LG V20 - Complete Tech Specs - First Thoughts

Sometimes I wonder if everybody except me is an idiot. For example, why does everybody keep comparing the new LG V20 to the LG G5?? It's a clear successor to the LG V10, by name, by design and by the company announcement, so why are you comparing it to something completely unrelated, morons?

Well, with that off my chest, let's talk about the new LG V20. The model was officially announced yesterday and the specs are as follows:

GENERAL
Release date September 2016
Form factor Touchscreen
Dimensions (mm) 159.70 x 78.10 x 7.60
Weight (g) 174.00
Battery capacity (mAh) 3200
Removable battery Yes
=============================================
DISPLAY
Screen size (inches) 5.70
Touchscreen Yes
Resolution 1440×2560 pixels
Pixels per inch (PPI) 513

=============================================
HARDWARE
Processor 1.6GHz  quad-core
Processor make Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820
RAM 4GB
Internal storage 32GB
Expandable storage Yes
Expandable storage type microSD
Expandable storage up to (GB) 256
=============================================
CAMERA
Rear camera 16-megapixel
Flash Yes
Front camera 5-megapixel
SOFTWARE
Operating System Android 7.0
=============================================
CONNECTIONS
Wi-Fi Yes
Wi-Fi standards - 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac
GPS Yes
Bluetooth Yes, v 4.20
NFC Yes
Infrared Yes
USB OTG Yes
Headphones 3.5mm
FM No
GSM/ CDMA GSM
3G Yes
4G/ LTE Yes
Supports 4G in India (Band 40) Yes
=============================================
SENSORS
Compass/ Magnetometer
Proximity sensor
Accelerometer
Gyroscope

As an upgrade, it's quite good. It's not a mind-blowing upgrade but as I mentioned to my brother only 3 days ago, what can they really upgrade in a phone that already has everything. And he mentioned these 3 things, RAM, Processor, Display.
LG has done just that and a little bit better.

The three things I wanted them to keep were:
The second display (it's more useful and less obtrusive than an Edge display)
The removable battery
The microSD card slot

I would not buy a phone without the last 2 things.

LG kept them all. Good job.

The three things I wanted them to improve were:
Display (I wanted 4K screen just like every other geek)
Battery (that's one weak part in the LG V10, but thanks to the removable battery, I can carry spares and be covered)
OS (Android moves leaps and bounds with each version and we always want the latest one)

LG gave me the 4K display but only improved the battery from 3000 to 3200mAh. On Android they did great, we get 7.0 right out of the box.

They have also added a wide-angle back camera and removed the front wide angle camera. I preferred it the way it was but it's not a deal breaker.

So, all in all, it might not be a radical upgrade, it's still worth it for me. I am one of those people who like to upgrade their gadgets at every opportunity and I have been looking for one but not finding any worthwhile contenders. I am very picky, I would not go for a screen .1 inch smaller, I would not touch a phone with a fixed battery, I would not spend money on a phone with no expandable storage..etc. etc.

That made me wait for LG's offering in the series and given that it's a nice upgrade even if not a spectacular upgrade, it's worth buying for me.

What about you?

Pokemon Go Interactive Map to help with your quest

I am feeling generous, here you go UK Pokemon Go Addicts -

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/pokemon-go-interactive-map-reveals-locations-of-rare-creatures-gyms-and-pokestops/story-29524261-detail/story.html

The Union is Dead, Long Live the Union

I find it highly ironical that the same people who want to drop out of European Union strongly suggest that Scotland and Ireland, (and London) should stay in the United Kingdom and continue to be integral part of the Union (UK, not EU).

Being an Indian immigrant my English is not all that great - should this be called hypocrisy or bigotry?

Satisfaction Cost

“How much?”

“Combien?” (French)

“Cuánto” (Spanish)

“Quanto” (Italian)

“いくらですか” (ikura desu ka?) (Japanese)

No matter which language you use this is one expression that is universally important!

How to ask the price of something is an essential phrase whether you are out visiting the market or “agora” in Greek or shopping in the neighbourhood market for melons.

The significance of this question is twofold - to find out if you can afford it and to judge whether it’s worth that price. The order of these considerations changes based on various factors.

And then there’s the whole economics of price vs. supply vs. demand. There are already many books written on this topic so I won’t go into that. However, I do want to discuss the price vs. perception of quality phenomenon.

In Hindi we have a saying, “Mehnga roye ek baar, sasta roye baar baar” meaning the one who buys expensive cries once (for having to pay a high price) but the one who buys cheap cries again and again (when the thing breaks down or lets him down).

Generally, that’s the idea, something that’s more expensive is better in quality. This was based on certain factors that were true in the industrial age. The price of the item depended on the materials used, the workmanship, the machines and other manufacturer-oriented factors.

And then entered advertising into the field. If you could make the consumer want the item, the actual quality of the item could be made secondary. Readers of my blog, and my friends (and strangers) know that I don’t like iPhones and I have commented more than once that they would be alright if they were priced at about £100-£200. It’s advertising and clever marketing that allows Apple to sell them at the exorbitant price that they don’t deserve.

So, what is the real driver for the cost here? It’s Satisfaction. Companies are able to set the prices of their products based on how much a given product will satisfy the customer. You would be more satisfied carrying the likes of Samsung, LG or Sony mobile in your pocket than some unknown brand that originated in a nameless factory in a far east Asian country. The factory maybe situated down the road from the Samsung factory but the product would not give you the same pride, same assurance, same Satisfaction if you will...

Given that it’s not simple enough in these times to compare two products and judge their intrinsic quality from holding them in your hands like you could compare two earthen pitchers, it becomes necessary to take things at face value or Brand Value.

This phenomenon causes the disconnect between cost and price. Companies no longer set the prices  of items based on their cost price and overhead but based on Satisfaction Cost, what the consumer can be made to pay for that item.

[Credit to my brother Anil Goswami, for the term: Satisfaction Cost]

Captain America:Civil War - My pre-thoughts

(BTW, the May 6 must be the American premiere date, here in UK it's releasing on 29th April 2016.)

I like both Cap and Tony because they are both good men. But they both have weaknesses. Right now Tony is driven by his guilt complex over Ultron just as Steve is driven by his compassion for Bucky as well his guilt at letting him "die" in Switzerland.
In TWS the Cap dropped the ball when he chose to go head to head with TWS instead of putting a bullet in his brain. Cap jeopardized the mission, risked the freedom of the whole world in order to treat his old friend with compassion. Wars are not fought with compassion and he's a solider isn't he?
Cap is so self-righteous that he would not see or accept that his behaviour in TWS was not befitting a soldier. And now he goes against his friend Tony who fought shoulder to shoulder with him and laid his life on the line on many occasions? Not done,Captain.
Just to be clear, I am absolutely opposed to the Avengers being made answerable to the "stupida$$" (Nick Fury's word) World Council. So what I am saying is that on principle, I am 100% behind #CaptainAmerica but I don't like that he is also majorly driven by personal reasons.
Having said that, it's absolutely heart-wrenching that my favourite superheroes are fighting each other. But that makes for great cinema, does it not?

#teamcap #teamironman 

How To Post Spoilers On Facebook With This Easy Trick

This is a case of necessity being the mother of invention. I wanted to post a comment on my Facebook wall about an episode of Big Bang Theory from season 8. Even though that was last season (we are way into season 9 at the time of this writing), I didn't want to spoil it for anyone who has not yet seen that season. And my comment did contain big spoilers.
(I have been guilty of spoilers before in real conversation without really meaning to, so trying to reform here, people!)

I couldn't find a solution on the internet that would work from the writer's side. If you are a FB user there are apps etc. that you can use to avoid spoilers about TV shows and movies but nothing that helps you write it in such a way that it doesn't spoil things for the people who read your wall. So, here's my trick.

Follow these 7 simple steps:

1. In your post, type the line "SPOILER ALERT" followed by the TV show name, season and episode that the spoiler is about, or the movie name.

2. Press enter to go to next line.

3. Then hold down ALT key on your keyboard and type 255 on the numeric keypad. This will type an invisible character. It's called a hard-space.

4. Press Enter. This creates a line that contains only one character, the hard-space.

5. Copy this line using the keyboard or mouse. Keep in mind that the hard-space will look like a normal space when you select it, but it behaves differently.

6. Paste this line about 10-12 times after your spoiler alert line.

7. Below this type your actual comment which contains the spoilers.

Now, when you post your comment, the readers will only see the Spoiler Alert line, followed by a link "See more" Now they have been warned. If they want to read your comment they can click on See more and read it, or they can just keep scrolling and not read the part of your post containing the spoilers.

If you simply typed a lot of spaces or pressed Enter to insert empty lines, that does not work because Facebook collapses all empty spaces and the post is displayed in continuation. But hard-space is treated like a character not like a space therefore, it works to create the extra space that forces Facebook to treat the post as a long post and display only the top part of it with the "see more" link below it.

Enjoy, and let others enjoy! :)

Movie Review with Spoilers - Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice - Injustice to the viewers

Warning: This review is full of strong language, creative epithets, violent suggestions and sexual references. It also contains detailed spoilers. Read at  your own risk. 

An absolute piece of crap! That's my honest and concise review of this movie. And I do reserve this review result for movies that truly deserve it.

I guess I am angry because this is one of those rare times when the movie trailer managed to fool me. I had no intention of watching this movie, then I watched the trailer and thought it was worth watching. Wrong decision!

Now the question of why, why do I call it a bad, excuse me, terrible movie.

I have said this before in a review, and I say it again here - there is the science of filmmaking and there's the art of filmmaking. The science includes all your cameras and fancy lenses and other technological wonders that are at the disposal of a modern-day director.

The art is that crucial part which helps a director create a movie that puts the audience at the edge of their seat. And they (the directors) don't usually need any special technology to do that.

This movie is full of the former but shows no discernible sign of the latter.
Let's take it piece by piece.

Story
Story is pretty simple as superhero stories sometimes are. Superman is framed for collateral damage during a Lois Lane rescue and people want him answerable.

Characters
Characters are very boring with one or two exceptions. And the director has shown the characters in a bad light. Batman comes across as petty, insecure and evil. Superman comes across as stupid and simple-minded. Also, an idiot.

Acting
Most of the actors have done a good job given the terrible story and characterisation. Except one.

The guy playing Lex Luthor, Jesse Eisenberg, he starts overacting from his first appearance on screen and never stops. If anything made me want to hurl a shoe at the high-resultion IMAX screen, it was this guy. If this was Bollywood I would surmise that this boy was the son of the film's financer. Actually, that kind of thing happens in Hollywood as well, doesn't it?

Jesse Eisenberg plays the evil mastermind so horribly that I am sure if he was playing this part in a college play the director would kick him out after the first rehearsal.

Cinematography
OMG! Does director Zack Snyder know that there are other shots in the book than close up's and ultra close up's? It was driving me nuts how he was going for a close up or super close up for about 90% of the time. This also starts right from the beginning of the film.

Editing
Other than super close-up's the movie uses way too much slo-mo in scenes where it's obviously not required. It slows down the pace and makes you want to tear your hair out.

There is one particular fight scene with Batman fighting multiple goons which made me want to take the cinematographer and editor to the top of a volcano and kick them in! You can actually see the junior artists waiting their turn to attack the big star, Ben Affleck and get beaten by him. They are ALL holding a long barreled gun but none of them fire, they all step up one by one and attack him close range so that he can beat them with his fists.

What's worse, it shows that Ben Affleck is old and out of shape. Not a good thing to do to your superhero character.

Dialogue
The dialogue is way cliched. You might actually think - "Guys, did you ever have an original thought?"
Really boring dialogues in really cliched situations.

Background Music
Just like the dialogue the background music is cliched and in some scenes really intrusive. I was screaming inside - "Can you please just fuck off? I am trying to watch the scene here!"

Predictability
Because the movie is full of all kinds of cliches it's very predictable. If you watch movies regularly you would actually be able to say "Okay, this character will use this line later in the film." "Ah, she's throwing the spear in the water, that means they will need it later when things are going critical."

And when you can predict to that level the movie becomes very boring. Actually, I was yawning all through the second half of the movie.

What also pissed me off was that for a movie called "Batman Vs. Superman" majority of the movie only shows Clark Kent fighting Bruce Wayne with tired, cliched dialogue. There is only one battle between Batman and Superman in the whole film and even that is not real because the villain has captured Superman's mother and he's fighting for that rather than on principle. That battle made me doubt Superman's sanity.

The movie is also way too serious. There is absolutely no comic relief. I can't help but contrast this with Marvel movies like the Avengers where they manage to create nice comic scenes without breaking the tension of the moment.

Redeeming qualities
Yes, thankfully there were some. Well, two. Lois Lane played by Amy Adams and Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot. (Did you notice the alliteration - LL AA WW GG?) Both the characters are the best characters in the movie and both the girls have played them wonderfully well.

Lois Lane comes across as a sensible girl dealing with extraordinary situations with consummate skill and level-headedness.

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman comes across as a powerful, strong woman with remarkable abilities backed up by a remarkable character.

In spite of every bad thing I have said here I do plan to acquire a full HD version of this movie for two reasons when the Blu-Ray comes out.

One, there's a bath tub scene with Amy Adams that's just gorgeous in high-res. No, you don't see any nudity but she is a stunningly beautiful girl and that scene is worth watching for her.

Two, during the climactic battle, when Wonder Woman makes her first  appearance as Wonder Woman in this movie, she materilises on the battlefield blocking an attack by the Cryptonian monster. The best action scene of the whole movie! Gal Gadot looks amazing as Wonder Woman and just as ravishing in her WW armour as she does in the sexy cocktail dresses in the early parts of the film.

BTW, in this whole movie, Wonder Woman is the only superhero worth watching.

That's all folks. Go waste your money on it or not, I leave that up to you.

P.S. I watched Zootropolis right after this movie. Much better story line, better characters, excellent plot twists. A more worthwhile choice!

Thank God Kapil Sharma is coming back

After Kapil Sharma walked out of Colors people were disappointed including yours truly. But now Kapil is coming back with his team bringing his new show on Sony - The Kapil Sharma Show. This is the perfect name for it as "Comedy Nights with Kapil" was also mostly referred as "Kapil's show" among the public and celebrities.

Watch this short clip where a reporter is trying to talk to the team on their set. Even these simple interviews are very funny. You can imagine how great the new show will be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu7hWjpfSiY

From what I know from watching the various YouTube videos about it, the first episode will be a live show in a stadium in Delhi. The rumour/news is that Shah Rukh Khan will be part of the first episode. Since Colors has served notice on Sunil Grover and Kiku Sharda that they can't do the Gutthi and Palak characters so they will be playing new characters. Ali Asgar will also play a male character. Sumona wil again play Kapil's screen wife.

I am looking forward to it just as all of India is waiting for it. It's starting from 3rd April, 9 PM IST, on Sony. 

Do you tip, bro?

I am sharing this because I think it's important and it's one of those rare things where we can make a direct and useful impact. So, I am taking the time to write this.

A while ago I read in a Facebook post that different restaurants have different policies about tips. Sometimes the policy is not to pass on the tips given by customers to the waiting staff.

Personally, I think that the tips are an important part of the waiting staff's income and the restaurant should not interfere or intercept them. But since reading that FB post I have started to ask every time I eat out and have been surprised to see many different policies.

Some places pass the whole amount to the waiting staff, some places do a percentage (ranging from 40% to 80%) and in some places it depends on the method of payment. For example, a place where we had lunch today, the waiting staff doesn't get any tips left by a customer if it's added in the card payment. If the tip is cash, they get all of it. Needless to say, I paid my bill by card but left the tip in cash.

The waiting staff cannot say this to the customer, it would be against the rules and will be unprofessional but if you ask them they will tell you freely what the exact policy is.

My take on the thing is that the waiting staff should get all their tips, the amount depends on the service as well as the customer's inclination, but they should get their tips, in most cases, it's considered part of their remuneration when the employer fixes their salaries.

From my side, the suggestion is that you ask your waiter/waitress about the tipping policy in the place when you are paying your bill, but of course you are free to do as you please. If you feel like this is worth sharing, feel free to forward it on FB or elsewhere. You don't need to link back or anything but I am happy if you do as well.

And a funny collection of tip jar pictures for your amusement:

Peace!

http://aplus.com/a/creative-tip-jars

This Christmas...don't be a wanker

This post is PG13 - Strong language, violent outbursts, sexual references.

During lunch break today, I went into Boots in Trinity centre. As I was walking in the entrance I could not help but notice the long queue. I looked up and it

led to a counter with the sign "Please Pay Here". I walked in further cautiously and noticed the queue stretching to worrying proportions. By the time I reached

the end of the queue I had made up my mind "I will come back later." I only wanted some vitamin C with Zinc tablets. Not worth spending lunch break in Boots.

While I was walking back a store assistant came from the other side pushing a high cart full of merchandise. I moved aside to let her

pass and was able to witness the interaction between her and the guy on the other side who was standing in the queue. He was an

able-bodied, middle-aged man, holding only one or two small items in his hands. And the girl was a small, young girl maybe 19, if that. Based on the fragments of sentences and the facial expressions I could get this is how the exchange went.

Middle-aged bloke, angrily "Excucse me! Can they not open another counter or something?"
Girl, meekly "I don't know but I will ask, sir."
Middle-aged bloke, with a visual snarl "Would be worthwhile asking, wouldn't it? "

I looked back as I stepped in the aisle again and the look on his face was of pure hatred as if that store girl was responsible for all the problems in his life! I looked to the girl and she looked like somebody had just taken a shot at her! This man had just spoiled her day for her!

Knowing it was useless to say anything I kept my mouth shut and walked away but in my mind I was thinking "You miserable fucking sod! So you have to stand 10 minutes extra in a queu e during the busiest shopping season of the year at the busiest time of the day to buy a gift for someone, so what? What the fuck would you achieve by buying someone a £50 gift? What does it matter if it were a £500 pound gift? If you can't actually spread goodwill and cheer among your fellow humans does it matter if you buy all the gifts in the world for your family?

And that, in case you didn't know, is my problem with Christmas. It's too commercial, it's too themed, it's too narrow.

The message from uncle Sunny is - you may be a great gift-giver and a very generous friend, father or business associate but if you can't be nice to people you are still a wanker! 

Musical Memories

Today I was watching this Indian movie award show #Filmfare2015 recording on my train journey home. It's old, from early 2015 and I have seen it before but I like it because one of the comperors was my favourite comedian Kapil Sharma. And then this song came on in the nominees for the Best Music...and the memories came flooding back! No, not the memories of shooting that song...lol..I wish..but the memories of my last trip to India when I took so many road trips with #mykids and I DJ'ed in most of those journeys using my tablet.

I remembered falling in love with this song during that visit. Not when I Dj'ed but on my own I did loop-played it almost all the time. I think my kids might have become sick of it that time.

Hearing it again today brought back the memories of that legendary trip and of course, I miss my kids!

So, yeah, I played it on loop on the walk back from the station, instead of my usual audiobook. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmWL-JxUGZc

Of course, the song was the winner of the Best Music category. Hehe.

The movie is called "2 States" and the music is by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. I can't do justice to the song but loosely translate the chorus of the song means "My crazy heart keeps repeating your name. Can't forget even it tried."

The Flash And The Arrow

I must write this post before I watch too much of the Arrow. I have already watched 9 episodes of the first season and I've got to say what a refreshing change from The Flash. The weirdest thing is that it has essentially the same writing team as The Flash (I checked) but the characters and events in the Arrow are so much more sensible. I don't have contempt for Oliver Queen even when he makes a bad decision. His bad decisions come from being human not from being stupid. Like his decision to trust Helena, for example.

Even when I watched the Flash there was some cross over from The Arrow I could see then that I'd enjoy watching The Arrow even before I knew that he was a real character and there was a show called the Arrow. In the first episode when Flash goes to see Oliver to find his way, the Arrow made an impression on me. Then Felicity came to see Flash and oh yeah, that was love at first sight for me.

When I saw the episode name Flash vs. Arrow, I kind of cringed because I don't really like to have hero against hero. But that episode was amazing! And once again the Arrow earned my respect. Another episode where the Arrow came to help the Flash. Every time he appeared on the Flash he dominated the scene, both from an actor's performance viewpoint and the character's screen presence.

So, I am really happy that this show exists, that it has 4 seasons on tape and that it's amazing.

The whole approach here is different. I can't help but compare it with the Flash for obvious reasons. Here Oliver Queen gets as much screen time, more in fact, than the Arrow. Here, his name is still "the Hood" even after 9 episodes. Here his team is building slowly, growing organically as such a team would in real life. He still has only Diggles to help him. I am eagerly waiting for Felicity to join him. Soo, I hope.

Well, I will cut it short and just say, I am really, really enjoying the Arrow and I recommend it highly to the viewers of this genre.

The Flash Season 1 Finale - The Bullshit Continues

SPOILER ALERT: Dude, I am gonna discuss the whole plot of the season 1 finale of The Flash, so major, major spoilers. 

As I mentioned in my last post on The Flash, I find Barry Allen stupid. But not all of his stupidity comes from his character, quite a lot of it comes from the writers of the show. This episode is an excellent case in point. So I will discuss the episode with special focus on Barry.

In this season finale Barry goes back to 15 years ago to save his mother from being murdered. Back to the Future 2 style. Before the move is made it is discussed and discovered that if he goes back and saves his mother's life, the timeline will change drastically, his father would not go to jail, he would not live with Joe, he would not meet Iris, etc. etc.

Some of the characters say he should do it, some say he should not, and there are a number of sappy scenes for all them, so many that it gets annoying. Only saving grace there is that the actors are all good and don't hem it up despite the opportunity to do so.

We get to know from the beginning that this is a very risky experiment and if Barry can't go as fast as needed he will die instantly. Then as preparations progress we find out that not only will he die but the whole world as we know it may be destroyed. Despite all of this Barry decides to do it. I mentioned in the last post on The Flash that he can't make a difficult decision. This is a case in point.  Although he makes a brave decision to risk his life but he risks the whole world for a personal gain.
Other than destroying the whole world, there is a risk that the alternate timeline could lead a to a terrible world for mankind but he doesn't care about that.

But, on the other hand, there are no paradoxes in time travel therefore if his blood was on the scene that means he did go back that means he will go back. The decision has already been made. Fine.

Then we come to the point which irritates the hell out of me! Just because it's a sci-fi show doesn't mean it has to be scientifically correct in every technical detail, especially on the future technology. So, the writer/director will take creative licence and that's fine. But on conceptual level it should not try to fool the audience with mumbo-jumbo. Time travel is a concept with which even the non-geek audience is familiar and at least the geeks know what a causal loop is.

Now, listen to this. Just before Barry is getting ready to go back in Time, Cisco tells him that there will be THREE of Barry Allen's there that night. One, the young child, the other as The Flash who gets the young Barry out and fights Dr. Wells, and the third, this one who's listening to Cisco just before going back. I will number them so we can discuss them without running into our own backs. Barry1 - the small child, Barry2 - The Flash fighting the man in yellow, Barry3 - who is just about to go back and save his mother. All clear? Now raise your hand if you can answer the next question.

Barry1 - The child lives there in his current time line, wakes up by the noise and comes down.
Barry2 - Went back in time to save his mother.
Barry3 - Where did Barry3 come from? 

Why are there 2 grown up Barry's or Flash's there on the scene? One is going back from the current year, but where's the other one coming from? My understanding was that the Flash going back now is The Flash fighting the man in yellow. How do they ADD a Flash? There's no mention of another time journey by a Flash and no explanation why there's a third Barry there on the scene.

I hope someone has the answer to it because it irritated the hell out of me when I was watching this episode!

For a bonus question try this. In the episode "Out of Time" when Barry goes back in time by a day, there is NO OTHER BARRY. He is the only Barry in that world and he has to live his day exactly that same again. So what happened to the Barry who is actually living his life on that timeline? They mention particularly that the Flash "Did not turn back the time" but "Traveled back in time" which means that that timeline should have a Barry/Flash already there that the Barry/Flash from future can see. That's how it works in all the sci-fi in the universe and that's how it make sense. But no, not for The Flash.

And then, they change the rules completely in the finale and add an extra Flash. What annoys me even more is that they keep mentioning Back to the Future, so they do know these things, or should! In BTTF 2 you can see the Marty from BTTF1 and the Marty from BTTF2 avoids being seen by the other Marty. Makes perfect sense. When Marty and Doc go to the future, they can see and hear the future Marty. Perfectly clear. Here however, the rules of Time Travel in the Flash are neglected and played with.

I have 3 theories to explain this kind of writing, feel free to choose one or add a new one if you like.

1. The writers are not real geeks and do not really know about these things even after watching sci-fi like BTTF before.
2. The writers are idiots who can not comprehend anything as complex as time travel.
3. The writers think we are idiots who do not understand something as complex as time travel.

In the end, he doesn't save his mother. He waits off-screen and lets the man in yellow kill her. Okay, that made me admire him as that is THE MOST difficult thing in the world to do and he does it to save the timeline. But then I remember that he risked the whole world and the future of Mankind to say goodbye to his mother and it makes me mad again!

When he goes back, he crashes Dr. Wells' time capsule and doesn't let him go back. What a stupid moron! Instead of letting him go back he stops the one person he cannot beat and traps him in this time. What an amazingly stupid thing to do! And there's no point to it except his personal feelings! There's no real reason for stopping him from going back!

A fight ensues, as expected. At the climactic point, Eddie, Iris' boyfriend, shoots himself as he knows he is the ancestor of Dr. Wells/Ebart and this way he kills himself to kill Ebart. Once again a moronic decision by someone who is supposed to be an intelligent person. Does he not recognize that it would not "Kill" Ebart, it would "ERASE" him completely from the timeline, which means all of his influence on the events of the past will be erased - no particle accelerator, no accident, no Flash, and that's just the obvious things. A change of that magnitude would endanger the whole world! And it does!

So, you can see why I am not pleased with this slipshod way of writing science fiction.

Don't worry, it looks like this will be my last post on The Flash. I finished watching season 1 and have no desire to carry on in season 2. However, what I do like in The Flash, is the cool fast motion effect and how the show reminds me of Sheldon in Big Bang Theory doing Flash. :)

P.S. I am going to watch The Arrow next. That's been my gain from watching this stupid show - I found out about the Arrow and the adorable Emily Bett Rickards! :)

The Flash - Stupidest Man Alive?

Spoiler alert: This post contains major spoilers for The Flash season 1.

Okay, so I am watching the first season of The Flash the first time and I have some stuff to moan about.

The show is well directed and it's easy to watch. While it's not as amazing as Firefly (nothing ever is or ever will be) where you actually care about the characters but at least you can watch the characters with interest. So, let's talk about some of them.

The Flash. I know he's doing a great thing by being The Flash and fighting crime and what not but seriously if you look at him he's stupid, naive and he's a pussy. It looks like he has trouble figuring out the simplest of things and that he has never taken a tough decision in his life. Dude, your mom died when you were young, murdered, didn't you learn anything in the 15 years?

Whenever he's faced with a villain, he rushes in. Even when he knows the villain has powers that can kill him. Yes, they want us to think he's brave, but that's the kind of bravery that's called stupidity. He makes no plan, he just bumbles in like an idiot. This is demonstrated very well in the episode "Flash vs. The Arrow."

Second, his body moves very fast, but his brains seems to work like a malnourished moron. In any situation, he'd do the thing that an idiot should do. Take the episode where he travels back in time by a day. Harrison Wells tells him specifically not to do anything different as that would have serious repercussions and he just goes and does something so big that it can't but have the granddaddy of repercussions. I mean, doesn't he read science-fiction, he's a geek, right? And it's shown in previous episodes that they have all watched Back to the Future. WTF, dude?

The supreme irony is that even after changing his behaviour so drastically from the first instance of the timeline he expects everything else to happen as it did the previous day. What a jackass!

Take the episode "All Star Team Up". He's up against the main villainess, she unleashes her robot bees at him. What does he do? Instead of using his super-speed to cuff her, take control of the computers, and win the day, he starts running around like a schoolboy to escape the bees. And then when he comes to a glass window, instead of using his super-speed to break the glass and get away, he's like "Oh, Cisco! I am trapped! There are bees all around me!" Gimme a break! Didn't he learn just in the last episode "Tricksters" how to go through solid material? And now he can't go through a huge glass window that a 5-year old would break by hurling a chair at it? Jeez!

Enough about the super moron. Let's talk about Iris. Absolute bitch!

Right from episode one I can see that she's a selfish bitch. Selfish, self-centered, near-sighted, stupid bitch! Way too many examples to give so I will try to restrain myself.

Barry has feelings for her. They both grew up together and still she doesn't see it. That takes some serious neglect of the other person because girls are a wizard at noticing these things. Look at how she treats Barry, how she treats Flash, how she treats her boyfriend, you will see what a selfish bitch she really is. Still, I don't blame Barry for loving her, because love is blind, and we just proved that Barry Allen is stupid.

In the episode "Out of Time" she confesses she has feelings for Barry and kisses him WHILE she is in a live-in relationship with her boyfriend AND AT THE VERY SAME MOMENT her father is tied up at the mercy of a super bad villain type person. Awesome girl!

Her blog - what a stupid idea! Endanger yourself and your family even after multiple warnings from multiple people. Even after finding out that the newspaper gave her a job only to exploit her as a "Flash person" and knowing she has told Flash to never contact her, she doesn't leave the job on moral grounds. Selfish, manipulative.

I think by episode 18 everyone should be able to see her true colours when she's like a dog with a bone about how her boyfriend should tell her everything. Even giving him an ultimatum. WHILE at the same time, she never tells her boyfriend about Barry's feelings for her and actively tries to hush it up a couple of times. Double-standard, cantakerous bitch! (I realize I am using the B-word too many times. Can you suggest some juicy synonyms?)

The character I like in this is The Arrow. The actor (I can't be bothered to look up his name now) has brought him to life as a mature, experienced vigilante, who has done it all and seen it all. I was dreading the episode "Flash vs. Arrow" from the title but I loved it when I watched it because I got to see The Arrow in action. And it was worthwhile. He also understands human nature and plans for it.

And my favourite person on the show is "Felicity". I say person because I love both - the character and the actress! Having worked with actors now I am aware of how much a good actor can change themselves to adapt to a role. Therefore I don't know how much she's really like "Felicity" but I love how she portrays her. Felicity is a breath of fresh air in all the drama. She's gorgeous, she's funny, she's witty and she has mad hacking skills. She's just adorable!

(And now you know why I chose that picture with this post!)

When she first appeared on the show I didn't even know who she was but I loved her at first sight. And the more I got to know her the more I loved her. Emily Bett Rickards. Yes, her name I googled even before the episode was over! She plays Felicity so well, I can't tell where her own personality finishes and where Felicity starts. It maybe the producers picked someone who was like the character or it maybe she's completely opposite of Felicity but she does a hell of a job as Felicity. When I finish Season 1, I would probably re-watch only those episodes where The Arrow and/or Felicity are in the picture.

So, a rant and a rave in the same post. Breathe!

My Sorrow My Music

I have realized that even though I listen to at least 10 different genres of music in at least 8 different languages, when your mood is pensive and you don't know why (or even if you do know why) there's nothing like Urdu ghazals to suit that mood. Urdu poetry feels like the a warm hug from a dear friend. It holds you, supports you and makes you feel better without saying a lot of words.

Try this ghazal if you want to see what I mean.

https://play.google.com/music/m/Tufujfpshaf3uq6px4gimjkenky?t=Kisko_Aati_Hai_Masihai_-_Jagjit_Singh

Dude, Where's My Personality?

"You didn't have a personality you had some TV shows you liked!"

This line is said by Leonard to Sheldon in "Big Bang Theory". They are having a discussion about girlfriends and how they change a person. Sheldon suddenly realizes the effect Amy has had on him and says that he has unwittingly allowed her to change his personality. And Leonard responds with the line quoted above. It's quite funny but also not entirely true.

If you think about it, the TV shows and movies we like are an integral part of our personality. We like a show because it resonates with something in us. Either we like its humour or we are entertained by its action or we like how the drama on the screen provokes the thoughts in us. Some of the most animated conversations I have had with friends, and sometimes with complete strangers went something like this:

"Did you watch xxx? It was hilarious!"
"Oh yes, I loved so and so in the such and such character. He was amazing!"
"And did you know he did a movie recently where he played the xxx?"
"Really? I must watch that!"

And the thing just takes off from there.

In "How I Met Your Mother" when Ted is dating Robin he makes her watch Star Wars and he really wants her to like it. To the extent that she pretends to like it. Similarly in "Big Bang Theory" the guys get really flustered if the girls mix up "Star Wars" and "Star Trek".

Penny: No, no, that's Star Trek. They get really bothered if you mix them up.
Amy: Why? What's the difference?
Penny: There IS NO DIFFERENCE!

I watch these and I am like "Come on guys, they are just movies. Lighten up."

But then suddenly this morning I realised would I really have a future with someone who didn't like "Firefly"? Can you imagine the arguments? Would I knowingly date someone who is not into science fiction?

Imagine the first date.

Me: Have you seen Firefly?
Her: No. What is it?
Me: Oh, it's an amazing science fiction show made by Joss...
Her: Science fiction? No, no, I don't waste time on that stuff.
Me: Check please!

I do sincerely think that science fiction, the good kind at least, opens up our minds and broadens our horizons.

And do our heroes, (the super and the normal kind) not inspire us? We learn a lot from the characters that we admire, how to do the right thing, not be a douche, with great power comes great responsibility, these many other things we have learnt from our favourite shows and movies.

So, that's my epiphany from this morning. Thoughts?

Keep Your Damn Approval to Yourself

That's sounds quite nice and straightforward, doesn't it? This quote in the image? And it makes sense we should be comfortable with who we are and what we do rather than base our sense of self-worth on the opinion of others. Am I right?

Wrong! All those sensible sounding words sum up to one thing - Bullshit! Utter and pure bullshit!

We, all of us who are considered social animals, are programmed to seek the approval of others whether we do it consciously or subconsciously. Yes, even those people who make it a point to tell the world they don't want anyone's approval do actually seek approval. Sometimes more than the others.

There is noone that I know of, not one person, who violates this rule. It applies to poor and rich, downtrodden and powerful alike. We live in a society, we live by its rules, or we face the consequences, so we are constantly seeking its approval, we just don't think about it.

Otherwise, it would be common knowledge (without the expose) that the Pope was guilty of child molestation. The Pope is a powerful man, and by no means poor, why would he hide his activities? Simply because he knows what he is doing is not approved by society and law.

At an other extreme, take Mother Theresa. I am sure she didn't help the people in need because she wanted to get any applause, but I'd be 1 to 100 that it did make her feel good when the society took notice of her good deeds and appreciated her for the wonderful person she was!

This programming starts early in our childhood, remember the "good boy" "bad boy" concept? What is that? Simply seeking your parents' approval. Then it goes on to school, with the grades actually quantifying how much approval you have got.

Some people who don't go to school or drop out, they get the approval in other ways. By making money! Bill Gates maybe be a high school drop out but he is a very rich and successful (read: has money) therefore he meets the society's approval

It is everywhere. When you are keeping your car under speed limit, you are doing things the approved way. I know some people would point out that they do go over the speed limit. Sure. But do you do it in front of a police car or speed camera? You are not defying shit, you are just sure you won't be caught.

Approval comes in various flavours and styles. When people laugh at your jokes, when someone clicks Like on your Facebook post, when your boss says "Good work!", when your girlfriend says "Oh, you are so romantic!" they are all forms of approval and you eat all of them up!

But why do we say we don't need the approval?

Because it makes us feel better. Even though we all conform, we all also want to be known as the Rebels. It makes us feel good! And we always back it up with little acts of rebellion that don't cause much harm. Unfortunately I can't expound on this theme without giving away my little professional secrets.

But seeking approval is not a bad thing. Much as we would all like to be bad boys and bold girls, civilisation as we know it could not handle it.

Imagine if nobody followed the law, nobody cared about the social conventions and noone gave a damn about appearing nice, ...well, we would be worse than animals. And we would perish.


Now, I don't give a damn if you like my blog post or not since I only write for myself but...;-)

Wrong or More Wrong?

You decide!

Avengers: Age Of Ultron - Movie Review - Awesomeness Exemplified

In all honesty, it would be unfair to call this a review. It should be called a rave. And here I feel the need to put the disclaimer, I have not been paid any money by Joss Whedon or Marvel for this review, I have not been sent or offered any inducements and all the four times that I have watched this movie I have done so with my own money.

Having said that, I did absolutely love the movie! Not surprising considering I have been a hard core fan of Joss Whedon ever since I watched "Serenity" follow by "Firefly". You can read how that happened in this post: http://sunilgoswami.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/firefly-i-joined-cult.html

I was in India when Avengers 2 was released. I watched the trailer and was immediately convinced that it was not a movie to miss. I should clarify here that my main purpose in watching movies is entertainment. Any messages or learning has to be incidental. And Avengers promised to be super entertaining.

(trailer)

With great expectations I booked the second most expensive movie tickets in Delhi with my kids. (And to this day I regret not booking the most expensive ones. If any movie was ever worth it, it's this one.) Usually, I am not a big believer in 3D. It was good for the first few movies that came out as a novelty feature but after that I feel that it's become more of a gimmick, a buzzword to lure the audience and (in some cases) hide the poor storyline.

However, I am not one of those who sleep with their back to the future. I do know that it can be a powerful aid to storytelling if used right. That's the trick, if it's used right by the director, it's an amazing aid to storytelling, if it's used just to add a buzzword to the movie, it's arduous and boring. If I am peering through glasses for hours just to watch a movie you need to make it worth my while.

I would like to give two examples here. Final Destination 5 (2011), 3D is used as a gimmick, throwing things at the audience and such similar stunts. I walked out of that movie a little before halfway through. Three Musketeers (2011) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1509767/) the director has used the 3D technology that lends itself to the storytelling. I was spellbound till the very end. Watch them both if you haven't and see if I am wrong.

So, giving Marvel and Joss Whedon the benefit of the doubt I booked the 3D show, on the day that it was released. And I was right. The 3D aspect of the movie has been planned as carefully as the rest of the movie. The screen is used as a stage for the action and it feels all real that way but there's no gimmicky action and no stupid things being thrown at the audience.

Now about the movie itself. If you loved "Avengers" you are going to absolutely love "Avengers: Age of Ultron". In my personal opinion it's even better than the first. And here's why I think so.

There are more awesome characters in it, but all the characters have been giving enough screen time to do justice with them. Because the movie is part of the Marvel series you know the characters well by now and you know what they are all about. And they are all true to themselves in this movie which makes the audience identify well with them. Also we already know the actors playing those characters and it makes it easier for us to like them.

The story is complete in itself but also fits well as part of the large story arc that has been going on including Avengers 1, the 3 Iron Man movies, the 2 Captain American movies, Marvel's Hulk movie, the 2 Thor movies (did I forget any?) and the comic books.

You don't need to know anything just to enjoy this movie, but the more you know Marvel's characters and the back stories the more you enjoy the film.

The dialogue is so amazingly witty and lively that you would remember it and it would haunt you. I have watched this movie 4 times by now and every time I have been impressed by the dialogue. This is especially true as I get more of the dialogue with each subsequent viewing. For example some of the lines that get lost because they are delivered under the breath or are absorbed in fade out's you get them in the second, third, fourth time of watching. And they are witty and amusing!

In the dialogue and in the rest of film, references to the characters and stories are carefully preserved and utilized.

As a director myself, (granted that I director miniscule things compared to Hollywood), I do pay attention to and notice the things a director has to plan with his DoP and 1st AD. And I loved to see that each and every shot in the movie was planned and directed to add value to the storyline. I can't talk about those shots without spoilers so I would leave it at at that.

There is real depth in the movie. I am talking about the depth in terms of human drama, well-defined  characters and richness of the landscape, locales, building and gadgets..and pretty much everything that's part of the movie. I recently bought the Avengers 2 artbook and it's mind-blowing to see how detailed is the planning for each part of the film.

I make films myself (short, low-budget, not like Marvel) and I can hazard a guess as to how much effort and work goes into something this huge. I was wrong! The planning and pre-production work is beyond my imagination! Actually, it's more than was needed, to be honest. I mean I was curious about things like what kind of features does Hawkeye have in his bow? What powers and features does the current Iron Man suit have?

Looking at the artbook I can see they plan things in much more detail than even my curiosity. And that makes the movies so much more interesting than just something that was based on a Hollywood formula.

I didn't do this review for over a month because I didn't see any value in a review that only raves about a movie. I mean, it's Avengers you should know it'd be an awesome movie and go watch it. You don't need me to say it! Ultimately I decided to write it simply becaues *I* wanted to talk about the movie. In order to make it a balanced review, I should point out some of the weak points of the movie as well.

Sorry, don't have any. I went into it as a fan of Joss Whedon and came out as a super-fan of Joss Whedon.

Since watching Avengers 2 the first time, I have re-watched Captain America 1, Thor 1, Avengers 1 twice and of course Avengers 2  three more times and I can say with confidence that they are all immensely re-watchable.

Conclusion: If you haven't watched "Avengers:Age of Ultron" yet, you should and watch it in 3D if you can.
I myself plan to buy the blu-ray when it comes out. Actually, I have already pre-ordered the Blu ray 3D version and I don't even have a 3D TV. Don't worry, I am not crazy, the pack also contains a normal Blu-ray of the movie.

Big Bang Theory - S04E06 - Logic Hole

Nerd alert - this is like splitting hairs but it's a logic question and I am going to ask it.

It's an old episode so I won't say spoiler alert.

In this episode Leonard sleeps with Raj's sister Priya and tries to keep it a secret. The truth comes out when the four friends are having lunch at the university the next day and Raj asks, "So what did you think of the new episode of Caprica last night?" To which Leonard admits that he didn't see it.

The implication here is that Leonard didn't see the episode because he was engaged in coitus with Priya at the time...BUT....in the previous scene when Priya comes to Leonard she says that Raj had finally gone to bed before her sneaking out.

So...when did Raj see the episode? If he saw it BEFORE going to bed then Leonard could have seen it as well at the time because Priya wasn't with him (Leonard) yet. If Raj got up AFTER Priya had gone to meet Leonard then he would have noticed that his sister was missing.

Thoughts?