Santa asked not to Ho Ho Ho

Calling someone a 'Ho' and Santa Claus' classic "Ho Ho Ho" have been put on the same footing. Ouch.

According to this news article in FoxNews.com, Australian Santas have been told to change the "Ho Ho Ho" to a "Ha Ha Ha" because "Ho" is slang in US for prostitute. And it could be frightening to children too.

WHAT?!

Yes, it is true, and therefore, the new Santas are being trained for using "Ha Ha Ha" - some have quit. I wonder why. Santas are now rebelling against this ban because they all feel (quite strongly) that kids wouldn't understand what 'Ho is! Moreover, it's destroying something traditional, something which we all have heard all our lives.

In my opinion, if a kid is aware what a 'Ho is, he is too old to sit on Santa's lap.

Santa Claus image taken from www.clipartguide.com

The Coke side of life

Many people, no, MOST people write my nickname as Coke, instead of Koke, because they are phonetically the same. And when it comes to my actual name, it has been subject to quite a bit of comical massacre (read Mostly Pointless: Whatsisname).

Anyway, on quite a seemingly irrelevant topic, I love this Coca Cola advertisement screened often in the cinema theaters here. It is based on the very popular game Grand Theft Auto about how the rough and hard central character of the game is behaving "nice". :-) The soundtrack appealed to me the most and it is taken from the movie Bugsy Malone starring Scott Baio and Jodie Foster.

YouTube Video (0:58 min)

Seminar Appeal

As a grad student myself, who attends several seminars I relate to this greatly.

Additional factors:
Do they shut off the auditorium lights?
Are the seats comfy?
Is my adviser going too?

Why did the chicken NOT cross the road?

Crossing the road in India has over the years developed into a talent that exhibits a commendable amount of agility, tact, tolerance, diplomacy, unagi, love, presence of mind and also the ability to count the wheels of an oncoming vehicle. Yeah, because more the wheels of the vehicle, the harder it's gonna come and hit you. That's why standing in front of a moving train is often frowned upon.

It has been a little over a year since I have been in the US, and I have am greatly used to the driving rules and system followed here. Driving within lanes, keeping distance between vehicles, NOT crossing any solid lines whatsoever, stopping at stop signs etc. The most important one - YIELDING TO PEDESTRIANS! Yes. The oncoming traffic will stop for you to cross the road and the driver is going to wave at you wishing you a good morning/evening/weekend/Christmas. And you wave back with a smile.

I came from a country where pedestrians are treated like maggots - the drivers don't want them on the roads, so they might as well knock them down (and run away, as many have). It took me and my friends quite a while to get accustomed to the US system of road regulations. No matter how big the vehicle, it's going to stop. for you to cross the road. Trust me. Unless it's a train. Or an aeroplane. Or if you are being really adventurous and are attempting to cross the freeway or the interstate.

I think the rule is - Lesser the number of wheels, more the respect you've got on the road. Bicycles are next to pedestrians. But then unicycles are above pedestrians. Because even pedestrians stop to look at or look out for unicyclists. Unicyclists are funny.

After obtaining a license for driving in the US, my American colleagues often asked me if I had trouble getting used to driving on the right side from the left side of the car. To which my reply had always been "Naah, that was never a problem. In India they drive on both the sides of the road". Another day, I searched for Indian driving on YouTube and showed it to my American research colleague and the few minutes of screening were punctuated heavily by
"Oh dear God"
"What the..."
"Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod..."
"Aren't they scared?!"
"He's gonna die! He's gonna be roadkill!"

Anyway, now I think I have got too used to the US driving, which according to some people, is boring, because nothing happens. It's made me soft. Now I am going to India for a couple of weeks to a city with one of the most understanding, accommodating and affectionate traffic personalities ever - Kolkata.

Photograph courtesy: http://www.chickenssuit.com
Check this out!: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Movie Review: Beowulf

Spoiler alert: This movie will spoil your evening.

Angelina Jolie was the best part in the movie. But it had nothing to do with the movie.

This movie with 3D digital actors is about kings and heroes falling to the temptations of demon temptress based on the mythical plot of Beowulf. About monsters and dragons set upon those who do not keep their promises. About the wrath of a woman scorned. But apparently the plot did follow the actual story as Gaurav writes (read Beowulf: What the hell!!!!) .

Oh and yeah, no prizes for guessing that Angelina Jolie played the temptress. Anthony Hopkins plays King too, but his robe kept falling off. And all he kept announcing was "let's drink and be merry". He said something about a curse also...

The movie was hilarious too. Rolling on the floor laughing funny. But that was not the director's intention. For a greater amount of time, the hero was in the nude. Yes, there was nudity. Was there male frontal nudity? Yes. But his... er... *masculinity* on several occasionally was hidden by someone else's arm, helmet, sword, pole, smoke, fire, specter, dragon, a gold trumpet etc. For example, when Beowulf was being seduced by the temptress, his (raging) masculinity was masked by a long sword. (P)Unintended humor?

This movie was a giggle fest. The plus side? The animation was brilliant. And all the unintended humor.

YouTube Movie (1:52 min)

Rating: 5/10
Recommended? Only if you have nothing better to do. Or if you want to point and laugh at a movie probably intended to be serious.

Other movies reviewed in this blog

Cirque du Soleil

Thanks to my research colleague, I got to go to a show by Cirque du soleil. And boy oh boy, I DID NOT REGRET IT. They had come to my university for a show named: Saltimbanco.

Cirque du Soleil (French for "Circus of the Sun") is an entertainment empire based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier. Acclaimed by more than 30 million people worldwide, Cirque du Soleil has reinvented and revolutionized the circus arts.

http://www.thinkwelldesign.com/

Stunning human acrobatics. No ring and no animals helped make Cirque du Soleil what it is today. Each show is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world and has its own central theme, soundtrack and storyline which enthralls the audience into the performance by having no curtains, no pauses whatsoever, continuous live music and performers seamlessly from one scene to another. The stages are majestic, huge and their show is not limited to the stage in front of the spectators. It is spectacular, and sprawls from above the audience to water pools. The Cirque du soleil have shows all over the US, and if you ever have a chance to go for one, definitely go for it. It's like 3 hours of perpetual goosebumps. Ooohs, aaahs and acrobats flying out and in so smoothly - like clockwork. The best (and outright scary) part is that they do not use safety nets... and if one person falters even by an inch, the whole stage collapses... it's amazing how they manage it.

YouTube video: From their website (3:25 min)


YouTube video: Promo for Cirque du soleil (0:50 min)

Makes me wanna go to a Riverdance show too.

Which should be sometime in the coming Spring hopefully.

Movie Review: Martian Child

The story of a man becoming a father... and a boy becoming a son.

John Cusack plays a yet another amazing role in this 108 min movie, as a writer (David Gordon) adopting and adapting to a child, Dennis, with reclusive social tendencies. Played by Bobby Coleman, Dennis believes that he is from Mars sent on a mission to earth. Though difficult to communicate with, he is smart and a fast learner and happens to have a sense of humor.
However, due to unsociable characteristics of Dennis, the CPS (Child Protection Services) is skeptical of David's capabilities of fathering this child, and wants to have the child transfered to a "special needs" school. The movie sails through several elements of parenting and accepting the eccentric. It helps the audience empathize with the constant expectation to be "normal" in the society.

YouTube Video (2:30)

The character of David Gordon is based on the real life David Gerrold, author of "The Martian Child". The movie is based on the same book, and as a plot treat, involves the character of David Gordon penning the first draft of the very same. The movie has its funny moments for the greater time and is craftily written. Even if you don't make it to the theater, I would recommend renting it when the DVDs are out.

Movie rating: 8/10

Recommended (similar) movies:
I am Sam, K-PAX

Other movies (p)reviewed in this blog

Lovestruck

Patrick Moberg (not insane) was so smitten by a girl he saw on the NY subway, that he made NYGirlOfMyDreams.com with this image on it. On the bottom left, he provided his email and phone number (now struck out) - and the general intention was to spread it online till she gets to see it.
That was on the 4th of November. Today, the 8th of November, his website had this image to add. "A friend of hers came across te site, recognized the description, and sent me an email. We've been put in touch with one another and we'll see what happens!"

Wee bit romantic, I say. :) People all over the world were rooting in for this to happen. For the cynics, it might seem fake. There are several comments to substantiate how trash it is.

Anyway, it reminded me of Daniel Powter's Bad day.

YouTube Video (3:41 min)