Books in small doses

From Reuters- By Claudia Parsons (Tue May 22, 2007):

Never had time to read "Moby Dick" and want something weightier than spam to read in your email inbox? A new Web site is offering to send classic books in bite-size installments to your handheld device or e-mail whenever you have a free moment, for free.

The e-mails from www.dailylit.com are designed to be read in under five minutes. Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days" comes in 82 parts while Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" could take nearly two years of working days to read at 430 parts.

And you don’t have to register either. I just received the first chapter of Sense and Sensibility (yeah, yeah, I haven't read it yet) and the email subject came as ‘Sense and Sensibility (1 of 144)’ so you know exactly how many parts you’ve read/ have left to read.

Happy reading!

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This movie is a must watch. At least twice.
If you can, try to see it on a big screen. The full effect of the camera's/editing team's genius will hit you better. The unlikely combination of Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey actually works; though Kate as Clememtine is brilliant in her portrayal of an impulsive and somewhat eccentric yet loving girlfriend to Joel, Jim as Joel does not come up to the same mark. Make no mistake, his portrayal of an insecure, shy guy is brilliant, yet you can often see glimpses of the volatilely funny characters he's played so far.

Here's a plot that's really original. Clementine and Joel have been seeing each other till Joel makes a particularly hurtful comment and Clementine in a fit of anger and pain, decides to erase him from her memory. I mean literally! Through a non-invasive medical procedure. When Joel finds out, he determines to do the same, but during the process, he has a change of heart and tries to cling to his memories of Clementine. But the procedure barrels its way through his subconscious and eventually all memories of Clementine really do get erased. Then God (what, Fate, who?) gives them another chance. You really don't know what's going to happen until the very last minute.
This movie deserves as Oscar! If you saw Crash and thought it deserved Hollywood's highest accolade you'll change your mind after watching ESSM.I know I did. The story has a very strong lesson too, something that we all know but have oftentimes had to learn again— that only through the process of loss do we discover what we had.
The ending sound track 'Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes' by Beck Lyrics sums up the movie beautifully:
"Change your heart
Look around you
Change your heart
It will astound you"

Virtual Graffiti

Netdisaster.com is loads of fun! Always wished you could do something about a website that you thought sucked in design or content? Just go to Netdisaster.com, type in the URL of your target, choose your weapon of mass destruction, and fire!
Experiment with tomatoes, pies, cow dung or even acid pee. While I only recommend it for private amusement, I wouldn't be surprised if site administrators of some websites received images of their website all splattered with tomatoes via email!
What would be really nice is if instead of being limited to webpages, it can be used against files stored offline (on a PC or netwrok).
Anyway, my favourites are graffiti, most of the 'Life forms' options, all the 'dirty' options and the most satisfying 'Tomatoes' option!
Go ahead, have some fun!

No offense Orkuters, the site was most handy for this pic.

Myriad Art Gallery

I'm an art lover. If that sounds pompous, let me explain. I look for and appreciate Art in nature (sunlight streaming through the branches of a tree), art in people's behaviours (what makes a person a joy to look at, even if not good loooking), and art in mundane things like a room arrangement. I believe in fact, that art is all around us— beauty really does lie in the eyes of the beholder.
But probably the most difficult of all art is the art captured on canvas (aka painting!) or through a lens eye (you guessed it: photography!) That's because what the artist tries to do is reproduce a scene for someone who hasn't witnessed it. This 'scene' may be real or imaginery, anything the artist feels like sharing that he thinks will evoke an emotion in the beholder.
My most treasured 'scene' is a black and white framed photograph of a window of an old Goan home taken from the inside, which hangs on my bedroom wall. This scene was captured by photographer Jude D'silva from Goa. I find it difficult to explain why exactly I love this picture, but the moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it.
Jude is the owner of Myriad Art Gallery in Panjim, a beacon of hope (yeah, I know that sounds cliched, but what would you say, huh? Huh?) for undiscovered talent. Jude describes the gallery as a "place to bring artists and Art lovers together on one platform". He says, "We don't want to be a contemporary, cliché gallery. We will be hosting art workshops, seminars, exhibitions, artist showings, Art appreciation courses, even if art groups would like to meet at the premises something can be arranged. We also plan to host special events for fresh new artists and open events for art critics." For Jude, the gallery and all it represents is a dream that has become reality.
Situated on the first floor just opposite Vinite restaurant in Fountainhas, the gallery has an old world charm which makes it a very comfortable atmosphere for musing. You can walk in without any pretence, stand and stare at the paintings and photographs displayed on its wooden walls and wait for a scene to speak to you. Just, listen.

Prayer for the Work place

This prayer was written by my friend Kenneth Fernandes. It's an amazing prayer—straight from the heart! I encourage you to read it, save it and use it again and again. God bless!

My Heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I bring Your presence with me. I seek Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy and Your perfect order into this office. I acknowledge Your power over all that will be spoken, thought, decidedand done within these walls.

Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have blessed me with. I commit to using them responsibly in Your honour, give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job. Annoint my projects, ideas and energy so that even my smallest accomplishments may bring You glory.

Lord, when I am confused, guide me.When I am weary, energize me. When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit. May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.

And Oh Lord, when I leave this place, give me travelling mercy. Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it. Lord I thank You for everything You've done, everything You're doing, and everything You're going to do.

In the mighty Name of Jesus I pray, with love and thanksgiving....
Amen.