Double Trouble

It's not about my two kids at home but the two movies I ended up watching over the long weekend. "Vedigundu Murugesan" & "Modhi Vilayadu" probably were my worst ever choice of movies to have rented and spoilt the extended weekend.

It is a surprise to see Pasupathy, given his versatality, to have opted to play the role of Vedigundu Murugesan. The movie lacked substance, screenplay, storyline, songs and what not? Vadivelu was the only relief in the movie but again, it was a separate track and quite did add any value to the movie. I only wish Pasupathy makes a sensible pick of movies in the future.

Modhi Vilayadu was no different. However the movie had Saran's touch. Classy visuals and presentation. Songs were below par considering the hype for the colonial cousins, the girls would love Vinay. The heroine was a huge let down. First half couldn't have been any disasterous though second half wasn't any great.

Net net, I have not learnt my lessons to miss such movies, a skill I picked during my under graduation :)

- Posted using iPhone

இது எங்கு போய் முடியுமோ?

 

“இலங்கயில் உடனடியாக போர் நிறுத்தம் எற்படுத்தப்பட வேண்டுமென வலியுறுத்தி தமிழக முதல்வர் மு.கருணாநிதி கால வரையறையற்ற உண்ணாநிலை போராட்டத்தை இன்று காலை ஆரம்பித்துள்ளார்” - tamilwin.com

ஹீ ஹீ...இதெல்லாம் ரொம்ப ஓவர்....ஒரு வேளை இலங்கை தமிழர்களும் வருகிற தேர்தலில் வாக்களிக்கலாம் என்று 'ஸார்' நினைத்துவிட்டார் போல...ஆமாம் இப்படிச் செய்யும் கலைஞர், மலேஸியாவில் தமிழர் பிரச்சினை இருந்தபோது ஏன் உண்ணாவிரதம் இருக்கவில்லை? அப்போது தேர்தல் வரவில்லை...வேற எந்த மேட்டரும் இல்லை

 

என்று தணியும் இந்த சூப்பர் சிங்கர் ப்ரோகிராம்

ஜவ்வு போல இழுத்துக்கொண்டிருக்கும் விஜய் டிவியின் சூப்பர் சிங்கர் ப்ரோகிராம் என்று முடியுமோ என்ற ஒரு ஏக்கம் வந்து விட்டது. சன் டிவிக்கு எப்படி மெகா ஸீரியலோ, விஜய் டிவிக்கு ரியாலிடி ஷோஸ் போல. ஜோடி நம்ப்ர் ஒன், உங்களில் யார் அடுத்த பிரபு தேவா என இந்த பட்டியல் தொடர்வது நிச்சியம். ஆனால் இவ்வளவு சொல்லியும் நாம் திருந்துவதில்லை, அவர்களும் ஓயவில்லை...

assisted “Button Mushrooms in Tomato Gravy”

Sunday morning and the decision to skip breakfast or probably combine it with lunch a.k.a brunch was made. Unlike the past, we did not venture into making any western / continental food but agreed to have Vegetable Pulao and Mushroom Gravy. While my wife managed to make the vegetable pulao before the littlest one started to freak out, I decided to help (??) her in making the mushroom gravy. The recipe is hers and I was just doing as she was asking me to do it. This mushroom gravy should go well with vegetable pulao, chapathi / roti, etc.

 

Just finished eating and here goes the recipe;

 

Ingredients
1 packet (250 gms) button mushrooms (of course, what else would you have expected for a mushroom gravy?)

1 1/2 medium tomatoes

1 teaspoon broken cashew nuts

1 inch ginger piece

2 medium sized onions

few curry leaves

1 pinch cumin seeds

1 pinch aniseeds

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 chilli powder, homemade by my mother, so substitute it with masala powder unless you know my mum to get the right mix

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Preparation (20 minutes)

• Chop the onions and cut the button mushroom into 4 quarters each and set aside.
• Cut the tomatoes in to large pieces, add the ginger, preferably cut into half and add the cashew nuts and grind them in a food processer.
• Heat the oil and add the aniseeds, cumin seeds and cinnamon stick. After a couple of minutes, add the onion and curry leaves and keep stirring until onion turns into golden brown and then add the mushrooms. Keep stirring for a few minutes. Add the chilli / masala powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Add the tomato paste along with half a cup water and simmer it until well cooked, keep stirring if you feel really bored. Check the taste and add salt if required
• If the gravy is really hot / spicy, add a little, maybe a quarter cup of milk after the gravy is well cooked and removed from the stove.
• Note: Do not try to add the milk with the gravy in stove, ‘ve been told that it might get spoilt, not tried though

அபியும் நானும்

ராதாமோகனும் பிரகாஷ்ராஜும் ரசித்து எடுத்ததைவிட, "அபியும் நானும்"  திரைப்படத்தை நான் ரசித்து பார்த்தேன்...எனது மனைவி சொன்னது போல அது ஆங்கிலத்து தழுவலாக இருந்தாலும், பார்த்ததும் கண்களில் நீர் வருவது தமிழ் படங்களுக்கு அல்லவா? மீண்டும் ஒரு சிறப்பான படத்தை கொடுத்த இருவருக்கும் நன்றி!

இதுதான்டா காமடி!

வர வர காமடிக்கு ஒரு அளவு இல்லாம போச்சு...முன்பு கவுண்டமணி மற்றும் செந்தில், இப்போ லேட்டஸ்ட் திருமா அன்ட் ராமதாஸ்...இத படிங்க எல்லாம் புரியும்...எவனோ எங்கேயோ அடிச்சுக்கிறதுக்கு இவுங்க பன்றது டு மச்...

Quality Stocks? Give me a break...

It is quite funny to read this news article on Bloomberg.

 

Apparently a couple of analysts from Credit Suisse have suggested investors to pick 'Quality' stocks after the Satyam fiasco. Who in their wildest dreams would have ever, ever imagined that an organization like Satyam, praised for its excellent corporate governance would have a fall as big as this. There were brokerage houses (incl. Credit Suisse) and investment companis that recommended Satyam a BUY when it was Rs.500+ in 2007. It was no different in 2008 as well even when the markets were in turmoil. Ordinary investors, not as savvy as the brokerage houses or the FII's etc had to merely rely on such recommendations and either Buy, Sell or Stay Invested.

 

I would rather expect such analysts to shut their mouth and look into suggesting something that might help the common man out there who might have invested a substantial amount of their savings made over several years into such companies rather than further confuse and misdirect them. To me, even while I had made money and lost at times, I've considered stock markets to be legalized casino / betting arena. Despite this, I only pity the investors who might have lost a significant portion of their savings in one go and not to forget the employees, the most pitiful lot...hope there is light at the end of the tunnel and not a train!

The good old school days

Just been to drop my kid at her school which reopened yesterday after the annual vacation and the scene apparently brought back nostalgic memories to me when I saw a few kids freaking out, probably their first days in school...the teachers and parents seemed to have jumped into a wrestling ring and trying to overpower the little one's. I was absolutely no different while I was in kindergarten too (my daughter is an exception!), my dad used to hijack me off to school, the teachers and aaya's were dreaded at the sight of me in the car ...gone are the days when I had nothing to worry of besides the school ;-)

Corporate Governance? My foot!

Considered to be one of the top IT companies in world, Satyam Computers, managed by its Managing Director, Ramalinga Raju, had to bite the dust in what could probably be the darkest days of India Inc and Indian Stock Markets. Their balance sheet being inflated by a whopping Rupees Five Billion (Rs.5040 Crores), board members not having knowledge of the latest (latest? this must have been going in for years!) situation, accrued interest of Rs.376 Crores, etc, etc would have definitely been a rude shock to the whole world for having entered year 2009 with full of uncertainties. Their stock prices on NSE, plunged from Rs.280+ a fortnight ago to Rs.40 (7th Jan 2009, close). To make it even more wild, their previous close, as on 6th Jan was Rs.180, thereby falling more than 75% in a single trading day!!!

Satyam's auditors, the high profile PriceWaterhouse Coopers would not be spared either. While no one knows or could even predict the outcome of this saga, the Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) confidence in India Inc is sure to do go down the drain and the Indian stock markets, once considered to be one of the best emerging markets, is definite to crash as well. It is quite surprising how a scam of such a large magnitude had 'escaped' the auditors, SEBI, Stock Exchange Boards in India, US, etc. While the masses rightly smelled a rat right after the maytas (Satyam spelled reverse) episode, a super large corporate with 53000 employees worldwide sinking in less than 2 weeks after that is quite astounding! Raju was always considered to be one of the smartest amongst his peers in India Inc, but this is something...

 

Oh, and I am personally and deeply disappointed about the whole episode at Satyam since it was one of my favourite and most profitable scrips in Dalal Street...sigh!