RANDOM REVIEW:'UP IN THE AIR'

A GOLDEN GLOBE?...SIX ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS?.....A FOUR STAR REVIEW FROM NONE OTHER THAN ROGER EBERT? GIVE ME A FREAKIN BREAK!!!

This movie is flying so high up in the air(forgive the pun) that i consider it my moral and aesthetic obligation to 'ground it'.Don't let the hype and marketing fool you,this movie,about a corporate downsizer and his adventures is nothing but a romantic comedy.And what is a romantic comedy? Well,its a film where a Hollywood star overcomes certain obstacles to finally unite with 'the one'.Obstacles may differ,characters may vary but the plot invariably remains the same.But nay....we have here,a twist in the end.It seems as though the filmmakers set out on making a Rom com but then thought to themselves,'Hey,we can go places with this one!'

A reviewer suggested that this movie works like 'a meditation on existentialism' as the protagonist realizes the pointlessness of life and decides to enjoy it,albeit selfishly,anyway.Well if that is the case i think that 'National Lampoon's Animal house' should be seen as a 'Treatise on existentialism' but there the characters didn't have a reason or justification for their behaviour. But here,we have a solution to the perils of this philosophy....'Family and friends!'What is this?....a Christmas movie?

One appalling fact of the movie is the shameless way in which the makers have 'borrowed' certain key elements from other sources.Just to name a few,the images of Clooney at the airport,the suitcase anecdote, even the poster are direct thematic lifts from the c.d. jacket of the U2 album 'All that you can't leave behind'.What about the tag line,'The story of a man ready to make connection'? Is it a coincidence that the tag line of the similarly themed but infinitely better 'Lost in translation' was 'Everybody wants to make a connection'?Of course that one had the great Bill murray in it,this one has George clooney.

Another pitfall of the movie is the director's inherent need to impress.An illness which his previous effort,the equally shallow 'Juno' suffered from.If you watch that you'll notice that the movie can be termed as one long B(D)rag.Hey,look at me,i'm a pregnant teen,i speak in witty quips,my family curses at the dinner table,i listen to Sonic youth and watch movies by Dario Argento and Hershel gordon lewis.Over here we have Clooney raving about the intricacies of his job,his gold card,gives us tips on flying...all very informative and somewhat incidental to the plot but are they really necessary?

Both films hover over the real issue without so much as take a taste,and thus cannot be taken seriously.And letting the camera linger on a sobbing employee who's just been fired adds nothing but schmaltz to the end product.

I thought of giving him a chance,of overlooking his deliberately quirky and pretentious movies and give him a chance.Never again..Mr.Clooney...never again.

The kingdom of God is within you

Leo Tolstoy

excerpts from the book

....Men who are used to the existing order of things,who like it and dread its being changed,try to take the doctrine as a collection of revelations and rules which one can accept without their modifying one's life.Whilst Christ's teaching is not only a doctrine which a man must follow,it unfolds a new meaning in life,and defines a whole world of human activity quite different from all that has proceeded it and appropriate to the period on which man is entering....'

....stagnation is death.

.....We think today that the requirements of christian doctrine-of universal brotherhood,suppression of national distinctions,abolition of private property,and the strange injunction of non-resistance to evil by force-demand what is impossible.But it was just the same thousands of years ago,with every social or even family duty,such as the duty of parents to support their children.of the young to maintain the old,of fidelity in marriage.Still more strange and even unreasonable,seemed the state duties of submitting to the appointed authority,paying taxes,and fighting in defence of the country and so on.All such requirements seem simple,comprehensible,and natural,to us today and we see nothing mysterious or alarming in them.But three or five hundred years ago they seemed to require what was impossible.'

'The slavery of antiquity'

'Outlived the age of Christian mysticism'

'The mistaken notion of scientific men that the essence of Christianity consists in the supernatural,and that its moral teaching is impracticable,constitutes another reason of failure of men of the present day to understand Christianity.'

'The ideal is not to desire to do do ill to anyone,not to provoke ill-will,to love all men.The precept,showing the level below which we cannot fall in the attainment of this ideal,is the prohibition of evil-speaking.and this is the first command.The ideal is chastity even in thought..of purity in marriage,avoidance of debauchery.The ideal is to have no thought about the future,to live in the present moment.'

'Christ taught men not angels'

A brief critique

by A brother

The works of Tolstoy have always captivated me though that would seem very strange for a devout Catholic to say.I feel as long as Christianity exists,Tolstoy will be relevant because his books always puts on display a side of us that's 'uncomfortable' and 'latent' but nevertheless 'true'.And this less trodden path of self introspection and justice has to be pursued on a daily basis by every christian because it is only the road to Calvary that leads to liberation.As Tolstoy so eloquently puts it 'stagnation is death'

My one and only complaint is,and has always been that for all the intellectual and academic brilliance that the man exhibits in his works,he always employs an almost puerile argumentative technique especially when it comes to the Church.With a brief stroke of the pen the contributions of the Catholic Church in the past 2000 years are stricken off,the Francis Assiss of the world,the Father Damiens,the Mother Teresas,the hundreds and thousands of priests and Nuns who have always stood for the downtrodden and neglected albeit in secret are told,'Well,you just missed the boat!'.And what about the myriad 'ignorant' religious laity who lived such blessed and fulfilling lives around 'their' church?Well,they might well be burning in hell!(which incidentally does not exist).All this is done in a language and tone that is laced with so much contempt and malice that his writings on love and forgiveness sometimes become a parody of himself.

When Tolstoy rejects the divine truths of The Trinity,the resurrection,the motherhood of The Blessed Virgin,the necessity of God's grace etc. by sighting sacred scripture,he does exactly what every crafty,two bit pseudo evangelist has been doing for years,that of quoting the favourable and leaving the unfavourable unsaid.

However,if you can get past the 'Catholic bashing',you should certainly give Tolstoy a place in your Christian library.I genuinely feel that a book by Tolstoy can do more good than ten Christian books written in the heights of some fleeting religious fervour.

Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona; July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010)

A STATE OF ROCK

IF YOU AIN'T PRO LIFE

YOU'RE PRO DEATH.

THINGS I LEARNED FROM MALAYALAM CINEMA!!!!

1.YOU DON'T WORK FOR A BOSS WHO OWNS A PET CROCODILE.

2.YOU CAN'T START A TRAVEL AGENCY NAMED "GAFOOR TRAVELS" AND THEN EXPECT BUSINESS TO 'FLOURISH'.

3.ADOPTED CHILDREN INVARIABLY 'TURN' ON YOU,THIS IS PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY COME FROM ORPHANAGES WHICH ARE ALWAYS UNDERFUNDED AND DEPRIVED.

4.ILLICIT SEX ALWAYS LEADS TO MURDER.

5.YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE GUY WHO KNOWS HOW TO WALK IN 'SLOW MOTION'.

6.YOU DON'T CALL THE COPS FOR HELP,UNLESS THE OFFICER IN CHARGE REPEATEDLY USES THE WORD 'SHIT' FOR NO APPARENT REASON.

7.THE PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGES ARE NAIVE AND INNOCENT WHILE CITY DWELLERS ARE INSENSITIVE IMMORAL PIGS.

8.THE INDIAN LEGAL SYSTEM IS THE MOST EFFICIENT JUDICIAL BODY IN THE WORLD, WITH QUICKFIRE DISPOSAL OF CASES PRESIDED OVER BY INFINITELY PATIENT JUDGES WHO ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO ALLOW LAWYERS DELIVER DIGRESSIVE AND NEVER ENDING MELODRAMATIC SPEECHES.

9.IMPOSTORS ALWAYS FIND THEMSELVES IN COMEDIC SITUATIONS AND ARE ACTUALLY 'GOOD' PEOPLE WITH THE 'BEST' OF INTENTIONS.

10.'FOREIGNERS' ARE NOT ACTUALLY PEOPLE.THEY ARE A BUNCH OF SEXUALLY PROMISCUOUS,MORALLY DECADENT GROUP OF FREAKS WHO ARE PUT AMONGST US TO BE RIDICULED AND SET STRAIGHT BY US ENLIGHTENED ONES.

11.A THUNDERSTORM,A RAGING SEA IS ALWAYS INDICATIVE OF THE MENTAL TURMOIL AND ANGUISH THAT IS BEING ENDURED BY 'AN' INDIVIDUAL.

13.AN AUTOMOBILE COMES TO A HALT ONLY AFTER IT IS PRECEDED BY A SCREECHING NOISE.

14.ONLY WOMEN CAN BE FOUND GUILTY OF INFIDELITY.

15.'CHILDREN WRONG -PARENTS RIGHT' AND IN SOME CASES 'PARENTS RIGHT-CHILDREN WRONG.'

GOODNESS GRACIOUS

IN THE MANSION WHERE WE ALL HOPE FOR ROOM TO FIND,
THE POOR WIDOW WILL ALWAYS HAVE HER SHARE.
FOR WHEN WE GAVE SO LITTLE AND LEFT SO MUCH BEHIND,
SHE GAVE EVERYTHING AND NOT JUST WHAT SHE COULD SPARE.

THE MORE WE GIVE IN THE NAME OF CHARITY,
WILL ONE DAY PROVE TO BE FAR TOO LESS.
THEY WERE LIKE OFFERINGS MADE BY THE CRAFTY PHARISEE.
WHOSE EFFORTS WERE MADE BUT ONLY TO IMPRESS.

'She's My Rushmore,Max'

IN THE NAME OF GRACE

I DO NOT SING IN PRAISE OF THOSE GREAT WARRIORS OF OLD,

WHO FOUGHT BRAVE BATTLES ON BLOODY BATTLEFIELDS.

FOR SOME WERE FOUGHT FOR WOMEN AND SOME FOR PRECIOUS GOLD,

AND SOME FOR TOWERING EGO TO WHICH NO ONE EVER YIELDS.

I DO NOT TEACH OF LIFE AND DEATH,

OF LESSONS OF EXPERIENCE THAT ALL SHOULD LEARN.

FOR THEY ARE CAPRICIOUS MASTERS AND DISLOYAL SERVANTS

AND HENCE ARE NEVER OF MY CONCERN.

I DO NOT WEEP FOR THE LOVER WHO CAME AND WENT

NOR FOR THE FRIEND WHICH TIME AND CHANCE ONCE BROUGHT.

FOR ALL MY SINS THIS I DO HEREBY CONFESS,

THAT I TRULY DID NOT LOVE THEM AND THEY TRULY LOVED ME NOT.

I DO NOT QUOTE MEN OF GREAT UNDERSTANDING,

THEIR WORDS OF WISDOM I NEVER DO BORROW.

FOR I AM MYSELF NEITHER THIS NOR THAT

AND THEY MAY WELL BE PROVED WRONG TOMORROW.

AND SO IF NOTES ARE PLAYED IN MELODIOUS TUNE,

AND WORDS ARE PUT IN RHYMES OF UNBROKEN CHAIN.

IF CHARACTERS ARE CREATED AND STORIES TOLD,

AND COLOURS COME ALIVE ON THE CANVASS PLANE.

THEN IT IS FOR HER,

IT IS FOR HER THAT THESE LABOURS OF EXPRESSION

THESE SHRINES OF GRATITUDE HAVE BEEN ERECTED.

IT IS OF THE BEST THAT THESE FRAIL HANDS CAN OFFER

THOUGH FROM ME NOTHING IS EXPECTED.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF FORMER PRO WRESTLER CHRIS BENOIT.IT WAS TAKEN BY A FAN JUST HOURS BEFORE HE WENT ON A MURDEROUS RAMPAGE KILLING HIS WIFE NANCY AND 7 YEAR OLD SON DANIEL.HE LATER PROCEEDED TO HANG HIMSELF THE NEXT DAY.INVESTIGATORS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE REPEATED CONCUSSIONS HE SUSTAINED DURING HIS CAREER DAMAGED HIS BRAIN TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE WENT OVER THE EDGE.

MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON HIS SOUL.

I WISH I WAS BORN IN AMERICA SO I COULD MAKE OUT WITH GIRLS HALF MY AGE.I WISH I WAS BORN IN THE U.K SO I COULD LOOK DOWN ON THE 'UNCIVILIZED ASIAN'.I WISH I WAS BORN AN AUSTRALIAN SO I COULD 'PRACTICE MULTICULTURALISM' BY BEATING UP EVERY MULTI COLORED FOREIGNER THAT COMES MY WAY.BUT ALAS....I AM AN INDIAN.DOESN'T THAT JUST SUCK?

WHEN YOU KILL A MAN YOU ARE A MURDERER,
KILL MANY AND YOU ARE A CONQUEROR
KILL 'EM ALL AND YOU ARE....GEORGE W. BUSH.

RANDOM REVIEW:MEGADETH 'ENDGAME '
Now let's be realistic.
This is a band that's about two decades old,been through a dozen line up changes,faced a creative dead end(RISK) and was even dissolved for a short while,any band that puts a record after that is clearly being....how shall i put it?...... optimistic? but then again when your name is 'Dave mustaine' and you 'are' the band the strangest of things can happen.
"Endgame" is a throwback at the old days when it was thrash and not the cash that mattered,but its not even close to their best work as some reviewers may have you believe,its just that no one expected Mustaine to have any fight left in him.And no i wont waste your time by talking about Heitfield and co. because talking about Death magnetic in an 'endgame' review would be giving the former too much credit,besides i think the 'dumped from Metallica' card is overplayed by the media,sometimes even by Mustaine himself. Now the songs
The album kicks off with a 2 and a half minute instrumental named Dialectic chaos which is utter chaos in total control,both Mustaine and new guy Chris broderick exchange solos like they were born to play with each other,its guitar duelling at its best,hard to believe that it doesn't even cross the 3 minute mark as it seems to go on forever,the only problem i have with the song is that the opening riff sounds too much like the start of Wolfmother's 'Joker and the thief'(maybe its just me!) Next comes This day we fight! a sonic assault of Rust in peace proportions! there's so much happening on this track that you almost can't keep up.The snarling vocals complement the theme perfectly but the melody or lack of it shows when your just spitting out the malevolent lyrics and that keeps it from being a true classic.44 minutes,a song about a doomed bank heist comes next,the song could have been so much more had it not been for the trite lyrics and awful vocals.Just when you think you know where the album is headed comes 1320,a song about drag racing and it works on every level,you end up crossing the finish line triumphant and wiping the sweat of your brow.What follows is 'Bite the hand' a tame but altogether satisfying track.Next on is 'Bodies left behind' a song that has a chorus ripped off from 'Disconnect' of the 'The world needs a hero' album,Mustaine tries to make up for this by delivering a frustratingly short but sublime outro.The title track comes on next and i think this song really reflects the general attitude of the album in that they don't try to make it easily accessible,on the contrary they make it complex and musically layered demanding your respect and definitely another listen.In fact its ominous opening and chugga chugga rhythm structure reminded me of something straight out of the pre C.T.E. era.The twisted ballad called The hardest part of letting go...sealed with a kiss is nothing major but definitely no filler.I think it was put in to enhance the 'head crushing' effect of the next track which was the lead single of the album,though it sounds like a second rate 'sleepwalker' i can envision metal heads banging their heads to the chorus.'How the story ends' is another strong effort with an infectious chorus and Lord of the rings inspired lyrics.The story actually ends with 'The right to go insane' which sounds forced and uninspired at best.
In conclusion,when one stands atop mountains like RIP and Peace sells,Endgame might seem insignificant and passable but this album proves that Megadeth is still a relevant band unlike Metallica.Its not just a few great songs that make a great band,its longevity too and in that respect Megadeth has won it fair and square.

LISTEN TO THIS BEFORE YOU DIE!

1.AVE MARIA(FRANZ SHUBERT)
2.HALLOWED BE THY NAME(IRON MAIDEN)
3.I STILL CAN'T FIND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR(U2)
4.ONE(U2)
5.ONE(METALLICA)
6.BLITZKRIEG BOP(THE RAMONES)
7.SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND(PINK FLOYD)
8.LIGHT MY FIRE(THE DOORS)
9.RAINING BLOOD(SLAYER)
10.BURN(DEEP PURPLE)
11.STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN(LED ZEPPLIN)
12.HOLY WARS...THE PUNISHMENT DUE(MEGADETH)
13.WAR PIGS(BLACK SABBATH)
13.GOD ONLY KNOWS(THE BEACH BOYS)
14.THUNDER ROAD(BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN)
15.LIKE A ROLLING STONE(BOB DYLAN)
16.HANGAR 18(MEGADETH)
17.TANGLED UP IN BLUE(BOB DYLAN)
18.MASTER OF PUPPETS(METALLICA)
19.BORN TO RUN(BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN)
20.BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY(QUEEN)
21.BAT OUT OF HELL(MEATLOAF)
22.ROMEO AND JULIET(DIRE STRAITS)
23.BEAT IT(MICHEAL JACKSON)
24,SULTANS OF SWING(DIRE STRAITS)
25.NOVEMBER RAIN(GUNS 'N' ROSES)
26.ACE OF SPADES(MOTORHEAD)
27.STARGAZER(RAINBOW)
28.AM I EVIL(DIAMOND HEAD)
29.BROWN EYED GIRL(VAN MORRISON)
30.ROOSTER(ALICE IN CHAINS)
31.REDEMPTION SONG(BOB MARLEY)
32.FADE TO BLACK(METALLICA)
33.WITH OR WITHOUT YOU(U2)
34.KILLED BY DEATH(MOTORHEAD)
35.THE TROOPER(IRON MAIDEN)
36.WATERLOO SUNSET(THE KINKS)
37.VICTIM OF CHANGES(JUDAS PRIEST)
38.N.I.B.(BLACK SABBATH)
39.BABA O' REILY(THE WHO)
40.DESOLATION ROW(BOB DYLAN)
41.HIGHWAY TO HELL(AC DC)
42.CAUGHT IN A MOSH(ANTHRAX)
43.REMEMBER TOMORROW(IRON MAIDEN)
44.THE CRYSTAL SHIP(THE DOORS)
45.DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP(AC DC)
46.BEYOND THE REALMS OF DEATH(JUDAS PRIEST)
47.BEAUTIFUL DAY(U2)
48.PRIDE(U2)
49.WALK THE LINE(JOHNNY CASH)
50.SOUTH OF HEAVEN(SLAYER)
51.FERNANDO(ABBA)
52.MELLISA(MERCIFUL FATE)
53.PEACE SELLS...BUT WHO'S BUYING?(MEGADETH)
54.HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE(BEEGEES)
55.HAMMER SMASHED FACE(CANNIBAL CORPSE)
56.LET'S GET IT ON(MARVIN GAYE)
57.BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER(SIMON AND GARFUNKEL)
58.HIGH HOPES(PINK FLOYD)
59.PATHOGENIC OCULAR DISSONANCE(TOURNIQUET)
60.IN A GAGA DA VIDA(IRON BUTTERFLY)
61.HURT(JOHNNY CASH)
62.BORN TO RUN(BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN)
63.GOLDEN HEART(MARK KNOPFLER)
64.SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT(ELTON JOHN)
65.BALLS TO THE WALL(ACCEPT)
66.DON'T STOP BELIEVING(JOURNEY)
67.BABY,I LOVE YOUR WAY(PETER FRAMPTON)
68.EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE(THE POLICE)
69.UNDER THE OAK(CANDLEMASS)
70.I GOT YOU BABE(SONNY AND CHER)
71.SPACE ODDITY(DAVID BOWIE)
72.BLACK DOG(LED ZEPPLIN)
73.CEMETARY GATES(PANTERA)
74.CORTEZ THE KILLER(NEIL YOUNG)
75.ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER(JIMI HENDRIX)
76.STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER(THE BEATLES)
77.LET IT BE(THE BEATLES)
78.READ MY MIND(THE KILLERS)
79.SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT(NIRVANA)
80..ZOMBIE RITUAL(DEATH)
81.RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE(MERCIFUL FATE)
82.WALK(PANTERA)
83.WHEN THE MAN COMES AROUND(JOHNNY CASH)
84.KEEPER OF THE SEVEN KEYS(HELLOWEEN)
85.THE END(THE DOORS)
86.THE KKK TOOK MY BABY AWAY(THE RAMONES)
87.HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN(THE ANIMALS)
88.THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN(THIN LIZZY)
89.OH PRETTY WOMAN(RAY ORBISON)
90.STILL LOVING YOU(THE SCORPIONS)
91.HELL BENT FOR LEATHER(JUDAS PRIEST)
92.TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART(BONNIE TYLER)
93.I'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER YOU(THE SEEKERS)
94.THE BOXER(SIMON AND GARFUNKEL)
95.LOSE YOURSELF(EMINEM)
96.THE SOUND OF SILENCE(SIMON AND GARFUNKEL)
97.WALK THIS WAY(RUN DMC FEAT AEROSMITH)
98.JUST LIKE HEAVEN(THE CURE)
00.LET THERE BE ROCK(AC DC)
100.MOTHER MARY(UFO)
...................OK,NOW YOU CAN DIE.

WELCOME TO AM'S NEW BLOG.
AM
CECIL JOY ABRAHAM.
CINISH P. ABRAHAM.
CYRIL ABRAHAM.
TONY THOMAS VARKEY.
JERRY MARYGRACE.

AVE MARIA

Ave maria,gratia plena,Dominus tecum.Benedicta tu in mulieribus,et benedictus fructus ventris tui,Iesus.Sancta Maria,Mater Dei,ora pro nobis peccatoribus,nunc,et in hora mortis nostrae.Amen