My Blog has a new Home

Please go to my new website coolkrishnan.com

It has all the old blog content and more !

iDeath

"Death is very likely the single best invention of Life" - This is a quote by none other than Steve Jobs, Apple's founder. His untimely death is a shocker and makes me take a fresh look at the common attitude to seek material perfection.

It makes me wonder about life more. And death. Ironically, this is my first blog post using my new iPad, an Apple product launched by Steve Jobs one and a half years ago. It created a new category of gadgets then. Very much like the iPod and the iPhone. But the fact remains that everything is so stupidly transient in this world. Micro planning one's own life seems to me as the most stupid thing one can do. Can't life flow like a river? It can, only if we would allow it to.

Birth Certificate

United States law makes it illegal for a person to become its president if he/she is not born in the country. Makes sense, right ?

You do not need a Phd in Political Science to rationalize this law. It is just about national security.

Obama had to 'prove' that he was born in the USA. That is accountability to the voters. 

Sonia Gandhi :(

Dreaming Space

I need more living space.
No, not in the cyberspace.

I need more space to breathe fresh air.
To bask in the warmth of the sun.
To listen to the rain drops without the clanks of petrol guzzlers.
To dream in silence.

I need more dreaming space in my life.

Green New Year

2011. Another year to be grateful that we:

- have so many beautiful things in life.

- have so many wonderful people in life.

- have tender emotions like love, compassion and gratitude.

- are capable of giving back to the world and mother nature for being so kind to us.

Wish you a new year filled with peace and love !

Please. Please change one thing in your life today that will make the environment less stressed. Write your ideas for going green (as comments on this page), so you can share it with all readers of this Blog.

A R Rahman and Sonu Nigam

When I was in College, I listened to Sonu Nigam for the first time. To his early album - Deewana. I was instantly dissolved by the joy of his singing. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to rule the world of Indian playback singing. He did soon afterwards.

Being a great A R Rahman fan from my high school days, I got this thought. "How will it feel if Sonu sings to A R Rahman's tunes ?". I was overwhelmed by thinking about this possibility.

Later, the two combined to create many awesome songs like "Sat Rangee Re" in the movie "Dil Se".

Somehow they were not like the song that I had imagined. Years later, a song was born in the movie "Jhoota Hi Sahi" where my dream was fulfilled. The song "Do Nishaniyaan(Shorter Version)" magically created the same feelings in me when I imagined this a decade back.

Surreal. Magical. These moments make life worth living. Catch a glimpse. And download it if you wish.

A R Rahman and Dido

A R Rahman. Should I say anything more ?

Dido. One of the few western musicians I have been listening to. Simple and honest music with a subtly passionate singing style.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn these 2 got together for the song "If I rise" in Danny Boyle's movie - "127 hours".

Sounded interesting to me on my first listening. As usual, Rahman has rowed into uncharted waters. The amalgamation does n't appear revolutionary to me. At least yet. But I am happy.

A Flash of Paradise

Bangalore feels like paradise today. I mean, just the weather.
Noon was served chilled today. And I am loving it !

Chennai is being lashed by the rain gods, maybe that is creating these unusually cold winter days in Bangalore ? Top it with the fact that I had to wake up early and went cycling.

I wonder if life can remain so joyous like this over longer periods of time. Without any bells and whistles like money and fame.

Steam Cooking

Steam cooking is a great way to cook vegetables, which retains most of the nutrients, color and texture of vegetables.

A simple vegetable steamer can do the trick.

To learn more, see my article in the online magazine Suite101 -Vegetable Steamer for Healthy Cooking

Visit the Steam Cooking Store for USA or
Checkout the Vegetable Steaming Shop for UK

In India, I found Vinod Steamer is good, but not widely available.

Cook it up with love

My wife has started blogging her cooking inventions and improvisations. She is too excited about her new blog that she cooks up interesting recipes more frequently these days. (Good for me !).

Frankly speaking, you will not be disappointed if you sincerely try these recipes.

So, Cook it up with love   for dinner tonight !

annam brahma

अन्नम् ब्रह्म - "annam brahma" is an old Hindu idea which roughly means "Food is God".

If that sounds too primitive, watch the movie "Food Inc" to learn why America is in deep trouble because it sees food as just a commodity. The movie will change forever the way you look at food. Here is the official trailer in Youtube.

Unless you are too busy to take care of your health, I highly recommend you to watch this movie.

India's Soft Power !

What a speech by the MP Shashi Tharoor on what India means to the world in 21st century ! Again, he proves that he is one of the best Indian politicians ever. See for yourself in this TED Video.

I wish he becomes India's Prime Minister in the near future, though I doubt it will happen with the Gandy family around.

Bhagavad Gita Store

The ancient philosophical work - "Bhagavad Gita" has great ideas to make your life more meaningful and satisfying. Translated in English as "Song Divine", this book is suddenly becoming very popular in today's world that is lined with restlessness and chaos.

I set up an online Bhagavad Gita book/audio store with Amazon's support to help all peace seeking souls like me.

There are scores of books based on Bhagavad Gita - Some are plain translations from Sanskrit to English. Some are commentaries. Some are alternative interpretations. Please read detailed book reviews by other readers in this store to find the book that suits your philosophical taste. Bhagavad Gita belongs to every human being and has the potential to advance human civilization to a much more refined form.

Visit my Bhagavad Gita Store.

At present this store caters to folks in USA only, but I plan to add support for India and UK in the future.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Especially, I would like to know your experience with reviewing books and buying from the store and which book you ultimately bought. Please add them as comments on this post.

V-Slicer

- Do you believe in the health benefits of eating vegetables ?
- Do you wish to be able to cook tasty vegetable dishes ?
- Do you find it time consuming to cut, slice, shred, dice and julienne vegetables ?
- Do you dream to do these things quickly and effortlessly ?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you are like me. Very much like me. Do not worry - I spent months researching how to prepare vegetables effortlessly and in style. The answer is Borner V-Slicer.

Realize your veggie dream. Go ahead and get it straightaway - Review and order Borner V-Slicer Pro now.

You may also try Borner V-Slicer Plus, that is the older but popular and cheaper version.

My culinary life has never been more exciting than this !

Sick of Capitalism

I always had a sick feeling about capitalism since it considers money as God. (that is my understanding of it)

This week's "Week" magazine has Mahesh Dattani putting it in black and white in the last page article "A sickness called capitalism". I could not agree more !

Soap Nut !

Today is World Environment Day.

For some time, I have been thinking about alternatives to chemical based detergents for clothes and utensils. My grandma used to talk about some 'Soap Kaai' (means Soap-Fruit in Tamil) used during her childhood, but I never managed to get sufficient information about it then. My eco-responsibility-instinct being a bit high today(for obvious reasons), my optimistic googling revealed it to me !

You will not believe it. Soap-Nuts(as they are called) grow in trees in the wild, in India. And there is an Australian Company that imports it and makes cleaning products based on it. The company is called 'Soap in a nutshell' ! FAQ from their its website.

Now, if any of you know where I can find these trees, please tell me !

Here is another link about making your daily routine greener.

Corporate Poison

"Only after the last tree has been cut down.
Only after the last river has been poisoned.
Only after the last fish has been caught.
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
- Native American Prophecy

The world's worst industrial disaster happened in India. Bhopal gas tragedy. The company responsible was US based Union Carbide, whose poorly designed safety system broke and let out tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas into the atmosphere causing hell like consequences in 1984. 500,000 people were exposed to the gas. Thousands died immediately. Tens of thousands were severely disabled and died in the years that followed. Today, children are still born with serious birth defects. The company also left behind a huge toxic waste dump in Bhopal before they left the country. The company was later acquired by Dow Chemical Company which manufactured 'Agent Orange' - the chemical used by the US in Vietnam war.

Globalization. Who cares about the poor Indian factory workers anyway ? Government of India too covered up the issue partially to avoid a bad name.

Bhopal's soil and water are poisoned forever. The children born there are cursed forever. I think of the cockroaches and mosquitoes we poison to death everyday.

Wow Tharoor !

ashi Tharoor is the only guy in the Congress camp whom I wished should win in the 2009 Lok Sabha Polls. He won from Thiruvananthapuram where I was born.

I know him through his articles in "The Hindu - Sunday Magazine". I like his sensible style of speech. I like him for his open and honest opinion about our nation. I like his optimism.

I have very high hopes from him as MP and whatever responsibility he shoulders. I even think his future performance as MP can easily catapult him to national politics. He is the kind of guy I would love to vote for. Even as PM.

I happened to read Shashi Tharoor's blog, where I saw an amazing level of reader participation. He even asks the readers to suggest ideas that he could use ! Do take a look at the blog to feel positive about the future of India.

Boss, tujhe salaam !

A R Rahman has just bagged 2 Oscars. The song "Jai Ho" for which he got the "Best Original Song" sounds "below average" when compared to hundreds of gems that he has produced over last 2 decades for Indian films. He has the potential to rule Hollywood's music scene in the coming years.

Indian Music as a global commodity is irresistible. The world can finally listen to some real melodies now.

A Dream

On a foggy morning sunrise,
I wake up with birds chirping,
Feeling lazy and fresh.
I can hear water flowing.

A look through my window,
Shows just green.
Grass with dew,
And trees that lean.

No newspaper to read,
No clock or calender to see.
No TV to watch or phone to ring.
Just some hot tea.

Nowhere to go, nothing to do.
All I feel is just peace.
All I do is just be.
And my soul just is.