Trivia

Even during her decline, Sparta never forgot its claims on being the "defender of Hellenism" and its Laconic wit. An anecdote has it that when Philip II sent a message to Sparta saying "If I enter Laconia, I will level Sparta to the ground", the Spartans responded with the single, terse reply: "If".

A Modern Indian Classic

Rashmirathi

One of my most favorite poems of all-time.

Gives a unique perspective of the greatest story ever told: "Mahabharata".

Vicious Circle

“One thing I like less than most things is sitting in a dentist chair with my mouth wide open.
And that I will never have to do it again is a hope that I am against hope hopen.
Because some tortures are physical and some are mental,
But the one that is both is dental.”


Ogden Nash told us long ago (when we were in 9th standard to be precise), how visit to the dentist is one of the most excruciating experiences of all. I had, but forgotten the nice poem in my text book filled with literary devices and humor till yesterday.

Like all normal homosapiens, yours truly is blessed with a set of 32. Now, the wisdom teeth, (that must be some strange irony!) have only one function in human body: Cause the occasional pain. I read that a normal adult doesn’t even require more than 28 teeth in the present age. But still there they are, vestigial and remnant of an age where we used to eat what not!

Getting an appointment for a dentist is usually a smooth affair, although, most dentists don’t work on Saturdays/Sundays, some not even on Friday.

As this is US, most of the expenses are covered by corporate Health insurance policy, which is a good thing, considering the dollars involved.

Lying in the dentist’s chair, I was able to appreciate the emotional turbulence Ogden Nash would have gone through to come up with the classic. It is more like sitting in a barber’s chair, only that barber doesn’t intend to cause you pain. Only time, one feels good is when the ordeal is over and the dentist asks one to leave.

I was lucky enough to leave with all my 32 intact. However, the dentist did tell me that there is a No. 33 which apparently was the cause of my visit to the dentist after all. Guess, Mr 33 who is as uninvited as anyone can ever be, won’t be with other 32 for long if he continues his wayward ways.

Anyways, I sat, I lay down, I suffered, got cleaned up well before I finally escaped, surviving just to “visit” another day.



Here lies the entire text of the classic poem:

Iphone, iApps and me.

Having used and abused it in myriad ways, I feel indebted to all other iPhone zealots to put my feeling of awe in words.

Though this is more abt iApps than Iphone itself.

Before, I proceed, here’s what I look forward to in an iApp: Useful Information, Easy to read fonts and navigation. Most importantly, it should be like a one stop shop for one’s needs. And simply let you tap your way to a better life. Period.
Some of the gems I discovered and regularly use.

AroundMe:

If you are dropped anywhere from the sky on this earth and you need something/anything, tap on this app. Viola! You will get what you want and the way to get it (phone no/route etc) (restaurants, hotels, hospitals, bars, supermarkets, you name it!)

Trapster
A cool app. For most of us trying to avoid the dreaded traffic ticket. It will tell you where the “traps” on the road are. Must have.

IMDB
This is like “Google for Movies”. Like the website, the iApp is the biggest movie DB on the planet.

Labyrinth LE

Try this even while you are moving. Will be all the more fun!

Kindle

Nah! No need to buy the $250 device from amazon. Turn your iphone into Kindle with this. Try some freely available books and get hooked.

Amazon

Amazon’s iPhone avatar helps you buy anything literally from a needle to aircraft using your iPhone

Free Wi Fi Locator

Another useful app. This one is vital if
A) your data plan ditches you
B) you don’t have a data plan at all

Paper Toss

Do what you do in office on you iPhone. Laze around

Step Trek Lite

Turn your iPhone into a Pedometer. Tap it on and it will count for you.

Guitar Tuner

This app turns your iPhone into a Guitar Tuner. Pretty handy for a guitar aficionado like me.


Newshunt

Get news from India -> Get News from your state -> Get news from your town -> Get news in Hindi/Marathi/what not!

N Y Times

My fav iApp version of newspaper

NPR

Listen to anyone of the public radio channels in US. Good enough for me!

Snakes & Ladder

The ubiquitous game appears in its iPhone age incarnation. Good ol' fun.

TVULite

Watch hundreds of tv channels from across the world on iPhone screen.

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Will add more to this list as I discover ‘em. Watch out!

Avatar in 3D - Movie-making Reincarnated.

More than a movie, it is a transitional experience for movie-watchers around the world.
As one of the critics pointed out, the story does not provide any thrills or unexpected turns and it is truly an "I-Know-what's-gonna-happen-next" type of story-line.
At no point of story will the audience be biting their nails as to what happens next.....And I say, if there were no 3-D visual effects as there are, this would've been another forgettable sci-fi flick.
But,then, THERE ARE THOSE 3-D effects, and boy, ain't they OUT OF THE WORLD! - pun intended. Yesterday, I became part of the "Have-seen-Avatar" part of the population and totally loved every moment.
Thanks to the techno-genius-vision of James Cameron, we, the movie-watchers, could be "in Pandora" and not miss earth for a moment in the entire two and half hours while we are there.
Movie making will not be the same again, now that the fans have tasted 3-D wizardry. And nothing will be too big for a director's imagination!
The movie, overall, may not have great acting performances, but deserves the Best Picture award, simply on account of the paradigm shift in moviemaking it has caused. Interestingly, the blue-skinned giants who reportedly appeared in James Cameron's mother's dream in 1996, will appear again in a sequel as promised by James Cameron soon.