Putu the Cat

Baghdad Girl

2005-11-13T08:16:00.000+05:30

Putu purrs for this blog, glad of its continued existence. Encourages exploration immediately.

Cat Haiku

2005-09-30T02:04:00.000+05:30

The mighty hunter
Returns with gifts of plump birds --
your foot just squashed one.

More here.

Snakehead terror

2005-09-05T17:51:00.000+05:30

from this fabulous blog, which really deserves more attention. oh well, blogger buzz has found it so it's probably getting many many hits. still we like to do our part.

Ha!

2005-08-01T08:01:00.000+05:30

As a leading cat blogger, Putu is delighted to see this in the NYT

A few choice quotes:

On the Web you'll find the Infinite Cat Project but no Infinite Dog. My Cat Hates You is big on the Web, but there is no site named My Dog Hates You. (Dogs Hate Bush exists, but then so does Cats Hate Bush.) As any good Web hound can tell you, Rathergood.com is filled with crazy crooning cats. But where, oh where, are the singing dogs? (New Guinea singing dogs, a real breed, do not count.)

Cats are the Web's it-animals. They're everywhere. When you look up Devil Cats, you'll see comics about cat owners who love too much and the cats that cheat on them. Look up Devil Dogs, and you'll be offered apparel for the Marine Corps and information about Drake's cakes.

Why cats and not dogs?

Perhaps mycathatesyou.com will provide a clue. This site, founded in 2000, offers what it calls "the largest collection of sour-faced, indignant felines on the Internet." There you can see a squinty-eyed, snaggletoothed cat named Guapo, who appears ready to tear someone's head off. If you posted a picture of a dog as scary as that, no one would laugh. They would send for the dogcatcher.

Maybe the difference is that dogs are public, everyone's business. They go on subways and they go in parks. They are always caught in flagrante defecato. Cats stay home. They are private, nobody's business. To watch them in their homes is a privilege. They are perfect for the Web, the medium of voyeurs.

For example, go to the "Educational Videos" on zefrank.com, where you can catch the cat named Annie B., also called Mooshie, in 15 different scenarios, including one in which she re-enacts the shower scene in "Psycho." It's special. It's intimate. And another thing: she seems content with her small apartment. Cats are O.K. living in tight places and never going out. They don't mind if their owners spend every waking hour on the Internet.

Dogs would die if they had to wait for their owners to go off line. And who wants to post pictures of a dead animal? Serious bloggers, the kind who float to the top of Google regularly, just don't have time or space for dogs.

But can that be the whole story? There's a deeper answer to be had at infinitecat.com, where users post pictures of their cats gazing at pictures of other cats already posted on the Infinite Cat site. You see an infinite regress: pictures of cats looking at pictures of cats looking at pictures of cats.

Remind you of anything? Those cats are like so many bloggers sitting at home staring into their computer screens and watching other bloggers blog other bloggers. Cats, who live indoors and love to prowl, are the soul of the blogosphere. Dogs would never blog.

Man about dog

2005-08-01T07:58:00.000+05:30

Putu saw and loved this little Irish film. Its like Snatch, except with more fun, more sex and gypsies whose accents can be understood. Yes, its about dogs, but then we all know Putu is the soul of generosity

On love triangles and technology

2005-07-18T15:23:00.000+05:30

In the good old days, there were machines to help you signal your jealousy, especially when your man-of-steel made out with other women in front of you.

But then, sometimes you realised that your competition had far superior technology which she was using to cut you out of the game.

Undeterred, you could always turn to your trusty time-travel machine to set things the way they should be.

Ah, for the good old days.

Arsehole

2005-07-02T05:36:00.000+05:30

The Times classifies all comic book readers as misogynistic, frustrated, perverted geeks with body odour.

Putu says "Up yours"

These gentlemen also point out why the Times has no clue what its saying.

Evergreen Pinewood?

2005-07-02T05:24:00.000+05:30

Pinewood Studios of Britain approaches bankruptcy in spite of HHGG and Batman Begins. This puts many productions in jeopardy, including the Bond franchise, Tombraider 3 (Thank God!), and worst of all - Watchmen.

Putu hears that Paramount is moving Watchmen to an Austrian studio, following in the heels of Harry Potter. One hopes this is true.

Muhaha

2005-06-29T12:15:00.000+05:30

The Guardian on The Perfect Villain.

Iron Council

2005-06-15T07:54:00.000+05:30

Mieville's latest is pretty avoidable though. Very tough to get through. He's so unrelentingly dense and grim he makes Tolkien look like Wodehouse.

Scarred

2005-06-10T12:27:00.000+05:30

Putu just finished reading The Scar, China Mieville's third novel, and the second one in the Bas-Lag sequence. Brilliant, complex book full of brilliant complex characters...Uther Doul and deadman Brucolac have to be two of the finest anti-heroes Putu has read in fantasy for a while. But the book was, typical of Mieville, TOO complex. Gave Putu a headache, and Putu likes twisted plots.
Prufrock Two has included a Putu parody in his post on Indian bloggers reporting the moon landing. Putu purrs thanks.

Mememeow

2005-06-04T17:36:00.000+05:30

Putu has been booktagged by The Letterhead - thanks.

How many books does Putu own? Putu does not, in the human sense, own books. Cats have rights to all books and thus Putu owns millions of books, though Putu has refused to have anything to do with selfhelp books.

What is the last book Putu bought? Again, Putu does not 'buy' books in the human sense, though Putu often refers to the process of buying. By Putunomics, Putu has bought every book Putu has read - Putu has given time (a resource with immense value in Putu's case) in exchange for content. But

The last book Putu read was a Catwoman comic. And now the important part of this post,

Five Books that mean a lot to Putu
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Cheshire, baby. Think Cheshire
Old Possum's book of Practical Cats by TS Eliot: Putu's superhero alterego is called the Hidden Paw
The Hobbes and Calvin books: The name sequence they are more commonly known by is just a result of human prejucide - and human marketing
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss: A favourite from when Putu the Cat was Putu the Kitten
Sandman #18: A Dream of a Thousand Cats. Part of Dream Country, a work of great vision for a human. It speaks of the forgotten days when cats ruled the world, and humans were puny slaves. Which more than coincides with Putu's worldview, and is the future of this world if Putu has anything to do with it...

Putu is not tagging anyone, as the only thing it is possible for Putu to tag is Putu's tail.

House of Looking Daggers

2005-05-26T12:55:00.000+05:30

Putu is spitting fire. And brimstone. Putu's new DVD, which includes, among other films, Mr. Yimou's House of Flying Daggers, has no subtitles. Yes, fights look equally wonderful without subtitles. but Putu wants to know what the story is about.
Another day, then.
At least Sin City is in English. Will watch that, then.

Daak (the Post) on Chalachitra (the Movie)

2005-05-25T12:47:00.000+05:30

Putu was much amused by seeing what Jabberwock had to say about English transalations of Hindi movie titles.

This got Putu thinking about the recent trend of Hindi movie producers, of tacking on the English transalation of a Hindi title to the and of the title itself, like a reduntant subtitle. Some classic examples.

Ehsaas - the Feeling (2001)
Angaar - the Fire (2002)
Ghaav - the Wound (2002)
Shakti - the Power (2002)
Dhund - the Fog (2003)
Jaal - the Trap (2003)
Khanjar - the Knife (2003)
Mudda - the Issue (2003)
Sannata - the Silence (2003)
Hatya - the Murder (2004)
Insaaf - the Justice (2004)
Shart - the Challenge (2004)
Vajra - the Weapon (2004)

Then there were the slightly smarter ones who added a single adjective in the subtitle

Nayak - the Real Hero (2001)
Sur - the Melody of Life (2002)
Ansh - the Deadly Part (2002)
Talaash - the Hunt Begins (2003)
Dukaan - the Body Shop (2004)
Intequam - the Perfect Game (2004)
Garv - Pride and Honour (2004)
Wajahh - a Reason to Kill (2004)

...or a few more

Bazaar - Market of Love, Lust and Desire (2004)

In some cases, the explanatory word was in the same language

Encounter - the Killing (2002)
Bawaal - the Panga (2004)

And in some, the subtitle was completely at odds with the main title

Baaz - a Bird in Danger (2003) - (For the Hindi-challenged, a Baaz is a raptor and its prey is likelier to be in danger)
Tarzan - the Wonder Car (2004)

But the all time classic has to be

Daag - the Fire (1999)

And it doesn't end - wait for "Mazhab - the Religion" in the Nazdeeq Bhavishya - the Near Future.

More lists

2005-05-18T05:50:00.000+05:30

Putu will also do a little write up on the 10 greatest comic book authors, one at a time. Here is Putu's list, in order.

10. Joss Whedon
9. Warren Ellis
8. Brian Bendis
7. Mark Millar
6. Grant Morrison
5. Bill Willigham
4. Frank Miller
3. Brian K. Vaughn
2. Neil Gaiman
1. Alan Moore

Awards

2005-05-18T05:30:00.000+05:30

Its award time in comicdom, so Putu decides to institute a whole new set of them. So (drumroll), here are Putu's choices.

Enid Blyton award for best school comic - New X-Men: Academy X (De Filippis, Weir)

Louisa May Alcott award for best all-women comic - Birds of Prey (Simone)

P. G. Wodehouse award for best humourous comic - I can't believe its not the Justice League (De Matteis, Giffen)

Michael Moore award for best political comic - The Ultimates (Ellis)

Picasso award for best illlustrated comic - Phoenix:Endsong (Land)

Mani Ratnam award for most overhyped comic - Countdown to Infinite Crisis (Rucka, Johns)

On Bullshit

2005-05-14T09:21:00.000+05:30

Go read.

Ramu G versus everyone else

2005-05-14T05:57:00.000+05:30

Ramachandra Guha is in a particularly angry mood. First, he was irritated at JNU students and JNU professors for the hypocrisy of their politics. Recounting his experience at arguably India's premier post graduate institution he says:

"I then asked who the previous speaker was. They named a Marxist economist. And what did she speak on, I enquired. On how multinational outfits such as this one should not be allowed to contaminate the purity of the JNU campus.

I reeled back in shock. The surprise was occasioned in part by the triviality of the topic chosen by my predecessor. I was speaking on “The Contribution of the Congress Party to the Nurturing and Degrading of India’s Democracy”, and I had thought that those who had come before me had spoken on similarly grave — not to say boring — subjects. But the surprise was also caused by the topic being so much at odds with the speaker’s own biography. “Why does your professor oppose this Nescafé outlet?” I asked. “Because she feels we should encourage indigenous initiatives,” they answered. “Do you know where her own doctoral degree is from?” I asked. They didn’t know, so I supplied the answer — the University of Cambridge. “When you next meet your professor,” I said sarcastically, “ask her one question on my behalf — when she travels by plane to international meetings, does she carry a south Indian filter and Coorg coffee powder with her, or does she quietly drink the beverage offered her on the flight?”"

The JNU lot were quick to respond on their blog no less- " It is very clear from his article that his knowledge about the campaign is based solely on some conversation he had with his “wholly non-political” friends. Well, it is a shame that someone like Mr. Guha who claims to be a ‘historian’ depends solely on a conversation to write his thesis, especially in a public newspaper, thus misinforming the larger public. When an ‘academic’ like him writes for a public, it is not enough that he knows how to write good English but he also needs to convey reliable information. May be he should come back to the University and once again get familiar with his ‘academic’ skills.

And now Ramu G has hit out at the Great Man himself- Edward Said. In a recent editorial for the Calcutta Telegraph he writes that Said was a good scholar, not a great one. "It is always hard to anticipate the verdict of posterity. Still, it seems clear that Edward Said was fortunate in working where and when he did, in being a powerful professor in the American academy when that academy was becoming more multicultural and multinational than ever before. I think that time will show that his reputation at its peak was probably undeserved. Said was a very fine scholar, but not a great one. Orientalism was a useful polemic, not an enduring work of scholarship. And postcolonial theory is an intellectual dead-end. "

As evidence he suggests that Said's work in Orientalism could lead to a form of Occidentalism, a critique that he says is 'little-known'- rather surprising, given that this is the chief critique of his work. He also then argues that Said's work has been open to misinterpretation by those who followed him, and that he was lucky to have been part of academia. How either detracts from Said's work, or his main thesis, or in fact his excellent analyses of the Middle East, Guha does not elaborate.

Last time it was Willy D, then it was the JNU jholawallahs...but this time Ramu G may have bitten off just a bit more than he can chew.

Bengalis think Mao is a cat

2005-05-03T08:15:00.000+05:30

Putu hasn't had much time to do the book round up thingie. But the spring thaw has arrived, it's time to emerge from under that blanket (thanks to You Know Who for sending it over) and tell you about what I've been reading through the winter. Well, when the cold really set in, I couldn't look any further than what you snobs call 'chick-lit' and what we, hoi-polloi that we are, prefer to call, 'candy fluff'. But the Guardian upbraids us all and suggests that in fact I may even have been engaged in serious literary pursuits under that blanket. Putu's also managed to find time to read Orhan Pamuk and Nick Hornby's latest offerings. Judgement shall be offered in a later post. Enough to say for the moment that Putu likie one, and not likie the other. In order for Putu to have an inspiring 2005, Putu read some of those 'pick me up' biographies. The one of Paul Farmer just left Putu feeling slightly desperate and not very cheered at all. But then Putu turned to some medical fiction and was appalled by the rubbish that is My Sister's Keeper. Really, what passes for best-selling fiction in Yankeeland is disturbing. No 13 year old ever talks like that....and the end is too contrived for Putu to purr. Putu is hoping to read The Time Traveller's Wife, Small Island and Cloud Atlas before the summer hits. All donations to the Putu Poyesha for Porashona will be most welcome...

And P.S. the title has nothing to do with the post. Bleaaaaggghhhh.

Old is gold

2005-05-02T03:50:00.000+05:30

Putu believes that they always did it better in the good old days. Especially with comic books. Look at the following mix of romance, intrigue, music and superheroics from the 1950's.

Say you want chicklit...

2005-04-27T06:23:00.000+05:30

Step aside Helen Fielding, Candace Bushnell, and all you other pretenders. The real queen of chicklit is the eminently capable Gail Simone, who is currently the brains behind DC's delightful 'Birds of Prey' series. Bringing a woman's touch to a very male industry, Simone has managed to pull off a successful superhero comic with an all-female cast. What stands out is not the action (which is good), or the cheesecake art (Drool!), but the elements of girl-bonding that the characters regularly indulge in, in between wiping the floor with a long list of (mostly male) supervillains. Putu thinks it should be renamed Sex (plenty of that), Violence and the (Gotham) City.

Here's a heads-up to the cast of this fantastic book.

Oracle: Barbara Gordon. Redhead. Glasses. Brainy as hell, but confined to a wheelchair. Used to be Batgirl, but was shot by a homicidal maniac which ended her career. Always the strong one, she conducts all operations and is the ultimate information source. The only man in her life was her adoptive father, James Gordon, until she recently started a relationship with the younger Nightwing, who she's known for over a decade. But Nightwing's recent guilt issues have made her push him away.

Black Canary: Dinah Lance. Bleached Blonde. Black leather and fishnets. The most mature of the lot, and by far the best fighter. Is a trained ninja but too ethical to kill. Dresses trashily just for the effect. Was down on her luck until Oracle asked her to join the team. Daughter of the original Black Canary, and is very much like her mother, except for the fact that her mother had a long and happy marriage - something that Dinah tries hard to live down. Dinah was married young and divorced within a year. She then had a long relationship with the much older millionaire playboy, Green Arrow, but it never lasts, mainly because he insists on protecting her, and she rightly thinks that she can take care of herself. Every time they break up, she has yet another disastrous relationship with some random guy, including one with Green Arrow's son.

Huntress: Helena Bertilleni. Brunette. Badass. Slut. Dresses in the skimpiest possible outfits, even though it leaves her vulnerable to attack. Daughter of a crime boss, who was gunned down in front of her eyes. This turned her into a vengeful woman with serious attitude, leading to many showdowns with the biggest gun of all - Batman. Is also a trained fighter, but far more ruthless. Will sleep with just about anybody. Her conquests include Nightwing and Arsenal, who is like a younger brother to Canary, thus making it difficult for them to accept her at first. However, her dependability and belief in justice have made the three of them best of friends.

Lady Blackhawk: Newest member of the team. Pilot. Feminist. War Hero. Was the only woman in a special team of agents assembled to fight the Nazis in a more unequal age. Surpisingly has managed to fit in well with a bunch of much younger girls, and can hold her own against any of them, but prefers to sit back and let them do the fighting.

And the Supporting Cast

Batgirl: Cassandra Cain. Daughter of a trained assassin. Knew only the language of violence until Barbara helped her out. Speaks very little or not at all. Is usually with Batman, but is always on call.

Nightwing: Dick Grayson. Mr. Right. Batman's protege. Moved out of Gotham to make it on his own in Bludhaven. Had a relationship with old friend Oracle, but has recently been under stress thanks to his guilt after a one-night stand with Huntress, and attraction to Tarantula.

Power Girl: The first of Oracle's team. Relations with Oracle now strained after a disastrous mission.

Catwoman: THE most dangerous woman in Gotham. Does her own thing always. Occasionally helps out, but has been known to indulge in not-entirely-legal activities. Her special relationship with Batman makes her off-limits.

Wildcat: Everybody's favourite uncle. Taught canary a thing or two. Always on call.

Blue Beetle: Ted Kord. Millionaire. Nice guy. Has a huge crush on Oracle, but has never told her, though everyone knows. Oracle isn't averse to flirting with him, though.

Batman: The big daddy. Runs the show. Superhero, but complete jerk. Thinks Canary isn't good enough, and Huntress is a cheap slut. Tells them that often. They tolerate him because he is THE BATMAN.

Pick this one up NOW, if you haven't - especially you ladies. Putu realises how the T&A could fool you into thinking its for fanboys, but Putu, being gender-neutral, finds that the stories have a solid feminine touch. But then, Putu has always had a thing for birds.

Hurry to The Book Shop

2005-04-26T08:50:00.000+05:30

and pick up a copy of Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero. 'Lavishly illustrated' is an understated, and its ridiculously cheap. Putu read the book three years ago, in London, and was saddened to think that this was a book Putu'd probably never be able to afford. But how things change. In the recent past, Putu not only bought this book, but also

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol II - great, but not as good as I - and two of the Sandman series add-ons, Death, The High Cost of Living and Endless Nights, which is a collection of stories, one about each of the Endless. Fabulous stuff.
Also Putu would like to formally welcome two new parts of the brain, who've just awakened, leading to the need for renaming and renegotiation of duties. Via this site, Putu found this interesting brain-segmentation pattern,

but since this sort of duty roster would mean less blogging for everyone, we'll have to go with the more conventional cat-brain picture.

I'm the cerebellum, and the forebrain shall now be known as the cerebral hemisphere. Our new friend the infundibulum has so far provided us with a newborns perspective on Enid Blyton, and the pons loves comics even more than I do.

treacle tart with fatty and moonface

2005-04-23T00:50:00.000+05:30

since putu is feeling nostalgic for golden days of unjaded kittenhood. (since putu is also feeling rather cummings-y, there will be no capital letters), since putu is also, evidently, in listmaking mood and not feeling like catnap just yet. you lucky, lucky people. behold.

the best enid blyton books in no particular order

six cousins at mistletoe farm
the children at green meadows
the treasure hunters
those dreadful children
the mystery of the missing necklace
the folk of the faraway tree
hurrah for the circus
fifth formers at st clares
the family at red roofs

putu refuses to put any of those dreadful noddy books or the famous five. putu once tried to teeth on famous five but it gave putu indigestion. plus they had a dog. so did the five find-outers technically, but that dog wasn't so annoying.

and since putu is feeling rather generous, more stuff about blyton here, here (though technically not a link about blyton just a reminder of how uninformed humans can be) and a nice radio interview with bbc four (which putu has not checked out but it looks like fun anyway).

Master of Magnetism, Ruler of the Savage Land, Leader of Oppressed Mutants, King of... Spain??

2005-04-22T22:44:00.000+05:30

Marvel's upcoming mega-event 'House of M' has everyone in a tizzy, including his royal highness, Juan Carlos.

The preview for the Pulse: House of M edition, to be released in July, had the following cover picture drawn by Mike Mayhew.

And here is a photograph taken of the King of Spain by Alberto Schommer

Coincidence? Putu thinks not. So does this mean Genosha=Madrid? And it adds whole new meaning to

"The King of Spain's daughter came to visit me,
and all for the sake of my little nut tree"

The ratings war

2005-04-22T11:47:00.000+05:30

Putu is deeply distressed at falling blog traffic. Something must be done about it!

The obvious solution hits Putu like a 200-calorie cheesecake. The blog needs to appeal to the masses. So Putu decides to introduce some T&A appeal.

So here is - Babe of the Week (predictable, but it works)

This is Power Girl. She used to be Supergirl, but then someone else took that mantle. Annoyed, she changed her costume and tore a hole in it just so her cleavage became visible. How this helped is as yet unclear.

When Wally Wood initially wrote her character, he drew her chest slightly larger in each story. At some point, they caught on, but by then she was already a 44D. Nobody bothered reducing it thereafter.

Currently she is a member of the JSA and nobody is entirely clear as to where she came from, especially now that there is ANOTHER Supegirl.

She is aggressive and an avowed feminist. She regularly knocks out supervillains for staring at her chest. This has forced DC to only make her fight gay supervillains.

Bated breath

2005-04-18T18:09:00.000+05:30

Filming begins today on the movie version of V for Vendetta, to be released in November 2005.

The combination of Alan Moore, Natalie Portman and the Wachowskis makes Putu smile the Guy Fawkes smile.

More on Sin City

2005-04-15T13:41:00.000+05:30

And why Putu is convinced that there can never be a more accurate retelling of a graphic novel on screen.

Be amazed.

Keith Simanton on Sin City

2005-04-15T13:32:00.000+05:30

"Unlike the truly dirty, unnerving titillation that David Lynch provides... Sin City is a teenage, masturbatory form of scopophilia, mixed in with a neutered form of pubescent anger, creating a reeking pituitary gland of movie."

Since this was noticed by Putu's occipital lobe, and the pituitary gland is situated in the forebrain, the references are completely lost on Putu. But forebrain shall be back soon to explain this, hopefully.

For now read the entire review here.

Guiness Fauj

2005-04-14T16:44:00.000+05:30

Netaji's rallying yet another army, and Putu encourages you all to get involved

Kings of comedy

2005-04-14T16:41:00.000+05:30

Putu stretches abd grins in a, well, catlike manner and would like to draw your attention to this article on a bunch of people whose lives would be so much better were Putu involved in them... the new kings of comedy

2005-04-14T12:29:00.000+05:30

From New X-Men #118

Some say Emma Frost is breaching the fourth wall. Putu waits in hope.

And the sequel

2005-04-13T12:41:00.000+05:30

Now, Putu will play part 2 of the list game. Here are the 10 best cases of comic book casting.

10. Jack Nicholson as Joker in Batman
9. Natalie Portman as Evey in V for Vendetta (unreleased)
8. Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler is X-Men/X2
7. John Cusack as Nite-Owl in Watchmen (unreleased)
6. Ron Pearlman as Hellboy in Hellboy
5. Ian McKellen as Magneto in X-Men/X2
4. Wesley Snipes as Blade in Blade/Blade 2/Blade: Trinity
3. Tobey Maguire as Spiderman in Spiderman/Spiderman 2
2. Christopher Reeve as Superman in Superman/Superman 2/Superman 3
1. The entire cast of Sin City

He's back

2005-04-13T12:26:00.000+05:30

In Batman #638, Judd Winick did the unthinkable - he's brought Jason Todd back to life. This shouldn't really have been surprising, considering that DC has been bringing everyone back to life recently. Hal Jordan is back as Green Lantern, and so is Supergirl (albeit with a new name). We also learn that Donna Troy is coming back in June, so each major DC superhero will have a full team of sidekicks. Not sure what the point of this was since DC cleared Gotham of all Batman's sidekicks in a single stroke during the War Games crossover - Orpheus and Spoiler were killed, and Batgirl, Robin and Oracle moved out.

This is actually unusual for DC. At Marvel, they've been doing this for a while now. The writers have got together to defy editorial diktats and are bringing pretty much everyone back to life. The list of recently-resurrected character includes - Colossus, Psylocke, Magneto, Jean Grey and Havok. Its only a matter of time before Bucky and Uncle Ben resurface.

What's wrong with characters coming back? After all, comics do require a willing suspension of disbelief. But the problem is that a death of a major character is supposed to be a major plot point. Readers are losing interest now that they've figured out that nobody stays dead anymore, so why bother - they'll be back. Even the recent death of Hawkeye is being greeted with scepticism.

Finally the rule remains - if there's no body, he's alive. If there is a body, its 50/50.

Brain like new

2005-04-08T11:25:00.000+05:30

To celebrate the awakening and emancipation of a new part of Putu's formidable mind, here is a list of Putu's Top Ten Cases of Comic-Book Movie Miscasting...

10. Keanu Reaves as John Constantine in Constantine
9. Halle Berry as Storm in X-Men/X2
8. Thomas Jane as the Punisher in The Punisher
7. CGI creature as the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk
6. George Clooney as Batman in Batman and Robin
5. Jessica Alba as Susan Storm in Fantastic Four (upcoming)
4. Arnold Schwarzenneger as Mister Freeze in Batman and Robin
3. Ben Affleck as Daredevil in Daredevil
2. Jennifer Garner as Elektra in Daredevil/Elektra
1. Halle Berry as Catwoman in Catwoman

Lists

2005-04-08T11:16:00.000+05:30

Putu read Irving Wallace's Book of Lists. Putu is apalled to know that Hans Christian Andersen, J. M. Barrie and Lewis Carrol were virgins for life. Putu thinks they are lucky Tom Sneddon wasn't around in those days.

Unrequited Love

2005-04-01T01:14:00.001+05:30

Putu is crazy about this man, but he is clearly (shudder) ...

...a DOG PERSON!

Rocking world go round

2005-03-17T22:02:00.000+05:30

Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy is publishing a book featuring naked fat bottomed girls.

Silently, like a panther...

2005-03-17T21:12:00.000+05:30

or like Lester Gage, the detective in the classic Wodehouse story Honeysuckle Cottage, Putu is back. No announcements or promises this time...Putu has a lot of fishbones on the plate...but will attempt to claw my way back into your lives

Tokyo Cancelled

2005-01-07T14:39:00.000+05:30

Putu read Putu like. Could have used more cats.

In the mood for answers

2005-01-07T14:20:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, Putu saw a fresh DVD of Fa yeung nin wa at a friend's place. All very well, thought Putu. But. Putu has two questions. Putu knows a few Intellectuals read this blog, and would like to respectfully place the following questions in front of them.
1) So, why the hell did they show that news clip before the Cambodia temple secret confession?
2) Throughout the movie, Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung (Putu loves, post Hero) ate. They ate rice, they ate noodles, they ate deep-fried steaks. How the HELL did they stay all that thin/curvaceous, specially if they didnt indulge in the best workout of them all?

Misdirection rocks, or so I would have you think...

2005-01-07T14:18:00.000+05:30

In conversation with Putu this morning, a future chicklit writer said 'How nice of your friend Putu to mention me in her blog.'
Muhahahahahaha.
Its working.

God!

2005-01-05T14:28:00.000+05:30

Philip Pullman on God, Hollywood, liars, and the Times

Indian Chicklit

2005-01-04T14:24:00.000+05:30

This is the current state of Indian chicklit. (Note: The Hindu spells it Brigitte Jones' Diary? Now Im confused. or konphoos. or something)
This is the future of Indian chicklit.

Strange, and stranger

2005-01-04T14:21:00.000+05:30

Putu's almost finished the rather large Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and so far has been most moved by the lovely passage describing the old woman in Venice who lived in a room full of cats, and knew dozens of languages before but now speaks only Cat. Putu would blog more about JS and MN, but its winter, and Putu wants to curl up again.

Happy Mew Year

2005-01-03T13:18:00.000+05:30

from the various segments of Putu's brain. In 2005, Putu's brain will develop even further, and sprout more lobes and suchlike. You will be kept informed.
Werent the year-end roundups awful, by the way?

Team America disbands

2005-01-03T13:04:00.000+05:30

The South Park guys have had enough of each other. Not good, thinks Putu, who has not seen much of their work anyway, sad to say.

Emerging

2004-12-30T13:31:00.000+05:30

very, very slowly, from a carefully cultivated state of hibernation, Putu looks around, blinking, for books to end the year with.
And finds a huge stack of fantasy books which should have been read this summer.
fair enough.
OK, so whats been happening?
BBC slideshow of 2004's memorable films. Monthwise, too. Theyre so organized. While were on lists, heres the biggest stars of 2004 from imdb.
This is a film Putu really wants to see...
Books, OK. "There's an old saying - 'You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her sing'," says Tom Wolfe, about his bad sex award. "In this case, you can lead an English literary wannabe to irony but you can't make him get it."
Looking ahead, here's the Guardians books to look forward to in 2005
"Zadie Smith's long-anticipated new novel will be a searingly prescient, Kelmanesque piece of social criticism about a 25-year-old call-centre worker from Cumbernauld who withdraws from the world into her horrible flat after spending her redundancy money on videos of Harry Potter, Pogle's Wood, Tolkien, Star Trek, The Simpsons and King of the Hill. It consists of the heroine engaging in a dialogue with the telly for more pages than you'll be able to bear. It will be called, evocatively, Kirsty's Home Videos, and is the bookies' joint favourite for the Man Booker, along with Martin Amis whose novel, The Unexpected Return to Form of Martin Amis, has already won many admirers."
Do read the last line, though.
And the new Potter, Half-blood Prince,
will be out in July.
And tomorrow will see the beginning of the deluge of our blessed Indian media's awful year-end roundups.
Yawn. Have to wake up more.

Raincoat

2004-12-30T13:16:00.000+05:30

Putu saw Rituparno Ghosh's new one, Raincoat, which was grey, cold, bleak and depressing. Not like Calcutta rain at all - more like London or something. The cast is great on the whole, but the editing is not so hot - its far, far too long. The Delhi crowd around Putu werent too impressed by the whole 'whiny losers weep and lie' theme of the movie, but Putu liked, on the whole. Actual characters in there, even if very uninspiring. Ending very predictable, though. Apart from Aishwarya looking lovely in a rather Ophelia-esque way, the best things about the movie were Annu Kapoor, who was brilliantly sleazy, and Mouli Ganguly, who does the whole kinky Bengali boudi bit effortlessly, and, Putu suspects, unintentionally. Much more chemistry between her and Devgan than between the lead pair.

Sukumar Ray

2004-12-24T11:13:00.000+05:30

from Amardeep Singh.
Putu has been getting mails telling Putu that Putu's readers know who Putu really is. Never underestimate the power of misdirection.

Dogs of War

2004-12-22T21:34:00.000+05:30

Amardeep, in a comment on the last post, spoke of the movie Cats and Dogs, where secretly hi-tech cats and dogs battle it out for control of the earth.
and yes, cats are not portrayed too positively in this movie.
in case you are worried, humans, stay calm - i am, indeed, planning to take over the world, and so is every other cat - but collective action is not something cat go in for a lot. dogs, of course, could never take over the world either - i mean, really, even humans are more intelligent than dogs, and have more sophisticated weapons too.
as far as negative portrayals are concerned, we really dont mind - i mean, sophisticated outerspace beings are often shown in a negative light too in human movies. cultural misunderstandings, amardeep - if you knew us or understood us, you would not fear us. we purr sympathetically when we see anti-feline human propaganda. think george bush watching millions protest, and you get the idea.
on the subject of dogs - putu likes dogs a lot. in fact, putu loves dogs. they are loving, warm, selfless, loyal, trustworthy, soft and cuddly when young, and make excellent pets. easily among the most likeable of the lower lifeforms.

Incredible omission

2004-12-21T14:10:00.000+05:30

Putu loved the incredibles, but has found, after much thought, a flaw. mainstream superhero movies continue to portray cats in traditional, cliched terms - even when they have significant roles, these are either as slightly sinister pets lovingly stroked by otherwise immobile chair-bound villains, or as sleek and kinky sidekicks to leather-clad feline superheroines. now when you have a movie like the incredibles, which talkes about everything from nietzsche to adam west, why is a cat sitting in a tree and cunningly avoiding its litle old lady still seen as someone who needs to be SAVED?
the movie was perfect otherwise. go see it, and then go see it again.
one more time for the sweet souvenir, as bill the butcher (daniel day lewis, another part-time god) says in gangs of new york, as played in zee movie zone when they play the same movie four days in a row and claim that its a good thing.

OK, Read...

2004-12-17T11:58:00.000+05:30

Heres some stuff -
Guardian profile on Dan Brown
Zhang Yimou's ambitions.
Sean Connery on his memoirs
Natalie Portman, who probably could write a memoir now if she wanted to - though she's younger than Putu (in human years)
And Rolling Stone's people of 2004
The Incredibles is now onscreen in Delhi, and Putu is dying to see it. Anyone interested?

jonathans kitchen

2004-12-16T11:52:00.000+05:30

Hm. In between interminable catnaps, unless thats an oxymoron, Putu has been steadfastly ignoring a steadily piling workload, unless thats a watchamaycallit when the second word is redundant, anyway, cats are above grammar, so...where was i?
yes, ignoring the workload and the latest deadline, putu, look, do i really have to bother with capitals, cats are above capitals, anyway...dammit.
forget all that. ive been reading jon strange and mr norrell, (cats. punctuation. above) not very far into it, but its very nice. wish i hadnt heard all the hype before i read it, though. specially love the footnotes, which are very involved and head off in twelve different directions, which in putus opinion is exactly what fantasy footnotes should do. other fans of jon stroud will know what i mean - like bartimaeus says, (fantastic creatures) are capable of thought on several different planes at once, and the best he can do you is, well, footnotes.
jonathan strange hasnt made an appearance yet, except as a passive wine drinker, but putus expectations are ever high.
and heres 10 books putu wants to read - 10 childrens books of the year
(elegant blogpost endings. cats. you know where we stand)

Capital, capital

2004-12-15T11:59:00.000+05:30

Putu returns to Delhi, and hopefully to regular blogging. And what better occasion to mark this historic return than a Rushdie/Dalrymple reading. At the oxford bookstore, cp, which frankly isnt that great. the staff are friendly, but somewhat bewildered - when asked for a science fiction section they lead you to an asimov book, explaining in the process what technology is.
Well, Willy D yelled a lot - not about Rambo G, but while reading - lots of put-on accents, loud laughter - very Benny Hill, but the gasping, oohingaahinh laughing-at-all-jokes-ing audience lapped it all up and begged for more.
and more they got, from sallu uncle, while dear padma lakshmi beamed on approvingly from the sidelines. no cleavage though, to the bitter disappointment of jabberwock. and putu, it must be said. the Great Man read out a rather long story, so long indeed that even his adoring audience, and god were they adoring, began to look thiswaythatway after a while.
putu was much complimented on putus winter fleshlayer, which is a sign of prosperity in feline cultures. and felines are the most cultured of all cultures, as is also widely known.
putu would also like to use this forum to announce the impending arrival of the NextNext Big Thing of IndLit, Rana Dasgupta, whose book Tokyo Cancelled passes all bigadvancesnootyreputation tests and comes out on jan 14. putu met rana, and they chatted in a worldly manner for a while, reminiscing fondly about their one previous meetng, where they had discussed the many varieties of giant anthropoid movie-star apes. putu also got a snazzy red/black/white card, announcing the arrival of tokyo cancelled - yet another insight into the world of high-flying writers. putu has had cards too in putus time, but these have mostly carried things like 'correspondent, features' so you will forgive putu for being terribly impressed.
after the do, the delhi city supplement locust horde attacked the happy couple and WD - asking many erudite questions about, hold your breath, books, love, india, and other things.
the Great Man also made snide remarks about Sir VS - awestruck audience, giggling almost continuously upto then, was stunned into silence. putu was going to cheer wildly, but was far away from the whole shabang at the time, looking at childrens books. so putu didnt.
the childrens books collection is not too hot, by the way. cal bookstores are in general much better than delhi ones. people from bangalore make lots of noise about their bookstores, which certainly contain many more good-looking people than cal ones, but not as many good books. dont know about bombay.

Of birds and the bees....and caverns and mushrooms too

2004-12-14T03:24:00.000+05:30

"But the hand that was what she tried to concentrate on, the hand, since it has the entire terrain of her torso to explore and not just the otorhinolaryngological caverns -- oh God, it was not just at the border where the flesh of the breast joins the pectoral sheath of the chest -- no, the hand was cupping her entire right -- Now!"

has beaten

"(It was) like a large exotic mushroom in the fork of a tree, a little pleasure dome if ever I've seen one, where Alph the sacred river ran down to a tideless sea. No, not tideless. Her tides were convulsive, an ebb and flow that could take you very far, far back, before hurling you out, wildly and triumphantly, on a ribbed and windswept beach without end."

and

"His mouth looked for the oiled berry...The smell of his armpits was on her shoulders -- a flower depositing pollen on a hummingbird's forehead"

to the Bad Sex Award 2004.

X-Men unlimited

2004-12-05T11:50:00.000+05:30

And now a book on mutants wins the Guardian first book award.

Putu wants

2004-11-30T21:09:00.000+05:30

at this point, to read Philip Pullman on scarecrows and genies and see Fight Club again.
And prays that Willy D will not respond to Ramu G in next weeks Outlook.

Rejoice ye...

2004-11-30T20:57:00.001+05:30

for Putu has returned.
(this is where I slash 'P' with my sword into a treetrunk)
Fear me, if you dare. Meow.

Big Willy D v Ragamuffin Rama D: Check it

2004-11-21T13:11:00.000+05:30

Peace.
Dis goes out from Putu C to all de wide eyed bitchez and buttyboys who is still reedin de dem wanker books insted of getting wid de times and goin and gettin demselves big style knobbed.
Is you all is wanting to know bout de latest showdown on de write side between da main man Wide Willy D (Westside Wondaz) v da merican outkast Rude Rama G of de Eastside Istry Boyz?
Then you is come to de wrong place, innit?
Putu C is ardly goin to lay down da link in second place when Putu's main man, de real deal, de original readamuffin Urree B as already lain down de links to de new eastwest showdown in is bigstyle blog zone, kitabkhana, yeah?
Check it.
Is you is still looking for links, yeah?
Talk to de and.

Belling the CAT

2004-11-21T08:06:00.000+05:30

Today is D-day (or C-day or whatever) for millions of earnest-browed and sweaty-palmed management aspirants all over the country. Putu would like to convey Putu's commiserations, consolations, congratulations and best wishes, but state for the record that there is nothing even remotely feline about this multiple-choice mayhem

The Empire Strikes Back

2004-11-16T10:32:00.000+05:30

With some vengeance that too. Ram Guha in this week's Outlook savages Dalrymple's claim that Pankaj Mishra is more of an 'authentic' Indian voice given his mofussil background than those educated at 'Doon School' or 'St. Stephen's College'. I'm not sure where Guha was educated- I know he went to Stephen's but I'm not sure if he went to Doon, but that partly accounts for the savagery of his response. Part of his argument is valid- that there is no singular Indian voice that can be truly representative, that the urban voice is as authentically Indian as the rural one. But I wish he'd left out the personal digs at the end- by his own argument, Dalrymple is no less an 'authentic' voice than Ram Guha himself, and by arguing thus, methinks Guha hits well below the belt.

Putu was wondering...

2004-11-14T10:28:00.000+05:30

...if anyone knows who published the debate between Ram Guha and Boria on charges of plagiarism or how and where Putu could access it, or even what the basic gist of the debate was. Putu is delving rather seriously into the social history of Indian cricket (all the while perched rather comfortably on an armchair) and would be rather grateful for this information. Anyone who can help Putu will be rewarded with a sufficiently large tin of Whiskas-tuna in jelly and maybe even some gourmet food.

Cat novel

2004-11-14T10:21:00.000+05:30

Putu should have blogged about this a while ago- a serious omission. One of Putu's close friends, Adrita Mukherjee won the Penguin e-author contest a while ago writing about....well....cats.
If you want to read the first chapter of Jacaranda Blooms, go take a look. It's also one of the rare campus novels set in India. To be honest, Putu can't think of any others. AM has sadly moved to NZ and the book never got published. But if anyone is interested in entering the penguin e-author contest, check the Oxford Bookstore homepage. The 2004 winner incidentally was Smitha Parigi, a journalist.

Reviews so far- v.v. bad

2004-11-14T10:06:00.000+05:30

In the words of Peter Bradshaw: "Britain's best-known twittering hamster is back, doing her trademark blonde pout on every billboard in the land: one part Marilyn to three parts Kenneth Williams. " The new Bridget Jones' movie, by common consensus isn't a patch on the old one. However, Putu must confess here, that Putu wasn't all that enamoured of movie 1- it was your usual Hollywood romantic comedies. And while Putu loves curling up on a cold winter day with a mushy movie and some warm milk, Putu has certainly seen better. While Renee Zellwegger (who's actually now that I think about it, the perfect choice for Bridget) was sort of relucant to put on all that weight, Hugh Grant is ready to call it quits, and the Independent has a few kind words for him.

By the way, as for those reviews, here are some bad ones, some not so good ones, some not so bad ones, and surprise surprise, a good one.

Iris Chang (1968-2004)

2004-11-14T09:53:00.000+05:30

Chang died of 'self inflicted gunshot wounds'- and the cause of her suicide is said to be severe depression. The author of the fantastic The Rape of Nanking, which Putu highly recommends was working on a new book which looked at American POWs tortured in Japan. Her book outraged many Japanese, both ordinary people as well as academics, but remains the most readable, if harrowing account of the Japanese occupation. Do read this fascinating 2003 interview with Chang. One of the interesting things she says is that the rape of Nanking was not the worst massacre of a people in history, and points to the Bangladesh war. Also she makes the point that 19-35 million Chinese died in WWII- that's a huge huge number of people...and yet when we hear about WWII we remember the concentration camps and maybe St. Petersburg...it's curious and frightening how some people can get 'written out' of histories.

Criss-crossing the World

2004-11-14T09:28:00.000+05:30

From the New York review of books, Dalrymple tries to uncover the truth about the Islamic world. Incidentally, if you haven't read it, go and also read Dalrymple's review of two books about the murder of Daniel Pearl and the exchange with Bernard-Henri Levy that followed. Putu has read the first of the two books that Dalrymple reviews and found it just as "unbearably moving". Pearl was really the first Westerner to be beheaded in the way that so many have been since in Iraq and his wife's attempts to stop the video of his death from proliferating on the internet and so on, are both shocking (in terms of how voyeuristic people can be) and provide an insight into why terrorists do what they do.

Travelling a little eastwards, one of Putu's favourite men, Amartya Sen, with whom incidentally Putu shares a birthday, writes about India and China, and the intellectual links the two countries share. Inclined more for the academic, but given it's Amartya-da after all, Putu would certainly recommend it.

You should probably stay in Canada anyway

2004-11-08T07:46:00.000+05:30

Ramachandra Guha who was trying to enter the US from Canada was denied entry because...well, he was 'earning too much'....and gasp, splutter...."that too for teaching history". But Putu thinks that Guha shouldn't be upset. Given the results of the US presidential election, Canada is looking like a much more attractive abode to many Americans.

Putu's IWE XI

2004-11-06T09:50:00.000+05:30

In tribute to the Indian XI for winning a Test (Putu's stopped watching, but is clapping enthusiastically anyway) here is the team Putu will send in as soon as Dalmiya decides how much money he's willing to pay this feline SuperSelector.
In batting order:

1. VS Naipaul: While dogged by controversy and demands for retirement, this swashbuckling batsman, while undoubtedly past his prime, remains a bankable opener. Though not one of Putu's personal favourite, a smart cat knows who's in with the board, and gets paid that much extra for not questioning hierarchies
2. Vikram Seth: One of Putu's favourite batsmen, both for his incomparably elegant style and his ability to stick in there under pressure and notch up really impressive triple centuries. A natural top-order batsman.
3. Salman Rushdie: Style over substance, say some. Substance abuse, say others. But on his day, an aggressive, innovative matchwinner, and probably the most popular batsma in the country. Though excessive attention to celebrity endorsements remains a problem. Rumours that his selection has been influenced by his wife's decision to keep the manager as a pet are wholly unfounded.
4. Hari Kunzru: Another media favourite, this promising middle-order bat and medium-pacer brings a cool, collected mind, a mean leg-cutter and an incredible hunger for runs with him every time he comes to the crease. Combines the ability to pick quick, steady singles and hit the occasional loose ball out of the ground when batting, and usually picks up a couple of wickets as well. Though young and relatively untested, he could be India's all-rounder of the future. Questions about his eligibility (the Indianness of his origin is somewhat questionable) are usually started by jealous rival teams
5. Amitav Ghosh: Would have made it as a specialist wicketkeeper, but it helps that he is also arguably the teams best batsman. his dogged refusal to seek the spotlight is possibly the only reason for his place in the middle order. COnsistently rescues the team from tight situations, and is the rock on which the whole team stands. His recent appointment as Captain was met with universal approval, except, it is rumoured, among some of the more senior players in the dressingroom.
6. Jhumpa Lahiri: Young and scarily talented, she's building up an immense reputation, and you will find a queue of endorsement seekers and autograph seekers at her door every day. Immensely cool and composed test batsman, and rumoured to be the captain of the future.
7. Arundhati Roy: Lethal strike bowler, capable of generating genuine pace. OFten in trouble with umpires because of her habit of breathing fire both on and off the pitch, but her fearsome ability to intimidate and outwit batsman makes her an automatic choice for any team. Also a brilliant finisher with the bat in the one-day game, though she has a distressing tendency to hit four sixes in succession and then give the bowler a simple return catch.
8. Amit Chaudhuri: Useful medium pacer, slow but determined lower-order bat. Has the ability to bowl the same line relentlessly, frustrating batsman to tears and leading them to throw their wickets away.
9. Ashok K Banker: A somewhat controversial choice, but made the team for his scary ability to generate spin. A handy bat, too, and often indispensible in the slog overs, though prone to silly run-outs.
10. Shobha(aa?) De: Roy's strike partner, and almost as deadly. Displayed sizzling pace and an incredible ability to swin the ball both ways in her earlier years, and while she's adopted a more conservative, less flamboyant style now, the middle stumps just keep falling.
11. Chitra Banerjee Divakarni: Gifted leg-spinner, generates a great amount of both turn and bounce, and is never scared to give the ball a great deal of flight. Gets hit around the park occasionally, but never fails to entertain.

Happy Birthday

2004-11-03T01:35:00.000+05:30

....to me. Putu is a year older today. Putu will not tell readers Putu's age, and assumes that such questions are unseemly. But it is that time of the year that Putu indulges in a little bit of nostalgia. For those of you who've written to me asking me a bit about my life, I'm not going to tell-all. But here are some basic facts. I was born under a bed in what I was later told was a nice comfortable cushioned box. My mother, the redoubtable Ms Leni Bose, who is still alive and healthy, and a true matriarch, brought me up with an iron hand. Her one weakness however was a neighbour of ours, Mr Prasenjit, whose untimely death as a result of a midnight fight threw my mother into a fit of depression. My family, who have all called to wish me, includes Mr Bhojohori Manna, a handsome young gentleman who is unfortunately somewhat coming to terms with his sexuality, Mr Bolohori Manna, an equally virile young man, who came to terms with his sexuality a while ago, Miss Bhutni Datta, my aunt, friend, philosopher and guide. Putu has always believed in the philosophy of non-discrimination as enshrined in our glorious Constitution- that we shall not discriminate on the basis of case, gender, race, sex, sexual orientation and so on. Unfortunately, Putu's own family has never quite followed that principle, and Ms Bhutni, who is well, rather, 'wheatish' in complexion (well, okay, let's be politically incorrect, she's black. There, I said it. She's black), but has lovely green eyes, has always been somewhat mis-treated. Now that she's older, wiser and leads a quiet solitary life, those around her are beginning to appreciate her quiet dignity. I love her a lot and wish she was right here on my birthday.

Ni Hao Ma Mr Tarentino

2004-11-03T01:16:00.000+05:30

And that is all the Mandarin Putu knows, if that is Mandarin at all. It seems that the next time Putu wants to kill Bill, it will have to be in Mandarin. The maverick director Quentin Tarantino has announced that the next movie he's making will be entirely in Mandarin. Apparently he's planning to make two versions of the movie, one with English subtitles, and the other badly dubbed into English as a tribute to the original 'chopsucky' movies. According to Tarantino: “My next movie is gonna be another kung fu film that’s gonna blow your asses off. "

And in movie related news, controversial Dutch director, Theo Van Gogh was assassinated in the early hours of the morning yesterday. His movie about a Somalian Muslim refugee, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is a member of the Dutch Parliament and calls herself an 'ex Muslim'. The movie, titled Submission, is a semi-autobiographical account of her life after she was forced into an arranged marriage, raped and brutalized. Ali, a right wing politician, has openly denounced the Islamic faith and called on Dutch Muslims to integrate more fully into society. Of course, what is truly troubling is that now both Muslim fundamentalists and Muslim haters are going to rejoice at this episode.

The second coming of Condie Rice

2004-11-02T02:55:00.000+05:30

As....the female Darth Vader. Given that election fever is in the air, Putu will blog a few more election/entertainment type thingies. Anyway, so the American cartoon Boondocks is threatening to take over from where the Simpsons left off. Funny, irreverent, critical of the Bush administration, the cartoon strip appears in nearly 300 newspapers a cross the US, and now, a TV series has been commissioned as well. It recently got into hot water over the use of 'n-word' in a strip mocking the Apprentice, but his refusal to engage in the usual flag waving patriotism after 9/11 had been banned by a few papers like the NY Daily News. You can check out more Boondocks toons here.

Oh, and while you're at it, you could try giving Bush a brain?

It's all about knickers, doh

2004-11-01T21:32:00.000+05:30

Really, the USP of the new Bridget Jones' movie, is not its startingly feminist director, or the weight that Zellweger puts on for the role, it's the news that she Fed Exes her underwear to avoid airport security. Woah...what exactly in your underwear would get the metal detector beeping Ms Jones?

Moshing against Bush

2004-11-01T20:53:00.000+05:30

Eminem's new video for Bush encourages voters not to vote for the incumbent president in tomorrow's elections. Full of hard hitting (but not terribly original) lyrics such as "Let the President answer on high anarchy, strap him with an AK-47, let him go fight his own war", "No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our soil" and concluding with "If I get sniped tonight you'll know why, because I told you to fight." The video ends with a black screen and the words "Vote November 2".

From Butter Chicken to the Buddha

2004-11-01T20:48:00.000+05:30

Is indeed a long way to travel. Which is precisely what Pankaj Mishra has done, and if William Dalrymple is to be believed, he's travelled it rather well. Mishra's latest book, An End to Suffering: The Buddha in the World covers "an intimidatingly wide sweep of territory and moves rapidly from the period of the Vedas to that of the Enlightenment, then onto to the world of Osama bin Laden, stopping en route in the company of such diverse figures as Mahavira, Hieun Tsang, Hobbes, Nietzsche, Marx, Schopenhauer, Borges, Sayyid Qutb, Swami Vivekananda, various Buddhist missionaries and a mixed bag of Naga sadhus and gun-wielding Islamists." Phew. But Dalrymple also argues that Mishra is successful precisely because of who/what he is not- a part of the Stephens'/Doon mafia and so he can write about the grim realities of life in provincial Bihar and UP with an authenticity that those inhabiting East Coast universities cannot. Ouch.

Booker for Hollinghurst

2004-10-20T03:57:00.000+05:30

A surprise Booker win for Alan Hollinghurst's novel A Line of Beauty. The book is about the life of Nick Guest, a gay Oxford graduate living a sumptious life in the Thatcher era and how his life slowly unravels. Hollinghurst who many had predicted would not win was quite chuffed at the award: "It's very amazing to me that the long, solitary process of writing a novel should lead to a moment like this". Hollinghurst had been the favourite almost a decade ago, but many felt that this graphical sexual descriptions cost him the earth. Given that sex is the flavour of the season, it's not surprising that this was his year! You can read an extract from the book here. Putu is yet to read Hollinghurst but has promptly ordered the book online and shall read it soon.

The Devils Music

2004-10-19T19:58:00.000+05:30

The top ten myths in rock courtesy Rolling Stone.
Inspired by the inspired rendition of 'Oh What a Babe' on the local pandal loudspeaker. Putu has had enough of Bollywood remixes and will soon call in Astrophe, cat goddess of disasters, to do what she does best.

To chav or chav not

2004-10-19T18:43:00.000+05:30

Nice article about fashionable words and the years they made it to the top. Apparently the English language discovered sex in 1929, but it took until the 50s to figure out what sexy was. Also, someone should tell ad and newspaper people that generation x had its day in 1952. Basically, its all 1985, Putus just 2003ing this post with some 2000.
Update: The Complete Guide to Chav body language.

Buffalo soldier

2004-10-19T18:39:00.000+05:30

And a very happy Durga Puja to all of you.

Unlike Tintin

2004-10-19T18:34:00.000+05:30

Putu didnt make it to Tibet; a few more days up the Brahmaputra and it would have happened, though. Still, the hindbrain is back (rah! rah!) and is pleased to see the forebrain has been ticking away in the hindbrains absence.

Thanks, but no thanks

2004-10-18T05:08:00.000+05:30

Nigerian literary giant Chinua Achebe has declined the 'Commander of the Federal Republic' title that the Nigerian government tried to bestow on him. He told the Olesegun Obasanjo government that given the present state of the country he was unable to accept the award. He expressed his reasons for turning down one of the nation's highest awards in a letter to the Guardian newspaper. "I write this letter with a very heavy heart. For some time now I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom...I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance of the Presidency...Nigeria's condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence...I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honour awarded me in the 2004 Honours list."

Adrian Mole and the WMDs

2004-10-17T03:56:00.000+05:30

Nope, this isn't an anti war rant. Adrian Mole is back- for what might be the last book in a series that has absolutely captivated a generation. (I have personally converted at least a dozen people into Adrian Mole fans). That this might be the last book is because Sue Townsend is now registered blind and has found it increasingly difficult to write. She needs to dictate her books to her husband, and despite a magnifier cannot read for more than a quarter of an hour at a stretch. The book is set in 2002 with a running commentary on the Iraq war which is so direct, it barely qualifies as satire. Mole is exactly as he was in book 1- sexually frustrated and perplexed as to why the world fails to recognize his obvious literary talent. But by the end of the book Mole seems to attain a sense of peace, and despite Townsend's claim that there might be sequel, this might be a final goodbye.

Move over Enid Blyton

2004-10-17T03:50:00.000+05:30

Coz Jacqueline Wilson is here. This quintessential Brit grandmom has just overtaken Catherine Cookson (uggh) as the most borrowed author from British public libraries, and talks to the Telegraph, UK about her success. What is really interesting about Wilson is that despite the pink and fluorescent covers and titles like The Diamond Girls, Wilson's books don't deal with a fantasy land where Sunday afternoons are spent picnicking with a hamper full of goodies and morality oozes out of every page. Rather her stories are about single mothers, their difficult but human and believable children and their trials and tribulations. Four of Wilson's books were included in the BBC's Big Read top 100: Double Act, Girls in Love, Vicky Angel and The Story of Tracy Beaker. Jacqueline Wilson has sold more than 15 million books in the UK and was recently voted England's favourite children's author.

Superman is no more

2004-10-16T06:37:00.000+05:30

In a week that has seen the death of two legends, Christopher Reeve died at the age of 52 after battling a paralysing injury for close to a decade with dignity and determination. Tons of obituaries, and the usual host of controversies following his campaigns to promote stem cell research and its relevance in the US presidential elections. But by favourite obit is the BBC photo one- take a look.

Derrida is dead...long live deconstruction

2004-10-16T06:11:00.000+05:30

While the great man is no more, there have been furious debates about the legacy that he's left behind. Terry Eagleton argues that the critics who've emerged after his death are 'English bone heads' who cringe at the term 'French philosopher' and who were bone-headed enough to deny him an honorary degree at Cambridge. You can find other obituaries here, here and here. And the politically minded have already begun to use his deconstruction techniques to prove what a philistine George Bush is. Umm...come on guys, you misunderestimate the poor chap...how many of YOU knew that the fish and the human being could co-exist peacefully?

A Crocodile in the Swamplands

2004-10-16T06:01:00.000+05:30

In an essay by the same title, Amitav Ghosh, whose book on the Sunderbans, Hungry Tide, Putu gave the thumbs up to earlier, has spoken out passionately and eloquently against the building of a new tourist resort in the Sunderbans by the Sahara group. He's argued that this will destroy the eco system, be financially unviable, destroy a fragile network that protects the region from nature's fury, and most importantly, be detrimental to the lives of those who live in the region. The Hungry Tide has as one of its central events the massacre at Morichjhapi, where hundreds, possibly thousands of tribals were killed as they resisted central government encroachment. Ghosh's book has particular resonance given the news that keeps coming in from the North East- considering how tenuous our hold over our remote regions are, and how shabbily we treat them, what's in place to prevent a second Morichjhapi from taking place?

"To begin with, it is worth asking whether the project is feasible even on its own terms. What, for example, are the chances of converting a stretch of the Sunderbans into an arena for water sports and a haven for beach lovers? This is an area of mud flats and mangrove islands. There are no ‘pristine beaches’ nor are there any coral gardens. The Ganges-Brahmaputra river system carries eight times as much silt as the Amazon and the waters of this region are thick with suspended particulate matter. This is not an environment that is appropriate for snorkelling or scuba diving...A quick glance at a map is all it takes to see that the chosen location is directly exposed to the weather systems of the Bay of Bengal."

" What would happen if the complex were to find itself in the path of an incoming cyclone? In 1979, the Left Front government evicted tens of thousands of refugee settlers, mainly Dalits, from the island of Morichjhapi. The cost in lives is still unaccounted, but it is likely that thousands were killed. The eviction was justified on ecological grounds: the authorities claimed that the island of Morichjhapi had to be preserved as a forest reserve. It is scarcely conceivable that a government run by the same Left Front is now thinking of handing over a substantial part of the Sunderbans to an industrial house like the Sahara Parivar. It runs contrary to every tenet of the Front’s professed ideology. The Sahara Parivar’s project would turn large stretches of this very forest, soaked in the blood of evicted refugees, into a playground for the affluent. "

It's all about sex....eventually

2004-10-16T05:49:00.000+05:30

So Putu has had a number of adventures in the last few days, managing to go from Tibet to a cruise on the Brahmaputra to a quick hike in New Hampshire, where Putu dislocated a kneecap and demands that readers express their sympathy. But Putu is back and talking about sex, which given the deplorable state of the feline species in Tibet, Assam and New Hampshire, Putu hasn't had much of. But there's sex in the air...and you can get it for just $4. Ok, ok, not really, but you can get a copy of the new Marquez book that should be out soon for that price on the streets of Colombia. The book is about a man who remembers all the women in his life as he makes love for the last time.

And clearly, sex sells as well. Not just sells, but brings with it awards and moolah too. Elfriede Jelinek who's just won the 2004 Nobel Prize for Literature. Known for her books that explore the women's sexuality in often explicit detail, some would argue that Jelinek is a controversial choice. Her own website though, is a bit strange...what's with the Bambi figure, mate? Isn't that kind of perverted...or is just me....?

And finally puppet sex has hit Hollywood and the censors are not pleased. South Park's creators have just released their controversial anti-terrorism spoof Team America: World Police. The creators of the movie had a few harsh words to say about the attempts to censor the scenes showing simulated sex between two puppets. Producer Scott Rudin told the media: "our characters are made of wood and have no genitalia. If the puppets did to each other what we show them doing, all they'd get is splinters." while one of the director Trey Parker said "We blow Janeane Garofalo's head clean off, [but for the MPAA] it's all about the positions of the dolls having sex," Parker said. "It's not funny - it's tragic."

Monastic

2004-10-05T17:46:00.000+05:30

Sudden celebrity has turned Putu's head somewhat; Putu's off to Tibet for a while, to rediscover Putu's inner self. When Putu returns, so will this blog.

Putu on Putu

2004-10-01T05:11:00.001+05:30

Putu's been getting a few mails post-TOI article (apart from the ones from arms dealers, that is) including mails speculating on Putu's gender (ie, is Putu babu or belle? as the mail put it), in response to which Putu would like to encourage the gentle reader to look through the archives, as Putu has dealt with this question before and it is a complicated subject. Putu would also like to present Putu's compliments to Monish Datta, who is owned by another cat named Putu, and tell him
a) Putu is pleased to find other cats named Putu, and having conducted a Google search has found that Putu is quite a popular names for cats worldwide. it is too early in Putu's career for Putu (a modest, well-brought-up cat) to assume that these Putu's have been named after The Putu, ie me. Putu wonders why Putu as a name for cats cuts across all barriers of race, nationality and language. It is probably something to do with the Feline Principle.
b) Putu will not be posting a picture of Putu-the-owner-of-Monish on this blog, as it could only lead to confusion. But Putu wishes P-t-o-o-M lifelong health and happiness, and is pleased to note that PtooM seems to have found a loving and caring human.
c) How Putu got Putu's name is a long and complicated story involving late nights, an empty Kali mandir, aged monks and sleeping Tam-Brahm grandmothers. Some other time, perhaps.

And so it begins

2004-09-29T10:56:00.000+05:30

Putu hits national superstardom...with coverage in TOI...
Muhahahahha.
Muhahahahha
Dont say.
I didn't
warn you.
Join up.
While you still can
Before it is
Too.
Late...
Muhahahahahahaha

Mulk Raj Anand (1905-2004)

2004-09-28T20:08:00.000+05:30

In a week of literary deaths, Putu mourns the death of Mulk Raj Anand. Educated in Cambridge and London, he lived in Britain for many years. His novel Untouchable, which details the life of a 15 year old untouchable boy, first brought him literary acclaim. It is believed that the story was written in response to a personal tragedy- his aunt committed suicide after being ostracised for dining with a Muslim. Anand died of pneumonia in Pune at the age of 99.

Meanwhile, at the OberoiCorp HQ...

2004-09-27T19:00:00.000+05:30

The Pavitr Prabhakar spiderman story is old news, of course, but Putu was just reading a few pages from the new comic.

Meera Jain: I've been in your shoes. I didnt get a scholarship like you but i AM from a village near Amravati...My mum used to drive me nuts with her wear-a-salwar-kameez-because-its-tradition talk.

Pavitr Prabhakar (later): Face it, Prabhakar. Shah Rukh Khan you're not.

And here is the village-belle MJ...

Hee hee hee

2004-09-27T08:07:00.000+05:30

the elegant rhythms of Divakaruni's native Indian tongue give "Queen of Dreams" an exotic -- and yes, dreamlike -- quality
Putu has a confession to make. Putu actually likes Aishwarya Rai. Yes, Putu knows it's not fashionable any more, but ah well. Putu liked her before she became famous, like Halle Berry, another star right-thinking people love to loathe. Not that Putu's love for AR is going to extend as far as watching the Mistress of Spices movie, of course. Oh no.
Also, remember, you read it here first - what, you ask, not unreasonably - this. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is part of Putu's global domination plan. How, you ask? It will all be clear in a while, my dear. It will all be clear. In due course. At the opportune moment. Just wait. And watch. And watch. The weight.

The Big Fish Fry

2004-09-26T16:35:00.000+05:30

Quick blog, as Putu’s supposed to be hard at work. But had to link to this really nice interview with one of Putu’s idols, Stephen Fry, master of some trades, jack of all. Actor, writer, now director, comedian, and what not else. Putu bends whiskers in unabashed fandom.
Incidentally, people keep asking Putu how to get into publishing houses. Putu a) has no idea b) is pleased to learn it's such a sought-after career.
Even more incidentally - Anne Rice is NOT refunding disgruntled readers for copies of the book that theyre sending back to her. Tchah.

How to respond to bad reviews

2004-09-25T17:54:00.000+05:30

This is the text of Anne Rice's response on Amazon to bad reviews of her latest book, another Vampire Lestat novel (the last?), on the same site. Putu couldnt find the review on the Amazon site (has it been taken off? it keeps moving back as new reviews come on in any case) but a cats best friend, Google, came to Putus aid.
Enjoy.

From the Author to the Some of the Negative Voices Here, September 6,
2004
Reviewer: Anne Obrien Rice (New Orleans, LA United States) -

Seldom do I really answer those who criticize my work. In fact, the
entire development of my career has been fueled by my ability to ignore
denigrating and trivializing criticism as I realize my dreams and my
goals. However there is something compelling about Amazon's willingness
to publish just about anything, and the sheer outrageous stupidity of
many things you've said here that actually touches my proletarian and
Democratic soul. Also I use and enjoy Amazon and I do read the reviews
of other people's books in many fields. In sum, I believe in what
happens here. And so, I speak. First off, let me say that this is
addressed only to some of you, who have posted outrageously negative
comments here, and not to all. You are interrogating this text from the
wrong perspective. Indeed, you aren't even reading it. You are
projecting your own limitations on it. And you are giving a whole new
meaning to the words "wide readership." And you have strained my
Dickensean principles to the max. I'm justifiably proud of being read by
intellectual giants and waitresses in trailer parks,in fact, I love it,
but who in the world are you? Now to the book. Allow me to point out:
nowhere in this text are you told that this is the last of the
chronicles, nowhere are you promised curtain calls or a finale, nowhere
are you told there will be a wrap-up of all the earlier material. The
text tells you exactly what to expect. And it warns you specifically
that if you did not enjoy Memnoch the Devil, you may not enjoy this
book. This book is by and about a hero whom many of you have already
rejected. And he tells you that you are likely to reject him again. And
this book is most certainly written -- every word of it -- by me. If and
when I can't write a book on my own, you'll know about it. And no, I
have no intention of allowing any editor ever to distort, cut, or
otherwise mutilate sentences that I have edited and re-edited, and
organized and polished myself. I fought a great battle to achieve a
status where I did not have to put up with editors making demands on me,
and I will never relinquish that status. For me, novel writing is a
virtuoso performance. It is not a collaborative art. Back to the novel
itself: the character who tells the tale is my Lestat. I was with him
more closely than I have ever been in this novel; his voice was as
powerful for me as I've ever heard it. I experienced break through after
break through as I walked with him, moved with him, saw through his
eyes. What I ask of Lestat, Lestat unfailingly gives. For me, three
hunting scenes, two which take place in hotels -- the lone woman waiting
for the hit man, the slaughter at the pimp's party -- and the late night
foray into the slums --stand with any similar scenes in all of the
chronicles. They can be read aloud without a single hitch. Every word is
in perfect place. The short chapter in which Lestat describes his love
for Rowan Mayfair was for me a totally realized poem. There are other
such scenes in this book. You don't get all this? Fine. But I
experienced an intimacy with the character in those scenes that
shattered all prior restraints, and when one is writing one does have to
continuously and courageously fight a destructive tendency to inhibition
and restraint. Getting really close to the subject matter is the
achievement of only great art. Now, if it doesn't appeal to you, fine.
You don't enjoy it? Read somebody else. But your stupid arrogant
assumptions about me and what I am doing are slander. And you have used
this site as if it were a public urinal to publish falsehood and lies.
I'll never challenge your democratic freedom to do so, and yes, I'm
answering you, but for what it's worth, be assured of the utter contempt
I feel for you, especially those of you who post anonymously (and
perhaps repeatedly?) and how glad I am that this book is the last one in
a series that has invited your hateful and ugly responses. Now, to
return to the narrative in question: Lestat's wanting to be a saint is a
vision larded through and through with his characteristic vanity. It
connects perfectly with his earlier ambitions to be an actor in Paris, a
rock star in the modern age. If you can't see that, you aren't reading
my work. In his conversation with the Pope he makes observations on the
times which are in continuity with his observations on the late
twentieth century in The Vampire Lestat, and in continuity with Marius'
observations in that book and later in Queen of the Damned. The state of
the world has always been an important theme in the chronicles. Lestat's
comments matter. Every word he speaks is part of the achievement of this
book. That Lestat renounced this saintly ambition within a matter of
pages is plain enough for you to see. That he reverts to his old self is
obvious, and that he intends to complete the tale of Blackwood Farm is
also quite clear. There are many other themes and patterns in this work
that I might mention -- the interplay between St.Juan Diago and Lestat,
the invisible creature who doesn't "exist" in the eyes of the world is a
case in point. There is also the theme of the snare of Blackwood Farm,
the place where a human existence becomes so beguiling that Lestat
relinquishes his power as if to a spell. The entire relationship between
Lestat and Uncle Julien is carefully worked out. But I leave it to
readers to discover how this complex and intricate novel establishes
itself within a unique, if not unrivalled series of book. There are
things to be said. And there is pleasure to be had. And readers will say
wonderful things about Blood Canticle and they already are. There are
readers out there and plenty of them who cherish the individuality of
each of the chronicles which you so flippantly condemn. They can and do
talk circles around you. And I am warmed by their response. Their
letters, the papers they write in school, our face to face exchanges on
the road -- these things sustain me when I read the utter trash that you
post. But I feel I have said enough. If this reaches one reader who is
curious about my work and shocked by the ugly reviews here, I've served
my goals. And Yo, you dude, the slang police! Lestat talks like I do. He
always has and he always will. You really wouldn't much like being
around either one of us. And you don't have to be. If any of you want to
say anything about all this by all means Email me at
Anneobrienrice@mac.com. And if you want your money back for the book,
send it to 1239 First Street, New Orleans, La, 70130. I'm not a coward
about my real name or where I live. And yes, the Chronicles are no more!
Thank God!

Whoa says Putu
This is what Neil Gaiman has to say
highlights -
...I suspect that most authors don't really want criticism, not even constructive criticism. They want straight-out, unabashed, unashamed, fulsome, informed, naked praise, arriving by the shipload every fifteen minutes or so. Unfortunately an Amazon.com reviews page for one of the author's books is the wrong place to go looking for this. Probably best just not to look...

Molvania

2004-09-24T18:19:00.000+05:30

What?
This

Cool cold advice from M. Atwood

2004-09-23T09:02:00.000+05:30

Via Kitabkhana, fabulous Margaret Atwood interview.
Heres to wishing fondly that younger writers will EVER make it, and to another profound putuism - all writers are younger writers than other writers.
Putu will chew Putu's tail in a melancholy fashion for a while.

A Children's Editor's Prayer

2004-09-22T11:19:00.000+05:30

by...well, by a children's editor, a very close friend of Putu's

Oh Lord God who rules the skies
Listen closely to my cries--

Save me, oh thou hallowed One
From Pip the Pony and Bing the Bun!

Save me from all magic beasts
And children having midnight feasts

And grannies in their little glasses
Teachers who abuse their classes

Protect me, Lord, and let me go
To meadows where no tulips grow

Lead me to streams where no fish dance
And stables where there is no chance

Of meeting horses who talk like men
Or matronly Mamma Hen.

Let no tale be a myth or fable
Give me sex on an office table.

Give me violence, give me gore
For goodness I can take no more.

Rocking Pictures

2004-09-21T21:50:00.000+05:30

From Rolling Stone...

"The Photographs is a collection of portraits; there are no concert photos here. But these are not still-lifes. This is what rock & roll looks like, up close, in the flesh. Feast your eyes."
So here they are -
Fifty years of rock and roll photographs.

Well begun

2004-09-20T13:00:00.000+05:30

Putu thanks Zigzackly for this wonderful link to a Dark and Stormy world of novel openings.
And elsewhere, Shashi Deshpande gently roasts VSN's 'banal, barren, narcissistic' Magic Seeds.
Also on the same page was a Google ad that read 'Ultimate Christian writers group. Great Exposure. Thousands of members!'
Heh, heh, heh.

Beastly Tales

2004-09-18T22:29:00.000+05:30

You are Beast!

You are brilliant and extremely clever. You can
handle almost any problem swiftly and
efficiently. You are devoted to philosophy and
are always up for a good discussion.
Sometimes, though, your anger gets the best of
you and you upset those whom you care about.

Which X-Men character are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla

Doing another of those Putu link-twists we have all learnt to love, hopefully, here's a little info for fans and followers of the Great Beast. Also, another great beast of the literary world gets profiled in the Guardian on the SAME DAY that Putu starts reading the first Dark Tower book. Spooky, which, in this case, couldnt be more apt.Update: More on the Dark Tower