Today is World Elephant Day, and while that means it’s a great time to catch up on cute elephant videos online, there are also serious problems facing the species. Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, according to the World Elephant Day website, and an estimated 100 African elephants are killed each…
via Today Is World Elephant Day. Here’s Why That Matters — Science – TIME
Posted in A Vibrant Life! | Tagged Ecology, Elephants, Sustainability | 5 Comments »
Here is a great tribute to Kishore Kumar from the stable of Findshars.
Enjoy!
By
Sharada Iyer
A small tribute on his 87th birth anniversary…
Kishore Kumar acted in around 100 films during his career spanning four decades (1946-1987) including a few Bengali films also. He may not have been counted among the so-called suave, dashing and debonair heroes but he had a certain charm of his own which made him extremely popular and he ended up acting opposite almost all the top heroines of that time like Madhubala, Vyjayantimala, Meena Kumari, Mala Sinha, Sadhna,Kum Kum, Shyama,Nimmi etc. He also got to work with great directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Bimal Roy, Phani Majumdar, M V Raman, Satyen Bose, Asit Sen, Mohan Sehgal, etc. Gulzar once said that so impressed was Hrishikesh Mukherjee with his talent that he had been the original choice for the memorable film Anand which could not materialize due to various reasons.
Kishore Kumar was a very natural actor and had a unique body…
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Posted in The Magic of Movies! | Tagged Actor, Bollywood, Humour, Kishore Kumar, Singer | Leave a Comment »
In these troubled times, humour is an effective anti-dote to the kind of blues we face. Could there be anyone better than Plum to help us in keeping our sanity intact?
‘Haven’t you ever heard of Sister Lora Luella Stott?’
‘No. Who is she?’
‘She is the woman who is leading California out of the swamp of alcohol.’
‘Good God!’ I could tell by Eggy’s voice that he was interested. ‘Is there a swamp of alcohol in these parts? What an amazing country America is. Talk about every modern convenience. Do you mean you can simply go there and lap?’
Laughing Gas (1936)
We live in troubled times, eh what? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that Evelyn Waugh chappie knew a thing or two when he said of Wodehouse: ‘He will continue to release future generations from captivity that may be more irksome than our own.’ I would be failing in my duties as a modern commentator if I didn’t observe that the captivity is looking every bit as irksome as Waugh predicted, and getting…
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Posted in What ho! | Tagged Humour, Laughing Gas, P G Wodehouse | Leave a Comment »
The soft power of India is well known. Spirituality. Arts. Culture. Movies.
Here is a great post on the soft power of Bollywood.
Enjoy!
By
Sharada Iyer
The recently released film ‘Talvar’ by Meghna Gulzar has created such a buzz that not only did the Honourable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee contact the director’s office and express his desire to see the film, but an online campaign has also been started on social media with a plea to the Chief Justice of India to re-open the case.
(image source-Bombay Times)
The film has managed to create quite a stir both in the media as well as the public as it brings to light the unbelievable callousness of the investigating police officers involved which resulted in a lot of precious evidence being lost forever. The ego clashes of the two CBI groups have been laid bare for the public to ponder upon thus raising many questions regarding the hurried closure and judgement of the case.
It is indeed remarkable for a Bollywood film…
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Posted in The Magic of Movies! | Tagged Bollywood, India, Movies, Social Responsibility, Soft Power | 2 Comments »
Here is a juicy post which provides excellent tips to come up with the next whodunit the authors amongst you might be planning to dish out to an unsuspecting populace.
I recently found a series of fascinating interviews in The Paris Review, with half a century of famous writers discussing How They Wrote: a treasure trove of advice and inspiration for the aspiring author. The one that most struck a chord, though, was the interview with our beloved Plum in 1975 by Gerald Clarke.
Wodehouse returned to America in 1914, following earlier, brief visits – payment for his short stories being considerably more than that offered in England – and it was there that he found success in the musical comedies that would stylistically define the rest of his writing career. He’d first contributed a lyric to a London show in 1904, but his first substantial contribution, in 1914, had been a flop. Over in New York, Miss Springtime, his first outing with dream team Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern, was a success; a year later their musical
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Posted in What ho! | Tagged Authors, Humour, P G Wodehouse, Writing | Leave a Comment »
I decide to get offended, you decide to stay aloof,
Who will then make us stay under the same roof?
A fissure today may well grow into a chasm tomorrow,
Who will fill it up with a wheel cart and a handbarrow?
I decide to remain silent, so do you remain quiet,
Which arrow will then pierce this void with its might?
If every small thing you were to take to your heart,
Who will then restore the warmth and play Cupid’s part?
I am unhappy at this gap, nor are you feeling nice,
Who will then take the initiative of breaking the ice?
I am not agreeable, to be amenable you do not bother,
Who will then have the magnanimity to pardon the other?
When our thoughts turn to the lovely memories of the past,
Who will lead us to an oasis of happiness in the sad desert vast?
I operate from within my huge silo of ego, so do you from yours,
Who will give us the courage to break open the shut doors?
Do you think we both shall live for all times to come?
Just look into each other’s eyes and keep mum?
Sipping together the elixir of joy that life is yet to pour,
One left behind not to repent when the other is no more?
Cross the point of zero gravity between us,
Be like twin stars in each other’s orbit without much fuss?
Life gave us the walls of caste, creed, sex, nationality, income and wealth,
Let us break the walls of our egos and enjoy good companionship and health!
(Related Posts:
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/of-novelty-and-relationships
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/the-alpha-beta-and-gamma-of-interpersonal-relations
Posted in A Vibrant Life! | Tagged Ego, Family Values, Love, Relationships, Togetherness | 4 Comments »
The more I read this poem, the more I admire the wisdom contained in its short but crisp composition!
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s…
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Posted in A Vibrant Life! | Tagged Children, Khalil Gibran, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Here is a delectable post from ‘dustedoff’ on the songs of the classic Bollywood offering: Pyaasa.
Quote
Why not begin, I thought, where I left off in my last post? The last song I listed in my post on my ten favourite Waheeda Rehman songs was Jaane kya tune kahi, from Pyaasa. Interestingly, this was …
Posted in The Magic of Movies! | Tagged Bollywood, Classics, Guru Dutt, Lyrics, Music, Pyaasa | Leave a Comment »
We live in challenging times. But for residents of Plumsville (Plumtopians, as Honoria Glossop would label them), harsh slings and arrows of life have an effective antidote – the sunlit streets of Plumsville, lined on both the sides with trees which offer low-hanging fruits of delectable humour.
Relish this offering.
Pip pip!
I have reblogged a few Wodehouse pieces in Plumtopia, which I like to think of as a little haven for like-minded readers. This week’s piece is an appetite-whetting encouragement to new readers from Zanyzigzag.
It’s also a great read for affirmed Plum lovers. Zanyzigzag’s piece has special significance for me as I prepare to leave for England in less than a fortnight. The seeds of this journey, and years of thinking and planning, have been strongly influenced by my love of Wodehouse. I especially loved hearing about Norman Murphy’s Wodehouse Walk, which is on my list of top 10 things to do when I arrive.
I have been criticised for expecting to find England as Wodehouse knew it. This is a ridiculous suggestion, although I’m secretly hoping the Shropshire Agricultural Show will offer a hint of Plumtopia. What I do expect England to offer – that is deplorably lacking in…
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Posted in What ho! | Tagged Humour, P G Wodehouse | Leave a Comment »
Ah….the unbearable pangs of separation from Blogsville!
Dear Fellow Bloggers, Followers, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The high and low tides of life are finally about to take their toll,
For some time I am likely to be off the Blogsville radar, sorely missing you all.
Continue with your voracious readings, have fun, enjoy your time,
Yours truly would soon be back on board with prose and verse that rhyme.
I shall be sorely missing the inner joy of writing and its associated pleasure,
Rewards of your valuable feedback I shall relish on return at my leisure.
AWOL I do not aspire to be, hence this request,
Do please grant me a short leave of absence in right earnest!
Posted in A Vibrant Life! | Tagged Blogging, Internet Accessibility, Leave | Leave a Comment »
ashokbhatia 