we needed more proof for how far and unreachable they are!<br> <br> Finally, on a poetic/ romantic level, it reminded of one of my favorite pair of poems: <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/104/126.html" target="_blank">The Morning Song of Senlin</a> and <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/271/88.html" target="_blank">The Evening Song of Senlin</a> by Conrad Aiken. Both of those are worth reading in full of course, but still... below the fold, I quote what I think is an appropriate excerpt from the latter<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-armchair-astronaut.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-armchair-astronaut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-1056776610646443025Tue, 01 Jan 2013 13:49:00 +00002013-01-01T19:30:40.152+05:30MoviesThe Intimate Grandeur of Hugo Cabret<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBiOC5sFDX6VYspROy3TLhiKz3iLJiEn6turU6Uy31Qr9bmVKl6DrVP_bfQLWQfcSKkfNzCsP_1XbmKToOXkcBbrcbyFZJg7vBVwst6qekG0nRwfqVsW9-EM2LSuBMD8_Qku3pusK2N45/s1600/Hugo_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBiOC5sFDX6VYspROy3TLhiKz3iLJiEn6turU6Uy31Qr9bmVKl6DrVP_bfQLWQfcSKkfNzCsP_1XbmKToOXkcBbrcbyFZJg7vBVwst6qekG0nRwfqVsW9-EM2LSuBMD8_Qku3pusK2N45/s200/Hugo_Poster.jpg" width="135"></a></div> What a way to close out the year! This is a visual - nay sensual, in the most epistemological sense of the word - tour de force that one cannot help but bow to.<br> <br> Bravo Martin Scorsese, for your evident love of cinema and for the patient crafting that has gone into this masterpiece. Bravo, Asa Butterfield for being innocence personified, for acting as few adults can ever hope to once or twice in their lives. Not that Sasha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley, and the other child actor, Chloë Moretz didn't put up a mighty fight as he stole the show... Bravo, Robert Richardson (cinematographer) and Dante Ferretti (art director) for rendering 1930s France and the timeless imagination of Georges Méliès so magnificently!<br> <br> Way back in February of 2012 I had resolved to watch this movie (along with a list of about 10 other movies with Oscar buzz); until the 30th of December, I had managed to watch every one of them except Hugo. As fate would have it, I would watch it in the closing hours of the year, in an almost private screening, right before descending into four solid hours of bacchanalia and revelry. Now, twenty four hours later, my body feels the tiredness from those four hours, but my mind is still fixed on the movie...<br> <br> This movie has been amply reviewed and raved about, and so this is not a review. This instead is an account of my experience of the movie, which was not optimal in a sense, but fitting. I'll explain, I promise...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-intimate-grandeur-of-hugo-cabret.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-intimate-grandeur-of-hugo-cabret.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-7972745115674086957Tue, 25 Dec 2012 03:55:00 +00002012-12-25T09:25:48.540+05:30RantsReligionWhy Santa Claus Pisses Me Off - Twice!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBk6-QvzZA-uhcYZNbvh8_aY-yS4CW5HSbzx6hk2h7zG5Oic54p8JzgBU4rcQYqeanWezMqD2Id1uGsi08W3t1jVCtNZmm0g9Q-9gZOKxag-Ez0IgPsMU2LEGlNJGdn-V6SAEdmKhTh74/s1600/Odin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBk6-QvzZA-uhcYZNbvh8_aY-yS4CW5HSbzx6hk2h7zG5Oic54p8JzgBU4rcQYqeanWezMqD2Id1uGsi08W3t1jVCtNZmm0g9Q-9gZOKxag-Ez0IgPsMU2LEGlNJGdn-V6SAEdmKhTh74/s200/Odin.jpg" width="136"></a></div> No one ever tells you Santa Claus has a raven called Hugin and another called Munin, or that he rides a eight-legged horse called Sleipneir. Or that he originates in Scandinavia, not so much as lives at the North Pole, and that at one of his residences, Gladsheim, he has at his beck and call twelve judges called the Diar, who are not in the least bit concerned whether you've been good or bad this year.<br> <br> Odin Allfather, Wotan, The Wanderer, is just one myth co-opted by, and rolled into, the legend of Santa Claus. The eight-legged horse may have become an eight reindeer sleigh, and Gladsheim may have become Santa's workshop and factory of happiness... but that is neither here nor there.<br> <br> An economy has grown around this legend, one that slathers the entire world in red and green ever December, and that seems designed to keep retailers merry and their registers a-jingling; but that is not my problem with Santa. I'm happy to ignore the blatant consumerism that has in turn co-opted the Santa legend in modern times. (If they didn't have Santa they'd invent another mascot). No, my problem with Santa is two-fold:<br> <br> I see Santa Claus as an enemy - The Enemy - of myth. And I see him also as an enemy of Reason. And yes, I do have an explanation...<br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-santa-claus-pisses-me-off-twice.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-santa-claus-pisses-me-off-twice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-8870642093051832759Sun, 16 Dec 2012 16:21:00 +00002012-12-16T21:51:50.612+05:30BooksMoviesThe Phantom Menace of Middle-Earth?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuSOi9dKPQTGi8_3aU71fz3nMQJJ5S_vEuLG3WSXfe_AKo3RPt6JEGigebGQuzTAVx8k1ChRKs-Xp7gb_JSnVs5KWHXk55JP5OD1T7wIVJqe9l2p1CCgbnxvCp061mvsmcDRfrNelQoLv/s1600/11162899_det.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuSOi9dKPQTGi8_3aU71fz3nMQJJ5S_vEuLG3WSXfe_AKo3RPt6JEGigebGQuzTAVx8k1ChRKs-Xp7gb_JSnVs5KWHXk55JP5OD1T7wIVJqe9l2p1CCgbnxvCp061mvsmcDRfrNelQoLv/s200/11162899_det.jpg" width="134"></a></div> I don't remember The Hobbit (the book) as well as I do The Lord of the Rings. I have read it only once, several years ago, and at a breakneck pace (as filler, almost) during my first reading of The Silmarillion. LOTR and the overall Tolkein lore I have read/ mined a lot over time... Perhaps this is why I was able to watch Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey not as an adaptation, but as a prequel to the magnificent LOTR trilogy. And it works!<br> <br> I loved it, with one or two reservations. I will absolutely watch it again in HFR, having seen it in IMAX 3D. Next week then? Any takers? <br> <br> "The Phantom Menace" of the LOTR movies this is most definitely NOT. Although... The Phantom Menace would've been an excellent name for this movie, given its attention to Mirkwood :)<br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-phantom-menace-of-middle-earth.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-phantom-menace-of-middle-earth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-7713667733613160521Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:32:00 +00002012-11-16T15:02:31.183+05:30PoetryNavel Gazing<p dir=ltr>I have never been someone -<br> Anyone! - other than I<br> Speaking here of feet,<br> Eyes, ears, nose, skin, and, tongue.<br> Not mere shoes!</p> <p dir=ltr>How would it feel then, (one fine day)<br> To awaken as another?<br> In thought, memory, and dream<br> Preference, manner, affection<br> In appearance, relation, in obsession</p> <p dir=ltr>Would I still be I, and recall<br> What yesterday felt like?<br> Or will I have forgotten me;<br> A faded gong once the hour is past;<br> Stillness following the ripple...</p> <p dir=ltr>Has this already happened?<br> This morn when we awoke<br> Do I write as Another<br> In unwitting salute to the I that was...But yesterday?</p> <p dir=ltr>Am I you? Are you me, right now?<br> Through time and space, hurtling<br> Being one another - Aren't then,<br> Love, rage, envy, lust, pity, hate, empathy<br> Rather dipped in irony?</p> <p dir=ltr>Heady thoughts to assail our heart,<br> And on sated stomach, this Friday afternoon!<br> Bladder girded, leaping into revelry,<br> I bequeath the inevitable hangover<br> To you; for tomorrow!</p> http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2012/11/navel-gazing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867525247344994556.post-1578676329251501014Sun, 28 Oct 2012 04:07:00 +00002012-10-28T09:59:34.393+05:30MoviesCloud Atlas - A Review in Three Metaphors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS70FhGT-78ZmiLlVwpAmXMIB2rIs7iTZx6jvxOCWuSLchcWOIshg74mT8IrdUXpSmOGREZn1dSS4PJ_Jli2p_jfiKZ6cANe0Fl-_5aHIXiafGBuf9XFlWRCxHkVPcD4S3yP-oSZxY9XA/s1600/Cloud_Atlas_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS70FhGT-78ZmiLlVwpAmXMIB2rIs7iTZx6jvxOCWuSLchcWOIshg74mT8IrdUXpSmOGREZn1dSS4PJ_Jli2p_jfiKZ6cANe0Fl-_5aHIXiafGBuf9XFlWRCxHkVPcD4S3yP-oSZxY9XA/s200/Cloud_Atlas_Poster.jpg" width="135"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td></tr> </tbody></table> 'Cloud Atlas', the film directed by the Wachowski siblings and Tom Twyker, based on the book by David Mitchell, is a remarkable film. Nothing like this has ever been attempted before, on many levels, and it is likely that nothing close to this will be attempted for some time to come. It is as much a 'paradigm shift' as the first "Matrix" was, and is perhaps best compared not to other movies, but to something like "Faust" in that it is grand, operatic, and yet fundamentally an exploration of the human condition.<br> <br> <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/outsider.html" target="_blank">Cinema legend</a> tells us that when Darren Aronofsky saw "The Matrix" in 1999, he... "<i>walked out of The Matrix with Jared and I was thinking, 'What kind of science fiction movie can people make now? The Wachowskis basically took all the great sci-fi ideas of the 20th century and rolled them into a delicious pop culture sandwich that everyone on the planet devoured. Suddenly Philip K. Dick's ideas no longer seemed that fresh. Cyberpunk? Done.</i>" Feeling challenged the director collaborated with Ari Handel, to toss around ideas for a new film they would eventually call "The Fountain".<br> <br> I loved The Fountain - it was the one film Cloud Atlas reminded me most of. And Mr Aronofsky? Looks like the ball is back in your court, sir... the Wachowskis have raised the bar. Again!<br> <br> It is impossible to describe this movie in regular terms. I cannot commit the atrocity of trying to "summarize" the plot. I cannot give you a <i>dramatis personae</i> because it is beside the point. Having not yet read the novel I cannot put forth a tirade on the literary underpinnings and compare the book and the movie. If I was being crude, I'd describe it as the love child born out of an orgy that V for Vendetta, Pulp Fiction, The Fountain, Blade Runner, Faust, and Mutiny on the Bounty had, because it has DNA from each one of them... and yet.<i> Yet</i>. This is a whole new ballgame.<br> <br> Nor does this movie play the game of regular terms. It will likely not be a box office hit, and one is heartened by the fact that it was made independently. Even if it makes a loss, it is good to know that there are people (despite the knuckleheaded corporatised studios) that spend money on good art. It deserves (but may not win) an Oscar or twenty. It is almost three hours long, but was never dull for me.<br> <br> I think it is also impossible to review this movie - although Roger Ebert has reliably done <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121024/REVIEWS/121029991" target="_blank">a beautiful job</a> of it by employing the Churchill quote about Russia; "<i>it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma</i>". Let me then attempt to review this movie, without spoilers, and not in the usual way. Perhaps fittingly, here follows a review in three metaphors...<br> <br> </div><a href="http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2012/10/cloud-atlas-review-in-three-metaphors.html#more">Cick To Read Further »</a>http://maroonimations.blogspot.com/2012/10/cloud-atlas-review-in-three-metaphors.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hrishi Diwan)0