of reading

One thing a 10 inch tablet is best suited for, is reading- especially comics. In fact, that's the sole reason I've been obsessing over a decent tablet for so long. And I was right.

If you like reading comics too, I implore you to try Road to Perdition. Written by Max Allan Collins and drawn beautifully by Richard Piers Rayner, this 300 page long GN is a beauty to behold from the very first frame. No wonder they made a movie out of it. (Starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig and Jude Law, and directed by Sam Mendes, the movie won an Oscar for cinematography in 2002. But you probably know that, so let's talk about the GN.)

A little research will tell you that the story is loosely based on the Japanese manga series Lone Wolf and Cub.

The lead character Michael O'Sullivan, known as Archangel of Death or simply the Angel, is betrayed by his Irish mob boss after his son witnesses a mob hit in progress. The boss' ruthless son also kills Mike's wife and younger son. With the elder son in tow, the angel declares a war on his own gang as well as their more powerful associates from Chicago- The Al Capone gang. The story is loosely based on actual events and set in the American Midwest during the Great Depression and draws upon several historical figures, especially the gangster John Patrick Looney and Al Capone.

So what makes me rave about the GN?

• The mood. This is one story where Black and White art actually enhances the reading experience, giving it a very grim and Noir ambiance, further accentuated by a very James Ellroy-ish style of story-telling.
• The story is sequential and simplistic. The result is much more powerful than you'd suspect. It gives the novel an old world appeal, as if the story is from a time when people and their motives were simpler, way more black and white instead of gray.
• The art is subtle and realistic. Overall, the impact is of witnessing real life events rather than entering a fictional world.

I suggest you grab a copy and experience this GN for yourself. Now!

A Time Magazine Article on the subject

blogging redux and the little drummer boy

So now we have a new way to blog.

With a tablet in hands (a shiny Acer Iconia A500 with a 10.2 inch screen), how difficult should it be to blog every once in a while, right? Well, we shall see.

The big news for the day is that dear Mrityunjay has been introduced to a music school. And drums seem to be his weapon of choice (watch out, Neil Peart), while daddy has decided to try learning guitar, yet again (for the fifth time, no less). So weekends from now on shall be interesting.

I recently read 'The Hunger Games', a delightfully fresh sci-fi by the uber-talented Suzanne Collins. You can tell how impressed I was by the fact that I have picked a whole series- 'The Underland Chronicles', by the lady. Whether we continue to stay impressed, only time shall tell.

Also read the official biography of Steve Jobs, and found it an interesting read. It tries to explain the myth of the man called Steve by laying open all the complex facets. Completely recommended.

By the way, that's Mrityunjay- airdrumming away. For now.

new poems alert

here

An Open Letter to Nokia India

Update: Nokia India responded to this letter. Today, my Nokia E7 has returned from the dead, good as new. True, it has costed me Rs. 9000, a little more than 1/3rd of the phone cost, but it's money well spent. Well done, Team Nokia India! I'm in love with your brand all over again.


Dear Mr. Shivakumar. President & CEO, Nokia India

They say a brand is the sum-total of the experiences of its consumers.

I wish to tell you about a recent experience I have had with the brand Nokia in the hope that it would help you improve things at Nokia R&D and especially Nokia Care. I have always admired Nokia and over the years, I have purchased and enjoyed over 10 Nokia products like the fabulous 6600, 6708, E63, E71, C3-00 and many more (including the extremely rare Maemo based Nokia N-900) .

I have even been on the Nokia Nielsen panel for over an year. As a result, I was among the fortunate few who got a chance to receive a complimentary Nokia E7 from Finland in March 2011 immediately after its India launch.

Over the years, Nokia has gained a demigod like status when it comes to hardware expertise. However, after just about 5 months of usage, my E7 came in contact with a few drops of water and stopped functioning. Since the mobile had been shipped straight from Finland, it had no warranty. On Nielsen's advice, on 13th October, 2011, I took the damaged handset to my nearest Nokia Care Center, namely Cellpoint in South City Gurgaon.

I was told that they might have to send it to Nokia Factory to get it repaired and that it may cost up to 9,500/-, which, I said, is little price to resurrect such a beautiful piece of hardware (notice how I avoid saying 'good software').

After 12 days, I have received the phone back. Not only there is NO IMPROVEMENT in the handset's state, it actually has EVIDENCE OF MISHANDLING with several scratches on its body and a tiny piece of plastic missing altogether. As you can gauge from this passionate letter, this has broken my heart.

So I wish to ask you this:

Does the CARE part in Nokia Care mean nothing to its employees. If they can not repair a certain handset, can't they even handle it with care. After all, the device costs only a little less than my swanky new laptop.

Can nothing truly be done to bring this device back to life. Because, if Nokia can not repair it, who else can?

I do sincerely hope you have a solution to my problem and that you'd care enough to retain this Nokia loyalist.


PS: Wish you all the best for the upcoming Windows based device (Mango?). I look forward to Nokia reinventing the  mobile space once again.

Some new poems here

छुट्टी

पिछले रविवार सारी काएनात मेरे साथ छुट्टी पे थी. मैं वादी की दहलीज पर बैठा एक बादल के साथ चाय पी रहा था. सामने वाली ढलान पे धूप-छाँव पकड़न-पकड़ाई खेल रहे थे. और पुलम, काफल और आडू हिल हिल कर उन्हें जोश दिला रहे थे. 

doodling dalton

new sketches here

As you die one day at a time, avoiding the very idea of your mortality, as you worry more and more about your thinning and/or graying hair, your expanding midriff and your waning libido, tell me- do your dreams still copulate in the shadows of your sleep?

new poems

here
and
here

here comes the 1st Indian comic con

comic lovers rejoice!

Times, they are-a-changing.

India's first comic con is finally here. And it's right around the corner, barely 11 days from now.

The days are 19-20 Feb and the venue is Dilli Haat. So drop in and show your love for the world's greatest industry that's still taking baby-steps in our country. However, it's just a matter of time. Indians have been game changers. And it's not long before we start revolutioninzing the genre. Kalaakaron ki koi kami hai kya, hain?

Do visit http://www.comicconindia.com/ for more info.

Stay tuned for more news on Comic Con India.