RIFLE RANGE BOY

We Came in Peace for All Mankind!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0800

For All Mankind (TV series, S1-5, 50 episodes)
Apple TV, 2019-2026

https://www.apple.com/uk/tv-pr/news/2026/02/
apple-tv-debuts-trailer-for-season-five-of-the-
award-winning-and-globally-acclaimed-
hit-space-drama-for-all-mankind/

Even today, people are sceptical about whether Man actually set foot on the Moon. Some claim that the footage of the Moon landing was staged in Hollywood studios. The studios had already perfected space photography, as seen in their 1968 blockbuster, Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. Many conspiracy theorists questioned why The Star-Spangled Banner appeared fluttering on film and why the shadows on objects were multi-directional, as if the light source were studio spotlights. People like Joe Rogan, who was a Moon landing denier in his early years, sold the idea that it was fake. After the seemingly successful Lunar Mission, NASA suddenly stopped space exploration. Again, deniers thought they had proved their point. No amount of talk about return on investments, lack of funds, or dearth of resources in the lunar soil convinced them otherwise. To top it all, the deniers questioned why, after 55 years since Apollo 11, NASA finds so much joy in going around the Moon to the dark side and back. They should be doing more than that.

NASA, in its defence, reiterated in the 1970s that it had won the space race over the Soviet Union by sending a man to the Moon. Period.

The TV series offers an alternative narrative of how the world would have turned out if the Soviet Union had landed the first man on the Moon rather than the USA. The Americans who took the space race because it was hard were embarrassingly defeated by the Russians.

The defeat was not the end of space exploration. NASA continued mission after mission until they built a moon base after finding water on the Moon. Surprise, surprise, the Soviets made it there too.

They talked about Apollo missions, numbering more than 45. They had extended their reach to Mars in a multinational joint effort. A wealthy megalomaniac enters the picture to aid with research and logistics (think Elon Musk).

In a surprising turn of events, the secretive North Koreans beat the multinational team to the finish line in the race to Mars. They start a self-sustaining colony on Mars. By the start of the fifth season, there are already people who develop patriotism for Mars as they spend a lot of their growing years on Mars. The space teams break up into factions over national and self-interest when a stray asteroid with mineral resources becomes the point of conflict. Everyone wants to lay their claim on the massive asteroid.

While on Earth, in this alternative universe, Nixon is not indicted for Watergate but loses his reelection to Ted Kennedy. In real life, Ted Kennedy's candidacy was marred by a scandal involving his campaign worker, who was his passenger when he met with an accident on Chappaquiddick Island. In this series, this never happened because the Soviets had landed on the Moon. So Ted cancelled his trip. There was, however, another controversy, the Florida Files, involving Ted later. The series used some photos from the Chappaquiddick incident. Reagan was the President earlier, in 1977, as Ted did not seek reelection. Gary Hart, who withdrew from the election for an extramarital affair, became the President in 1985 and 1993 in this alternate universe. America got a lesbian two-term President, and precariously, both Bushes, Clinton and Obama are absent. Al Gore was actually successful in the 2001 elections.

In the Soviet Union, the USSR never collapsed, and Gorbachev presided over its reforms as it remained a spacefaring nation to be reckoned with.

At the human level, as the series spans more than 35 years, we see how relationships sour, how tragedies strike families, how strong men and women grow fragile, how people grow old, and how people cope with trauma.

An engaging series. 4.5/5. Just ignore the fact that age never seems to be a barrier to going to space, or why nepotism exists in the space programme. Do not ask why the kids of astronauts repeatedly get the chance to go to space, or why astronauts do not find much difficulty walking on Earth despite being in space with zero gravity for months.

As mentioned in one of the dialogues, humans are just a few steps away from animals. This is so true, as we see an endeavour to push the limits of science and technology to their extremes slowly morph into something that shows real human fragility. Humans suppress fellow humans to slave for them. Everybody thinks they know the best way to do things. The only way they know to resolve issues is through violence, unlike what we saw in 'Star Trek', set in the 23rd century, where people resolve confrontations through negotiation.

P.S. A plaque left on the Moon by Apollo 11 read "We Came in Peace for All Mankind".

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Why do tribes go to war?

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0800

A clip from the TV Series 'Combat!'
from the late 60s.

In the patriotic Hollywood movie 'Syriana' (2005), a child asks his parent why people fight. In a simple reply befitting a young child, the parent offered a brief comment on politics, power, and belief systems. In another movie, this time a Bollywood spy film, Khufiya (Secret; 2023), a similar conversation took place about why wars occur. The mother's lines were…

“As long as the world is divided into religion and countries… this will continue, and we are all responsible”.

It may be simplistic to categorically identify the reasons tribes go to war. We may say that people fight for the piece of cloth that holds them all together. If that were true, why should the European borders change so often from the 17th to the 20th century? The motif on the cloth and the allegiance to the powers that be changed so often at the drop of a hat (or helmet) with each battle.

Do religions cause disputes? Funny, because Man created religions to instil the fear of God and to work towards a greater good for humanity. Religions intended to create a level playing field so the weak and poor will have a chance at living on God's great Earth. Amusing that this noble cause has been twisted so much to become the nidus of many a war. One brother thinks he has found the real path to God and becomes hell-bent to defend his idea to the grave. He does mind harming his own flesh and blood to drive home the point that his personal god is superior to his brothers'. Multiple wars are still being fought on many fronts, defending religion or its numerous denominations within.

Do we defend the land we reside in as it is our motherland (or fatherland, if you are German)? Have we been behaving like predators, trying to mark our territories to ensure the land's wealth is exploited for our personal needs? We know what happened to the whole world when the Nazi regime was singing the glory of the Third Reich, as if the previous two Reichs were any better. Nations have been shutting their doors to their needy and poor neighbours for aeons. This is even seen in the 21st century.

During the First World War, India is said to have sent 2.5 million of its people to fight for the British Empire in exchange for the promise of self-rule. Paradoxically, not everyone was in the same boat with this arrangement. The Indian Muslims were not so thrilled with the idea of killing their brothers of the same faith in combat on the opposing side. Yet the whole world thought it was justified to start a world war, all because Germany had invaded a fellow European country, even though the imperialists had been doing the same over Asian and African countries for the longest time. Apparently, some lives matter more than others.

In India, that resistance against sending troops to support the Allied Forces soon morphed into the Khilafat³ movement, which eventually divided India into three parts. The idea of reliving the glory days of the Ottoman Empire is still very much alive through groups like ISIS, Hamas, and Hezbollah. It becomes more complicated as the perpetrator and the victim both justify their actions and claim victory over the other. I guess the true victims are the ones caught in the crossfire. To the warring factions, they are written off as mere collateral damage.

Evolutionary experience has taught us that we need others to survive. We become stronger in groups. For all intents and purposes, it is a numbers game. Babies as young as five months old have learned to favour their own tribes and be wary of outsiders. This trait must have persisted into adulthood, fostering distrust of outsiders. When things do not go our way, we conveniently blame all our woes on 'others'. When the economy is bad, we blame everyone else. When the crime rate skyrockets, we blame immigrants. The 'others' that we blame may be invisible, but they form important bogeymen to absolve our oversights. Political leaders find these 'others' convenient punching bags to rally support for a power grab.

On the one hand, we think we need others to prosper; on the other, we have an innate tendency to dominate them. We assume resources are limited, and we have to be one step ahead of the man next door, always trying to outwit them. We hoard goods for a rainy day, but do help a friend in need. These 'selfish genes' ensure the survival of our own kind. In modern times, we call this geopolitics. It ensures that the needs and interests of people in a particular locale are addressed. In geopolitics, there are no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. For years, I have kept hearing this sentence when it comes to geopolitics. There are no permanent friends or enemies. Self-interest prevails.

Since languages unite people, it was thought that countries and states should be demarcated according to their spoken languages. Then, it dawned upon us that even people speaking the same language can be at loggerheads with people of the same linguistic group. An example that comes to mind is the case of Andhra Pradesh, established by the Telugu-speaking community, only to split along economic lines.

That is where it finally comes to. It is all about dollars and cents. As the old Tamil adage goes, 'at the mention of money, even a corpse would gape its mouth in awe'! People may be intertwined in many ways - culture, language or even DNA. The things that supersede all these bonds are wealth and power. Greed has no boundaries. The world provides for all our needs, but not our greed.

The promise of the mother of all wars to end all wars is just a dream. It will be the beginning of many more. As Einstein posited, "I do not know how World War 3 will be fought, but one thing I know is that World War 4 would be fought with sticks and stones!"

It just goes on to show that even when the tide is down and out, the human spirit to overtake, control, lead and be one step above his neighbour will never stop. Fighting is in-built. No generations of civilizational advances will change that.

We thought the ability to integrate the five senses with advanced cognitive abilities made us superior to animals. In reality, we are not. Unlike other beings, which kill for food, territory and mates, we have the dubious distinction of killing for sport and pleasure. Perhaps, having a complex brain is the issue here. Even brainless creatures like ants and bees live in complex hierarchical societies, ensuring proper defence and the survival of their progeny. Still, they fight only for food and space.

Maybe we are all cursed as we slowly move towards entropy and Armageddon.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Learn to live with aliens?

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 07:08:58 +0800

Project Hail Mary (2025)

Director: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

The phrase 'throwing a Hail Mary' originated from American football to signify a desperate attempt to throw the ball forward, hoping against hope to score in a last-minute effort when it appears nearly impossible to do anything else. The word slowly came to be used in everyday conversation to signify the same thing: a risky last-minute effort to fix something.

This film is based on the storybook of the same name by Andy Weir. The movie is said to stay true to the book. Unlike most Hollywood sci-fi stories, this one does not propagate the idea that all our worldly problems can be resolved by blasting them away, as we saw in Independence Day and the Star Wars franchise.

Trouble starts when scientists discover that the suns in the Universe are slowly dying. Our Sun in the Solar System is slowly dying, too. As expected, this would lead to catastrophic effects on Earth. The scientists also discovered that the Sun is infected with an organism they call 'astrophage' for its ability to eat stars. The only star that is not infected by this astrophage is Tau Ceti. The researchers set up a team to look into this. This international team isolated the astrophage and discovered that it could power a spacecraft to Tau Ceti for investigation.

Many things happened, and a ragtag crew of three landed on this one-way suicide mission. The protagonist, a disgruntled school teacher, is the only surviving member of the crew and finds himself stranded on a spaceship in the middle of nowhere, amnesic. He digs deep into his memory bank (his organic one), only to encounter an alien lifeform. He builds communication with Rocky, the alien, through the computers at his disposal. Together, they finally send a probe to Earth so that the infection afflicting our Sun can be rectified.

A good one.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Trouble with fame...

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Wed, 3 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Blue Moon (2025)

Director: Richard Linklater

https://cinemasentries.com/blue-moon-2025-blu-ray-review-
hawke-and-kaplow-outshine-rodgers-and-hart/

If anyone says he does not feel happy after being complimented on his work, he is probably not telling the truth. It is human nature to feel warm, good feelings inside when you take baby steps, and your mother jumps with joy when you come home with a medal after a race or when you ace a public examination with flying colours.

In modern times, one gets the same 'serotonin surges' whenever someone 'likes' one's post on social media. The trouble is, this environment turns us into Pavlov's dogs. We constantly yearn for validation and recognition. We lose self-confidence and need others to tell us we are on the right track. We demand constant attention. The real world has no time for us. And they are fickle-minded. We shrivel into our cocoon, feeling dejected and yearning to ease the pain.

The Beatles must have felt it. The constant expectation to churn out chart-toppers must have pushed them towards drugs, the Maharishi and Eastern mysticism in search of creative expansion. The razzmatazz of superstardom turned the Man into a plastic-surgery-addicted, modern-day Peter Pan who needed propofol to get a good night's sleep.

That is what fame does to a person. The pressure to stay on top drives a man down the rabbit hole of decadence and self-destruction.

Blue Moon recounts a low point in the life of Lorenz Hart, once a prolific songwriter who collaborated with Richard Rodgers. It was the opening night of the Broadway show ‘Oklahoma!’, for which Hart had refused to write the songs, and Rodgers had taken the project with Oscar Hammerstein II.

Rodgers’ previous collaboration with Hart was marred by Hart’s battle with depression and alcohol. In his heyday, Hart was praised as a fantastic poet and a genius songwriter.

‘Oklahoma!’ proved a runaway success and would become the starting point of Broadway’s greatest partnership.

The film tells the sad tale of a genius struggling with the bottle, soliloquising about his great talents and reliving his glory days in the company of a pianist and a bartender. He is hanging by a thread, reminiscing about the time when his audience hung on his every word.

He tells the bartender of his intention to woo a 20-year-old student, only to find she has other plans. At the end of the night, he meets his former partner, Rodgers, in an emotional encounter, and they both know their collaboration is over. Later, Hart, who had stayed sober for some time, takes his first drink again. Seven months later, Hart is found slumped by the road, drunk in the freezing cold, and succumbs to pneumonia.

Ethan Hawke, who gave a stellar performance in the leading role, is unrecognisable. He was later nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Michael, the musical.

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Michael (2026)

Director: Antoine Fuqua.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11378946/mediaindex/

This is not a biography proper. It shows how Michael's father regularly whacked him for no obvious reason, under the pretext of disciplining him. None of the other brothers seems to have received much spanking. The whacking and the management of Michael's musical direction and finances seem a good reason for Michael to move out and be his own boss.

The film spans the period from Michael's time with the Jackson Five in the late 60s to the 'Bad' world tour in 1998. It shows how a child star evolves into a runaway success and releases the biggest album of all time, 'Thriller'. It tells of the small, make-believe 'Peter Pan' world he built, his exotic pets (a snake, a llama and a chimpanzee), and his fatherly relationship with his driver and bodyguard, Bill Bray.

People do not want to know all of this. They want the juicy stuff, including what happened in Neverland, the alleged scandals, his plastic surgeries, and details about his kids, their mothers, and his propofol days. Sadly, fans have to wait for the second part of 'Michael', if there is one. It is unlikely to contain anything controversial, as the Jackson estate is the film's producer.

To delve deeper into the inner workings of Neverland, the sleepovers, and Michael's children, one should watch Martin Bashir's eight-month, one-on-one interview with Michael Jackson, titled 'Living with Michael Jackson' (2003). Bashir was taken on a tour of Neverland Ranch, met his children, and discussed his family, childhood, plastic surgery, and his relationship with other children. The interview proved highly damaging, harming Michael's public image and subsequently leading to a criminal investigation.

One jarring thing in the movie is the absence of Janet Jackson from the cast as a member of the Jackson household. La Toya and the other boys are there, but not Janet. That reminds me of a tabloid rumour in the 90s that Janet did not exist. It was Michael who dolled up as his sister. It went on for years until they were photographed together. It seems Janet had creative differences with the rest of the family over how Michael should be portrayed. Hence, her mysterious absence.

In 1984, one of the societies at the varsity decided to raise money for charity. They had this fantastic idea to project MTV music videos onto the lecture hall's white screens to raise funds. It was the first time many of us saw the full-length 'Thriller' with MJ in his original face. We were blown away. Of course, what the society did was illegal, but nobody snitched. So it was all good. The funds must be kosher, then.

There are far too many documentaries, podcasts and even feature films that tell a different story about MJ's life. To be frank, in our day-to-day lives, we frequently come across people with unusual views of the world. They may talk funny, think funny and behave in an unconventional, quirky manner. This is how MJ was, I think. A prodigy and a musical genius who viewed the world through a different lens. That is what sets him apart from the average musician. These high achievers have a different way of doing things. Hence, their behaviours are deemed bizarre by the rest of us. These eccentricities do indeed make the world go round.

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With a little bit of artistic liberty!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Wed, 27 May 2026 09:47:41 +0800

Dhurandhar (Revenge): Raw and Undekha (Hindi; 2026)
Director: Aditya Dhar

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39139925/

Things that come to mind after watching this movie, which is the continuation of its first part, are whether it is a work of fiction, a propaganda film, or based on true events. Too many things, too fast, all centred on a group of people linked to and residing in Pakistan, seems preposterous. Ask the Indian journalists and political leaders, and they will swear that everything mentioned in the film actually took place and that India has all the proof to prove it. The people in the Indian intelligence would keep their lips sealed, citing national security. In fact, some sources complained that the film revealed far more than the general public needed to know and would jeopardise their work.

It is no secret that Indian intelligence has infiltrated Pakistan to keep tabs on the rogue nation's elaborate plan to derail and seize as much land as possible, a plan that has never been laid to rest since the 'Two Nations' theory was put forward. One open secret, some call it an urban legend, is that India's current security advisor, Ajay Doval, in his younger days, masqueraded as a vagabond to assess the extent of the Pakistani nuclear programme in Kaholta. He allegedly collected hair from a barber's shop when Pakistani nuclear scientists were sourcing uranium. From their discarded hair, India could ascertain that they had been exposed to radiation.

There were many characters, events and sites depicted in the movie that genuinely existed or occurred. The central site where the story's gist took place, Lyari, did exist. It was recreated so closely to the original that even Pakistanis who viewed this movie through illegal downloading could not agree more.

Rehman Dacoit, the central figure in the first part, was a gangster who ruled Lyari as his fortress, a place even the Karachi police feared. Staying true to real events, he was eventually killed in a police encounter set up by another controversial figure, Police Commissioner Chaudhry Aslam. Aslam was a controversial figure, sometimes described as working for his paymasters, but at other times as an honest policeman who stayed true to his calling. He was a thorn in the gangsters' side. Ironically, the actor who played his role, Sanjay Dutt, was Chaudhry's favourite Bollywood star.

Many of the events depicted in this movie had Pakistani footprints all over them. The meticulously executed 2008 Mumbai attack was planned by a jihadist movement (LeT). One of the militants, Ajmal Kasab, who carried out the attack, was allegedly receiving real-time instructions from Islamabad. The movie, through skilful storytelling, wove this event into its main narrative.

Many assassinations and executions of gangsters and politicians (perhaps interchangeable) on either the Indian or Pakistani side, depicted in the film, did occur. A feared gangster-politician from Uttar Pradesh with deep connections to ISI, Atiq Ahmed, was shot in broad daylight in front of TV cameras in 2023, just as shown. He had earlier admitted to smuggling arms into the country to terror groups and to his involvement in many murders.

Many characters are created for the story, but are based on real people to fit the timeline and tie up loose ends. The Major Iqbal character is the most villainous in this part and is linked to Ilyas Kashmiri, who was giving instructions during the Mumbai attacks.

Another eye-opener for newcomers to the issue of Pakistani transborder terrorism was the counterfeit Indian rupees printed in Pakistan to fund Indian terrorist activities. It is also true that violence in Kashmir stopped immediately after demonetisation in November 2016. The mastermind behind this is shown in the film and met a similar end.

Is there a need for so much violence? In one scene, a gangster who takes over the helm of controlling Lyari kills his competitor, decapitates him and kicks his head around like a football. Such an incident did actually happen, according to eyewitnesses. Whether such gruesome details need to be included to drive home the vicious characters that ruled and influenced Pakistani political parties is another question. This character also had a real-life outcome similar to the one in the movie.

The movie did what it needed to do. It stirred Indian nationalism. It broke box office records and cemented the filmmakers as a force to be reckoned with. The movie was just such a hit that female viewers who normally abhor gore and violence sat through the nearly 4-hour movie without taking a toilet break. Intermission is not heard of in Malaysian cinemas.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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The thorny path to democracy

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto, Brazil, Portuguese),
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/o-agente-secreto/

Maybe all of this dates back to when the Monroe Doctrine was introduced in 1823. It firmly instructed European powers to stay out of the Western Hemisphere and to define a 'sphere of influence' in Latin America. In exchange, the United States would not interfere in European affairs. As the US expanded westward, acquiring California from Mexico, it grew more confident. By 1898, after defeating a fragmented Spain and taking control of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, the United States had become a superpower.

In the late 19th century, Venezuela was embroiled in a civil war. The military leader who took charge refused to pay foreign debts, incurring the wrath of the European imperial powers. They imposed a naval blockade against Venezuela. After arbitration and US pressure, a compromise was reached. That event compelled the President, then Theodore Roosevelt, to add a corollary to the doctrine in 1904, stating that the US would act as an "international police power" in the Western Hemisphere. It authorised US intervention in Latin American nations to restore stability.

Since then, the world has observed the US interfere in the affairs of many Latin American countries, more than 80 times, actually. The list is quite extensive, but it includes Cuba and various invasions, notably the disastrous invasion at the Bay of Pigs. In Panama, the US supported rebels when it was part of Colombia and later built and took control of the Panama Canal. The CIA supported 'Contra' rebels in Nicaragua. In Chile and Argentina, brutal dictatorships backed by the US replaced elected governments. During 'Operation Condor', in the 1970s and 80s, at the height of the Cold War, the US also provided logistical support and intelligence to right-wing dictators in many countries, including Brazil.

This film is set in 1977 Brazil, during the leadership of Ernesto Geisel, when the country was supposed to be transitioning towards democracy. In reality, however, it was still governed by an authoritarian ruler. The opposition was suppressed, academia was repressed, and the free press was controlled. The wealthy with political connections were managing the country through government machinery. Many extrajudicial killings were common. Daily reports of distressing events are forgotten amidst absurd urban legends like the 'Hairy Leg' and the violence against the homeless and marginalised groups.

It follows Marcelo, a former academic forced into hiding, living among other political fugitives after angering those connected to the political regime. The film gives a retro feel through the clever use of colours from that era's prints. With the smart use of 'paparazzi' filming, the thrill spills all over.

The transition of rule from one system to another is paved with blood, dead bodies and a pile of broken promises. Cues should be learnt from the Bastille invasion, the Bolshevik Revolution and the fall of the Kremlin in the early 1990s. It takes time to appease all the power-hungry parties and reach a steady state.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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It is how heroes are revered!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Karruppu (Black, Tamil; 2026)

Director: RJ Balaji

If the people from the Tullu region could come up with Kanthara and Kerala had Theyyam worship, the Tamils thought they could show off their own Karuppu Samy. Karuppu Samy belongs to a pantheon of local deities which forms the Dravidian folk religions. Their practices are said to predate Vedic teachings. Unlike the Vedic scriptures, which were written in Sanskrit, the Dravidian folk practices were transmitted orally and performed by families and villagers in the locality.

When Sanathana Dharma teachings stamped its foot on this land, these traditional practices continued, not in competition but in tandem. At a time when nature was hostile and humans were precariously exposed to its elements, the agrarian society found solace in their favourite deities, such as Karuppusamy. They put their trust in these demigods to protect them from evil forces and territorial autonomy. When savage beasts were less of a threat and greedy zamindars terrorised over the lands, the simple folks knew the local deities would mete out justice in a fair manner. Before long, these local deities came to be associated with the Brahminical Gods, such as Shiva and Vishnu. It is said that Shaktism has deeper roots in South India.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/208332826391090/
posts/1113586139199083/

Some local deities may be in memory of revered strong leaders who fought for their cause. Muneeswar (aka Muniandy) may be one such person. He is linked to Shiva and to other manifestations of Sakthi, such as Mariamman. Padaiachi is another form of Sakthi who came to protect newborns from the tyranny of a mad king who killed newborns. Padaiachi is still prayed to after childbirth amongst the Tamils, even in Malaysia. Madurai Veeran is said to have protected the folk of Madurai from bandits and is still revered at the Madurai Meenachi Temple. The Tamil diaspora has brought their worship to their communities wherever they go.

An interesting example of how temples come to be erected is the Vettuudaiyar Kali Amman Temple in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, where Udayal is the local deity. Udayal was a cowherdess during the time of Queen Velu Nachiyar. Queen Nachiyar was fighting the British around 1780 to avenge her husband's killing. When the British were hot on the Queen's trail, they stopped a cowherdess, Udayal, to ask whether she had seen the Queen and which direction she was headed. Udayal boldly told the invaders, "Yes, I saw her going this way. But I refuse to tell the direction she went!"

The angry British soldiers slashed her to death. After Queen Nachiyar's victory, Udayal's sacrifice reached the ears of the palace. Queen Nachiyar herself laid the foundation stone of the temple, which stands today. This is how society remembers its heroes and finds comfort in believing they would still be protected by the fallen.

Nachiyar went on to establish the first all-women army regiment, whose espionage capabilities helped dismantle British defences. The regiment was named the Udayal Regiment in her honour and went on to record the first known suicide bombing. On Vijayathasami, under the guise of worship, ladies immersed themselves in ghee and oil and set themselves alight when they were near the ammunition stockpile, decimating the East India Company's defences.

Karuppu Samy

Some experts link Karuppu Swamy to Aiyanar and his retinue of 21 gods, who served as protectors of communities against diseases, natural calamities, and evil spirits. It is said that Seyyon, another name for Lord Muruga, is also a local Tamil guardian. Muruga is not only the youthful, valiant protector of the Tamil people but also the patron of the Tamil language, grammar, cultural identity, and literature. Some regard Seyyon as a great King in the South who defeated a band of demonic tribes.

Unlike the intricate temples built in South India for their gods, those erected for these guardian deities are simple. They may be little more than rock constructions or be housed under a simple roof. This simplicity may be in keeping with their clientele, who are mostly working-class people. Any respected leader can be a Karuppu Samy, the generic local diety who would tip the balance to maintain order.

The movie tells of the deity under the courthouse tree. The deity quietly watches worshippers who are attending court for their cases cry their hearts out over delays and unjust verdicts. There exists an unholy corporate mafia comprising lawyers, judges, police, and supporting court staff who delay cases, extract the maximum retainer fees, and siphon off corrupt funds. Many frustrated clients pour out their disappointment to the deity, Karuppu Samy. One day, Karuppu decides to come out as a lawyer to right the wrongs.

Do not expect too much from this outing. 2.5/5. It is just to sharpen knowledge of folk religions, which is essentially what all religions do. It gives hope for a better tomorrow. What we do today will determine how tomorrow turns out.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Angel sliding next to me…*

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Too many food taboos!
My Thailand

It was a short trip to re-live the bygone years. As it has been the norm, the group would pick out a nearby destination to unwind- to joke, laugh, visit and goof around. It was a group of 60-year-olds who met as freshies at university in 1983.

This time, Phuket was chosen. As it was just an hour's flight away and offered affordable foreign exchange, it beat other destinations hands down. It did not matter that many of the members had been there before. After all, it was the company that mattered, not the destination.

The first stopover was at Phi Phi island. The same island that had been overwhelmed by a tsunami on Boxing Day, 2004. Twelve years later, the island decided to leave the past behind and move on. Barring the signage that reminded people where to gather in case of emergency, a tsunami specifically, there isn't an inch of reminder to tell visitors of the tragedy. It is business as usual, with the calls to have a message and chartered boat trips for island hopping.

Even before our trip, it was no secret that Indian visitors to Thailand were leaving a bad name for themselves on the island and nationwide. They had earned themselves the unenviable title of picky eaters with 1,001 conditions on their dish - vegetarians, no garlic, no oyster sauce and the list goes on. That too at a food court. Then there are the misers who order one miserable drink to be shared by many.

Even before this, hotels all around the world had identified them as serial hotel pilferers, pocketing hotel appliances and utensils!

One beer to be shared by five?
Shall we get straws?
My Thailand

To clarify, everywhere we went, we made ourselves known to our hosts that we were Malaysians, their neighbours, promptly getting a ‘Selamat Datang’ greeting. Then, we knew we were seen in a different light.

The last time I came to this island, about 20 years ago, I remember the service was better. Phuketians were bending over backwards to usher travellers and keep them happy with liberal, toothy greetings of 'Sawadeekaap' to their humble businesses showcasing their dirt-cheap produce. All that had apparently changed now. The price of goods and services had skyrocketed, with a glaring decline in services.

Being in the limelight for so long, perhaps, they have been complacent or plain tired. The constant streaming of the nouveau riche from all over the world had convinced them that the good times would last forever. Or maybe, they had grown tired of playing dance monkey to the increasingly uncouth visitors who had nothing good in them but money.

It is not a turn-on!
My Thailand

Another obvious change, which I did not notice, 20 years previously, was the clear presence of ladies with hijab and the sprouting of so many eating outlets which restricted consumption of pork and alcohol. Even non-halal restaurants join the halal bandwagon.

The Phuketians are no longer the laid-back people they used to be. The wheel of capitalism must have caught up with them. They are in a hurry. They have no time for play to the tune of tourists, who have upped their act and show entitlement to 'demanding the moon and the stars'.

Evidence of the host being quite fed up with the influx of tourists and their antics is evident in the reels that circulate on social media. My Thailand Facebook page churns out numerous AI-generated caricatures of various tourists acting beyond their welcome. This is treading on a slippery slope. Their subjects are mostly Russians and Indians. Visitors do not want to see this. They want to be treated like royalty, not the butt of jokes. If the Thais are too lethargic to fulfil people's idea of a wasted weekend, perhaps they will look elsewhere.

People easily get bored. It may be time for tourists to venture elsewhere to spend their hard-earned moolah. Another site will turn up, go through the same cycle, grow too big for its shoes and lose its lustre too.

* a line from Murray Head’s 1984 one-hit wonder ‘One Night in Bangkok’. The song gives a degrading occidental outlook of Bangkok, slanting heavily on the red-light district and the exploitation of women. The song was banned in Thailand.

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The lure of fame...

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Sun, 17 May 2026 12:31:01 +0800

The Valley of Dolls (1967)
Director: Mark Robson

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Valley-Dolls-DVD-Barbara-
Parkins/dp/B0009RB5BW

There was a particular book in our school library that was hot merchandise every hot-blooded teenage boy (and girls in Form 6) wanted their hands on: Jacqueline Susann's debutante writing, 'Valley of Dolls'. The demand was so high that it was eventually placed in the red-spot book section. One would have thought that would allow more depraved teenagers to indulge in the pleasure of reading this fiction, but no.

Suddenly, everyone wanted to be the student librarian's friend. My young, naive brain was soon exposed to the concept of cartels.
To train students for a future in which they would be responsible for running large corporations and businesses, the school decided that the entire library, which was a separate building away from the main school wing, would be run solely by students. There was a patron teacher and a dedicated clerk to oversee the day-to-day operations and book ordering. Students would take turns after school to man the borrowing and returning of books.

'Valley of Dolls' was on everybody's wish list, but it was perennially borrowed by somebody. The borrowing was controlled by this cartel of student librarians who would circulate it amongst themselves. Occasionally, it would go to the form 6 girls after some male student would curry favour to get into their good books (pun unintended) - pants, skirts, who knows! My contact was so mild-mannered that he let others get it, while yours truly never did. So, I never understood what the fuss was all about.

To understand its allure, a bit of background on The Valley of the Dolls is necessary. In 1966, it was on the NYT Best Sellers List for 65 weeks, and by 2016, it had sold 31 million copies. Even though it was the best-selling fiction of 1966, it received mainly negative reviews. With reviews like 'poorly written,' 'dirty book of the month,' and 'highly effective sedative,' it is surprising that it was still a runaway commercial success.

The movie adaptation was released the following year, in 1967, also receiving mixed reviews. Over the years, it developed a cult following and became part of the LGBT canon for its campy sensibility.
At its heart, Valley of the Dolls depicts the cutthroat world of showbiz, where three young ladies are lured by the dizzying neon lights of the stage. All three, crushing under the weight of wanting to stay in the limelight, succumb to the lure of drugs to stay afloat, with eventual sinister outcomes.

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Shattered Land and Shattered Hopes

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Sat, 16 May 2026 05:35:37 +0800

Sam Dalrymple and the Shattered Lands

Not so long ago, as recently as 1928, a vast expanse of land from Aden in the West to Rangoon in the east was united as the Indian Empire, all under British rule. It was the zenith of the British Empire, and it seemed the sun would never set on the Empire. A quarter of the world’s population lived here, from the Red Sea to Southeast Asia, and they all used the Indian rupee. One would travel across the span with an Indian passport. By 1971, in just 40 years, this Empire had been shattered five times, resulting in 12 nation-states.

https://borderlessjournal.com/2026/05/14/sam-dalrymple-and-the-shattered-lands/

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Living through change

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

I had the same feeling during my last visit to my hometown, Penang. After doing all the rituals I needed to, I decided to go for a run around the places I used to run more than 30 years ago.

The quarry where I used to run has now become a cluster of towering apartment complexes. New roads leading to new housing estates were everywhere. Secondary forests had disappeared.

https://borderlessjournal.com/2026/05/14/living-through-change/

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Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty.

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Thu, 14 May 2026 05:23:53 +0800

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62lj9x5y60o

It was an unexpected landslide election victory for someone who announced his candidacy for the post of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu less than a year ago, in direct competition with the incumbent. Political pundits wrote him off, predicting he could only stir a storm in a teacup at best. But when they saw the crowds he drew at his public rallies, the sitting government grew edgy. They, who had the whole governmental machinery and services at their fingertips, made it difficult for the Tamil movie star to reach out to his supporters. Police permits were hard to come by. The venues allowed for his meetings were restricted.

Vijay's 850 over fan clubs were conjuring up fans, who were basically everyone in the state, to turn out at these rallies. Everyone thought Vijay had hit a wall when his gathering in Karur ended in a stampede that killed 40. The media had a field day running him down for the way the aftermath of the tragedy was handled. What we learnt later, which the media conveniently failed to tell, was that Vijay had personally met the victims' next of kin, admitted fault and coughed up a personal donation to ease their loss. That made the general public stop and turn. For the first time, a Tamil Nadu party leader had admitted guilt and apologised. That was a first.

We all know what happened on the 4th of May 2026. The collective highlighting of corruption, liquor licensing and citizen safety issues drew an unprecedented 85.15% voter turnout, the highest recorded in any democracy. Vijay's TVK party secured 34.9% of the total votes and 108 of the 234 seats, becoming the single party with the highest majority. After the usual horse-trading that happens when nobody secured a simple majority, Joseph Vijay took the oath as Tamil Nadu's 9th Chief Minister and the first non-Dravidian party leader since 1967.

Politics, without the element of uncertainty, will not be called politics. Despite what the West perceive Inia's democracy to be, that is party-free and restrictive, the truth is far from that. The presence of YouTube channels and other platforms that host freely fiery political debates is testimony to the converse. Even now, after turning the whole system on its head, the mudslinging has begun.

Trial by Fire

Vijay's much-publicised marital and family issues are in the limelight. The 'other woman' appears shamelessly in public functions and even during the swearing-in. Vijay's wife and two young adult children were conspicuously absent on his first day as CM. It seems that the Tamil psyche has evolved over the aeons. From the land of King Rama, who thought his beloved wife needed to perform 'agni paricha' (baptism of fire) to prove her chastity after being kidnapped by an evil king, Tamilians have come a long way. It seems a leader does not need to exhibit virtuous character.

From the very land of Valluvar, the Tamil poet who gave us Thirukkural and placed virtue at the centre of leadership, and who taught that power without character eventually fails, it seems outdated. Now, respect and stability revolve around rupees and mass popularity only.

The other interesting thing observed in the aftermath of the Tamil Nadu election results is the antics of Malaysian leaders from various parties, ruling and opposition alike. The Prime Minister of Malaysia even referred to Joseph Vijay as his 'good friend'. I think the honourable PM forgot that that is the power of cinema, especially the hero-worshipping Tamil cinema. The storyline cradles one into a land of make-believe.

Even dinosaur parties that grandiously think they are still relevant, like MIC, praise Vijay for winning and hope for a cordial relationship between Tamil Nadu and Malaysia. I think MIC had missed the memo. Vijay and his new party had defeated the old guards, the Dravidian parties, which had lost their relevance, much as MIC had.

Even though Vijay won the elections fair and square through the legitimate process, the conspiracy theorists are already burning the midnight oil trying to run him down. Allegations that he was planted by foreign Christian evangelists and financed by India's 'lottery king', Santiago Martin, have spread widely on social media. Even though he has been seen mingling with all communities and he was voted in by a mixed electorate, the conspiracists planted all these accusations because of his mixed religious heritage.

This is politics. Winning the election is not the end of it all. It is just the beginning of a long journey to right the wrong that the same politicians condemned while campaigning. It is the public's duty to ensure checks and balances. If the politicians do not perform, change them once again. Freedom is not a given thing; eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. (John Philpot Curran, 1790)

(P.S. Thanks, Aman, for prompting me to write this piece.)

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The need to be seen

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Wed, 13 May 2026 05:17:17 +0800

https://www.prints-online.com/durbar-delhi-1911-14282332.html?
srsltid=AfmBOopdtgUWPzqFmRyeORMigpt7q6Y4_
P5ncMhhqputifOeWaH08Nv1

Recently, a news portal reported that our monarch was invited to attend Russia's 81st V-Day anniversary. If my knowledge of history does not fail me, Russia helped end the Second World War. It defended itself against the tyranny of the German Army, first in Operation Barbarossa and later in the Battle of Stalingrad. It was also the Russians who delivered the coup de grâce to Hitler as they approached the Führerbunker in Berlin, which decimated the Western Front.

So, yes. It was a big deal to be invited to such a gala. An invitation from the supreme leader of the former Soviet Union is equivalent to an invitation from the Czar himself. At the peak of its rule, the Russian Empire was the largest contiguous land empire.

During the installation of King George V in 1911, a grand ceremonial event, the Delhi Durbar, was held in Delhi. Everyone who was so-and-so, even remotely linked to the British Raj, wanted to be there. It was an opportune time for the members of Indian princely states to pledge allegiance to the colonial masters. The Gulf states, which were ruled by multiple small rulers and were also British protectorates, were deemed not important enough to receive invitations. The Arab royalties tried very hard to rub shoulders with the foreign dignitaries in the high-stakes display of British imperial power, but just could not get in. They were deemed unworthy of an invitation.

All that changed sixty years later, in 1971, when the insanely lavish, internationally attended festivities to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the Achaemenid Empire were held in Persepolis, Iran. By then, the Middle East was rolling in petrodollars, and Arab royal families naturally made the invitees' list. Conversely, India did not attend the function. It was not because it had become a republic or was poor. India was fighting a war with Pakistan and had stated security concerns.

Low lives like me actually feel relieved if I were not invited to attend social functions like weddings or birthday parties. The idea of getting dressed, putting on a mask, tolerating meaningless small talk, and trying to say politically correct things is simply too taxing. For the timid, it becomes an obligation trap to keep up with the Joneses.

For others, it is an opportunity to network, advance their careers, gain social validation, be part of a tribe, and allay the fear of missing out. It may be a hunting ground for some to prey on gullible, rich, and greedy entrepreneurs.

Psychologically speaking, living in the 'high life' is associated with emotional immaturity, a need for validation, impulsivity, and a struggle to face reality.

Persepolis, Iran. 1971.

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A parody of modern America

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

One Battle After Another (2025)
Written & Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30144839/

This movie reminds me of one of Quentin Tarantino's high-octane films, which is so fast that it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. It could also be like a production of escapades in a banana republic, in which American 'do-gooders' are trying to restore normality.

Irony of ironies, this film is not about any other country but is narrated as if it were set in the most powerful economy in the world, the United States of America. It could very well be a parody of what is happening now. At a time when Trump's administration is going full swing to apprehend and expatriate undocumented aliens back to their countries of origin, there must be among the many left-leaning Americans who are sympathetic to immigrants' plight.

There have been many times in the recent past, as far back as the Swinging Sixties, when Americans have felt it was their moral duty to stand against the powers that be over their atrocities and injustices. The 70s were notorious for young people's protests and an equally brutal backlash against the Vietnam War and civil rights.

Then there was the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality, particularly against the black community, and now it is ICE's high-handed deportation of foreigners.

One must remember that during the Biden administration, the USA had an open-door policy at the southern border. The bulk of immigration is via the UN and private American financiers. Although never proven, it is alleged that leftist groups like George Soros' 'Open Society' had a pivotal role in this exercise.

After draining the country's resources to keep the migrants, the government changed. Trump's right-wing conservative stance was brutal. The US machinery was used to go all four barrels to expel undocumented migrants and send them off en masse back home. If Biden's policy was on humanitarian grounds, this apprehension was naturally deemed inhumane.

This was the basis of this 2025 movie. Amid the chaos of catching and deporting illegal immigrants, Jim Parker (De Caprio), an anti-establishment figure, went into hiding. He lives with his teenage daughter. Jim's partner-in-crime and life left Jim to care for their daughter when she was only 3 months old. Motherhood was not for her.

After so many years living below the radar, Jim and his daughter are identified. The US military goes after them. A certain Army officer, who had raped Jim's partner, takes special interest in their case. Suspecting that he may be the father of Jim's child, he wants to kill her to erase his association with a black woman. The officer, soon to be appointed to a white supremacist group, has the life aim of preventing contamination of white lineage.

Hence begins a cat-and-mouse race. Jim, running to avoid capture, tries to catch up with his daughter, who has been abducted in the middle of a supremacist group hunting the Army officer for fathering an interracial child.

The whole of the movie is a parody of what is actually happening in the USA. The same nation ushers people into the country to do their dirty work, but then goes out to catch them and pack them off when its economy hits rock bottom. Amid all that, the nation is deeply racist. The nation's history is tethered with tales of slavery, divisiveness and racial discrimination.

On the one hand, there are the leftists and their anarchic plans for the country, while on the other hand, there are freaks who preach racial purity and eugenics. Indeed, God save America!

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Truth in Conspiracies?

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Bugonia (2025)
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

https://thehuronemery.com/14858/culture-
and-entertainment/bugonia-2025-review/

If you are one of those who follow Erich von Däniken's 'Ancient Aliens', you may have heard that aliens are prime movers in human civilisation.

It was probably around the time when Neanderthals were roaming the Earth together with proto-homo sapiens. Arunakki was an alien king who came to Earth in search of gold, a commodity much in demand on his planet, Nibiru. Earthlings were enslaved to do their dirty job of extracting gold to be used back home. The aliens considered the Neanderthals to be strong but clumsy and engaged in fights amongst themselves. The proto-homo sapiens, the homoerectus, on the other hand, were weak but hardworking. Arunakki infused their own DNA in what can be viewed as the world's first gene therapy to produce intelligent homosapiens. The remaining humanoid species were devastated by the Great Floods, as mentioned in the legend of Gilgamesh, Noah's Ark, Manu's Smriti and tales from South America.

Apparently, every time after that, when the world goes into turmoil or stagnation, alien forces land here to correct the imbalance and perhaps give a jolt to the right direction. In events that involve leaps in knowledge, like the Industrial Revolution, or cataclysmic ones, like the World Wars, Hitler, or even Jesus and Muhammad, they had their hand in it.

So, it may not be out of the world to think that the people involved in the pharma industry are aliens trying to eradicate the human race or take over the world. With so many people in the modern world stressed out and seeking solace in cyberspace, individuals may cling to fixed ideas and conspiracy theories. Bugonia approaches these outlandish beliefs with a heavy dose of irony, treading a fine line between satire and genuine suspense. The film frequently pokes fun at conspiracy theorists, yet never completely dismisses their anxieties, leaving the audience to decide whether to laugh, question, or worry for the characters. This ambiguous tone keeps the story playful but also thought-provoking.

Teddy, a quirky person, is quite convinced that an alien race is out to take over the world and turn humans into a subservient species. He convinces his socially awkward cousin that the CEO of a particular pharma company is one intruder, and together they plot to abduct her. Things become complicated, and there is a plot twist at the end.

Lanthimos brings his signature surreal style to the film, blending dark humour with suspenseful moments that keep the audience guessing. The performances, especially from the lead actors playing Teddy and his cousin, are both nuanced and offbeat, which adds to the film's unsettling yet oddly comedic tone. Verdict: 4/5.

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Life in the Suicide Capital!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Mon, 4 May 2026 04:36:47 +0800

Kota Factory E1-3; 15 episodes(2019-24)
Miniseries

I could relate to many of the scenes in this miniseries. The makers must have thought that showing it in black and white would give a boost to the nostalgia department. It did, and many of the scenes gave me a sense of surrealism and déjà vu.

In most, if not all, Indian middle-class families, education takes an important place in the upbringing of children. The physical books are respected, not left lying around, especially on the floor. Disrespecting the go down of knowledge was akin to disrespecting the Goddess Saraswati, the supremo assigned to the education department. Every attempt is made to ensure access to learning. Parents go hungry to ensure their kids do not feel so when studying. Education was seen as the panacea for all their problems, for the future and for generations to come. Acquisition of education was closely linked to wealth. With wealth, one gets a clean new slate, free of past creed, caste, and ancestry.

At the beginning of the 21st century, businessmen found a sure way to make money; they promised a sure way to ace the much-coveted entrance examinations like JEE and NEET, to engineering and medicine, respectively. The buzzword was coaching classes. Centres would provide intensive coaching in examination subjects to ensure high rankings, enabling students to gain admission to prestigious Indian universities such as the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and AIIMSs (All India Institutes of Medical Sciences). Every year, fewer than 1% of those who attempt the exams make it. Others have to enter private medical or engineering colleges or do something else.

BYJU's is an educational technology company that entered the business to produce super scorers. Suddenly, the dream of actually getting into these institutions became a reality in the eyes of the average Indian. The trouble is BYJU crumbled under its own weight. In 2023, it boasted of having 25 million students through its physical and online classes, diversified too quickly and went bust by 2025.

In the same vein, in the 1980s, in Kota, the third-largest and a small industrial city in Rajasthan, a mechanical engineer named Vinod Kumar Bansal became wheelchair bound after being afflicted with a neurodegenerative condition. He started tutoring students using Kumon's problem-solving method. His students found success. Suddenly, his method became the prototype for centres that sprang up in that town. Students from all parts of the country started enrolling in these centres, and a competitive market emerged for students to pass examinations. Kota became a factory churning out students who could pass entrance exams. No one was complaining, as ancillary support services, such as hostels, room accommodations, bookstores, and the food industry, were also turning a profit. At one time, up to 200,000 students flocked to this town for coaching.

With so many students fighting for so few places, the pressure-cooker atmosphere soon showed its ugly side. The ecosystem soon hit the boiling point. By 2023, Kota recorded the highest number of 23 suicides in its history and acquired the dubious title 'suicide capital of students'.

This miniseries tells the story of three youngsters, their friends, their teachers, and their centres, who work hard to ensure they pass their examinations. It is the story of their challenges, dooms and glooms as they traverse the journey of life heading into an unknown future with a little help from everyone around them. It is their coming-of-age story of a different kind.

(P.S. Kota is the first traffic signal-free city in India, second in the world after Thimbu in Bhutan. Traffic lights were replaced with flyovers and underpasses to ensure a seamless, uninterrupted flow.)

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Role play?

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Sun, 3 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

While preparing for a British examination, one of the things the seniors mentioned before going for a clinical examination or viva você was this. Just because the examiner is smiling at you, do not think that he is happy with what you say. He may be helping you to dig your own grave. Then another shared his experience. His boss was complimenting him at work. Only half a day later, did he realise that his boss was being sarcastic. His conclusion was that the Brits have an inbuilt capacity to insult you while smiling in your face, and you say thank you. This capability must have been over the generations, being an imperialist power and hoodwinking natives to play into their playbook.

This event played on my mind as I read excerpts about King Charles III's visit to the USA. At the Joint Congress in Washington, the King delivered a speech that many observers praised as a masterclass in soft diplomacy. True, Trump, of late, has showcased himself as a brash, fickle-minded, foul-mouthed, uncouth, narcissistic, and war-mongering leader. If during his first term, he was the President who wanted to end wars and criticised his predecessors for the wars around the world, he is now doing just the same as the others. Everyone agrees he is off his rocker. Some Americans are even thinking of getting him medically boarded.

So in came King Charles III to diplomatically voice everybody's opinion in a polite way that only the English can deliver. 'Just the other day', he said, telling how long the British were as a world power, when the US were their colony. He reminded everyone that both countries used democracy, Magna Carta, and Christianity as the basis of their governance.

The first jolt came when Trump was reminded that even leaders are held to checks and balances under the Magna Carta. To play to Trump's grandiosity and ego, the King presented a refurbished, gold-coloured brass bell from the British WW2 submarine, bearing the inscription 'HMS Trump'. To this icon of US-UK collaboration symbol, King Charles told Trump to give it a ring, meaning do not act unilaterally, give us a call and let us collaborate in so few words.

What I noticed is the change of tide. From a time when the colonies were made to pay taxes to fatten the British coffers after depleting them in wars against the Spanish and French, the Americans rose to the occasion. They dumped East India Company tea in Boston harbour, which essentially made the US independent. Since then, the British have had a not-so-cordial relationship.

The Americans chased the Brits by dumping their most valuable asset, Indian tea, into the sea in what we call the Boston Tea Party, which, as it turned out, was no party. And they became coffee drinkers. The Americans could not sail across the Atlantic for fear of being hunted down by the British Navy. The French offered protection. How the tide had changed.

First, it was Churchill circling between London and Washington for joint WW2 efforts. Then their Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was their lapdog rather than the Bulldog the Brits called themselves. Now, the British monarch has to cross the same Atlantic Ocean that his ancestors were hurled across for a tête-à-tête over tea. The former colonial masters are now returning to see the former natives, now the new masters, with a 'begging bowl'.

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Almost a Bond!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Fri, 1 May 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Get Carter (1971)

Director: Mike Hodges

http://mamdarin.blog87.fc2.com/blog-entry-1442.html

There was a time when Michael Caine was among the most macho people on the planet. When Sean Connery threw in the towel and stepped out of the Bond franchise in 1967, exhausted and fearful of typecasting, headhunters were on the prowl in search of the next Bond. This was the embarrassing period when the Australian actor George Lazenby awkwardly reprised the 007 role in 'On Her Majesty's Service' to disastrous effect. Michael Caine was considered for the part but was cast aside because he was thought to suit the role of a working-class hero rather than a suave one like James Bond.

He was later cast as Terry Holmes, an anti-Bond hero in the franchise series created by the same people who created James Bond. It did not go far.

'Get Carter' shows us how Caine fits the bill as a cold-blooded killer, making him a candidate for the free world's favourite hero. Of course, Caine went on to play many other memorable characters, including Alfred in the Batman series.

In 'Get Carter', Caine, who works as a mobster's right-hand man, returns to his hometown of Newcastle to attend his brother's funeral. Sensing that his brother's death was not as simple as drunk driving and plunging into the river, he goes after those involved in his death.

Things get complicated when the local mob's tentacles are involved, and his niece is implicated as well.

A violently raw film set against the damp, greyish backdrop of the coal-mining town of Newcastle in the UK.

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Media in the spotlight!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0800

We should evaluate and, if appropriate, place the media's role in its proper place. We have to ask ourselves what the press's initial intended role was, whether it is still fulfilling that role, and whether it has deviated from its noble path.

What started as a dire need to balance the unholy union of the trio, the clergy, nobility and commoners, with the advent of the printing machine, voiced out alternatives to the way of handling situations. When the parliamentary system of administration became vogue, it positioned itself as the Fourth Estate alongside the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of power. The press prided itself on being the check-and-balance of society.

Then the media started taking sides. Some started aligning themselves with those seated to the right of the ruler and hailed for traditional order were said to practise 'right wing politics'. Conversely, those seated on the other side wanted change and are said to be 'left leaning'. Newspapers, too, took sides as there were merits on either side of the argument. They later became mouthpieces of political ideologies.

The host of Solvathellam Unmai
Nirmala Periyasamy

As the media morphed from print to audio- and video-capable formats, its role became indispensable. In the 21st century, as media became interactive, it was used for infotainment, and comedians started making more sense than politicians when discussing current political issues. Citizen journalism became a thing, and the general public became voracious consumers of knowledge. Digitalisation ensured news reached the palm of every person. People soon realised that disseminating news was not the sole purpose of these media merchants' existence. Keeping its shareholders happy took precedence.

An interesting discussion came to my attention recently. In the format of tabloid talk shows like Jerry Springer and Jeremy Kyle, but not as lewd or preposterous, Zee-Tamil used to run a community talk show called Solvathellam Unmai (Whatever Told is the Truth), where people could go on-screen to air their dirty linen. The general audience could offer their two cents' worth of advice. A young couple went on-air to vent about their family's opposition to their marriage. The boy, 24, and the schoolgirl, 16, had eloped and were seemingly seeking public approval for their predicament. The host, understandably, explained that the family's consent and blessings were important given her young age. That was when one bombshell after another. She alleged that her father had sexu@lly @ssaulted her, and later that he had committed three m^rders and buried the bodies in the compound of her house four years previously. The girl appeared genuinely scared for her life.

Both parties' parents were called in and appeared on the programme the following day. After initially denying the accusations, the girl's parents were forced to admit that all the ones she mentioned were indeed true. Just when everyone thought that the police would take over, no.

The TV team decided to conduct their own investigations, travelling to the town and conducting interviews. All of this was happening while post-production was underway and the TV station was preparing to screen that episode. They were buying time, knowing that once the police got involved, the first thing they would do was halt the episode's airing. Their reasoning for not involving the police was that they alleged they did not believe the girl.

Caught in a lie

The episode was aired 11 days later. Police got involved, but by then the parents had absconded. Long story short, the police and the courts did their job. The police excavated three bodies, and the father received a life sentence for murder.

Were the TV personnel irresponsible for not reporting the case when it first came to their attention? The 11-day delay helped the accused to flee and perhaps tamper with the evidence. As far as the TV company is concerned, monetary returns and viewership rankings are paramount. Becoming an obedient citizen comes a close second. They are in it primarily for the business.

Anyway, the silver lining is that the crime was exposed, and the girl is now at university studying engineering. Good sense has prevailed, and they plan to get married soon. The TV company had crowdsourced her tuition fees. Is this damage control?

The media company may say they have laws protecting them in investigative journalism, like the one that allowed journalists from the Washington Post to expose the shenanigans of Nixon's administration by using information from their informant, Deep Throat. This reality show, which thrives on low-brow stuff, is not going to change the nation. The law may promise to protect whistleblowers. Unfortunately, whistleblowers are technically not immune from prosecution, as more and more legal minds warn, and one must be wary of perpetrators who exploit the law to protect themselves against authorities.

Reference: https://www.zee.com/in-the-news/zee-tamizhs-program-solvathellam-unmai-helps-solve-a-triple-murder-mystery/

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About greedy relatives and women empowerment

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:24:14 +0800

Thaai Kizhavi (Tamil, 2026)
Written and Directed by: Sivakumar Murugesan

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39255646/

It is sometimes comical to see how relatives react to an ailing person in the family, especially in a close-knit Indian family. There is a common belief that clan members must stay with a dying relative to aid them into the next world. In reality, the truth is far from this.

Long-lost relatives and those who parted ways over various differences will appear out of the blue to show the world how good a person they are or how cordial their relationship was with the soon-to-be-departed. In reality, they are just there to squander anything lying around the house or to see whether they stand to inherit anything.

There she was, Pavunuthaai, a fiercely independent moneylender, an elderly lady feared by all the villagers. She was strict about collecting her money and had no qualms about verbally or physically abusing debtors who fell behind on their payments. Almost everyone in the village had borrowed money from her.

Pavunuthaai is the only woman in the village with a house to her name. She lives with her single-parent daughter and grandson. Pavunuthaai keeps a tight rein on everything she owns. She has three sons who live elsewhere.

Unexpectedly, one day, Pavunuthaai is found unresponsive. Expecting the worst, everybody gathers outside her house, including her debtors, her three sons, their wives, and the estranged son-in-law. They are not there in grief, but hoping she will succumb to her medical condition. The debtors would have their outstanding dues forfeited, and her sons (and wives) hope to inherit some of her wealth. Trouble arises when a jeweller drops in to say that Pavunuthaai had purchased 160 sovereigns of gold just the week before.

Suddenly, the relatives want her to survive, as they do not know the gold's whereabouts. So we see the comedy of villagers praying for her death, whilst the relatives go all out to ensure she survives the ordeal. They beg and borrow for medical treatment, hoping to lay their hands on the coveted jewellery.

It is a dark comedy about relatives and their antics as they deal with a wealthy relative. At the end of the show, there is a lesson on women's empowerment and financial independence within a family. Radhika holds the film together single-handedly, but the extras and familiar faces also do a decent job. 4.5/5

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

She did it her way!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Sweet 16

Now I know why Amma wanted to go back to Penang so badly. She was a local celebrity there. In the last years of her life, she kept on chanting the same mantra, ‘I want to go to Penang’ in as many languages as she knew to whoever would listen.

Amma, over the years, had been afflicted with repeated strokes. What started as a fall and confusion led to her being transferred to Kuala Lumpur for further assistance and care. This was at the height of COVID and lockdown. She eventually recovered from her initial shock and began questioning how she had ended up in Kuala Lumpur. Her condition improved, but her demand to be expedited to Penang grew louder. Considering her age (82 at the time) and the fact that she was living alone, we, her children, collectively decided that her carefree days in Penang were over.

Her mental capacity slowly declined despite medications and medical consultations. From someone who would read the Tamil newspapers from cover to cover, she told me that she could not make out all the writing, which looked like hieroglyphics to her. So, it was on the news. That, too, eventually disinterested her. “What are they saying?” she said many times. I remember she showed keen interest in quizzes and solving brain teasers. So, the family got her simple jigsaw puzzles, the ones that toddlers get for birthdays. That, too, proved too challenging. The minute emboli that traversed her cerebral vessels had occluded the blood supply to the area controlling cognition and association. Frustrated, she used to bang her head with her knuckles, trying in vain to remember things. She suffered from vascular dementia.

Even though Alzheimer's and vascular dementia both cause memory loss, the effect on the patient is quite different. In Alzheimer's, the patient, at least in late stages, the patient is unaware of the ruckus he is creating. The caregiver bears the brunt of his misbehaviour and socially awkward conduct. In the latter, the patient is aware that his memory is slowly fading, which can be extremely frustrating, especially if he was previously an active individual.

Slowly, her limbs became weak, and she was wheelchair bound. Again, for a person who, without fail, came rain or shine, went for an hour-long walk daily, this was demotivating, to put it mildly. Swallowing became a laboured process when that function also took a downward spiral. She was too proud to have tube feeding, so it was the syringe and spoon feeding.

She finally met her Maker, and she willed that her remains be transported to her favourite town, Penang.

That was when I found out how she impacted so many lives that she interacted. I gathered this from all the relatives and dear friends who came to say their farewells. Even the priest who conducted her rites had something to say. Families came with children to announce that they owed Amma for her matchmaking.

Close relatives viewed her as a feminist icon. At a time when lower-middle-class Indian ladies had more pressing needs than learning to drive, she was seen speeding around in her secondhand Austin Mini, which was not a luxurious car then, and later in her Perodua.

This started as a dare between Amma and her sisters-in-law to be able to afford to own a car in the family. She took the challenge and made some side income out of it. She ferried school children for a small fee to pay off the monthly car instalment. At the same time, she could send her two daughters to school. At 78, she renewed her driving licence, much to the clerk's amazement.

When our family hit hard times, and finances were in the doldrums, she had the great foresight to learn to sew. At that time, many Tamil NGOs were encouraging ladies to enrol in their sewing and handicraft classes to provide economic independence. She jumped at the opportunity. Instead of just learning a skill, she took the craft to a different level. She soon earned the label of the maestro of sewing snuggly-fitting saree blouses. She ruled the blouse department, so much so that the highlight of Deepavali and Thaipusam was not the festivities but meeting the orders' deadlines. That supplemented the family, for which the family is grateful. One of the attendees at the funeral quipped, "In her small flat, she created a kingdom!' The kingdom that she crafted also ensured that her three kids obtained tertiary education.

Between her daytime duties, she would not miss attending weddings, funerals and other cultural events at her friends' homes. Pretty soon, she became the go-to person for performing rituals at Hindu functions. The priest who was in attendance told us that he and his colleagues were wary around Amma, as she had no qualms about telling the officials off for taking shortcuts! So he made sure he followed all the formalities!

I know she was a counsellor to her circle of friends who were involved in domestic violence. I remember one lady mustered the courage to file a police report after a bashing. The lady finally got a divorce after enduring an alcoholic husband for years.

It was a befitting send-off for a simple lady who missed out on education at a younger age because her parents did not value education for girls. She told us that she regretted not having that opportunity at the appropriate time. Nevertheless, she used her God-given mind and energy to do her part for the society close to her, as a service provider, a counsellor, a tailor, and a woman empowerment icon. She was a patriot in her own way.

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Who took the photo?

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:30:15 +0800

The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo

Director: Bao Nguyen

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35307143/

The black and white photo of a young prepubertal girl running naked with peeling skin, which came from Vietnam in June 1972, filled the minds of people around the world with the atrocities done by the US Army upon Vietnamese citizens.

The girl in the Pulitzer-winning picture, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, was in Trảng Bàng, South Vietnam. North Vietnamese soldiers were hiding there. The South Vietnamese had been sending ground troops to drive them out. The villagers, with some South Vietnamese soldiers, who had been hiding in a nearby temple, were running towards a US-assisted South Vietnamese checkpoint on a highway. The South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF), mistakenly thinking that they were the enemy, bombed them with explosives, napalm (an incendiary liquid) and machine guns.

The wounded civilians were seen running towards the South Vietnamese checkpoint. Among those present at the checkpoint were journalists and photojournalists from iconic news agencies such as Reuters, Associated Press (AP), NBC, ITN, and more, waiting to send news from Ground Zero to the rest of the world. There were also local part-time photographers, called stringers, who would take pictures of war scenes and sell them to international news agencies for a fee.

The picture of Kim Phuc and the victims of the bombing came running, crying in pain, in pain with burning skin and clothes. The photographers chanced upon the moment to immortalise it.

AP obtained the shot and sold it to The New York Times, which was the first to publish it. Credit was given to Nick Ut, an AP photographer who went on to win many awards, including the World Press Photo of the Year and the Pulitzer Prize for Photography.

The Terror of War @ Napalm Girl
https://www.wycliffecollege.ca/blog/jesus-napalm-girl-and-us

Fifty or more years later, rumours circulated among the shutterbug community that Ut was not the person who took the Napalm Girl photograph. Carl Robinson, then an AP photographer editor in Saigon, admitted that it was an open secret within the fraternity that it was taken by a part-time local photographer, whose identity remained unknown to everyone. The head of AP, Horst Faas, had stated that Ut should be credited as the photographer of the image.

This documentary attempts to uncover the truth behind the rumour. An independent NGO, VII Photo Agency, was called upon to investigate, while its chief, Gary Knight, set out to find an obscure Vietnamese photographer who had vanished from everyone’s memory. No one knew whether the photographer was alive or dead. A French photographic forensic team, INDEX (Investigative Network for Digital Evidence eXpertise), was hired to determine the authorship of the Napalm Girl.

Their report, which was the highlight of the documentary, examined a variety of video and photo footage of the event, identified the people in the frame, and speculated on who would be best positioned to capture a full-on frontal view of Kim Phuc. Meanwhile, the local Vietnamese shutterbugs managed to locate the man who might have snapped Kim Phuc. He turned out to be Nguyen Thanh Nghe, a 90-year-old man who was residing in California.

According to INDEX's report, Nghe is the most probable candidate to have taken the iconic photo. The individuals working with AP in 1972 were interviewed and testified that they feared losing their jobs. Nghe, knowing that 'Napalm Girl' was stolen from him, simply did not resist. He was content with the small remuneration he received to support his family.

Nick Ut insists he took the photo and threatened legal suits against the filmmaker. AP rubbished the new evidence, but the World Press Photo Museum stopped attributing the image to Ut.

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Is everything hunky dory?

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:50:00 +0800

Indhudaa (That's Indhu!, Tamil; 2026)
Written & Directed By: Chinnappa Ganesan

This is a low-budget independent production in the vein of Vivek Agnihotri's 'The Files' series - Kashmir Files and Kerala Files. It may be a response to the many Christian evangelist films we have seen before. If those films try to ridicule some Hindu beliefs as archaic and nonsensical, this one questions Christians about their own scriptures.

From a production quality perspective, there is ample room for improvement, perhaps even a whole-house overhaul. The script is weak, the editing is poor, the actors are too stiff, the cuts are poor, and the comedy falls flat. The filmmakers must have known that this film would not make it big at the box office and that it would not be cleared by the Censor Board. They released it on YouTube for free before approval, hoping to break even, at least, via crowdfunding.

The filmmakers, anticipating the imminent Tamil Nadu State Elections, decided to highlight certain religious issues that appear to threaten Sanātana Dharma in the land of a thousand temples. Many members of the Hindu community feel they are treated as second-class citizens in a milieu that seems to favour the minority. They believe many of their sons and daughters are being duped into converting to Christianity and Islam.

Another point of contention is the abuse of caste privileges afforded to backward castes. Amid the Dalit awakening in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the oppressed group within the Parayar community, who worked as agricultural labourers, gravediggers, tanners, and funeral workers, was classified as Hindu Adi Dravidars. They were so named to indicate that they were the region's original inhabitants. They were discriminated against and denied entry to temples. Forced to live as outcasts outside villages, they soon fell behind in education and living conditions. They were given special status through affirmative action to catch up in literacy and gain access to higher-paying jobs. Leaders such as Ambedkar and EV Ramasamy worked towards this end.

The government soon began issuing Caste Certificates to enable them to claim what was due to them.

This film highlights a few social problems. Firstly, there is a group of newly converted Christians who do the dirty work of foreigners to spread Christianity among ignorant Hindus. There are many crypto-Christians who hide their religious affiliations to covertly spread the faith, while acting as if they are one among them in the Hindu crowd. Many crypto-Christian political leaders work in cahoots with the governmental machinery to issue fake caste certificates, enabling easier access to higher education and jobs.

The movie also briefly mentions 'love jihad', which many parties deny exists. There is also a scene in which a Muslim extremist insists that a restaurateur display a halal signboard outside his business premises. The shopowner's refusal creates tension.

Even though all parties may deny that such animosity exists in Tamil Nadu, the fact that the Deputy Chief Minister, himself a closet Christian, can bluntly say on national television that there is a pressing need to squash Sanathana Dharma like Covid or Dengue speaks volumes.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Education is a great leveller!

noreply@blogger.com (rifle range boy) — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:09:00 +0800

Hello Bachhon (Hello Children, Hindi; 2025)

Miniseries S1, E1-5

Director: Pratish Mehta

https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/netflixs-hello-bachhon-review-
viineet-kumar-singhs-education-drama-is-much-more-
than-just-a-plug-for-alakh-pandeys-physics-wallah-13986837.html

This miniseries holds a special place in my heart. The subject matter was highly relevant, as my siblings and I lived in one of the pigeonholes at Rifle Range Flats, which we called home, from 1970 to 1981.

After facing a particular obstacle in our lives, we were forced to uproot ourselves and step down. We were conditioned to believe that recovering from the fall from grace could only be achieved through education. Amma drummed into us the idea that academic excellence was the cure-all for all our problems. We were guided in that direction. Securing a sound education was our top priority, second to none. Amma used to say, "Get a university degree, and everything will fall into place!" Towards this end, the family made multiple sacrifices, spent miserly on food, and avoided the luxuries of life. Every little bit went into savings. Even though Amma was not the breadwinner, she would stow away savings here and there, under her clothes or in her drawers, which would miraculously emerge when necessity arose.

Long before the general public understood the value of a gold stockpile and its role in the national coffers, Amma knew the value of gold. She would put her savings into gold and buy jewellery. The golden ornaments gave her two advantages. They not only flaunted to the world that we were alright, but they also became a ready source of cash when the need arose.

The miniseries is based on the real-life experiences of Alokh Pandey, a struggling online tuition teacher who made it his life's mission to motivate students to aim high, perform well in higher school examinations (11th and 12th Standard), and secure a place at an IIT.

His humble online tuition grows into an empire, only to be preyed upon by venture capitalists who are keen only to maximise returns from the endeavours, but care two hoots about the welfare of the students. Within the five episodes, the makers tell the case of a young boy from the slums struggling to pass his 11th class with his lackadaisical teachers, a young girl fighting against the orthodoxy to excel in her exams, a talented cricketer who has to juggle between qualifying for the leagues and fulfilling his father's wish for him to be a graduate, and finally a boy who has to fight against the odds to qualify for the IIT.

Through their journeys, we come to understand that education is not a privilege reserved for a few but a right that can change the course of a life. The ability to get onto the right path is not always in our hands. The role of a teacher who steers students onto the right path is often forgotten.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.