Desi Brangelinas

Amit Varma's worst fears are coming true.

With the advent of Abhiwarya, the mouth waters at other possibilities (for existing as well as fictitious couples). Here are a few :

Surya and Jyothika - Soothika (non-Tamil speakers, please excuse)

Asin and Vikram - Ashram

Vijay and Trisha - Visha

Anil and Tina Ambani - Antenna

Dhoni and Katrina Kaif - Dhoka

Cyrus Broacha and Celina Jaitley - Cycley

I.M.Vijayan and U.R.Ananthamurthy -V.R.Gay

Sushmita Sen and Cybill Sheppard - Sensible

Okay, I'm all out. Any more suggestions?

Late Additions :

Scarlet Johansson and Batman - Scatman

J-LO and TR - LOTR

Madhu Sapre and Dimple Kapadia - Sapadriya? (Another for the Tam-only crowd)

V.R.V.Singh and Ronnie Screwvala - V.R.Screwing

Unintentional humour chronicles - part 1.

We're recruiting people for our new animation and game design studio, and my colleague Tariq and I were looking in disbelief at a resume :

"One of my greatest strengths is looking through the brief and seeing the complete picture."

Sometimes, I think we should stop creating content and just syndicate and publish excerpts from resumes that we get. We'd be rich.

More fine examples :

A signboard that says, in splendid grandeur " For all occasions, use COCK." I have also seen variants for the same brand, such as "Celebrate happy festivals with COCK.", and "Buy the best COCK." Eh? Oh - fireworks. COCK brand fireworks.

A lovely (but since removed) hand painted sign outside a barber shop that says, simply 'STEP CUTTING. BOOB CUTTING.'

One of my personal favourites is a retail poster for a fashion brand called MUFTI. It features a male model striking a fashionably intense pose, with the inexplicable but brilliant slogan : "ANTI AIDS MESSAGE # 1 - APNA HAATH JAGANNATH!"

I'll try and put up some pictures as and when i find them.

But now, to the point. This is actually a call for contributions. Any of you with camera phones, be sure to click the next such example you come across and send it to me. I'll publish those I find entertaining, along with a link black to your blog, or site, if you have one.

The Wii is important

I now write articles on gaming at desicritics.org.

Here's one on why I think Nintendo should have a greater presence in emerging markets like India. An excerpt :

This is why I believe that Nintendo's products are best suited for getting a whole new segment of people into gaming. Markets like India are chock-full of people who've never played games before. Products like Gears of War aren't going to convert too many of them into gamers. Fancy explosions and realistic physics will get their attention, but won't hold their attention long enough to convert them.

Read the full article here.

Two handhelds in one day

by Anand Ramachandran



What a day!



I bought a PSP. My friend S.U.Saravanakumar (yeah, the bosey guy) bought a DS. An opportunity for day long handheld gaming, and of course, for the diligent reviewer to conduct a comparison.







First, the DS. Along with the Wii, I think the DS firmly establishes Nintendo as the custodians of all that is sublime about gaming. They continue to innovate, they continue to fly in the face of convention, they continue to astound. More power to them.



The touch screen, stylus thing is cool to a fault. Already, games are beginning to make use of the input system in interesting ways ( Trauma Center, WarioWare Touched, Nintendogs). I played Mario Kart : Double Dash, which was most enjoyable, though not madly innovative. It's a great design - so I guess Nintendo knows how not to mess with a winning formula. Fair enough.



I also think the DS wins out in the looks department. Sara's black unit looks so sexy, he's already fending off advances from crazed women, so he can focus on Advance Wars : Dual Strike. Wildlife photographers are weird like that.



And the PSP?



One word . . th . . th . . the SCREEN! Ohmigawddd. It's enough to make the most cynical of gamers do a double take. It's the most brilliant, breathtaking thing I've seen in gaming. Never mind all that next-gen nonsense - the future is already here, and it's in the palm of my hand.





Ridge Racer and Burnout Legends are reasons why I haven't updated the blog in ages. Hi-Octane, blissful gaming experiences both. FIFA 06 looks good, but it's only FIFA. The gameplay remains retarded in comparison to PES. I can't wait. Damn, that screen!



The unit feels nice and solid - takes a little adjustment but soon the grip feels entirely natural. I know I said that the DS is sexier, but this is no slouch in the appeal department. Oh - and did I mention the screen?



And the sheer power of the PSP opens up immense possibilities - I can't wait to see what developers are going to do with this thing. Hell, I'll even be happy with PS2 ports. Shadow of the Colossus, anyone?



Which one should you get? Tough, if you aren't a fanboy. (If you are, you already know)



If you're more of a straightforward, racer-shooter-sports type gamer, it's the PSP. Also if graphics are your thing.



If you're looking for a more innovative, quirky product - then get the DS. It's also a lot cheaper.



Tough, but. I don't see how anyone who truly loves games can be without purchasing both consoles, and quitting their day jobs.

The Wii is important

I now write articles on gaming at desicritics.org.

Here's one on why I think Nintendo should have a greater presence in emerging markets like India. An excerpt :

This is why I believe that Nintendo's products are best suited for getting a whole new segment of people into gaming. Markets like India are chock-full of people who've never played games before. Products like Gears of War aren't going to convert too many of them into gamers. Fancy explosions and realistic physics will get their attention, but won't hold their attention long enough to convert them.

Read the full article here.

World Rock, Paper, Scissors Championships! No, really!

I don't know why I bother to write Son of Bosey, when there are real-world happenings that are this funny!

A report in today's Hindu led me to try and dig up more information on the old schoolyard favourite 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' - with delightful results. There's a whole bunch of people who are either masters of satire, or are dead serious about the 'sport'. I'm not smart enough to figure out which.

This is the video promo for this years World Championships, which was held yesterday, and carried a winner's purse of $10,000/-.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/7I9gHVlXnm0]

According to the official World Rock Paper Scissors Society web site, here's what 'Advanced RPS' is all about :

RPS is gaming at its most basic, its most fundamental. Take anything away, and it ceases to be a game at all. Every other game, at some level, contains RPS. Like chess or fencing, the rules are simple, but the game itself is as complex as the mind of your opponent.

Playing RPS probably won’t make you rich and famous. Chances are good you won’t win an Olympic gold medal. And it’s not likely to improve your physique, maximize your sex appeal, jump-start your career or expand your memory. Many players have found, however, that studying RPS gives them a greater understanding of how gaming relates to human behavior. In that sense, RPS can help you find success in other areas, but only if you have the determination to work hard and think hard – not just in RPS, but in every area of your life.

More general hilarity at The world RPS Society, and, as always, at Wikipedia.

Vijay Saar helps in diabetes control!

You never know what your favourite tamil actors are capable of!

Herbal cure for diabetes

Surya Herbal Limited which claims to be the first Ayurvedic ISO 9001 certified company, has launched X-Diaba, a herbomineral approach for arresting, stopping and curing diabetes. A chronic metabolic disorder, diabetes is characterised by an increase in sugar levels in the body.

X-Diaba is a combination of some of the best anti-diabetic herbs and minerals. The capsules contain Basant Kusumakar Ras (with gold and pearl) which provides strength to the brain, heart and the kidneys. It also contains Vijay Saar, which is known to regenerate activity of the pancreas. Other herbs are Gurmar, Karela and neem extracts. A pack of 20 capsules is available for Rs 200. Surya Herbal Limited has a manufacturing unit in Noida. The automation of the entire process meets the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) spelt out in World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

Originally from here. Scroll down to see it.

Three cheers for Vijay Saar - celluloid star by day, herbal cure by night!

You may have heard of Rajnikanth. You may have heard of Kamal Haasan. But have you . . .

Heard of Kamalkanth?

I've just learned that Sarath Kumar, much before taking his first steps to fame by battling Gap-Tian in Pulan Visaaranai, used to knock at the doors of producers, asking for roles. All under the carefully constructed moniker of 'Kamalkanth'.



This HAS to be the best idea ever. Surely, the film studios would fall over each other for the chance to work with a judicious combination of the best of Tamil cinema's most bankable stars - in one convenient package. The charisma of Rajni. The talent of Kamal. Who could resist?

Disbelievers, check with Dinakaran.

Whore Presents Expert Sex Change.

Now that I have your attention, check this out. The worst domain names ever. Tummy-achingly hilarious.

Meet the IODC and the BCODCI (or) Will somebody please punch Malcolm Speed.

Wonderful, just wonderful.

The amazing Malcolm Speed, in his most recent bleatings against the BCCI, says that Indian cricket is in bad shape since we “haven't won a significant cricket event since 1983”.

In response, Ratnakar Shetty, in all his wisdom, points out to Mr.Speed that “we won the World Championship of Cricket in 1985, and were in the World Cup finals as recently as 2003.”

I see.

What about the test series victories in Pakistan and the West Indies? What about the levelled test series in Australia and England? What about that unforgettable Laxman-Plaha inspired home win against Steve Waugh's Aussies?

WHAT ABOUT TEST MATCH CRICKET, YOU IGNORANT, GREEDY CRETINS?

This clearly shows where the priorities of the suits who run cricket lie. God save our game.

P.S. - Technically, we won the Champions Trophy in 2002. Which means South Africa and New Zealand haven't won squat for even longer than India. The mind boggles at how inefficient and unprofessional the ICC and BCCI can be, even when just bickering.