Thursday, December 10, 2009

...and the Nobel Peace prize '09 goes to...

Barack Hussein Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".

Isn't it ironic that someone who declares war on a country to be necessary, and allocates troops to continue that war should receive any 'peace prize', least of all the Nobel Peace Prize in less than a fortnight of that allocation of troops.

I try to stay away from politics. I'm not informed enough perhaps, nor qualified enough. But I had to put this down here, lest I forget how grave tragedies can often be so very comic.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The lube story

I've often wondered why lube was so difficult to get? I mean don't straight people don't need them? or do they just have bad dry sex? Or was I not looking at the right shops?

In any case, while I was thinking aloud what to get for B from here when I come back from my trip, S quipped,"Get an industrial size lube."

Thinking about it...not a bad idea at all. And then there's always the small pocket size sachets that come in so handy :P


What do you think is more useful?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Another funny thing I saw today...



This is an ad for Abercrombie & Fitch.

Yes, a prepped up plastic pretty boy with impeccable hair is indeed the epitome of 'fierce'. (I'd have used the noun form, but it's 'fierceness', and sounds rather lame. English does need to be revamped!)

Oh, and Arthur Conan Doyle, seriously? Somebody really got paid for this ad!

Even olde english can carry trash only so far!

Funny thing I heard today

A 30 year old guy called a 36 year old guy old.

No wonder the gay scene is so fucked up...and not in the right way!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

homesick

It was a misty, misty morning in here. And it was Durga Puja back home. Puja was early this year, and so it must have been rather hot and humid; not the usual cool of the onset of winter and the coral lilies strewn on the ground with the soft sweet smell sifting through each breath that I usually associate with Puja. But it was misty here, and I was homesick for the first time in a long long time.

So here I was, listening to Tagore's songs on youtube, feeling melancholy and perhaps even lonely. I have almost always been more comfortable with english than bengali as a mode of communication, partly because i've been away from home since a while; but these songs have a way of touching my soul that I've not experienced with anything else. If it has to do with Tagore being the genius he was, or with the language, or the fact that I literally grew up with these songs I do not know. But I'll just post one such song here.



This is not the best version of the song. Tagore's songs should not be overpowered with instruments. But some misty mornings, the soul of the song transcends its rendition. Some misty mornings distances and time lose out to the flight of a nostalgic dream. Some misty mornings, the mist rolls down your face and ruins homework you've been working on, and yet you don't really care.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Burma VJ

A must watch! I saw this documentary on NDTV today and I was moved to tears. It documents the work of numerous unnamed Video Journalists inside Burma who work in exteremely dangerous conditions to document the struggle of a people yearning for freedom. The footage is brillaint, and touching as you see numerous examples of exemplary courage.I had tears in my eyes, as I watched buddhist monks walk the streets into the army baricades in front of Aung San Suu Kyi's house and she was there paying her respects to these brave ones from behind here gate in the compund where she is imprisoned.


Made me think, would I do it, Do I have the couage to stand up for what I believe in......all of us should think. 

Official Site: Burma VJ This also has a petition, hope you will Sign it.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

the garden

S and I moved to the house next door last weekend. Of course it was a pain in the ass primarily because S loves antique furniture. I don't understand the appeal of old furniture when they are so heavy and cumbersome as most of them tend to be.

Anyways, it was a long weekend, and lots of lifting and walking. But the move's finally over, and today I went to school with a sore body and an absent mind. When I came back, and was fretting over the miserable state of my neglected garden overgrown with weeds. Oh, and the deers ate the bean stalks growing on the wire fence. I finally realized why people love venison so much :P. Anyways, while I was counting my losses, and plucking the remnants of the beans, I decided to go through the garden just like that. And that's when I saw the first one. I had planted some potatoes for the shoots which I love; but S had pointed out that the potato shoots are toxic. In any case, I had forgotten about them totally...but then I saw the first tuber peeking out...and when I checked for them...there were quite a few of them...all in all, I excavated 17 potatoes....and they looked real pretty. The first good harvest from my garden.

It feels great!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste!

the BIG change

Yes, we all have heard about it, the reading down of the section 377 and all the media hoopla surrounding it.

Of course the most popular question is if or not homosexuality is natural. One of my friends commented "how many creatures in nature wear shoes and clothes, cook their food, drive, watch tv, and use electronic gadgets? The argument being debated in the Indian press over whether gay sex goes against 'nature' is a complete non-starter. Duh!"

I absolutely second that. Unfortunately, the war has just begun. Fortunately, homosexuality is here to stay, however suppressed, terrorized, or persecuted. It has survived the religions, it'll definitely survive the protests.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

30 Again!

Chivas Laced Chocolate Truffle, Hot Young boys, bearing Gifts, and Compliments on cue! What more can a fag hitting 30 again ask for! It was a fabulous evening..Thanks!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Chennai Pride!!

Finally, Chennai is going to March! Save the date boys, 28th of June'09, Sunday at the Marina. 28th of June, is also the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and moi Birthday. I missed all pre pride events as I was traveling, I am here Pride Day, so hope I will be seeing all of you there.

I did not know that we are having a Pride at all until i started seeing some articles in the paper , which were confirmed by S. That is when I started looking for information around pride. I was surprised that the choose face book to do most of the online work, this was a set back for me , and I am sure tons of others who are in the closet. I would have chosen a blog or another site..well that was the only blimp. But below are some places, including face book where you will find details about happenings around town.

Orinam

Chennai Dost - Viki and the boys have a thing on there :)

Face Book - The Chennai Pride

MovenPick - Finally applied membership, these are card carrying folks, hope they let me in!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Russia became the first country to repeal the ban on blood donation by homosexuals.

This must feel weird for a lot of the 'advanced & liberal' countries.

Canada apparently recently banned organ donation by homosexuals.

Well...what can I say, if you don't want my blood...you aint getting it! Go fuck a parrot!

Friday, June 5, 2009

a short story

"Looking?"

"My place. 30 min."

"Text me when you're there."

"I'm here. come on over."

"There in 10. No hickies this time plz, going out with friends."

"ok. i'm waiting."

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

This is one of my favourite songs of all times. The lyrics are magic! Hope you like it.

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I am not particularly a fan of vegeterian food. However, S and I decided to have a light dinner tonight. It turned out rather nice.

Fiddlehead Ferns with Fenugreek

Celery and Mushroom soup

Colours of spring 2

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Generation gaps

In a world that's forever changing, what are the chances you find someone with who you can spend the rest of your life together?

I see my mom and dad and I wonder, almost 30 years of being together through plenty of hardships right from financial instability to moving base to bringing up two brats; and to think that theirs was an arranged marriage wherein they did not even know one another. At least not well enough in my terms to get into a lifetime of committment. They met I think just once before their marriage!

And now that I am old enough to appreciate the differences in temper and character, I know that it must have taken more than just the bond of marital status to hold them together as they are held maybe this is just one more form of love that we, the young and the restless, in our haste refuse to acknowledge or appreciate. I would give up a lot to be the way my mom and dad are right now -- happy, and at peace.

The jump in generations is actually a rather queer thing. Perhaps it is the difference in outlook and perception, perhaps it is the difference in exposure and expectations from life, perhaps it is something different.

I wonder if at some point in time, the parents of gay guys would try an arranged gay marriage for their sons and daughters

Mmmm..shiny!

I watched X-Men Origins - Wolverine on sunday...(take that Betty) and it was better than I had expected it to be after the debacle The Last Stand was.

It's a prequel to the X-Men trilogy, and while there are a few lapses/differences when compared to the original comic, its good. Liev Scheiber as Sabretooth is particularly good. Lynn Collins is almost ethereal. The movie is however essentially, and justifiably dominated by Hugh Jackman. It is sort of amazing, as well as a tad disconcerting how he has refined the character of Wolverine from its comic origins. It is indeed difficult to think of anyone else performing that role.

And now for a very personal opinion; I thought Gambit stole the show everytime he was present in the frame. I guess it has to do with the fact that I like Gambit as a character in the comic than I like wolverine, and that the character in the movie had an amazing aura of grace about it. Again, it is a very very personal opinion, but I will stick to it.

If you have not seen this movie yet, go see it. Here's a preview for you.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

A rather despirited show.

THE SPIRIT



I love action comics...I love Wolverine, Storm, Batman, Green Arrow, Catwoman, Cyclops, Hulk, Thor, Saturn, Elektra, Gambit...and I could go on and on and on. I had loved Sin City and 300. So when the promos for 'The Spirit' started showing with Eva Mendes and Paz Vega scorching the screen, I could barely wait to watch it.

I should have stuck to the promos!

The movie is a visual feast. The actors Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Paz Vega, Jamie Fox, Scarlet Johanassen, Sarah Paulson and Samuel L. Jackson are all good actors, some of course better then the rest. And this brilliant cast and fantastic graphics makes the bad direction and screenplay even more appalling!

First things first...the dark edgy Frank Miller graphic novel visual style DOES NOT go with the general camo tone of the film. Secondly, nobody wants to watch a camp superhero movie! And finally...and the worst of all; you CANNOT change the character of a super villain and make him look worse than a comic strip clown in the name of "...oppurtunity to be larger than life...". The Octopus is larger than life and making him period costumes will not change things for the better.

Why is it so difficult for people to leave the good things be? A menacing villain identified only by his gloves; whose face has never been seen versus a black man behaving like a queen who can't dress. Frank Miller is a briliant director...but he should stick to what he's good at -- edgy, adrenaline stashed movies.

Anyhow, now for the good things in the movie...Eva Mendes is the ultimate femme fatale. But then again, she's always that. She's the only woman I've seen on screen who can carry off orange lip tinge with panache! Paz Vega; very good and very underrated, is stunning as Plaster of Paris. Jamie King is alluring as Lorelaine - the angel of death. Scarlett Johansson and Sarah Paulson are prim, pretty and seductive. Samuel L. Jackson is wasted in a role that did not need him. And finally, Gabriel Macht, did look the best I've seen in any of his pics online. He should keep the dark hair look.

I am no great movie critic, and I am perhaps out of my depth here...but it's a very basic flaw in the entire show -- the director wanted to cram in too many things. He wanted the original camp humour of the comic series, he wanted the dark look of Sin City, he wanted a brilliant star cast, and he wanted to touch up the whole thing with his 'vision' of 'larger than life' costumes signifying the 'samurai, nazi, russian, and blaxploitation' movies.

Aaaarrrgh! It's a comic strip movie. Just keep it simple!!!

Love, sex and intimacy.

I had been a naive child. I had found out the details about sex much later than the rest of classmates had. This was partly due to the fact that I was a prudish no-nonsense sort of a child.

But things change, thankfully!

Anyhow, this is not a post about innocence lost, nor is this post about my escapades. (It amazing what feats one can perform with the correct choice of words!)

I was thinking of the general perception I have noticed amongst my friends and aquaintances pertaining to love, and sex. Its also a cross-cultural thing I guess. One important factor in this was that I'd recently read 'It Does Not Die' by Maitreyi Devi in its original bengali version 'Na Hanyate'. It is by far one of the best books I have read in any genre, in any language. Perhaps I will have the audacity to review it here someday, but for now let's suffice it to say this book touched me in a way nothing had touched me in a long time.

This book told me what we have known since a while,which, very flatly put, will boil down to that the western perception of love is markedly different from the indian outlook towards it. The western concept of love ( as it appears to me) has a certain rigid structure to it, there's always the initial romance, persuasion and a final culmination in the physical expression of it. There's no doubt that I am indeed making a rash generalization of it, but if you should notice, all love stories in the western tradition need even a symbolic gesture of the physical for it to be complete.

Surprisingly, the indian perception seems to me to be more flexible; even liberal if you will. There are no guidelines as to how things should proceed and how they must culminate. The spiritual almost essentially overshadows the carnal here and any physical expression seems only to mar the concept of love.

All said and done, its still funny how the focus seems to be upon definitions and notions of how things should be and not on how things are. How can the definition of love be generic when the concept of it remains based on the intimacy of feelings of one, two or more persons?

I mention more options than two simply because I refuse to believe that intimacy must exist only between more than one and less than three. Who can claim for certain that the story of Narcissus was a wretched tragedy and not the ultimate romance? Who is to say all menage-a-trois lack love or intimacy? Why must every Columbine need a Harlequin so she may dance? Why must the saga of Chitrangada need Arjun to be immortal?

If you had to choose between the sparks of a moments intimacy and lifelong insipid romance, what choice shall you make?

Friday, May 1, 2009

Colours of Spring 1



The Arnold Arboretum, Boston.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Objects of Desire

Patric Cox - Glasgow, Purple Patent Brogue

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Pope vs. Trojan

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, while visiting africa for the first time, stated that condoms are not the way to control the spread of AIDS, and that it might even increase the problem. Read about it here.

Yes, he should know! And then people complain when Sarah Palin talks about evolution! Hell! At the least her hubby looks fuckable.

I mentioned this as a post-script in an email to one of my closest friends. She replied saying 'It vaguely reminded her of the cloistered nuns in her convent trying to teach sex-ed'. Another friend of mine commented, off-handedly, "hanging the pope's picture in the bedrooms around the world will most definitely increase the rate of abstinence exponentially."

I agree to both. As they say, no fool like an old fool.

PS: For the trial run of the hang-pope-pic-in-bedroom-and-lose-boner project, I'll vote for this one.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Madonna mia?


Apparently this nude picture of Madonna sold for $37000. While I definitely would not want to see this picture day in day out, apparently there are others who would.

To think what Madonna has done to Madonna!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

The married guy

How casually do we take casual sex?

I would like to think that I take it pretty casually. I have had sex with at least two married guys, having known beforehand they were married. I have had sex with a man who was married to another man. I also had the singular experience of having sex with a guy who, after the act was over, told me he had a girlfriend, and that the girlfriend knew that he was having sex with guys, and that apparently she found it arousing!

However, recently I had made a resolution that I would not have sex with married men. I did not want to be responsible for any heartaches. But today I am wondering if that was rather queer of me. Ideal casual sex, like the ideal geometrical point, should have no past and no future, simply existence. So why should it matter if or not the partner is married? Quite a few of my friends do not have any qualms if the person they are having sex with is married. Somehow I cannot quite do that, I feel awkward, even a touch guilty.

Is it simply being in the right, feeding the self-righteous ego? Or is it some subconcious defense against the possibility of falling for a guy that I cannot have? Or is it simply the fact that most married men are anyways not worth having sex with?

What confuses me is that I do not think I would have a problem breaking in upon a couple, unmarried, should I desire one of them, or simply for the heck of it. But I would have a problem with a married man. Perhaps I have been, indeed, conditioned by the age old social norms and customs to sub-conciously identify marriage as the only acceptable sign of a relationship. Perhaps I should simply go out and have sex with as many married men as I can find so I can refute this thought. That should be interesting, if not satisfying.

It's ironic how finding answers is so much more difficult and ambiguous than finding a hook-up on one of the sites.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Perhaps love.

We say everything but the things we should.

Denial, or simply hesitation I do not care to know.