Great Love Story of Narayana Murthy(Ex-CEO,Infosys) with Sudha

 

An excellent and Great Love Story of Narayana Murthy (Infosys Founder) and Sudha (From Sudha's Autobiography) - pls dont miss it       An Inspiring Love story,, its worth, Read it !!   Love Story of Narayana Murthy (Infosys Founder) and Sudha (From Sudha's Autobiography)   It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murty through my friend Prasanna who is now the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco(TataMotors). Most of the books that Prasanna lent me had Murty's name on them which meant that I had a preconceived image of the man. Contrary to expectation, Murty was shy,bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner. I was a bit taken aback as I thought the young man was making a very fast move. I refused since I was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to meet for dinner the next day at 7.30 p.m .. at Green Fields hotel on the Main Road ,Pune.     The next day I went there at 7' o ! clock since I had to go to the tailor near the hotel. And what do I see? Mr. Murty waiting in front of the hotel and it was only seven. Till today, Murty maintains that I had mentioned (consciously!) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet him... And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a friend at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter.     Soon, we became friends. Our conversations were filled with Murty's experiences abroad and the books that he has read. My friends insisted that Murty as trying to impress me because he was interested in me. I kept denying it till one fine day, after dinner Murty said, I want to tell you something. I knew this   as it. It was coming.. He said, I am 5'4" tall. I come from a lower middle class family. I can never become rich in my life an! d I can never give you any riches. You are beautiful, bright, and intelligent and you can get anyone you want. But will you marry me? I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn't want me to marry a wannabe politician, (a communist at that) who didn't have a steady job and wanted to build an orphanage...     When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family. But my father asked: What's his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me. He was willing to go dutch with me on our outings. My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a particular day at10 a. m sharp. Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to take care of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment, asked my father.     At 12noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work to Bombay , was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi(though it was very expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law. Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life.     Murty said he wanted to become a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage. My father gave his verdict. NO. I don't want my daughter to marry somebody who wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn't have money to support his family.     Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages   something, which Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I realized I had developed a liking towards Murty which could only be termed as love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man. He proposed to me highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I will not marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time, I cannot marry anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because somebody wanted him to. So, I was caught between the two most important people in my life.     The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was always broke. Moreover, he didn't earn much to manage. Ironically today, he manages Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of the world's most reputed companies. He always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don't have money with me, you pay my share, I will return it to you later.. For three years I maintained a book on Murty's debt to me.. No, he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding.     The amount was a little over Rs 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant and started his own software business. Now, I had to pay his salary too! Towards the late 70s computers were entering India in a big way.     During the fag end of 1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni computers in Bombay .. But before he joined the company he wanted to marry me since he was to go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty had a decent job, now.   WE WERE MARRIED IN MURTY'S HOUSE IN BANGALORE ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978 WITH ONLY OUR TWO FAMILIES PRESENT.I GOT MY FIRST SILK SARI. THE WEDDING EXPENSES CAME TO ONLY RS 800 (US $17) WITH MURTY AND I POOLING IN RS 400 EACH.   I went to the US with Murty after marriage. Murty encouraged me to see America on my own because I loved travelling. I toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences which will remain fresh in my mind forever. Like the time when the New York police took me into custody because they thought I was an Italian trafficking drugs in Harlem . Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn't get a response from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or kidnapped.     IN 1981 MURTY WANTED TO START INFOSYS. HE HAD A VISION AND ZERO CAPITAL...initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business. We did not have any business background .. Moreover we were living a comfortable life in Bombay with a regular pay check and I didn't want to rock the boat. But Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support him. Typical of Murty, he just had a dream and no money.. So I gave him Rs 10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, This is all I have. Take it. I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams without any worry. But you have only three years!   Murty and his six colleagues started Infosys in 1981,with enormous interest and hard work. In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty. We bought a small house on loan which also became the Infosys office. I was a clerk-cum-cook-cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst with Walchand group of Industries to support the house.   In 1983 Infosys got their first client, MICO, in Bangalore .. Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with his mother while I went to Hubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days after my son was born, Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only after a year, as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had infantile eczema, an allergy to vaccinations. So for more than a year I did not step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only after Rohan got all his vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook, programmer, clerk, secretary, office assistant et al. Nandan Nilekani (MD of Infosys) and his wife Rohini stayed with us. While Rohini babysat my son, I wrote programs for Infosys. There was no car, no phone, and just two kids and a bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was taking shape. It was not only me but also the wives of other partners too who gave their unstinted support. We all knew that our men were trying to build something good.   It was like a big joint family,taking care and looking out for one another. I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us. Murty made it very clear that it would either be me or him working at Infosys. Never the two of us together... I was involved with Infosys initially.       Nandan Nilekani suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he did not want a husband and wife team at Infosys. I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am qualified to do and love doing.     It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason behind Murty's request..I realized that to make Infosys a success one had to give one's 100 percent. One had to be focussed on it alone with no other distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosys then what would happen to our home and our children? One of us had to take care of our home while the other took care of Infosys.     I opted to be a homemaker, after all Infosys was Murty's dream. It was a big sacrifice but it was one that had to be made. Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine. You are responsible for my success.   Great na.... That's the Power of Love.     Every man need s a woman to motivate him and to give him a reason to live....

 

  The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended addressee please contact the sender and dispose of this e-mail. Thank you. 

Jodha Akbar

Here is a review from Vani from HrithikRules.com I must say she is the most unbiased reviewer,  Although a Hrithik fan she didnt rate his last few movies highly..

Here is her her Review

I am not surprised that the reviews are mentioning the length of the movie, I actually had a bit of a problem with it too (in the first half only). Reason being Ashu has used the first 1hr of the movie merely to introduce the characters, to me that is fine since I enjoy it when they explain the characters well than just rushing into it. However a normal audience might get a bit restless during that phase. Surprisingly once your past the first hour of the movie the pace just picks up and you dont get a minute to think about anything from then on,

Peformance wise everyone was fabulous. To begin with

Aish: She was as sweet as honey. She just slipped into the role of Jodhaa so beautifully, its difficult to imagine anyone else in her role. She looked simple and simply stunning. Her role is a little shorter than what I expected but she was brilliant in every scene, delivering undoubtedly the BEST performance of her career till date. She reminded me of the Nandini from HDDCS and that has been my absolute fav from her till now, I think Ashu as a director has gotten the best out of her since then.

Sonu Sood: Aww I feel sorry for him, he’s a pretty decent actor, I wonder why he dosent get too many good roles? He was very good as Sujamal in the movie, I have to admit initially I was a bit hesitant on how he would match up with Hrithik and Ash but he did just fine.

The rest of the supporting cast was adequate, all had very short roles so there is no need to even bother. Sadly I wanted to see more of Poonam Singh but she also had a sorta short role. Frown

Then comming to Hrithik: *sigh* That’s the only thing I could say at the end of the movie, Hrithik IS Akbar. He was brilliant in the role and Akbar is definitely the most challenging role he has played till date and he plays it with perfection. Smile Hrithik is there in literally every frame of the movie, he delivers and how! Just like Ash,

I feel Ashu has brought out the best in Hrithik too, he has made excellent use of Hrithik’s best quality as an actor- the ability to express through his eyes. Whether its the passion he feels for Jodhaa, his desire to break away from the norms that the Mughals have been following over years and bring in more peace into his kingdom or his anger at being betrayed. Comming to the action, Hrithik’s like a pro at it now, he is so much at ease in front of the camera while doing action scenes that its difficult to believe him when he talks about how much pain he went through doing them.

Now the important part- Hrithik’s Urdu. I dont speak Urdu but I do understand it very well (not the extremely high level) Personally I felt his Urdu was just FINE! I read a few people had issues with him but I wasnt able to figure out any sort of problem with his diction except in 2 scenes when he was required to be really high pitch and therefore it sounded a little wrong. Other than that I have to admit he has indeed worked tremendously hard on his diction and I was pleasantly surprised Very Happy

Ps: Hrithik also spoke one Pashtu line in the movie and I was just Shocked at that time, he uses it to describe Ash’s beauty and it sounded amazing!

Now to Hrithik and Ash as a pair onscreen, IMO they are a pair made for each other on screen. From the minute they came together in the same scene I was just glued to the screen, they compliment each other so beautifully and definitely seem to bring out the best from each other as actors, their comfort level is evident on screen. The scenes between them are cute beyond words Sloppy

My fav scenes between Hrithik-Ash, and otherwise

1- The first time Hrithik see’s Ash’s face and vice versa. Cute simply CUTE!

2- Ash’s introduction, I thought it was the PERFECT way to introduce her character *spoiler* its in a sword fighting scene *spoiler end*

3- When Ash tells Hrithik about how he knows how to rule but can never win the hearts of the people, both in reference to her and his territory. Boy both of them were so BRILLIANT in this scene!

4- The Sword fighting between Hrithik and Ash, EXCELLENT! I specially loved this cause you could see how Angry Jodhaa is and how Akbar was simply enjoying teasing her throughout the fight. *spoiler* I love the way he wins over her and specially removes her turban haha! *spoiler end*

5- The scene where Ash cooks for the entire clan

6- The scene where Hrithik has to find Ash amongst all the girls with the Ghoonghat Tongue

7- Hrithik practising his sword fighting *ahem* girls *ahem*, they literally focus on his sweat and trust me I wasnt complaining Naughty

8- Hrithik taming the elephant, I was literally clutching my bag, I was so damn SCARED watching it on screen, I cannot imagine how he even shot it!

9- The climax fight

10- Ash arguing with her father about marrying Akbar.

11- The wedding night scene

There were many other funny moments too in the movie, I cant recall everything right now.

Moving to the songs:

1- Man Mohana: This was my LEAST fav song in the entire album and after the picturization its just shot up. Watch it to know why.

2- Khawja Mere: I was sad about this one, honestly I wasnt too happy with the way it was picturized.

3- Jashn E Bahaaraa: I LOVE this one but it was picturized in bits and parts, not complaining though cause it was beautifully shot.

4- Azeemo Shaan: BRILLIANT!

5- In Lamhon Ke: Honestly speaking this one broke out a little out of the blue LOL! The only time I felt something was sorta misplaced but boy Hrithik-Ash chemistry was on FIRE in the song! Wink

Ashutosh as a director: The only thing I am going to say is that my respect for him as a director has gone even higher. He is exceptionally talented and just keeps getting better with every movie. I never had a doubt that he would do a fantastic job as a director and my belief has been re-affirmed yet again!

I dont know what I’ve missed out on right now, I’ll probably edit it in when I recall it. But JA to me in one word is- BEAUTIFUL! Its a simple romantic story that one would see in todays movies (just set in the Mughal era) and told in a very simple manner by AG.

There are no history lessons and nor are they distorting history in any manner, which brings me to mention that at the beginning of the movie they actually put up the disclaimer that there are many versions to this history about JA and this is just one version (glad they put it in).

So its definitely a Must See from my side, I hope everyone else enjoys it too!

 

  The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended addressee please contact the sender and dispose of this e-mail. Thank you. 

Useful windows run Commands..........

 

 

To Access….	Run Command
Accessibility Controls	access.cpl
Accessibility Wizard	accwiz
Add Hardware Wizard	hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs	appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools	control admintools
Adobe Acrobat (if installed)	acrobat
Adobe Designer (if installed)	acrodist
Adobe Distiller (if installed)	acrodist
Adobe ImageReady (if installed)	imageready
Adobe Photoshop (if installed)	photoshop
Automatic Updates	wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wizard	fsquirt
Calculator	calc
Certificate Manager	certmgr.msc
Character Map	charmap
Check Disk Utility	chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer	clipbrd
Command Prompt	cmd
Component Services	dcomcnfg
Computer Management	compmgmt.msc
Control Panel	control
Date and Time Properties	timedate.cpl
DDE Shares	ddeshare
Device Manager	devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)*	directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter	dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility	cleanmgr
Disk Defragment	dfrg.msc
Disk Management	diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager	diskpart
Display Properties	control desktop
Display Properties	desk.cpl
Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected)	control color
Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility	drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility	verifier
Event Viewer	eventvwr.msc
Files and Settings Transfer Tool	migwiz
File Signature Verification Tool	sigverif
Findfast	findfast.cpl
Firefox (if installed)	firefox
Folders Properties	control folders
Fonts	control fonts
Fonts Folder	fonts
Free Cell Card Game	freecell
Game Controllers	joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof)	gpedit.msc
Hearts Card Game	mshearts
Help and Support	helpctr
HyperTerminal	hypertrm
Iexpress Wizard	iexpress
Indexing Service	ciadv.msc
Internet Connection Wizard	icwconn1
Internet Explorer	iexplore
Internet Properties	inetcpl.cpl
Internet Setup Wizard	inetwiz
IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration)	ipconfig /all
IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents)	ipconfig /displaydns
IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents)	ipconfig /flushdns
IP Configuration (Release All Connections)	ipconfig /release
IP Configuration (Renew All Connections)	ipconfig /renew
IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re-Registers DNS)	ipconfig /registerdns
IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID)	ipconfig /showclassid
IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID)	ipconfig /setclassid
Java Control Panel (If Installed)	jpicpl32.cpl
Java Control Panel (If Installed)	javaws
Keyboard Properties	control keyboard
Local Security Settings	secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups	lusrmgr.msc
Logs You Out Of Windows	logoff
Malicious Software Removal Tool	mrt
Microsoft Access (if installed)	access.cpl
Microsoft Chat	winchat
Microsoft Excel (if installed)	excel
Microsoft Frontpage (if installed)	frontpg
Microsoft Movie Maker	moviemk
Microsoft Paint	mspaint
Microsoft Powerpoint (if installed)	powerpnt
Microsoft Word (if installed)	winword
Microsoft Syncronization Tool	mobsync
Minesweeper Game	winmine
Mouse Properties	control mouse
Mouse Properties	main.cpl
Nero (if installed)	nero
Netmeeting	conf
Network Connections	control netconnections
Network Connections	ncpa.cpl
Network Setup Wizard	netsetup.cpl
Notepad	notepad
Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed)	nvtuicpl.cpl
Object Packager	packager
ODBC Data Source Administrator	odbccp32.cpl
On Screen Keyboard	osk
Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed)	ac3filter.cpl
Outlook Express	msimn
Paint	pbrush
Password Properties	password.cpl
Performance Monitor	perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor	perfmon
Phone and Modem Options	telephon.cpl
Phone Dialer	dialer
Pinball Game	pinball
Power Configuration	powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes	control printers
Printers Folder	printers
Private Character Editor	eudcedit
Quicktime (If Installed)	QuickTime.cpl
Quicktime Player (if installed)	quicktimeplayer
Real Player (if installed)	realplay
Regional Settings	intl.cpl
Registry Editor	regedit
Registry Editor	regedit32
Remote Access Phonebook	rasphone
Remote Desktop	mstsc
Removable Storage	ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage Operator Requests	ntmsoprq.msc
Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof)	rsop.msc
Scanners and Cameras	sticpl.cpl
Scheduled Tasks	control schedtasks
Security Center	wscui.cpl
Services	services.msc
Shared Folders	fsmgmt.msc
Shuts Down Windows	shutdown
Sounds and Audio	mmsys.cpl
Spider Solitare Card Game	spider
SQL Client Configuration	cliconfg
System Configuration Editor	sysedit
System Configuration Utility	msconfig
System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately)	sfc /scannow
System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At Next Boot)	sfc /scanonce
System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot)	sfc /scanboot
System File Checker Utility (Return to Default Setting)	sfc /revert
System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache)	sfc /purgecache
System File Checker Utility (Set Cache Size to size x)	sfc /cachesize=x
System Information	msinfo32
System Properties	sysdm.cpl
Task Manager	taskmgr
TCP Tester	tcptest
Telnet Client	telnet
Tweak UI (if installed)	tweakui
User Account Management	nusrmgr.cpl
Utility Manager	utilman
Windows Address Book	wab
Windows Address Book Import Utility	wabmig
Windows Backup Utility (if installed)	ntbackup
Windows Explorer	explorer
Windows Firewall	firewall.cpl
Windows Magnifier	magnify
Windows Management Infrastructure	wmimgmt.msc
Windows Media Player	wmplayer
Windows Messenger	msmsgs
Windows Picture Import Wizard (need camera connected)	wiaacmgr
Windows System Security Tool	syskey
Windows Update Launches	wupdmgr
Windows Version (to show which version of windows)	winver
Windows XP Tour Wizard	tourstart
Wordpad	write

.

 

 

 

  The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended addressee please contact the sender and dispose of this e-mail. Thank you. 

Abraham Lincoln’s letter to headmaster

A letter written by Abraham Lincoln to the Headmaster of a school in
which his son was studying. It contains an advice, which is still
relevant today for executives, workers, teachers, parents and
students.

Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.

It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can, that a dollar
earned is of far more value than five found.

Teach him to learn to lose and also enjoy the winning.

Steer him away from envy, if you can .

Teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Let him learn early that
bullies are easiest to lick.

Teach him if you can the wonder of books…but also give him quiet time
to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the
sun, and flowers on the green hill-side.

In school teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.

Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him
they are wrong.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone
is getting on the band wagon.

Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he
hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him if you can how to laugh when he is sad.

Teach him there is no shame in tears.

Teach him to scoff at cynics and be aware of too much sweetness.

Teach him to sell of his brawn and brain to the highest bidders; but
never put a price tag on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob…and to stand and fight if
he thinks he's right.

Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire
makes fine steel .

Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to
be brave.

Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will
always have sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order; but see what you can do…he is such a fine little
fellow, my son

~Abraham Lincoln

Contributor: Prathap.GS

Sicko - A must watch

Source: http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=11032&pst=749057&archival=&posts=6

Long time readers of this site no doubt know that I live in Texas. As everyone knows there’s no more conservative state in the Union than here. And I don’t just live in Texas; I live in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. Dallas isn’t some pocket of hippy-dippy behavior. This isn’t Austin. Dallas is the sort of place where guys in cowboy hats still drive around in giant SUV’s with “W” stickers on the back windshield, global warming and Iraq be damned. It’s probably the only spot left in America where you stand a good chance of getting the crap kicked out of you for badmouthing the president.

So when I went to see Sicko for a second time this afternoon, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the audience. I wasn’t watching it downtown, where the city’s few elitist liberals congregate and drink expensive lattes. I went to a random mall in the mid-cities, where folks were likely to be just folks. As I sat down, right behind me entered an obligatory, cowboy hat wearing redneck in his 50s. He announced his presence by shouting across the theater in a thick Texas drawl to his already seated wife “you owe me fer seein this!”

Sicko started; the stereotypical Texas guy sat down behind me and never stopped talking. He talked through the entire movie… and I listened. The first ten to twenty minutes of the film he spent badmouthing Moore to his wife and snorting in disgust whenever MM went into one of his trademark monologues. But as the movie wore on his protestations became quieter, less enthusiastic. Somewhere along the way, maybe at the half way point, right before my ears, Sicko changed this man’s mind. By the forty-five minute mark, he, along with the rest of the audience were breaking into spontaneous applause. He stopped pooh-poohing the movie and started shouting out “hell yeah!” at the screen. It was as if the whole world had been flipped upside down. This is Texas, where people support the president and voting democratic is something only done by the terrorists. Michael Moore should be public enemy number one.

By the time the movie was over, public enemy number one had become George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy all rolled together. When the credits rolled the audience filed out and into the bathrooms. At the urinals, my redneck friend couldn’t stop talking about the film, and I kept listening. He struck up a conversation with a random black man in his 40s standing next to him, and soon everyone was peeing and talking about just how %#&!*% everything is.

I kept my distance, as we all finished and exited at the same time. Outside the restroom doors… the theater was in chaos. The entire Sicko audience had somehow formed an impromptu town hall meeting in front of the ladies room. I’ve never seen anything like it. This is Texas goddammit, not France or some liberal college campus. But here these people were, complete strangers from every walk of life talking excitedly about the movie. It was as if they simply couldn’t go home without doing something drastic about what they’d just seen. My redneck compadre and his new friend found their wives at the center of the group, while I lingered in the background waiting for my spouse to emerge.

The talk gradually centered around a core of 10 or 12 strangers in a cluster while the rest of us stood around them listening intently to this thing that seemed to be happening out of nowhere. The black gentleman engaged by my redneck in the restroom shouted for everyone’s attention. The conversation stopped instantly as all eyes in this group of 30 or 40 people were now on him. “If we just see this and do nothing about it,” he said, “then what’s the point? Something has to change.” There was silence, then the redneck’s wife started calling for email addresses. Suddenly everyone was scribbling down everyone else’s email, promising to get together and do something… though no one seemed to know quite what. It was as if I’d just stepped into the world’s most bizarre protest rally, except instead of hippies the group was comprised of men and women of every age, skin color, income, and walk of life coming together on something that had shaken them deeply, and to the core.

In all my thirty years on this earth, I have never ever seen any movie have this kind of unifying effect on people. It was like I was standing there, at the birth of a new political movement. Even after 9/11, there was never a reaction like this, at least not in Texas. If Sicko truly has this sort of power, then Michael Moore has done something beyond amazing. If it can change people, affect people like this in the conservative hotbed of Texas, then S…