All That Phrase

I have been observing this for quite sometime now. I hope many of you would have also observed this.

Newspapers and magazines have article titles that are inherited from famous phrases from movies or books or songs. Sometimes I think that writers are running short of ideas to christen their article. But honestly, some of these titles really sound very creative in the way they are formed. As a reader I get attracted to read the article if the title sounds familiar (by the way it is inherited) to me. Is that why the writers are going for such titles?

With my very limited knowledge on Hollywood movies and famous books, I have extracted some of such titles that I came across in my very recent readings. A small quiz to the readers of this blog. Try if you can find out the origin of these phrases.

[Example: Title of this blog 'All that phrase' is inherited from 'All that jazz', my favourite song from movie Chicago. In addition there is a movie with the title 'All that jazz'. Like wise – find the origins of phrases below]

Phrases:
1. I have a dream
2. Should it be shaken or stirred?
3. The name's bond, distressed bond
4. Ranbaxy Presents SAD MAX
5. Search me if you can, lazy bones
6. The wrath of grapes
7. For a few thousand crores more
8. India Calling
9. Wings of change
10. Cane Unable

Above phrases were titles of articles in the following magazines & newspapers:
1 to 6 - Business & Economy (dated 25-Jan-07)
7 - Business Today dated (dated 28-Jan-07)
8 & 9 - Business World (dated 01-Jan-07)
10 - Economic Times (dated 20-Jan-07)

Answers will be out on 31-Jan-07. Rush in with your answers before 31st.

Note: I have enabled 'comments moderation' as I don't want the answers to be displayed before 31st Jan as that might spoil the party. :)

Cup over Coffee

What do you drink, a cup or a coffee?

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."

"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

[So friend, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead.]

Story above is just a copy-paste of what I got by mail.

I felt this was heavy because I lately seem to run behind better cups in search of a good coffee.

Ain't we all?

Serial Killers

Definition (from Wikipedia):

A serial killer is someone who commits three or more murders over an extended period of time with cooling-off periods in between.

Word of caution (from me):

If you are a weak hearted, don't worry about it and read on. This post is not directly related to the serial killers who take away the lives of innocence. This is about the killers who take away the times of innocence.

Now my story begins...

I have been thinking of writing this since my friend siva posted this. I wouldn't get a better time than this. I am in a celebration mood for some reason. The reason is given at the end of this post.

I feel that the definition of serial killers rightly suits the mega-serials. Read the definition given above again...more murders, extended period, cooling-off period (saturday & sundays) all suit mega-serials perfectly. Right?

Couple of months ago Sun TV made a great decision to move all its non-serial related programmes telecasted during the weekdays to weekends. Now all 5 days of the week most of the time you can see only the serials in Sun TV. Ad-money must be pouring in really huge to make sun tv management to take such a great(!) decision. I believe that Sun TV is loosing its viewrship because of some really good shows in Vijay TV and lack of such good shows in Sun TV.

I think 99.999% of serials would fit in the following template: (please add if you think I have missed something)

1. A title song by a female singer with all smiling faces of heroine & other castings of the serial. (but the people in the serial never have situations to smile in the serial)
2. A female who is on the verge of retiring from film industry or who is not getting movie offers or who is retired from the industry is the hero cum heroine
3. Heroine is either divorced (must be a single mom) or being cheated by husband or fighting for right with her husband
4. Heroine is born with a lot of siblings (definitely more than 3) & she does the role of head of the family
5. A female villain and a few more villains to support that female villain
6. Heroine is a lone warrior; only very few other good people would be there in the serial but even they could not help her when in need
7. At least one main character is bigamy
8. When the director dont know how to proceed, there comes a new character and a new side-kick story

A conversation with me & my colleauge just a month ago: (colleague's name is avoided because of confidentiality issues).

Me (reluctantly): By any chance did you watch Selvi, last night?
Colleague (reluctantly): Yeah, why?
Me (with confidence): I missed to watch because of power cut
Colleague (with a great enthusiasm): oh, yesterday GJ went to Selvi's house to get the 'thali'....blah...blah...

I am wasting my precious 1 hr every day watching Kolangal & Selvi. I hate both the serials. You know it's like smoking, most of the smokers don't like to smoke but they can't really quit. These serials are like such addictions.

Can someone please suggest me a best way to quit-watching-serials?

For the best suggestion, I promise to transfer a few shares of Sun TV from my demat a/c to yours. (Worst suggestion gets the entire pack of Chitheeeee DVD, be careful).

Epilogue: Reason for my joy is that Selvi has ended (finally) last week with lots of loose ends. What a relief? 30 mins of productive time is gonna get increased in my life everyday. I am eagerly waiting for Kolangal to get over but there ain’t no trace of ending in a near future.