Mumbai’s art district’s newest claim to frame is Gallery 7, slated to open in March. A nocturnal sneak peek a split-level, two-storey space with huge windows, whitewashed walls, a pretty spiral staircase and exposed ducts snaking along the ceiling. The gallery promises to showcase contemporary art, but seemed to have curiously little wall space – stay tuned for the full review!

Getting there: 63 Oricon House, Rampart Row, Kala Ghoda, Fort.

In this weekly column, filmmaker Danish Aslam will be your purveyor of the finest quality random facts, useless trivia and other esoterica from the world wide web. He lives mostly behind a keyboard and may or may not be a wizened old green man who speaks in grammatically incorrect aphorisms. You can find more on his home page http://pictually.me/dontpanic

Google Glass: It's Almost Here

Google Glass. Yes, I have been really excited about this "shape-of-things-to-come" technology for a while now. But the news that it will most probably be available for consumer use at the end of year is cartwheel-inducing. The fact that it'll retail for USD 1,500, not so much. But while some us are saving up (or figuring out what to sell, whatever works), any motivation required comes to us in the form of the newest demo video released by the good people over at Mountain View. Shot entirely using The Glass (I foresee a whole new lexicon of tech slang in the near future), this is pretty much as close as you'll get to trying it out in the real world. Unlike Joshua Topolsky over at The Verge, who did. And had a blast, an experience he's detailed in this piece.

Brain Damage & The Genius Within

Falling on your head and getting a concussion, being struck by lightning, being beaten by muggers, a stroke: not exactly a laundry list of 'things with positive effects on humanity'. However, in the case of people affected by Savant Syndrome, that's pretty much exactly what they are. This is a condition which causes people who are mentally impaired (usually due to extraneous circumstances like the ones listed above) to develop remarkable creative skills. This article by Adam Piore at PopSci lists several of these cases, which include a man who never played an instrument in his life and is now a virtuoso piano player. A fascinating look into what is probably the most poorly understood part of the human body: the brain.

Oscar Oddities

By the time you read this on Monday morning, the more enthusiastic among you will already know the results of the 85th Academy Awards. And kudos to you. Somehow, waking up at 6AM to stare bleary-eyed at a TV doesn't quite hold the same charm it used to a few short years ago. But, in honour of the only award show that the entire world has been tuning in to for many years now, here's a piece put up by TIME listing out the more unusual Oscar records over the years. Like this one: the longest movie to win an Oscar is the original Russian version of 'War & Peace' with a run time of 431 minutes. And the number of people who've sat through the entire thing is probably around the same number too.

PS: For the hardcore fans, or just the nostalgically inclined, here's a little something more: a retrospective of the Best Picture winners compiled by filmmaker Nelson Carvajal.

The Top 10 Brazen Heists

And since TIME does such a great job in compiling lists (they even have an app for it), here's another one. Everybody loves a good con, but the best ones are always the spectacular ones, the ones that involve grand tales of derring-do (I've always wanted to use that word in a sentence). And since spectacular diamond heists seem to still be in vogue, TIME has compiled a list of the ten best stories that fit that criteria. From the infamous Mona Lisa robbery of 1911 (which involved the extremely complicated method of ripping it from the wall and stuffing it under a shirt) to a Swedish cash depot raid involving helicopters and bombs, this list is proof that Ocean’s 23 may not be that far-fetched a possibility after all.

The Best Bus-Stop Ever

A well-thought-out and well-executed ad is always a pleasure to see. Especially if it involves real-life situations. One of my favourite ads in the recent past has been TNT's 'Push To Add Drama' series. But this recent effort by Qualcomm isn't too shabby either. It involves a bus-stop, a hoarding and a url. And dog-sleds. Enjoy.

The Man Who Shot Bin Laden

Osama is dead and Zero Dark Thirty has already made over a $100 million at the box office. But the person who actually pulled the trigger is now retired with arthritis, tendonitis, eye damage, a broken marriage and no pension. And his story of the entire operation leading up to what is probably one of the definitive moments of the decade (if not more) is the subject of this extensive piece put up by the Centre For Investigative Reporting. Phil Bronstein did a series of interviews with 'The Shooter' (as he is referred to) and this is a brilliant look at the workings of an elite force that was tasked with the most monumental missions in recent history. And if you're one of the whiny "I can't be bothered to read anything that's over a 1000 words" types, there's a helpful animated video on the page as well that will only take up 18 minutes of your time. Captivating stuff.

Indian School Posters

And I leave you with a little trip down memory lane, at least for those of you who've studied in the Indian school system. A kind soul on Reddit helpfully scanned and posted a collection (http://imgur.com/a/v95aq) of Indian school posters from back in the day when you apparently needed to be told how an Ideal Boy "brushes up his teeth" and "joins N.C.C." and "playing with tools" was a bad habit. Mostly published by Indian Book Depot, this fairly politically incorrect collection is a reminder of simpler times. And probably now falls under the category of "retro chic". My personal favourite: the 4-panelled 'Moral Stories'.

What: CrossFitOM goes to Colaba, Delmonte Fashions, plot no 10, 2^nd Pasta Lane, opposite Colaba market, call Dheepesh Bhatt on 9820028098, Rs 7,500 per month. 

Why: After training pretty much every film celebrity this side of the Sea Link, Mumbai's CrossFit guru Dheepesh Bhatt now brings his fab abs to South Bombay. Along

with three trainers, he's set up aThe routines are gruelling but effective - we've seen our friends shrink and get super fit - so put that macaron down and go sign up. PS: We know of another Bandra yummy coming to South Bombay soon. We'll keep you posted!

When: Hamstring quartet from Monday to Friday, five batches of one hour each (choose your batch time: 7 am, 8 am, 6 pm, 7 pm, 8 pm).

In this weekly column, filmmaker Danish Aslam will be your purveyor of the finest quality random facts, useless trivia and other esoterica from the world wide web. He lives mostly behind a keyboard and may or may not be a wizened old green man who speaks in grammatically incorrect aphorisms. You can find more on his home page http://pictually.me/dontpanic

Best Of Web

No, that's not a typo. That's the name of the series of viral videos that Luc Bergeron aka Zapatou has compiled. For the fourth time now. This latest installment is, like the others before it, a mashup of the best videos over the last few months. Most of this edition focuses on extreme sports in some form (although there's a little bit of everything) and, sadly, not all are real. But after the 4th helmet-cam shot of a person jumping off a building, you're too riveted to care. 10 minutes of your life that you will not regret.

A Brief History Of Male Actors Who Got Scary Skinny For A Movie Role

Daniel Day-Lewis isn't the only method actor who can undergo terrible physical transformations for a role. He may be the person who's done some batshit crazy stuff the most number of times, but at least as far as weight loss goes, there have been some memorable (and scary) attempts at method acting by a whole host of men. BuzzFeed has a compiled a fascinating list of male actors who got thin for a role that shows you the lengths that some people can go to get into the skin (pun…well, intended) of a role. My personal favourite: Christian Bale in The Machinist. That is some scary shit.

You Had One Job!

How many times have you felt like yelling at someone's cockup with the words: "You had one job!" Now you can share your pain with the world thanks to a website, http://hadonejob.com that showcases some of the best examples (excellent ironic usage) of ridiculous mistakes made by people. Warning: excessive viewing of this site may cause an epidemic of facepalms. Great to make yourself feel superior to the majority of the human race though.

10 More Bets You Can't Lose

There seems to be a surfeit of videos that need to be shared today, so I'm just going to club them all together. You might want to clear your schedule for the next few minutes. First up, Richard Wiseman is back with yet another compilation of party tricks that will make you popular, amp up your sex appeal etc. etc. You remember the last one, right? This is more of the same, and this time there are some that make me wish I could also see the reactions of the people that they're being done to.

Grand Theft Auto In Real Life

For all you Grand Theft Auto fans awaiting #5 anxiously, here's something that should help tide you over. This short film directed by Gevorg Karensky uses live action and CG to create a GTA-like experience that pretty much fulfills all the "I-wish-I-would-do-this-in-real-life" thoughts you might have had while playing the game. That, and it's a pretty cool story.

What: bpb & the Coup Card’s Show and Tell booth with free picnic treats at the Farmer’s Market, Nakshatra Van at Maharashtra Nature Park, Dharavi, two minutes from BKC, for more information call 7738934888 or visit http://farmersmarket.co.in.

Why: Apparently, the Nakshatra Van is “Mumbai’s Hyde Park” (according to Farmer’s Market founder Kavita Mukhi), so why haven’t we been yet? Remedying that this Sunday, the Scouters and the Coup Card team will be at the Sunday Farmer’s Market with a show-and-tell booth. Show us something fun – get your guitar along and play us a song, recommend a book you’re reading this weekend, whisper a secret in our ears, bring your bum because it’s cute - and we’ll give you free picnic treats in exchange!  Bring friends and picnic blankets.

When: Season’s greeting on Sunday, February 17 from 10 am to 3 pm.

Imagine this: Some of India's top artists wearing silly pajamas at a 5 day art slumber party, sliding down the staircase banister of a super luxe beach house in Marve. On the last day - February 15 - you get to easel your way in!

Contest: bpb brings you + 1 an all access pass to the prestigious and private RPG Annual Art Camp hosted by Harsh Goenka and Vickram Sethi (Arts Trust) at the fancy CEAT House at Marve. Follow us on Twitter @bpbmumbai at  11.30 am today, February 13, to know more!  And spray for the best!

This One Time At Art Camp

In existence for 15 years, the RPG Annual Art Camp started on February 10 this year and will go on until February 15. The guest list of participating artists includes Anjolie Ela Menon, Paresh Maity, Vijender Sharma, Avishek Sen, Mithu Sen, Samit Das, G. R. Iranna, T. M. Azis, Rajan Krishnan, Manoj Vyloor, Shijo Jacob, Prajjwal Chowdhury, Lavanya Mani, Sathyanand Mohan, Jagannath Mohapatra, Pransanta Sahu, Chandra Bhattacharjee, Pradeep Mishra, Milburn Cherian, Nandita Chaudhuri, Suryakant Lokhande. At this marathon art slumber party, the artists live and dine together, paint, indulge in creative discussions and critique each others’ works. Okay, so maybe they don't really wear silly pajamas, but we’ll never know. You might if you win the bpb contest.

And at the end of this Camp, the art works created by the beach are auctioned off in the city where bidding starts at about 50 lakhs. We’re going once. We’re gone.

Winner Takes All

Here’s what’s on the bpb contest winner’s agenda: You plus a friend will be driven to and back from this pretty Marve art pad on February 15, where you will spend the entire day with the artists. Watch them put their finishing strokes on their masterpieces, discuss art with them even if you end up sounding like a fool and share their lunch - the Last Supper at the Art Camp.

Maybe you can even take one of your own paintings for a critique - come on, be brave- and be smooth enough to get a crash course from multiple artists, with the beach as your backdrop. You may or may not carry your cartoon print PJs.

Getting there:For a shot at winning the contest, follow us on Twitter @bpbmumbai today, February 13 and RT our contest tweet. To crash the party without the bpb access pass, learn to scale walls and make friends with fierce guard dogs.

Sakshi Gallery Turns Blue Frog Into An Art Space

Starting today, Blue Frog is putting its Monet where its mouth is. In partnership with Sakshi Art Gallery, the restaurant, bar and live gig venue is hosting Easy Buy, an exhibit that wants to encourage you to buy art, and thinks that a non-intimidating non-art gallery space will help.  Pieces on display will include small works by big artists, as well as those from the up and comers of the Indian art scene. And if you’ve ever been to Blue Frog co-owner, Srila Chatterjee’s home – bpb once hosted a secret supper there – you’ll want check out the art she’s curated.  “Sakshi Gallery first introduced me to the (art) bug, and I'm happy to pass that bug on!” she says.

At Easy Buy you will find original works, prints and sculptures by artists like MF Hussain, SH Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Krishen Khanna, Laxma Goud, Sujith SN, Gipin Varghese. Okay, now you’re back to art is intimidating? Then you should know that prices start as low as Rs 2,000! Plus, there’s always a bar around if you want to make sense of those abstracts.

Getting there: Easy Buy at Blue Frog, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel, call 61586158, from Monday, February 11 to Sunday, February 17, 11 am to 7 pm.

A Little Bit Behind

To start with, here's a delightful little short film that was made in, incredibly, 48 hours. An official selection for Cannes 2012, this funny short was directed by Paul Slater and is about one man's struggle  "...with a new life stuck in the past after a freak time machine accident. He is hurled back into the past.... 3 seconds in the past. Now he must find a way to get 'back to the future'." Cute concept (I can see the Hollywood hacks figuring out a 13-part franchise already), but it's bolstered by some good actors and a crisp screenplay that never overstays its welcome. Definitely worth 7 1/2 minutes of your time.

The Six People Behind Our Favourite Movie Moments

And since we are on the topic of movies, here's another little bit of something that I learnt recently: according to this article on Cracked, there are 6 people who are responsible for all the movies in Hollywood. Ok, not really (although I'm sure that'd be a cool read). But there are 6 people without whom a great number of movies would never have been made. Like Bob Anderson, who's been responsible for almost every sword fight. Or Kyle Cooper, who's made most of the title sequences that you'll remember. As always, it's the people behind the scenes who matter the most.

How To Moonwalk

At some point of time during our acne-riddled adolescence (and I speak of my generation here), we've all broken out our version of that most iconic of dance moves: the moonwalk. But it's a rare occasion when someone actually got it right, or got excessive female attention as a result - that being the only motivating factor for making a fool of yourself in the first place. But thanks to the power of the interweb (and a gentleman who goes by the handle of magomike), all your teenage dreams can finally be fulfilled. Using handy little gifs, he's explained the greatest mystery on this planet: How To Moonwalk. Now try not to bang into too many chairs and tables over the next ten minutes.

50 Rules For My Future Son

Speaking of adolescence - otherwise known as The 7th Circle Of Hormonal Hell -  I'd often wished that someone had left behind a rulebook, containing within it the a magical list of all the dos and don'ts required to guide one through this perilous journey. The editor-in-chief of Electrogent ("For The Modern Classic Gentleman"), Andrew, obviously had an equally eventful childhood, since he's decided to be a good dad and leave behind '50 Rules For My Future Son'. Brought to my notice by a friend, this article is a beautiful read and I can happily say that, unlike Calvin's dad homilies, this stuff actually makes a lot of sense.

Calvin & Hobbes In Real Life

Calvin & Hobbes may be over, but the tributes/parodies/versions/documentaries keep cropping up, till today. And the latest addition to the pantheon is the work of Redditor Nite4awk, who's photoshopped iconic moments from the duo's history into real-life photographs. Wallpaper change, anyone?

The Gangnam Style FlipBook

Gangnam Style may have crossed over into the Macarena Zone Of Iconic Pop Moments - as characterised by this meme - but that doesn't mean the versions are going to stop coming. And, in all fairness, creating the Gangnam Style Filpbook does require at least a mention to commend the amount of work that must have gone into it. That, and the severe lack of anything remotely resembling a life.

Things Fitting Perfectly Into Other Things

And finally, I leave you with a bit of silliness - something the internet has in great quantities but sadly not necessarily always of great quality. This little tidbit is a tumblr of 'Things Fitting Perfectly Into Other Things'. That's it. Nothing else to it, no possible consequence as a result of its existence. But, in keeping with Murphy's Law of Cat Videos, you may just find yourself scrolling away many precious minutes later, oblivious to all.

bpb's newest recruit and EDM junkie picks the tunes for this month's Boombox. Warning: he has a thing for pretty faces, pink matter and totally enormous extinct dinosaurs.

Download the podcast or hear online here. Enjoy!

Soley – Pretty Faces
Tomas Barfod – Till We Die ft. Nina Kinert (Blond:ish remix)
Frank Ocean – Pink Matter (Manik Skeleton rework)
Two Door Cinema Club – Sun ( Gigamesh remix)
Asaf Avidan – One Day/Reckoning song ( Wankelmut remix)
Jose Gonzales – Crosses
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Household goods
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams ( Gigamesh Edit)
Ultraista – Small Talk (Four Tet remix)
Alt J – Taro

Have a favourite song? Send us your recommendations to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and if we love them, we'll add them to next month's track record!

If WETHEPPL is an army of cool, it only makes sense that they should have a Base camp.  Mentioned by bpb in passing during the Bandra Pop-up Festival, we figured The Bandra Base, a performance/rehearsal/workshop space required a separate mention. We haven’t even said open mic night yet, and you’re already reaching for that poem you wrote last week. Put it back in your pocket!

Kishore In the City

Since the Base was set up, unpolished notes have found rehearsal space, travellers have met up, kathak dancers have danced, film reels have unfurled and verses have found real estate. All this against a pretty wall displaying pictures of Kishore Kumar, Frida Kahlo, Bob Marley and other wonderful people.

The idea of the Base they say, is to “create and incubate a community of artists to lead the next wave of fresh ideas and innovation in music, dance, theater, film, and new mixed media arts, organically grown out of Bandra.”

Launched in partnership with Whistling Woods, the Base offers cool workshops in music performance, music production, film-making, photography, dance, yoga, martial arts, culinary arts and urban gardening. Besides learning at the Base, you can also rent it out for your own events. It comes with wooden floors, studio mirrors, a stage, a video projector, musical instruments and live sound recording facilities.

And we suddenly have an idea for your next birthday - how about a karaoke party at The Bandra Base? Reflect on another year gone by and do your time in Sing Sing.

Getting there: The Bandra Base, 29th Road, off Waterfield Road, behind Micky Mehta's Gym, Bandra (W), call 30916003.