Producer eyes better TV, film roles for Muslims

Producer eyes better TV, film roles for Muslims
By Omar Sacirbey, Globe Correspondent | June 26, 2007

When Labid Aziz of Natick thinks about "Never Mind Nirvana," he sees a
missed opportunity. A 2004 pilot for an NBC sitcom, it was centered on
the travails of an Indian-American doctor, his pregnant white
girlfriend, and his traditional parents, who move in. It was written
by Indian-American novelist Ajay Sahgal, directed by "Friends" star
David Schwimmer, and starred Kal Penn of "Harold and Kumar go to White
Castle." But the show didn't make NBC's final cut, losing out that
year to "The Office" and "Joey."

South Asians like Aziz, 32, a Bangladeshi-American Muslim and aspiring
producer, saw in "Nirvana" a wellspring of roles that didn't involve
playing a terrorist or convenience store clerk while portraying the
South Asian community, or a slice of it, in a way that might inspire
empathy rather than incite resentment. On this fall's schedule, Aziz
has a second opportunity: The CW network is unveiling a new sitcom
called "Aliens in America" about a Muslim exchange student from
Pakistan.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/06/26/producer_eyes_better_tv_film_roles_for_muslims/

Firstborn children have higher IQs

OK, so my older brother is smarter than me!!!!

Firstborn children have higher IQs
THURSDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) — First-born children possess IQs that are 2.3 points higher, on average, than their younger siblings, a new study contends.
This finding held true even when first-born children didn't survive and a younger child was reared as the eldest, scuttling the idea that genetics determines the difference in IQ among siblings, according to the Norwegian researchers who authored the report, published in the June 22 issue of the journal Science.
"This study really puts to an end a debate that's been going on for more than 70 years," said Frank J. Sulloway, a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Personality and Social Research, and the author of an accompanying commentary in the journal. "The theory of biological differences is pretty much dead as a doornail."
While a 2.3 IQ point difference doesn't seem large, it translates into about a 30 percent increased chance of a child getting into an Ivy League university, Sulloway said.

Read full article at --
http://www.babycenter.com/news/?id=605793&scid=pcbulletin:20070625:0:0:0#story

Tollywood vs Bollywood with Sivaji

While Bollywood is more popular internationally, it is amazing how much green Indian regional films as in Tamil films, better known as Tollywood make.

The Business Standard reports --" The country's highest-paid film star is also its most famously reclusive one. His latest blockbuster released this weekend to hysterical audiences as India's most expensive film.
On Friday, India’s most expensively mounted film starring the country’s highest-paid film star opened across 760 screens to a juggernaut of hysteria.
Preceding its box-office debut, the lead actor addressed his fans from Tirupathi, prints were carried on elephant-back accompanied by a traditional band in Kerala’s Sultanpetta to the local Vadakkunthari temple to be handed over by the priest to the theatre manager, and bookings closed a record three weeks in advance."

Read the full article at
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_supp.php?autono=287889&leftnm=2&subLeft=0&chkFlg=Features

Insulting your family and friends...

I went out to dinner tonight with my husband and son. Saturday night at a nice family restaurant, I was saddened to see that at atleast 50 percent of the tables, the diners who were supposed to be eating were all so preoccupied with their cellphones and blackberries, not the eating kind.

It was very strange to see one father typing away madly at his blackberry, while his wife was talking on her cell phone, and their son was enjoying an ice cream alone. At another table three teenaged girlfriends, each staring at their own phones and SMS'ing away to glory.

The drinks are on the table, foods good, company's excellent and half the people at the restaurant instead of realizing how lucky they are to have this, and instead of enjoying this are so caught up with their cell phones... For Gods Sake! I for one would vote for a law that bans using phones during dinner and family gatherings.

This is the most succesful way to insult your family and friends...

2007 Summer Reading

Heres what Tom Ashbrook says on his NPR show "On Point" about Summer Reading --

"Let's face it, summer reading has become a fashion statement, a vacationer's fetish, a marketer's dream. Sun lotion and Tuscan sun. Whole families, assiduously armed with hot paperbacks. Please, Oprah, please put my book on the beach!
And yet, when the marketing din has gone by, and the afternoons are long, and there's a beach, or a breeze, or a porch swing, how many of us long to get lost in the middle of a great book -- or a potboiler -- and feel the summertime slow to the soft turn of pages."

Here are the top Books for Summer 2007 as listed by the panel on this show --
http://www.onpointradio.org/features/2007/summer07.asp

India escapes U.S. list of worst human traffickers

CNN reports --

"India, which advocacy groups say may have as many as 65 million forced laborers, was spared the worst ranking on the State Department's new list of nations where humans are bought and sold.

Countries not doing enough to combat human trafficking could face sanctions if they don't take steps to improve.

The annual Trafficking in Persons report, released Tuesday, says that as many as 800,000 people -- largely women and children -- are trafficked across borders each year. Many are forced into prostitution, sweatshops, domestic labor, farming and child armies. (Watch why India isn't on Tier 3 )

U.S. officials told CNN the question of India's ranking caused a heated debate between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

Negroponte wanted India listed as a Tier 3 country, or worst offender. Rice overruled him out of concern about alienating the Indian government. India is on the Tier 2 watch list.

Rice agreed to undertake a special evaluation of India in six months, and then take action if India does not make improvements."

Megacities of the Future

Forbes magazine lists the megacities of the future. Among the top 10 are Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta!!!

http://www.forbes.com/2007/06/11/megacities-population-urbanization-biz-cx_21cities_ml_0611megacities_slide_2.html?thisSpeed=20000

Other related articles are 21st century cities and Ghost cities of 2100 which are also very interesting lists.

The Evolution of Indian American Villains

Recently a senior from my family commented to me that Indian Americans are so successful in America, and that they are integrating themselves so beautifully into American society. "Sure they are," was my retort.

I could come up with a very long list if I do some research, but here are the ones that gained notoreity more recently, and are topmost in my head. Even though guilty until proven, these people are certainly presenting a different profile of Indian Americans --
- The guy who abused his professor at the Univ of Mass
- Anand Jon
- Slave traders in Long Island
- Montessori School Teacher who sexually assaulted students in New York

There are so many more, feel free to add to this unfortunate list!

Arranged Marriages are Back in Fashion

Arranged marriage is back in fashion, is it? Reality shows like the bachelor and bachelorette, mimic swayamvaras of ancient Hindu epics like the Rmayana and others. Then there is this new modern matchmaking service.

I recently came across an article in the Boston Globe, which appeared March 2007 about Janis Spindel, whom upscale singles pay as much as $100,000 to find their soul mate. She is a glorified marriage broker of sorts like the ones my grandparents and older realtives in India used to find matches for the eligible boys and girls in the family. No different, really...

"In the 15 years she has been in the matchmaking business, Spindel claims responsibility for 760 marriages and "massive thousands in committed relationships." She speaks in hyperbole and italics, and tends to repeat her words for dramatic effect. "I'm dealing with gorgeous men -- gorgeous! -- who have it all, from billionaires in Bel Air to humongous movers and shakers in Washington to awesome guys in Boston. The only piece missing is a woman, and that's when they come to me.""

Read the full article at --
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/03/28/for_love_and_money/

What is proper art?

In Baroda, a student was arrested for rendering improper art.

The New York Times reports--

The tempest began on May 9 when a lawyer accompanied by police officers and television news crews marched into the art department at the respected Maharaja Sayajirao University, a state-run institution in Vadodara, in western Gujarat state. (Gujarat’s elected government is led by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.)

The lawyer, Niraj Jain, based locally and affiliated with the party, said he was aggrieved by several works exhibited on a wall in the department library, including a painting — or rather a digital enlargement of a painted work — depicting a female form wielding weapons in her many arms, evoking a goddess from the Hindu pantheon, and giving birth. It was the final-year art project by Chandramohan, a graduate student who goes by one name.

the full article is at the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/19/arts/design/19hind.html ex=1337227200&en=dd40d4b9887d2cb1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

This brings up the question of what is proper art? A question that is going to raise many controversies and ruffle the feathers of some religious fundamentalists.

Philosophical Pop Culture

As I was wathcing Spiderman 3 this afternoon, the underlying theme of an evil mind begets evil, nad a good mind begets good became evident very early on in the movie. Many religions, Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity, Budhism, believe that when a mind thinks good thoughts, good vibes emanate from an individual. Constant bad thoughts, make one sad and upset and an unpleasant person to hang out with.

Even though some feel that movies like Spiderman and Superman are pure entertainment and do not do much for the world, I believe otherwise. Some of these themes provide food for thought for young minds, why, even mature minds.

The folk tales of yesteryears, that I grew up with come to mind, like the Panchatantra, Aesops Fables, Arabian Nights most all of these stories carry a moral and even today when I read some of these to my little son, I stop to think about the morals behind some of these stories, basic, morals that the world of today ought to be reminded about and can surely integrate into their lives.

Muse and the Marketplace on NPR

Read the transcript on WBUR's Morning Edition

http://www.wbur.org/news/2007/67091_20070511.asp

Excellent Quote!

A good many young writers make the mistake of enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, big enough for the manuscript to come back in. This is too much of a temptation to the editor.
- Ring Lardner

This makes it even easier in the world of e-mail right, to hit the reply button with a form letter that says thanks but not thanks!!!

Another woman bites the dust!

Nicolas Sarközy born on 28 January 1955 in Paris, France, was elected as the 23rd President of the French Republic on 6 May 2007 after defeating Socialist Party contender Ségolène Royal. I was rooting for a woman to get elected to this french fried nation. No such luck!

Finding My Muse

This weekend I was at a writers conference in Cambridge, I am always amazed at how many writers there are out there, in spite of the fact that they hardly make any money, unless of course they are a John Grisham, Dan Brown or a Vikram Chandra. Most of them hold full time day jobs ranging fro IT to waiting tables, but they continue to make time to pursue their passion. I want to dedicate this post to those hardworking writers out there who keep chugging away at what they love to do!

In the name of fame!

Isn't it odd, how we suddenly adopt those unknown folks, with an Indian connection and make them a Desi, as soon as they become famous. Norah Jones, who has never really been raised by her father Ravi Shankar and Sanjaya Malakar, son of a divorced Indian father and American mother, who raised him, are just two examples. There are oodles of folks whom we choose to ignore and when they suddenly gain fame, they become ours -- to keep.

Create, Energize, Enrich!!!

I just returned from 3 days of hob-nobbing with fellow desi writers, at the Kriti conference in Chicago. What a wonderful experience it was. More than anything the energy and enthusiasm that was flowing was fantastic, the quality of work was excellent.

Most of all I was touched by the desire of the participants to write and their love for the craft. Many, like myself if I might add, have quit high paying jobs and lucrative careers to pursue their dream. And besides those lucky ones, like myself, who have a pouse to support us through these times, there are an amazing group of people who hold full time day jobs and then make time to moonlight as writers.

Hats off to these folks who are excellent at what they do and are pursuing their dreams, come what may... Full steam ahead!!!!

Apple Advertisements...

The young, hip, trim and ever symapthetic apple computer and the obese, "feel sorry for yourself". whining, PC, they make a fantastic pair and for some very enjoyable advertisements.

The short witty conversations that make the apple computer some across as sympathetic yet highly competent are brilliant and fun to watch. See them here --
http://www.apple.com/getamac/

I hear your question, so what do I use eh? You guessed it right!!!

Ricard Gere and Shilpa Shetty!!!

Lighten up !!!!

Blowing things out of proportion has always been the way it is. Indians protesting against the Richard Gere / Shilpa Shetty episode, need to step back, before they burn effigies. The number of kissing scenes in Bollywood movies and lurid sex scenes and dances are growing with each movie being released. And then there is a totally if nothing, innocent move by Gere and Shetty to get the attention of the Indian trucking community, and they go about blowing it up for no apparent reason.

Time for these people to stop acting like the most pure beings around and start looking internally!

April Snow Showers...

I was returning from my yoga class this morning... When I left earleir, there was some light rain, but an hour and a half later tiny pieces of hail. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some milk and produce. When I came out of the grocery store pea sized pieces of hail bounced off my head and body. I ran into my car and started heading home when the kumquat size pieces of hail pounded on my cars windshield.

This was the middle of April, April 15th, spring in thr northeast, when the crocus and daffodil bulbs sprout and start bringing color to our yards and homes. No such luck.

Whatever you want to call it, global warming, el nino, whatever else, fact remains that the weather is pretty darned bizzarre. My husband, son and I are raring to get out and enjoy the spring weather. My 3 year old son has been refusing to wear warm weather clothes for the last couple of weeks. He only wears short sleeve Madras shirts and summer t-shirts. He is rather upset that he is not able to go out and play in his sandbox. All the kids in teh neighborhood are gettign stir crazy. It is spring vacation week and everyone is cooped up inside thanks to the nor-easter that is pounding the east coast.

Time for the weather to warm up.... We are all waiting for the April Snow Showers to cease and bring us some spring weather!