Ideal Holiday Movies

This list may be a little late for Diwali (Hindu New Year), but they will be wonderful share with family and friends during the coming holiday season. If you get a chance to watch a few, let me know what you though in the Comments section. Cheers!
The Holiday (Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet)
Last Holiday (Queen Latifa, LL Cool J)
While You Were Sleeping (Sandra Bulluck)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Judy Dench)
Sabrina (Harrison Ford)
Eat Pray Love (Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem)
Return to Me (David Duchovny, Minnie Driver)
Letters to Juliet (Amanda Seyfried, Gael Garcia Bernal)
The Big Wedding (Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon)
Keeping the Faith (Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, Jenna Elfman)

Movie Review: THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Thank you for checking back from time to time. I have been busy writing about Hinduism for a website my sister, Monica, set up to raise money for the completion of a school building at an ashram in South India. But I am here now and I want to share my thoughts on the new THOR movie.For those of you who do not know this by now, the second installation of the THOR franchise just came out last weekend. The title of the movie is Thor: The Dark World. It stars Chris Hemsworth (hubba hubba) as the main character, Natalie Portman (as his lady love), Tom Hiddleston (as the evil brother who still has an element of goodness in him), Anthony Hopkins (the daddy of them all), and Rene Russo (the glue that holds them altogether).I have gone to see many of the movies that have come out this year that are in the same genre as Thor. But a lot of them fell short. That is why I didn’t know what to expect when I entered the theater for this movie.  Well, I shouldn’t have worried.  The movie blew my reservations right out of the water!The movie opened at a scene two years after Thor bid farewell to Jane Foster. During that time, the Asgardians were busy in battle, restoring peace to the Nine Realms.  Now, during a moment of triumph and celebration, Thor found himself pining for that one girl that got away.Well, Jane Foster is no ordinary female. She is an astrophysicist who is still trying to figure out how to connect to Asgard, a world she knows almost nothing about. But that soon changes when she accidentally releases a mighty energy that can control the universe! Learning that this power has transmutated into Foster’s body, Thor brings her home to Asgard to figure out how to extract energy before it kills her.As the planets of the Nine Realms grow hungry for that very power, Asgard prepares for war. But Thor knows that the people of Asgard cannot withstand the onslaught of one regime after another. So he defies his father’s dictates and enlists the help of his wayward brother. How these two princes forge a truce and work together to keep the battle from coming to Asgard is what you must find out when you see the movie. But let me tell you, what I expected to be a fairy-tale ending was anything but. 

Scary with a Pinch of Humor

The following is a list of movies that will get a start out of you:

Hook,  Slither,  Caroline,  Jumanji,  Gremlins,  Ghost Rider,   Black Swan,   White Nights,   The Fugitive,   The Mummy,   Original Sin,  Sweeney Todd,   Basic Instinct   Fatal Attraction
Donnie Darko,  Monster House,  The Sixth Sense,  Minority Report,  Love at First Bite,  Eyes Wide Shut,  Now You See Me,  War of the Worlds,  Catch Me If You Can,  The Addam’s Family,  Edward Scissorhands,   Bram Stoker’s Dracula,  The Phantom of the Opera,   Dark Shadow (Johnny Depp),   Star Trek Into Darkness,   Interview with the Vampire,   Journey to the Center of the Earth,   Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows,   Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride,   The Nightmare Before Christmas,   Hotel Transylvania

Miley WHO?

I watched a video last night about Miley Cyrus that looked like a home video taken without the participants knowing…. It was raunchy and downright offensive. But again, I just thought it was a home video, and you know how bad those can get!

But then I watched the number she pulled on live TV at the MTV VGAs, and man……… I can’t even come up with the right words! I was AGHAST! Here was the TALENTED singer who can obviously dance, but she is using everything she’s got to…what…send a message? To whom??? And for what? Nobody sees her as a staunch supporter of anything HOLY or WISE, and now most of us don’t see her as a worthwhile “act” to watch! She’s… simply OFFENSIVE!

In generations past, we had Madonna, who also crossed the line as to what should be seen on public broadcasts. But she got away with it, because she did it with a STYLE that we, the American public, could accept. And I believe she suffered way more at the hands of the opposite sex than Miley ever did.

And then there was the lead singer of The Doors. If you want illicit and seductive, he wrote the book! And the very things that made him so…..illicit, took his life way before his time!

Then you have Whitney Houston. Her music shaped pop music as a genre! She can honestly be labeled as the Queen of Pop! But she too succumbed to recreational drugs and ended up DEAD before her time.

But Miley? Who is she? We know of a teen actress who engaged us in movies like Nick Spark’s Last Song. She was fabulous there! Her acting even trumped her hunky costar, Liam Hemsworth. But whereas Hemsworth went on to IMPROVE on his game, Miley deteriorated. And she is STILL falling. Won’t someone put us all out of our misery and stop putting her on stage???

HAF NEXTGEN Essay Contest Winner for 2012

The Hindu American Foundation has held an annual essay contest in its ongoing efforts to build Hindu solidarity. In 2012, Suneeta Israni won First Place. Below you will find and excerpt from her winning essay. She wrote to the following prompt: If I were elected President of the United States, my Hindu principles would inspire me to... 

                 If I were President of the United States, my Hindu principles would inspire me to plant a lotus in the White House Garden. For if I planted a Lotus, I would have the privilege of seeing that even though its petals close each night and sink to reside within the murky darkness at the bottom of the pond, it nonetheless will rise each dawn to display its beauty.

                I would have the privilege of learning that no matter how hard I tried to bend its stalk, the stem of the Lotus flower will never break.

                I would have the privilege of remembering that the distance between the Lotus flower and the water, instituted by the stem, represents what the Honorable Siddhartha Gautama’s once said, “the [spotless] spirit of the best of men, like the new lotus in the [murky] water which does not adhere to it.”

                I would have the privilege of appreciating that at every stage for any purpose, whether raw or cooked, roasted or boiled, roots or leaves, it would be safe and beneficial to consume. These privileges, however, do not come alone. They bestow upon me the responsibility to extract the lessons from the Lotus flower and apply them to the world we live in today.

Whose History Is It Anyways?

I was scanning the headlines on the HAF (Hindu American Foundation) website this evening when I came across an article about India's history. I found it interesting because I have been doing my own research on the topic over the past year or so. Instead of trying to summarize the key points of the article for you, I have chosen a portion of it to share with you, below. If it sparks a reaction in you, please leave feedback in the comments section.

There are winners and losers when history is assessed, and there are protagonists and antagonists. Historians recognize the onerous burden of their profession in these times when a spare use of the word "genocide" in the House of Representatives to describe events in Armenia decades ago led Turkey to recall its ambassador. And politics infuses the narratives of history. Anti-Semitism, Marxism, white supremacy, all are known to prejudice renditions of peoples, cultures and religions. Historian Wendy Doniger, professor of the History of Religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School, finds herself in the midst of a history book kerfuffle of her own. Doniger, long enjoying exalted status as the doyen of Hindu studies in the American academy, faces scrutiny now in an unfolding drama involving her latest book, "The Hindus: An Alternative History". An online petition asking Penguin Press, the publishers of the book, to hold publication and demand revisions is approaching 10,000 signatures. And when the book was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award, Hindu activists staged a rare protest outside the award ceremony last week (the book did not win).
Hindus know that Doniger was derailed before. In 2003,Microsoft retracted a chapter on Hinduism written by Doniger for its online encyclopedia after a heavily publicized internet campaign protested factual and interpretive errors in her essay. In the end, a Hindu writer, providing the insider's perspective, wrote an entry that depicted Hinduism in the light that practitioners would actually recognize.

Olympus Has Fallen Movie Review

When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning's inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger disaster. (Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman)

Gerard Butler….ahhh…whatta hunka burnin’ luv….  Okay, well… that’s enough of that (as I blink and shake my head furtively)…  I guess it is safe to say that Gerard Butler has proven himself in the romantic comedy arena, what with P.S. I Love You, Bounty Hunter, and the Ugly Truth. But I didn’t see this new side of him – the hunky action hero – until I was watching him ride the massive waves off Hawaiin shores. That’s right, folks, I am referring to the action flick, Chasing Mavericks. And then there was Joel Schumacher’s Phantom of the Opera. His role as the main character (the Phantom) brought his versatility to light in this period horror movie.

He started picking up momentum in the action hero role in movies like 300 and Boewulf and Grendel. But his role in this movie seemed to be the most engaging yet. I mean, who can resist a single father who has fallen from grace and  just wants to reconnect with his only daughter?

What's Love Gotta Do With It....

Okay, so I had just turned my computer on this morning when something incredible flashed onto the screen:  

Tina Turner, the 73-year-old What's Love Got to Do with It hitmaker, became a Swiss citizen in April and wed German record executive Erwin Bach, 57, in a discreet civil ceremony on the banks of Lake Zurich in Kusnacht "a few days ago", according to municipal official Hannes Friess.

This is AMAZING because Turner is 73 YEARS OLD now! OMG! And she looks like she is in her FORTIES! Also, she is remarrying, AFTER ALL THIS TIME! God Bless You, Tina! You are an inspiration to us all! Now for the nitty gritty… she became a Swiss citizen in April. That means she must have at least $400k in the bank, and she must be residing in Switzerland for the majority of her time. Wow, wow, wow!!! Oh yeah, and marrying a man who is nearly TWENTY years her junior…talk about living the DREAM! Kudos, Tina! May he treat you the way you have always deserved to be treated! Best wishes to you both! May you live a long life together…

BADARIKASHRAMA CELEBRATES 29 YEARS

Founded by Swami Omkaranandaji, Badarikashrama is a spiritual and cultural center that hosts daily worship, Sunday services and special events promoting Vedic culture and spiritual values. It provides a peaceful atmosphere to worship and ensures sanctity to visitors through many religious, cultural and educational programs. Badarikashrama was originally dedicated on Mother’s Day in May of 1984, and every year since the ashrama celebrates its anniversary with cultural programs and a group worship of Sri Satyanarayana Swami.

This year’s celebrations spanned two days of cultural and spiritual programs. On Saturday, June 8th, 2013, the festivities began with a presentation by students from the ashrama’s children’s school, Balasamskara Kendra. The students performed a play explaining what they had learnt at Badarikashrama. A Karnatik instrumental concert led by Susheela Narasimhan followed this.

The afternoon started with an Odissi dance performance by the Nataraj School of Dance’s Artistic Director, Sima Chakravorty. It was followed by Aarti and Mahaprasad.

Rita Sahai and her senior students performed Hindustani music, accompanied by Pradosh Sarkar on tabla.

The afternoon continued with a panel discussion on “Atmano Mokshartham Jagadhitayaca” –one’s own salvation and the service of humanity. Panelists included Swami Tattwamayanandaji from the San Francisco Vedanta Society, Swami Prasannatmanandaji from the Vedanta Society in Berkeley, Suman Shah, math professor at Laney College and Sargam Shah, former English professor at UC Berkeley. The two Vedanta Society sanyasas have both made exceptional marks on the community.

The day closed with a sitar concert by visiting artist, Susmita Banerjee, on sitar, accompanied by Jerry Baar on tabla. She plays in the style of Maiihar gharana.

Sunday, June 9, 2013, began with Hindustani bhajans sung by Rita Sahai and her students. She began the Samuhika 108 Sri Satyanarayana Swami Puja and Katha—a tradition that has lasted 25 years. The puja is performed anually as part of the ashrama’s annual celebrations for the health, peace, spiritual and mental welfare of all its constituents.  

WHO WAS HOT AT THE BOX OFFICE THIS WEEKEND?

Here is the list for the “Top 5” movies this weekend.

Despicable Me (Universal)

While Gru, the ex-supervillain is adjusting to family life and an attempted honest living in the jam business, a secret Arctic laboratory is stolen. The Anti-Villain League decides it needs an insider's help and recruits Gru in the investigation. Together with the eccentric AVL agent, Lucy Wilde, Gru concludes that his prime suspect is the presumed dead supervillain, El Macho, whose his teenage son is also making the moves on his eldest daughter, Margo. Seemingly blinded by his overprotectiveness of his children and his growing mutual attraction to Lucy, Gru seems on the wrong track even as his minions are being quietly kidnapped en masse for some malevolent purpose.

Grownups 2 (Sony)

After moving his family back to his hometown to be with his friends and their kids, Lenny finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, schizo bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, and 400 costumed party crashers sometimes crazy follows you.

Pacific Rim (Warner)

As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.

The Heat (Fox)

Sarah Ashburn, an FBI agent, is extremely ambitious and has her eye on a promotion, but she doesn't get along with her co-workers. She is sent to Boston to uncover the identity of an elusive drug lord, Mr. Lassen, by tracking down his proxy, Rojas, and is told that she'll have a good shot at the promotion if she finds Lassen. When she arrives in Boston, she learns that Lassen has been eliminating his competition and taking over their operations. She learns that Rojas is in Boston PD custody and goes to see him to ask him what he knows about Lassen, but is warned that the cop who arrested Rojas, Shannon Mullins, is very territorial, and she is not exactly sociable. When the two meet they don't get along. When Mullins learns why Ashburn is in Boston, she decides to find Lassen herself. Ahsburn is told by her boss to work with Mullins, but it won't be easy because Ashburn does things by the book while Mullins does things her way.

The Lone Ranger (Disney)

In the 1930s, an elderly Tonto tells a young boy the tale of John Reid, the Lone Ranger. An idealistic lawyer, he rides with his brother and fellow Texas Rangers in pursuit of the notorious Butch Cavendish. Ambushed by the outlaw and left for dead, John Reid is rescued by the renegade Comanche, Tonto, at the insistence of a mysterious white horse and offers to help him to bring Cavendish to justice. Becoming a reluctant masked rider with a seemingly incomprehensible partner, Reid pursues the criminal against all obstacles. However, John and Tonto learn that Cavendish is only part of a far greater injustice and the pair must fight it in an adventure that would make them a legend.

If you have seen any or all of them, write back and tell me what you thought. Cheers!

Book Review: The Complete Persepolis

I’d like to share a graphic novel that was awarded the Best Seller title by both the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times. It is called Persepolis. There are two books in the series, which chronicle the early childhood and coming of age of the Iranian author, Marjane Satrapi. The political instability that led up to the Islamic Revolution in Iran is an intense story that many may fear to look into. However, the fact that it is in the graphic novel format forces readers to move on. So I guess we could say that it is more driven by plot than the normal novel might be. Having said this, I would like to share a brief description of it, as presented by Spiegelman’s Maus and Sacco’s Safe Area Goradze and Reed Business Information, Inc.

Descended from the last Emperor of Iran, Satrapi is nine when fundamentalist rebels overthrow the Shah. While Satrapi's radical parents and their community initially welcome the ouster, they soon learn a new brand of totalitarianism is taking over. Satrapi's art is minimal and stark yet often charming and humorous as it depicts the madness around her. She idolizes those who were imprisoned by the Shah, fascinated by their tales of torture, and bonds with her Uncle Anoosh, only to see the new regime imprison and eventually kill him. Thanks to the Iran-Iraq war, neighbors' homes are bombed, playmates are killed and parties are forbidden. Satrapi's parents, who once lived in luxury despite their politics, struggle to educate their daughter. Her father briefly considers fleeing to America, only to realize the price would be too great. "I can become a taxi driver and you a cleaning lady?" he asks his wife. Iron Maiden, Nikes and Michael Jackson become precious symbols of freedom, and eventually Satrapi's rebellious streak puts her in danger, as even educated women are threatened with beatings for improper attire. Despite the grimness, Satrapi never lapses into sensationalism or sentimentality. Skillfully presenting a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals, she also shows quotidian life in Tehran and her family's pride and love for their country despite the tumultuous times.

If you get around to reading it, or even just one of the two books, write back and tell me what you think. Until next time, stay safe!

Movies to Watch This Independence Day

I am a fan of movies of many genres AND in different languages too. The last entry I posted was a review of the movie “White House Down”, starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. I still stand by my belief that it was a good movie. Nevertheless, I would enjoy finding out what you, my readers, thought of it.

On that note, I would like to take a crack at listing 10 movies to watch this Fourth of July in lieu of scoping out the dwindling number of firework displays around town this year. So roast those wieners and knaw on some typical German rolls (yes, they are HARD) with a dab of mustard, and find a comfy place in front of the big screen (or little tv) with your family and friends and make some noise!

     1. Independence Day

     2. Marvel’s The Avengers

     3. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

     4. Star Trek (2009) or Star Trek Into Darkness

     5. Skyfall

     6. A Good Day to Die Hard

     7. Jack the Giant Slayer

     8. Taken (the first one)

     9. The Bourne Legacy (Jeremy Renner)

10. Lord of the Ring: The Return of the King

If I don’t say it before Thursday, Happy American Independence Day! 

White House Down Movie Review

      It's been a while since I wrote last. Sorry about that. I was trying to finish a "project" by the end of June.... all I can say about that write now is that at least I made some progress.... I guess I can tell you about that, but maybe later...
      For this post, I would like to share a new movie that just came out today. It is called White House Down, with Channing Tatum and Jamie Fox. First I will tell you what it was about, and then I will provide a review by someone in cyberspace who saw it and then wrote a review. Yes, I know that I should be doing these things for myself, but I didn't have the time this week. So I am borrowing the work of others.... So this is how the story goes: Capitol Policeman John Cale has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer. Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation's government falling into chaos and time running out, it's up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country.      For such a well-acted movie, I was surprised to find that many of the initial reviewers thought so poorly of it. But I did find someone who had something positive to share...After taking a short detour into the realm of speculative costume drama with 2011's Anonymous, director Roland Emmerich is back to doing what he does best: dealing out copious amounts of punishment to 1600 Penn. After all, he blew it to smithereens with an alien death ray in Independence Day and smashed an aircraft carrier into its south portico in 2012. It seemed inevitable that the maven of large-scale cinematic destruction would eventually make a film centering on the D.C. landmark. I just watched the movie this afternoon, and I enjoyed it. AND I think you might also. If you take me up on the recommendation, let me know what you thought... Til next time, cheers!

Summer Reads

Summer is a great time to rediscover your love for reading - fiction, nonfiction, poetry, literature....the choices are endless. In an effort to get you started, I would like to offer you suggestions..... I will provide one title and summary or review per week. This week, I would like to introduce a moving tale that was written by  Deborah Ellis, called The Breadwinner. I heard about this book many years ago, by friends who were interested in novels with a more intercultural perspective. It is a true story about a resilient Afghani family during the early years of the Taliban occupation. Below I have provided you with a brief summary of the book, as written by a fifth grade teacher in New York:

Twelve-year-old Parvana enjoyed going to school, living in a nice, loving home, and being a kid. That is until the Taliban--an extreme militia group that rules Afghanistan--took over the city of Kabul. Girls were forbidden to go to school and women from going to work. Women and girls are not even allowed out of the homes unless they are accompanied by a man. These days, Parvana only leaves her family's one room apartment to help her injured father get to the market, where she earns a small amount of money reading for those who cannot. When the Taliban bursts into their apartment one evening, Parvana's father is arrested. The family is unsure of how they will live without a man to earn money and go to the market with to get food. Then, they come up with an idea –now their survival depends on whether Parvana can convince the outside world that she is a boy.

If you have read this book already, chime in and tell me what you thought!

Hindu Mythology: Churning the Ocean of Milk

          This is the story of how the Devas (celestial beings) and the Asuras (demons) churned the Ocean of Milk to obtain the Nectar of Immortality.
          One day, all gods gathered on Mount Meru to discuss how to obtain the nectar of immortality from the Ocean of Milk. Lord Narayan said, “Let all the Devas and Asuras come together and churn the Ocean of Milk. As a result, nectar will be obtained from its depths.” Under the guidance of Lord Narayan, the Devas attempted to dig up Mount Mandaranchal to use as the churning tool. However, the task turned out to be an impossible one. Mount Mandranchal was 55,000 miles high and 55,000 miles. When the Devas could not even budge the mountain, they prayed to Lord Narayan, “God, please tell us of a way by which we can dig up Mount Mandaranchal.” Hearing their prayers, Lord Narayan persuaded King Vasuki, the king of serpents, to dig up the mountain. King Vasuki obliged, unearthing the mighty mountain. The Devas then went to the Ocean of Milk and requested permission to churn its waters to get the Nectar of Immortality. After some thought, the Spirit of the Ocean of Milk conceided, “I grant you my permission, but only if you promise to give me a share of the nectar.” The Devas and Asuras accepted this condition and asked King Kacchapraj, the tortoise king, to support the mountain on his back. Mount Mandaranchal became the churning tool while King Vasuki became the churning rope. In this way, the Devas and the Asuras started the elaborate exercise of churning the Ocean of Milk. The Devas took the tail of the snake and the Asuras took his head. Together, they rotated the mountain and began to churn the ocean. 
          A millennium passed. When Lord Brahma saw everyone getting tired, he thought, “Except Lord Narayan, all the Devas and Asuras are exhausted. So much time has passed since we started churning the ocean, but the nectar has not yet come out.” He therefore requested Lord Vishnu, “My Lord! Please give them strength. You are their only Hope.” Lord Vishnu obliged, and the strength of the Devas and Asuras increased ten-fold. 
           Soon, huge waves rose up and out came Chandrama, the Moon Goddess, followed successively by Goddess Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth), Goddess Sura (the Creator of Alcohol), Uccahashrava (the divine 7-headed horse), and Kaustobhamani (the most valuable jewel in the world worn by Lord Vishnu), came out. One by one, they all ascended to the Heavens.
          Then came Kamdhenu, Kalpvriksh (the wish-granting tree), and Dhanavantri (the Divine Physician). Cradled in Dhanavantri’s arms sat a large pot that contained the Nectar of Immortality. Upon discovering this, the Devas and Asuras began to fight over who gets it. Engrossed in their battle, they didn’t see Garuda, the son of the Great Sage Kashyap and Mata Vinata, swoop in and carry it away.

Movie Review: Breaking Dawn Part I

            Towards the end of 2011, my sister convinced me to see a movie in a franchise I had never heard before. As luck would have it, I managed to get a seat on opening night. The movie started with a beautiful white wedding between a mortal and her vampire beau. Their exotic honeymoon was cut short due to an unexpected complication: the mortal got pregnant. As the fetus grew, her new husband and his family speculated and prepared for the worst.  Labor pains put the mortal in grave danger. By the time the delivery was over, so was her life. As you might have already guessed, I am talking about the movie, Breaking Dawn: Part I, starring Kristen Stewart as the mortal, Belle, and Robert Pattinson as the vampire, Edward Cullen.
           The movie was engaging because the sets were creative and dynamic. But in the end, it was an unlikely story about a love triangle between a mortal, a vampire, and a werewolf. Two out of the three main characters were fictitious in nature. And yet, people of all ages (albeit mostly female) had camped out for a chance to purchase a ticket for opening night. I mean, I have heard of such phenomena, but I had never seen it until now. I think that is one of the reasons why I liked the movie so much.
           I was curious. How could so many intelligent people (again, mostly female) be so carried away with this film series? To find out, I went to a thrift store a picked up a copy of the first installment, Twilight. I read it, and then went back and read parts of it again. But in all my searching, I couldn’t find anything particularly extraordinary about the story. Remember the ferver with which I saw the audience that surrounded me in the movie theater, I picked up the second installment and read it all the way through. It took me until the end of the third book, Aclipse, to finally come to the conclusion that the very ordinariness of the storyline is what has captured the imagination of millions. And the fact that the main characters were in their teens didn’t escape me. Shortly after the first book was released, a new genre had evolved: Young Adult Fiction.

Badarikashrama Temple and Ashrama

Today I am going to dedicate this post to my two Swamijis.... I have found that though their work has been profound, people's knowledge of it has been scarce. So this is the beginning of my attempt to bring their life's work to light.... Please join me as I introduce you to two remarkable people, and the Temple they founded.

Badarikashrama

Swami Omkarananda & Swami Mangalananda

   Badarikashrama Temple, in San Leandro, California, is a Hindu religious and cultural center which is designed to serve devotees in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was founded in 1984 by Swami Omkarananda and supports the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a     19^th-Century mystic saint, and his disciple, Swami Vivekananda. They were both influencial participants of the Hindu Renaissance, that began towards the tail end of the 19^th century.

Shortly thereafter, Swamiji’s disciple, Swami Mangalananda, directed the grand opening of an ashrama in Madihalli, Karnataka. Since it’s inauguration, the India Center has grown from a temple on a plot of 2 acres, to a full scale religious center on a plot of 52 acres. From Sunday sermons and langar, it has expanded to include visitors’ quarters and a full-scale school for children, ages 5 to 16 years.

Today, both centers stand as beacons of hope to their communities. Prayers and Prasad are accompanied by music and dance to lift the universal psyche of mankind. Go to their website at  www.badarikashrama.org  and look over their events calendar. Something may jump out at you as the perfect opportunity to a personal exploration of your spirit.

Movie Review: Thor

Happy Monday! For those of you who have a job, hope you're off to a good start. I'd like to start off the week with a movie review. Since the second installment of Thor is scheduled to come out at the end of this year, I figure it would be helpful to review the first one. So here we go...

      Thor (Hemsworth), trained in battle and heir to the throne, is banished from his homeland on the distant planet of Asgard, by his father, King Odin (Hopkins), for inciting war with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, in reaction to a matter that resolved itself to the King’s satisfaction. For his disobedience , Thor is sent to planet Earth to live among the humans in hopes of developing a sense of humility.
      Hurling towards Earth at warp speed, Thor crash-lands in the high deserts of the American Southwest. Dazed and confused, he walks headlong into a retrofitted recreational vehicle, operated by none other than Jane Foster, a research scientist studying the possible existence of worm holes through space and time. Deprived of his supernatural powers, Thor stumbles through a series of unfortunate events, accompanied by Jane Foster and her crew. Along the way, he discovers what it feels like to grieve the loss of a loved one, to suffer from the betrayal of a family member, and to fear the possible annihilation of his homeland.

Release date was in 2011
Rated PG13: Comic-book Adventure
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins

If you, the reader, have seen it, share your thoughts in the comments section.
Until next time, have a great day!

Actresses to Watch continued...

Noomi Rapace (Elizabeth Shaw, Prometheus (2012))

A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Rooney Mara (Lisbeth Salander, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011))

This is the first film in Columbia Pictures’ three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy with the same name. The story centers around Lisbeth Salander, an eccentric punk prodigy who makes a living as a writer. When Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist, hires her to help investigate the disappearance of a woman who has been missing for forty years, they uncover a conspiracy of far-reaching proportions. Directed by David Fincher, it stars Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig as the two leading characters.

Freida Pinto (lead character,Trishna)

This is a tragic love story between the daughter of an auto rickshaw owner and the son of a property developer.

Saoirse Ronan (Melanie Stryder, The Host (2013))

From Stephenie Meyer, the creator of the worldwide phenomenon The Twilight Saga, comes this daring and romantic thriller based on The New York Times #1 bestselling novel. When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over humans' bodies and erasing their minds, Melanie Stryder risks everything to protect the people she cares about most in her life, proving that love can conquer all.

Zoe Kravitz (Senshi Raige, After Earth (2013))

A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, a millennium after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.

Emily Blunt (Sara, Looper (2012))

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self.

'Gems' Followup

In a prior blog post, I listed a number of female actresses to watch over the next few years. Indeed, they are talented. And most of them came out, or will be coming out, with new movies towards the end of last and the first half of this year. For each, I have included their characters’ names and a brief description of each movie.Take a look for yourself, and then tell me what you think . I would love to get your feedback.

Jennifer Lawrence (Tiffany, Silver Linings Playbook)

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. (I haven't seen this movie yet, but I plan to in the near future.)

Amanda Seyfreid (Cosette, Les Miserables)

In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever. (I haven't seen this movie yet and I don't intend to-the misery of it would make ME miserable!)

Anne Hathaway (Fantine, Les Miserables)

Jean Valjean, known as Prisoner 24601, is released from prison and breaks parole to create a new life for himself while evading the grip of the persistent Inspector Javert. Set in post-revolutionary France, the story reaches resolution against the background of the June Rebellion.

Scarlett Johansson (Janet Leigh, Hitchcock)

In 1959, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma, are at the top of their creative game as filmmakers amid disquieting insinuations about it being time to retire. To recapture his youth's artistic daring, Alfred decides his next film will adapt the lurid horror novel, Psycho, over everyone's misgivings. Unfortunately, as Alfred self-finances and labors on this film, Alma finally loses patience with his roving eye and controlling habits with his actresses. When an ambitious friend lures her to collaborate on a work of their own, the resulting marital tension colors Alfred's work even as the novel's inspiration haunts his dreams.

Rebel Wilson (Robin Peck, Pain & Gain)

Based on the true story of Daniel Lugo,  a Miami bodybuilder who wanted to live the American dream. He wanted to have the money that other people had, so he enlisted the help of fellow bodybuilder,  Adrian Doorbal, and ex-convict, Paul Doyle. When their kidnapping and extortion scheme went terribly wrong, they attempted to salvage whatever they can. (I haven't seen this movie yet, but I plan to in the near future.)

Zoe Saldana (Uhura, Star Trek: Into Darkness)

With a personal score to settle, Captain Jim Kirk leads a manhunt aboard the starship, Enterprise, to a war-torn world in an effort to capture a one man weapon-of-mass-destruction. Our heroes are propelled into an epic game of chess, during which the bonds of loyalty and love will be tested.

Emma Stone (Grace Faraday, Gangster Squad)

Based on a true story. It's 1949, and Los Angeles is under the control organized crime. A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the Legendary West Coast Mafia King, Mickey Cohen. Things get complicated when one of the sergeants falls for the kingpin's daughter, Grace. (I haven't seen this movie yet, but I plan to in the near future.)

Halle Berry (Jordan Turner, The Call)

When a veteran 911 operator takes a life-altering call from a teenage girl who has just been abducted, she realizes that she must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl's life.

Liv Tyler (Madison, Robot & Frank)

Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team. (I haven't seen this movie yet, but I plan to in the near future.)

Movie Review: After Earth

After Earth, starring Will Smith and his real-life son, Jaden Smith, is an action-fantasy flick about a father and son, who escaped Planet Earth with the rest of humanity over a thousand years before, and established a new home on a planet they christened Nova Prime. The father, General Cypher Raige, is head of the planet’s most prominant family. He and his wife had two children, a daughter and a son. But the daughter was killed long ago, leaving their son, Kitai, to bear the strain of an only child. 

            Kitai feels enormous pressure to follow in his father’s legendary footsteps. As a result, the relationship between father and son is tense. To reconnect, the General takes his son on a routine trip. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he and his crew must break regulations and land on Planet Earth. As the aircraft enters Earth’s atmosphere, it malfunctions and splits in two. Both pieces make landfall, but most of the crew has been killed. General Cypher Raige and his son, Kita,i are the only two survivors.

            Kitai awakens in a panic and rummages around until he comes upon his father. Once the General comes to, he discovers that both his legs are broken and he can’t go anywhere. When he locates the emergency beacon that all aircraft are equipped with, it is damaged and useless. Their only hope now is to find the backup beacon stored in the tail end of the spacecraft, which lies many miles away.

            Tasked with finding and retrieving the second beacon, Kitai makes his way across the wild and dangerous terrain.  Now it will take all his training to succeed, if not for his own sake, than for his father’s. 

          

Anne Hathaway, an Audry Hepburn lookalike?

Anne Hathaway’s initial claim to fame was her role in Disney’s The Princess Diaries in 2001. Then, in 2005, she played alongside Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain. Meryl Streep took Hathaway under her wing in 2006 with The Devil Wears Prada. More recently, she played a cat burglar in the Dark Knight Rises (2012) and the role of Fantine in Cameron Macintosh’s Les Miserables (2012).

Here is an actress who has proven her acting skills across multiple genres over the years. Her doleful eyes and contagious smile has added warmth and genuineness to each role she has played. And, might I add, her sophistication and grace is reminiscint of Audry Hepburn. Why then do so many people in showbiz seem to “hate” her? Probably because she is THAT good, that why!

Om Sweet Om

Hellooooo there everybody..... I was surfing the web recently and came upon an article about Swami Mangalananda, one of two that preside over the Badarikashrama Temple in San Leandro, California.(The other is Swami Omkarananda.)  It was very enlightening, but more importantly, it was surprising! I mean, I didn't expect to find it in an obscure online bay area journal like I did. So without further adue, I share with you this excerpt:

      One day 22 years ago, a former hippie threw her shorn hair into the Ganges River (in India), said her final monastic vows, and never looked back. Swami Mangalananda describes herself as "a WASP from Wisconsin," but she's also a Hindu nun and the secretary of the Badarikashrama Temple (15602 Maubert Ave., San Leandro, CA).

      "My interest in non-Western philosophies began in high school and continued through the Sixties," she said. "I became a vegetarian. I listened to Indian music. By dressing in Madras clothes and Indian jewelry and living communally, a lot of us in those days were imitating the people of Eastern cultures without completely realizing it. I went through a very strong Christian phase, then an agnostic phase. I was disenchanted with religion, yet I had spiritual longings and altered states of consciousness and a lot of spiritual experiences — not just from drugs."

       A devoted peace activist and civil-rights campaigner, "I developed a very strong attachment for Mahatma Gandhi, and that attachment stayed with me," Mangalananda said. "I didn't become a yuppie. Sometimes I actuallychose poverty."

        While living in San Leandro and studying health education at San Francisco State University, she wandered into Badarikashrama one day. It was the first Hindu temple she'd ever visited. Immediately inspired by its founder, Swami Omkarananda, she began working at the ashram, taking classes, and becoming first a student monk, then a full nun. She stuck with it. In 1997, Omkarananda transferred her to Badarikashrama's fifty-acre sister ashram in Madihalli, India.

Top News Stories of 2012

The year 2012 was a year when the tenets of our founding fathers were tested on many fronts. It was a year when gun control became part of the general conversation. It was a year when the first African-American president was re-elected for a second term of office. It was a year when natural disaster struck hard on the homefront. In this post, I will list a few of the momentous events that took place in the last twelve months. I do realize, however, that I have missed out many. But these should open the discussion for you.

Costa Concordia, an Italian cruise ship, became the largest passenger ship to sink, ever, when it ran aground at Isola de Giglio in Tuscany on January 13^th .

At a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado: 12 people were shot and killed.

David Patraeus, CIA Director, tendered his resignation after it was revealed that he had an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

At a Sikh Gurudwara in Wisconsin, a military veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, who was dishonorably discharged, opened fire in a delusional attempt to rid himself and his country of a perceived enemy. The heroics of the Faithful drew national attention to a widely-misunderstood segment of the U.S. population.

Hurricane Sandy hit land, killing hundreds and costing billions in damages. It is the second-costliest storm in U.S. history.

A September 11^th assault on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya was the result of a protest instigated by the release of an anti-Muslim film in the U.S.A.

U.S. Presidential Election: Contender Republican Mitt Romney versus Current President Democrat Barack Obama. Obama won re-election.

On Election Day, Maine, Maryland, and Washington, became the first states to legalize gay marriage.

Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut: 20 young school children and 6 staff members were shot, making it the second biggest shooting massacre in U.S. history.

Obama’s much-debated health care overhaul, popularly known as “Obamacare”, was upheld by Supreme Court Justice John Roberts (conservative-leaning).

An outbreak of peaceful protests in Syria descended into full-blown civil war between the regime of Bashar Assad and a potent rebel opposition.

Gems of 2012

We women are a different breed altogether! The actresses on this list can act and they have proven it. Follow them and see where their careers lead them.

GEMS OF 2012
Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games)
Amanda Seyfried (Jill, Gone)
Scarlett Johanssen (Black Widow, Marvel’s The Avengers)
Anne Hathaway (Selina, The Dark Knight Rises)
Charlize Theron ( , Snow White and the Huntsman)
Rebel Wilson (Fat Amy, Pitch Perfect)
Emma Watson (Sam, The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
Kate Beckinsale (Lori Quaid, Total Recall)
Evangeline Lilly (Kate, Lost)
Natalie Portman (Jane Foster, Thor)
Zoe Saldana (Dora Jansen, The Words)
Liv Tyler (Arwen, LOTR)
Jessica Biel (Stacy, Playing for Keeps)
Emma Stone (Gwen Stacey, The Amazing Spiderman)
Halle Berry ( , Cloud Atlas)

Men! Men! Men!

Men! Men! Men! How many of you are astute people watchers of the male species?! I know I am. In this post, I would like to present a list of actors in Hollywood to watch over the next year.. Have you ever seen them act before? Which movie? Did you like the movies? Did you think they acted well? Let me know in the comments section! 

RISING STARS OF 2012
Ian McKellan (Gandalf, The Hobbit)
Andy Serkis (Gollum, The Hobbit)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Necromancer, The Hobbit)
Martin Freeman (Bilbo, The Hobbit)
Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Marvel’s The Avengers)
Channing Tatum (Mike, Magic Mike)
Jeremy Renner (Aaron Cross, The Bourne Legacy)
Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne, The Hunger Games)
Taylor Kitsch (Lt. Alex Hopper, Battleship)
Chris Evans (Captain America, Marvel’s The Avengers)
Dane DeHaan (Andrew Detmer, Chronicle)
Domhnall Gleeson (Levin, Anna Karenina)
Jake Gyllanhall (Dastan, Prince of Persia)

Great Novels of 2012

Lists, lists, everywhere! Don't you love 'em! In this post, I will provide you with a list of best reads of 2012, based on "experts" around the web. Tell me what you think. And again, add to the list if you want through the comments section. Here we go:

Behind the Beautiful Tomorrows by Katherine Boo
Wild by Cheryl Srayed
House of Stone by Anthony Shadid
The Mansion of Happiness by Jill Lepore
No Easy Day by Mark Owen
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowlings
The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan

Lists! Lists! Lists!

I am a lover of lists. I make lists for shopping, lists for singing, lists for chores, lists for places to visit, lists for people to meet…you get the drift J Soooooo, I want to share some of them with you. For this post, I am going to offer up my impression of the BEST movies of 2012. Let me know if you agree. Also, in the comments section, give me your own list. 

• Dark Shadows
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer
• Life of Pi
• Skyfall
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Argo
• Taken 2
• The Bourne Legacy
• Marvel’s The Avengers
• A Thousand Words
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
• Snow White and the Huntsman
• Parental Guidance
• The Lucky One
• Cloud Atlas
• The Vow
• Moneyball
• The Hunger Games
• Battleship
• Rock of Ages