If my life were a movie....

While at school, we had this rage of filling in Slam books at the end of every school year. In one such book,there was a question asking me for a wish about my life.

And, I replied that my life till that point of time be filmed, made into a movie with music by A R Rahman.This was in my 10th Std :)

I don't think there has been any change in this wish even today. I think the movie  of my life made till today will be more interesting, intriguing, entertaining and inspiring, and ultimately will make a good biopic!

Movies and my life: I have never really felt all the emotions in my life as they are portrayed in movies, it has always been less than adequate to real life, be it grief or excitement- Call it an underplayed and suppressed role. But yes, I have been scared and like described by the similie- " turned pale in fear", in a really clumsy and threatening situation. And, also have become obsessive in infatuation towards one person, like in the movies ;)

I also remember once, when a sudden twist in my tale was being professed to me, and the location was in a cemetery. This twist was above than any average life-twists;It was an ideal movie kind of a twist. And, I am standing there in that situation, and thinking-Now the camera is taking swirls in spiralling circles with me as the epicentre,and finally stops to grab the reaction of my face, with some loud rebellious Cello and violin music in the background.

This was the thought precisely running in my head when I heard that 'shocking' news than thinking of its ramifications.Then to react appropriately,I did express mild shock and by the virtue of my personality and character, and also because it was a 'blast from the past', I disregarded it and moved on.

So, as you can see, I, for some reason obscure even to me tend to correlate instances of my life to movies, and this to some extent helps me take things lightly, at least few of the things.

And also,my first full fledged flirt with a girl I really had fallen for(though now well out of it;))would be the best ever flirt shown in a movie, or of at least the vast number of movies I have seen and heard of. May be I can elaborate that episode of beautiful incidents sometime later on my blog.

Until then,working on other important scenes of my "movie called life".

FSMK National Conference:The head start

Free Software Movement-Karnataka will be holding a National Conference by the end of March this year to portray the essence of a society interlinked with Free Software. This would be one of the means to demonstrate the larger goals we are striving towards-"Breaking the Knowledge Divide".

As our Conference will be touching upon the various facets of the society, we thought it best to involve the elite group from all sections of the society to fuel the run to the Conference by seeking their valuable inputs, efforts and resourceful help.

Today, we had the first meeting of all the main members who are supporting the cause of "Free Software, Free Society" by lending their help to our Conference work. To throw some light on how diverse this elite group was I shall mention a few of the Organizations these patrons are affiliated to,like Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Astrophysics,School Teachers Association, Universities and Engineering Colleges,Journalists,Slum Computing Centres,Peer Free Software enthusiasts from other states, eminent literary figures, working professionals from the Government Secretariat, MNC's like CISCO, IBM, Accenture,Entrepreneurs and definitely a good number of enthusiastic students and our activists.

Today's session was mainly to brainstorm and channelize the flow of our efforts to accomplish our mission. Discussing in this regard, I heard a lot of quality ideas and inputs churned out from this group-few of the aspirations were highly pragmatic and efficient. For instance, the taking off of Swatantra Software at the applications layer to reach the layman at every level he uses Software, Inculcating a disciplined culture in making Swatantra Software for accountability, bridging the gaps caused by the digital divide by taking software in the localized form,instigating students to come with projects which would reach out every person touched by software,credible accessibility software and numerous other valuable ideas.

The support extended from all the people present there was encouraging to us at FSMK,and consequently it also increases the  responsibility while executing this Mission(Its more than just holding a conference to us).

We wish to reach out to as many people as possible and make them realize the potential vulnerabilities and inhibitions they would succumb to by promoting and using restricted knowledge, be it Software in specific or plain human knowledge in general.

Sixty years of being a Republic & the increasing responsibilities.

Today is an important day for us Indians, as India turns into a 60 year old Republic, looking back at a legacy of accomplishments and staring right into the challenging eyes of the gargantuan responsibilities of the future.


And honestly speaking, I hadn't understood the core distinction between a Democracy and a Republic until recently. To give you the gist of my understanding of this distinction-
Democracy: Rule by Omnipotent Majority
Republic: Rule by a constitutionally controlled and limited Majority

India, for the past 60 years has made immense progress, but not up to the mark of its potential. Disparity in growth has been, and will continue to be the biggest problem in India. For instance, the IT hub of India-Bangalore,has bases of all the major MNC's of the world, and within the near proximities of these business and technology centres is the inhabitation of thousands of people who can't even satisfy their basic daily needs. Such extremities is a common sighting in Bangalore, like in rest of the country.

Tackling such critical problems are quintessential for the growth of India.

I, personally have believed that providing Quality education to every citizen will do a lot in lessening this divide. For, education is the only means to see a successful and vibrant India represented by every Indian. In this regard,each one of us should pledge to facilitate quality education to as many needy children as possible by us, to alter their course of life for good. For, it'll be a long time before until the system can do something substantial.

When I say "WE,INDIANS", it does include every person born and living here-the President,the Politicians,Celebrities,Entrepreneurs,students and most importantly the very essential Proletarians or the working class. Only with a policy which benefits 'everyone' can India accomplish its deserved destiny of being a Successful and truly independent country.

On this day, I wish a lot many of us get proactive and work from a personal level to realize the future of India.
Let us play our part.

Society... Do I make it or does it make a me out of me?

What is the identity of society?Does society have a mind of its own? Who is that we care to care about when we live with the society in mind? How much of influence does it have on us?

These are the questions which often impinge at me with increased impact every time,after regular incidents and observations. To try answering these questions could be a never ending exercise of our entire existence in the society.

'Society' is the biggest fraudulent deception we have come to conceive,and have successfully been using it for fettering our own growth, with unreasonable and paradoxic constraints as its main ammunition. Ironically, most of the constraints imposed by the society are the ones which its own individual entities would want to break loose from.

Society is a formless and obstinate monster repelling every hint of its betterment, opposing every change with its carapace of ignorance, brutality and its inherent colossal momentum. This bottomless well of the society tries to keep every action of ours constrained using the gargantuan power it has, assimilated through numbers, nothing else but huge numbers. We can invoke Time and its intimate companion History to chronicle the atrocities society has committed incessantly.

When i try to arrive at the character of society based on the historical evidence and its current behavior, an interesting revelation occurs to me.

Society, which comprises of us people has a character which is a product of all the negatives within each of us and rarely does it exhibit any significant manifestation of the good within all of us.

Society,if considered as an entity has an identity which, ironically is a metaphor to all the weaknesses within the individuals who constitute it.

Never ending wonders....

I started off writing this post thinking about something else,but it eventually coalesced into this one.

There are very few things in life which can keep us excited and hooked on forever. These are the things which can simultaneously occupy our minds, give food for thought and tickle our senses. Though,it varies from person to person, each of us definitely would have a precious few things to attach to and immerse in them. (The 'materialistic pleasure' if quoted in terms of the spiritual hypocrites)

These are manifested in the forms of intimate hobbies,passions and obsessions. The joy catered to us by such endearing endeavors is what makes our lives worth living for the sake of 'some things', apart from living for someone and ourselves. Indulging in performing gratifying acts to the self gives a sensation better than that of any accomplishment;It enhances us, makes us realize our existence in entirety.

There are a lot many manifestations of such natural instincts in each of us, which transform into passionate indulgences as we grow. This subsequently gets us in vibe with our Natural frequency, enabling the resonance of our passions with that of the world.

If each of us nurtured and nourished these passions, that would be the greatest penance for happiness in our lives.

The art of Propaganda, elaborated by the Greatest Propagandist himself

To whom should propaganda be made to appeal? To the educated intellectual classes? Or to the less intellectual?

Propaganda must always address itself to the broad masses of the people. For the intellectual classes, or what are called the intellectual classes today, propaganda is not suited, but only scientific exposition. Propaganda has as little to do with science as an advertisement poster has to do with art, as far as concerns the form in which it presents its message. The art of the advertisement poster consists in the ability of the designer to attract the attention of the crowd through the form and colours he chooses. The advertisement poster announcing an exhibition of art has no other aim than to convince the public of the importance of the exhibition. The better it does that, the better is the art of the poster as such. Being meant accordingly to impress upon the public the meaning of the exposition, the poster can never take the place of the artistic objects displayed in the exposition hall. They are something entirely different. Therefore. those who wish to study the artistic display must study something that is quite different from the poster; indeed for that purpose a mere wandering through the exhibition galleries is of no use. The student of art must carefully and thoroughly study each exhibit in order slowly to form a judicious opinion about it.

The situation is the same in regard to what we understand by the word, propaganda. The purpose of propaganda is not the personal instruction of the individual, but rather to attract public attention to certain things, the importance of which can be brought home to the masses only by this means.

Here the art of propaganda consists in putting a matter so clearly and forcibly before the minds of the people as to create a general conviction regarding the reality of a certain fact, the necessity of certain things and the just character of something that is essential. But as this art is not an end in itself and because its purpose must be exactly that of the advertisement poster, to attract the attention of the masses and not by any means to dispense individual instructions to those who already have an educated opinion on things or who wish to form such an opinion on grounds of objective study - because that is not the purpose of propaganda, it must appeal to the feelings of the public rather than to their reasoning powers.

(Excerpts from Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf  when talking about War Propaganda- A realistic appraisal of the use of propaganda to the masses )

My critique at the World

One of my close friends, who regularly reads my blog posts mentioned to me that most of the content in the blog was either criticizing or discussing the negativity prevalent in the society. That was a revelation to me!

I, then spent some time introspecting and analyzing, and it was true, although I have being doing it involuntarily.

The reason for me to be critical is because,I do not believe that we need to look only at the positive side of everything, ignoring the negatives,and I argue this is not pessimism either. I believe our life is a journey fueled by constant and continued efforts towards making ourselves better,by working on our negatives and flaws, at the same time sustaining the positives within us.

With this belief as the principle behind my actions, I naturally tend to be critical when observing people and events around me. By criticizing I am not intending at snubbing or disregarding the matters/people under discussion,but, I am seeing them in my perspective, wanting them to get better.

Although, I myself have declared that people never change, there has been a trait of mine which has not yet given up on this.

Change of people and circumstances for good, can sometimes be accomplished by criticizing and hinting at what I believe is to be right. And, in a few of my posts I only make a modest attempt at this.

My bad Geography and malfunctioning biological GPS!

For those of you who didn't know- I am very bad at remembering places, routes or understanding and visualizing maps ;) School Geography was highly obscure to me, for I could interpret very little about directions, hemispheres, latitudes and longitudes. Maps have been the toughest in the academic syllabi for me.

The hilarious aspect of this syndrome is that, I don't seem to have bettered in it. Spotting local places within Bangalore has become a Herculean task for me. Don't take this as exaggeration, people who've been with me out hunting for places would know it best :)

Hitherto, I had been commuting by buses mainly and used to give no heed to landmarks or roads or maps. Off late, I am having to visit lots of places on my vehicle and it has become tedious for me to get to any point, even after doing my homework to reach the place i.e., using Google maps!

I feel lost in most occasions, and it takes me repeated commutes to get the routes registered in my mind. My friends at FSMK know this, and successfully pull pranks on me out of this syndrome, which I deserve very well :)

I have promised myself to be more attentive while travelling in order to reduce the embarrassment and more importantly not to get lost!

The Demon haunted World!

The Demon Haunted World -That's Carl Sagan's book about the importance of scientific temperament and dissolution of pseudo science and superstitions.

When I was reading the book, I could very well understand the discomfort and agony the author was going through. The agony of seeing his fellow beings immersed in superstitions, blind beliefs, myths and loads of other gullibilities.

Take for example, today's spectacular Annular Solar eclipse. In southern India it was very prominent, Bangalore witnessed an 85% eclipse, which was scintillating enough a natural marvel. Instead of savoring this Once-in-a-millennium experience, hoards of people shut themselves into their houses, without taking in any food or water, performing poojas to their deities, talking trash about the event-Ultimately, missing a spectacular spectacle of the sun, moon and the earth!

It was ridiculous to hear people give their silly reasons for doing the above mentioned personal pranks.

How can people come to have Blind Beliefs? Beliefs aren't meant to be blind;You need to criticize everything before you can start to believe in anything. With so much ignorance about simple and essential things prevalent in the society, it's going to be a long time before we see a majority of sensible people inhabiting the earth!

Converging to the post title,Ignorance is the Demon haunting the world, and the world won't be soon seen free from its shackles.

Politics: The filthy game of high stakes

I tried a lot not to get this post on my blog. But, the current affairs of the state have forced me to.

I have always tried not to bother too much about the Government and its ridiculous flaws. Because, it is very depressing. I have come to believe-India is undoubtedly the largest democracy, but also the one demonstrating all the inherent flaws of this system more prominently than its positives.

Corruption, dishonesty,recklessness,disinterest towards people and their needs, exploitation of people for political gains, rowdism, embezzlement of Government funds, and all the offenses you can think of when a greedy animal aspires of power and gets there!

For instance, the disgraceful feud between the former Prime Minister of India and the present Chief Minister of Karnataka. They are both equally involved in huge scams which the entire people know, without having to prove any of them. On the top of this,they are using abusive language on each other in public and in front of media! Such a shame and disgrace.

It is highly unfortunate to put up with a system like this. If one complains about this, the challenge imposed on you is to enter the system and better it!

I don't agree that it is possible. The system now has this malice in its genes, it will be the same until and unless the system itself is renovated.And for the system to be renovated, it requires a strong antidote.

I'd strongly recommend at least a decade of Reign by a passionate Idealist(yes, i am suggesting a benevolent dictatorship)to bring the system on the right track. I see all of this changing only when a radical change like what i mentioned will occur.

With lack of patriotism and greed all over them, most of the politicians are consuming the lives and livelihoods of people like fuel to run their malicious bureaucracy in this primarily flawed democracy.

VTV-The Audio: Newest sound in Indian Cinema :)

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya- A first time venture of  A R Rahman with director Gautam Menon, and the result is something extraordinary. This is the newest kind of sound I've heard for any Indian origin music! Specifically, the mixing is brilliant for all tracks.

Gautam is always inclined towards strings, and his previous movies used to prominently have electric guitar, whereas in VTV, AR has used lot of cool sound from acoustic guitar and a beautiful orchestra of Violins and Cellos i suppose. The tunes are again-work of a genius.

Track-wise comments:

1. Omana Penne- A sweet, catchy song with some real nice,mushy lyrics.
2. Anbil Avan- Starts off like a naadhaswaram-gospel fusion, then the singers take it high and low on a beautiful tune with a sublime naadhaswaram solo...
3. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya- Karthik at his best singing a tune which keeps ringing in your head, complemented by some simple but exquisite strings
4. Hosana- This is the song which is going to be played on all music shows. Relatively slow,but a catchy number...
5. Kannukkul kannai- A teaser, with a cheeky violin piece throughout the song sung by Naresh Iyer.
6. Mannipaaya- This is my personal favorite with amazing lyrics, and a superb tune which goes the entire vocal range. Shreya Goshal sounds authentically Tamil, and AR does a great job with his part of the song. 
7. Aaoromale- The surprise track of the album. Lot of heavy strings, rustic male vocals by Alphonse and lyric in Malayalam. The most pleasantly weird song by AR!

Overall, this album will stand the test of time. The movie itself and the picturisation will propel these deeper into the audience.

Why read books?

(An episode of comments on my Facebook profile)
Me:
"A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return" Salman Rushdie

My Friend:
Stop reading books i say you can never learn more than what is written in the book.....experiment innovate and learn.....why learn up what all the mortals have summed up for ages.....you can that way be no smarter than they were...books kill authentic creation...innovate with nature...live in the real world

Me:
Misconception 1: I,or any good reader for that matter does not read to just learn what's in the book. That's always the foundation to your thoughts and ideas so that you don't reinvent the wheel or repeat the mistakes flashing in the history.

Misconception 2: Learning and innovation in today's world go hand in hand-because you can't invent everything starting from scratch.

Misconception 3:'why learn up what all the mortals have summed up for ages' -Because you are also a mortal and you most probably won't be able to do everything all your ancestors did within your own lifetime!

Misconception 4: Books do not kill authenticity! They give you a perspective, and that will remain attached to you if you've already had that in you,it most of the times betters your creativity.

Misconception 5:To innovate you need to be equipped, and books are one of the most effective means my friend.

Ultimately,I find your comment prejudiced for some reason inexplicable to me! But, do read books-there's no point disregarding all the knowledge percolated through ages in the form of books. You need to groom yourself,mature and then hone in your instinctive skills. For that, reading is the best method, else you will live in a delusion.And that is 'not the real world' my friend!

PS: I am not implying that books are better off of authentic creativity, but I am saying that all the authentic creation of our predecessors should be a source of inspiration to us, and to get positively inspired-Reading their works is the best means!

Back on my Byke :)

After almost 3 years, I finally got my byke (Its called BSA-Pulsar!!!) redone today. This is my seven year old byke,and today I rode for about 25 km since noon....

A reminiscing experience of the good(I won't say old!) school and college days.Now,after a sabbatical from byking,it feels a lot different-I seem to be riding all along the streets in a taller posture and with a better view!

And to where did I go?
After loafing all of my vicinity and the immediate proximities, I rode to IISc-Best place for Byking in Bangalore, to meet a Computer Science Professor for our FSMK activities... A full stretch ride amidst the serenity of IISc made this comeback byking more enjoyable.

The general consciousness of Going Green is driving a good number of Bengalureans go Byking, and it is a good symptom. And,I shall try to fit in as a Byker whenever and wherever possible...

I call this my small big-comeback!

♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ Mozart of Madras ♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♫

Firstly, Happy Birthday AR:)

" இசை புயலுக்கு " இனிய பிறந்த நாள் வாழுத்துக்கள் 

I started 'listen'ing to music when i was in my 10th standard, to recede the stress I was suffering from! Initially, it so happened that I used to feel inclined towards only a particular kind of music. I did not know any artistes or genres then. Later, I realized that I've always been inclined towards A R Rahman's music.

AR has since then become an integral part of me. Every special incident in my life has a bit of AR and his sublime music attached to it. The most memorable one would be my India Quiz, which I presented as a Tribute from me to his Accomplishments, it was immediately after his Oscars win:) Those of you who were present there might remember the occasion of that celebration.

It is not only his music, but his persona which gets me hooked onto his music. The most genuinely humble celebrity I have come across would be AR alone. His shyness,occasional timidness, constant spirituality, an extraordinary life and an undying passion towards music have very aptly put him in a place where he is today. Not about him being on the top of the world, but deep in the bottom of the hearts of his millions of admirers, like myself. That is his greatest achievement, which cannot be surpassed by any number of awards.

Wish you a long life AR, throughout which you would create music for our lives. Life gets better with music, and with your music it gets closer to heart as well...

All iz(not) well :)

The current slogan of Hindi Cinema-All iz Well has caught on like Einstein's Mass-energy equivalence. Everyone's been praising the movie 3 Idiots exhaustively. And,it deserves it. The movie has done more than just entertaining the crowd.

A much needed national attention has been drawn towards the pathetic Training(not education) system our country boasts of.

Being in Karnataka, it is much more awkward. With around 200 Engineering colleges each offering at least five different streams of engineering,operating like a false mechanism uncourteously manufacturing IT stereotypes. It has given rise to a ridiculous scenario, where,people of varied interests are blindly entering the IT domain for the lucrative pays and lifestyles promised by the prospects of jobs in IT. Eventually,these herds of people are either converted into one of their products or, ultimately into broken unhappy individuals repenting upon their decision.

And talking about the dangerous grading system in education-It has been very rightly called a discrimination like casteism in the movie. Although this unfortunate system to a good extent has favored me, I understand and realize its inherent flaws which increase the rat-race tendency, bring down the confidence of students, reduce the spirit of learning and make education a painful formality.

With a system still reluctant to look beyond books, where people take up exams only to test their memorization skills, and where no ingenuity is encouraged, the very small percentage of the population having the luxury to afford schools and colleges is also being deprived of EDUCATION.

Things seem to be changing,but at a snail pace. The system should evolve,and swiftly,to encourage growth of vibrant young minds,instead of charring them down to an ash-tray!

Strive for excellence,and not for success. If you excel, success shall follow you- Baba Rancho :)


Hope All gets Well......

Not resolutions,but convictions....

Three days into 2010, and this is my first post. In this post,I take a sneak peek into numerous important personal traits of mine, which have evolved since some time now.

As the title says, these are not resolutions ( I have rarely made a resolution, even if i have,never been able to abide by them). These are my personal convictions which have percolated deep into me,specifically in the last couple of years.

*God,Faith and Religion: After a long period of argument with myself and the beliefs which were imposed on me,I am convinced of the non-existence of any supreme being or any supreme power, namely God, and that religion is the best deceptive tool devised by man for exploiting the world. As a consequence, the question of me being a religious person can be discarded. I believe only in the power within thy self. And my life will be a continuous effort of bettering myself.

*Sense of true independence:  I have now pragmatically realized that being dependent on anyone or anything puts us in a vulnerable position. And being independent is a substantially tough feat too in today's world. Nevertheless, I have slowly tried and freed myself from the clutches of many superficial dependencies. This has made a huge positive impact on me,as the number of factors limiting my potential opportunities have reduced drastically. Consequently, this freedom increases my functionality in various domains of my life.

*People never change,don't waste efforts on it: This might sound antagonizing, but, this conclusion is a direct consequence of few strong and convincing personal experiences. Change must be voluntary and cannot be imposed, and,only in a very few cases it can be instigated.

*Ayn Rand works: I have been a great admirer of Ayn Rand and her works. I have been experimenting with her philosophy on my own life, and the results have been  stupendous. Although, my sensibility allows me to follow her in a mildly reserve mode, I am confident of the positive impact it has and will continue to have on me.

All these aspects are now an integral part of me, and I shall elaborate them further when need be. For now, I have clear ideas which will help me steer through the crowd making my mark.

2009:A roller coaster ride::2010:Wagon to beyond the horizon

2009 has been the most eventful year of my life, hitherto. Lots of ups and downs, losses and gains, good and bad times. Although these happen every year, but, this time there was a stark distinction with sudden and impulsive transitions.

On the low side- Death decided to teach me the lessons of life. Two close entities of mine departed from me, making me realize the importance of people around me in a realistic manner. Apart from these huge losses, I had a personal period of confusion and trauma after entangling in few complex and vicious traps.

The best part of 2009 to me will definitely be my Escape to Freedom! This is an instance which I haven't spoken to any of you as yet,but, this is going to make immense impact on me i.e., both on my personality and future. This is the best thing I have bestowed on myself with support from few intimates :)

Then comes the transition from a student to a professional. A dream of many years, through my education. I am confident that I haven't slipped on my first step, and am looking forward to the future in this regard as well.

As a person, I have grown a lot. The fundamental principles on which my personality will emanate are coming into shape, although only after numerous trial and error attempts.

2009 to me will be an epochal year in retrospection. I am expectantly looking forward to 2010 to explore beyond what I now see as the horizon...

And finally,a warm-hearted tight hug to all of you, for immortalizing moments of my life with your presence.

Wish you all a new year filled with fun,bliss,peace and love :)

Beauracratic blindness and Moronic monstrosity !!!

You can talk, persuade, convince and convey the truth or a fact to a person with a steady head, and who is at the least ready to listen to you. But, how do you tackle monsters who are blinded by their demonic egos floating over a myth of power and wealth.

We have all come across at least one such dangerous weed in our lives; if not, randomly select few politicians or big shot bureaucrats-and you won't be disappointed.These are the people who have aspirations of total aristocracy and feel that wealth is the key to monopoly. This in today's world might even be true, because they convert their wealth into intimidating violent acts on the rest of the people, which the rest cannot even resist.

The system which is supposed to protect-be it the Police or Law, are in their pockets after getting their own pockets filled. I am not trying to exaggerate, so that this post of mine would sound rebellious-This is the harsh reality which I have witnessed many a times already, and am well aware will have to face it many more times. I have seen simple people being discerned into oblivion by these demons just because of their vantage of economic disparity. The victims have been unable to seek help from Police or ask for justice, as everything costs big money!!! This is the reality.

Truth, honesty, justice and safety for common man have become the costliest commodities and are available only as the literature-fancied  traits of the protagonist. In real life, many times, the mythology driven Good wins over the Evil end never comes!!!

Lectures on Indian Philosophy by an erdudite scholar :)

As part of our FSMK( http://fsmk.org/ )Study Group activities, 4 lectures on Indian Philosophy, Politics and Social Ethics were organized. The speaker was an erudite scholar Dr. Vijaykumar. He is a doctorate holder in Indian Philosophy, and interestingly his Thesis work was on Ethics of Mahabharata. These sessions took place at the Ambedkar Community Computing Centre in Bangalore-http://slumdweller.wikispaces.com/

We got acquainted with the rich and deep philosophical heritage of India,assimilated from ages. I also realized the importance of the Vedas in our Indian context.We spoke extensively about the conceptualization of Gods,religions,various schools of thought,family systems, politics and their influence on the current scenario of the Indian society. The flaws in our society which have perpetuated from the ancient times to-day were debated including the Varna(casteism), patriarchal society, capitalistic imperialism, religious mandate for the governments, division of laborers, economic disparity, inequality to women at all fronts including politics, gender bias,the false reprehension depicted towards sex in common lives,and many other hyper-critical issues haunting our rich society today,which are threatening it's perpetuation.

The solutions to these issues were also touched upon emphasizing the importance of roles of individuals and NGO's,and more importantly participation of the victims themselves in Politics to gain control over their circumstances.

These lectures have been enlightening to me, by throwing light upon various minute but critical issues plaguing our society. I shall consider this to be the first step towards my continual understanding of our system, so that I can comprehensively come up with my personal ideas and solutions to tackle these issues.

PS: Below is an image of the intriguing but sensible Indian symbols.

From being un'Comfortably numb' to now having 'High Hopes'!

I have never been this happy and free(free as in freedom;))as far as my conscious and intelligent memory remembers. I can see myself in a new position of utmost vantage.

An impeccable incident instigated a tsunamic paradigm shift,which has eroded all the reasons which had held me cribbing over few important issues pertaining to my life. Now, I'm free like the wind,and can also feel the same amount of uncontrollable energy hidden and bubbling within me. My entire focus will now shift on tapping this self-potential and to make the best out of it.

Pure energy emanating from a happy self is the greatest force in the world, and I have plunged into this blissful ocean....

I shall not say anything more in this regard,but,my actions will, in near future.

Reflecting oneself to an equal counterpart is so gratifying :)

I usually do not expect or seek recognition for myself from everyone I know, because it is of least import to me. At the same time, I am expectant to hear from a few personally trusted sources. The criticism from these sources is what, at the least I give heed to.


And today, I met one such intimate buddy of mine after quite sometime,who, of everyone who knows me-knows me the best. My intricacies, my flaws, my strengths, my complexes- I am very transparent to this particular pal of mine. 


Likewise, I know him in a way better than he knows me. We both respect the mutual criticism and praises. We have frank opinions about each other's growth,both successes and failures pertaining to all facets of our lives.


It is truly gratifying to confess,confide and seek counsel from one such trusted person. Without any hypocrisies or false pretensions,all the intricate nuances of the personality being unwound by a person outside you, but still, who very much resembles you.


Glad to have a friend like this- A dear Doppelganger!

La Vita è Bella

La Vita è Bella-Life is Beautiful.

I watched an Italian movie by the same name. A simple movie. A fable-like tale of perceptions and its impact on our lives. In the movie, the protagonist convinces his son about a game which they're a part of, while being caught up in a Nazi extermination camp. He succeeds in morphing the grim reality to his son by his witty and jovial acts.

Talking about it's relevance in the current scenario of our hectic and demanding lives;It is very apt to inculcate this perspective of optimism,even if it is false. Because everything which happens to us is a consequence of our actions. By being positive about as many things as possible, we can reduce the trauma we undergo by the virtue of circumstances.

Optimism alone cannot better our lives, it can only make us feel better about things. And, this would have substantial positive impact on the actions emanating from us. Consequently,an optimistic approach to life is the best way to live a life.

Making life beautiful lies within our personal realms... Optimism is one of the best ways to accomplish it.

My own episode of HOMP ;)

HOMP-Highway On My Plate,is one of my favourite TV shows. I,like Rocky and Mayur wanted to check out some new authentic place I haven't been. So, i did it.

Today, I happened to drop by a ubiquitous place,only to the real Bengalureans-The Tea Stall,run by the Muslim brothers or bhais(as we address them colloquially).


Personally,I have grown sick of the West-emulating Fast food centres,restaurants and coffee shops. This new attempt today at the Tea Stall was not disappointing.

The menu,displayed in the shop had the following items-khajoor(a crispy flavoured biscuit),Gol-poori(circular sugar syrupy condiment),Badusha(another sweet condiment),samosas,kachori and my favourite-Sulaimani(Black lemon tea) with mirchi bajjis(I didn't know a few,so checked up with the bhai there;)).

The taste seems lot different from whatever I've been eating,and you can enjoy it too if you can forget about hygiene for sometime. That's the only negative aspect.

Nevertheless,trying it once-a-while would do no harm,as loads of people buzz around these places incessantly day-in and day-out.

More than anything,the warmth and hospitality these people show is overwhelming.

"If I had you" by the "God of Mush"

if i was blind you could make me see,
if i was down you could comfort me,
well i ain't got a lot,but what i got is true
there's nothihg that i can't do,if i had you

i could walk on water, i could dance on air
go any place go anywhere,
could climb the empire stat and the rockies too
there's nothihg that i can't do if i had you

if i had you for what else could pray?
if i had you i could make my way
the sun is up - the sky is blue
there's nothing that i can't do - if i had you

if i had you, - for what else could i plead?
if i had you - i'd have all i need
the sun is up - the sky is blue
there's nothing that i can't do - if i had you
there's nothing that i can't do - if i had you 




One of my favourite Bryan Adams songs. I do not know if i feel this way after listening to this song,or the song has been talking about what i would feel like...

Faith and Religion under attack :P

• Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It's nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slave holders, keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction. 
• Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it's wonderful when someone says, 'I'm willing Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do.' Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions and limitations and agendas
• The only appropriate attitude for man to have about the big questions, is not the arrogant certitude that is the hallmark of religion, but doubt. Doubt is humble and that is what man needs to be, considering that human history is just a litany of getting s**t dead wrong
• The plain fact is religion must die for mankind to live. The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people - by irrationalists - by those who would steer the ship of state, not by a compass, but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken. 
• Rational people, anti-religionists, must end their timidity and come out of the closet and assert themselves. And those who consider themselves only moderately religious really need to look in the mirror and realize that the solace and comfort that religion brings you actually comes at a terrible price. 

(Excerpts from Bill Maher's 'faith-shattering' documentary "Religulous") 

I endorse these views completely,for,everything said above would definitely emanate from a normally thinking human mind,which is sick of witnessing the atrocities in the name of faith,god and religion.

Ifs,buts and the gamut of all improbables

If I had told you this then,would it have changed our perception of each other? 
But,I don't think I could have taken it any further given the circumstances! 
Nevertheless,why don't we contemplate this improbable scenario and see how far our imagination can take us.


A conversation filled with speculation,anticipation,and that which is a function of the improbables-Ultimately futile. This was just a personal venting of an uncertain discussion.

According to me,'If' is the smallest English word which can yield ramifications of huge proportions(at least theoretically).

What 'if' every choice of ours was replaced by the alternate choice which we didn't make?Imagine yourself in a life built upon the alternate choices;In such a case not many of us would be happy with the present life.

A large gamut of enticing possibilities emanating from a smaller gamut of improbables,projecting a fantasied depiction of our future,seeing from the eyes of past,while restraining from the present....

Is this called Hope?

200 brainstorms as Posts on my Blog :)

Today's post is the 200th on my blog!!! Another small,but proud feat of my own.

 Every post I have written has emanated from me being in a different mindset. These are the verbal manifestations of the various mindsets I've been in,and those which I wanted to share with you people.

Most of the posts have naturally flown out of me with little effort. But,few have been forced out of me by self-compulsion. Nevertheless,each of it nostalgically reminds me of numerous events and emotions attached to them.

My blog is one credible metric to measure the change and growth I have undergone. When I read my older posts,sometimes they startle me with their content.

I enjoy jotting down my- sometimes silly,sometimes complicated and most of the times sensible thoughts as posts,and I hope you people like reading them too.

Thanks for your views,comments and criticism. Signing off for now.

MAVERICK(My netizen ID)
Euphoric about this feat :):):)

My Activ(a) propaganda :)

The things we 'own' would definitely acquire our traits(we make them to). And this is what increases the attachment and enhances the proud feeling of Ownership:)


For instance today, I got a couple of stickers for my Activa. The stickers as you see are mnemonics of great Philosophies,and have a heritage of their own. 


The GNU-symbol of freedom(in a very contemporary sense).The mascot of the Free Software Movement worldwide.As I fully endorse this viewpoint,I thought I'll do my small share of Propaganda.


The second image of Che-ubiquitous countercultural symbol and global insignia(from wiki). Personally,this insignia means much more to me-Tribute to a man of  high ideals and his Revolutionary life. As i admire him,I want the world to know it too :)


I have already made quite a few heads turn on the road-I know few must have had some positive compliments and a few others must have thought this to be exaggeration. But,irrespective of who's thinking what about it- 
I did it,because 'I' wanted it!

Unity in Diversity?

This phrase-Unity in Diversity, is one of the most common idioms one would come across in the school texts about India or in any of the superficial propagandas about India.I have grown giving immense value to this phrase.I have always considered this to be the highest ideal any country can accomplish,and always wanted India to set an example to the world. But,various regular incidents until now have converted this idiom into 'a remotely accurate bragging about our society'.

India is diverse in all aspects,but far from united. The ground reality is bitter and embarrassing,for,the wide range of issues which are threatening our society and pushing it towards fragmentation are plenty.

I have previously expressed my apprehension about various critical issues like regionalism,linguistic chauvinism,caste sectarianism,and not to mention the ever polarizing economic disparity in India acting as catalysts in this process of fragmentation.But,this agony,I'm afraid would never get a chance of healing.

Political (mis)leaders take undue advantage of the hypersensitivity of mobs(not people!)to their benefit. They instigate most such issues,snowball them,and land a huge blow to the face of the nation. Regular incidents occurring on a day-to-day basis is a spiteful proof to this.Numerous instances can be mentioned to justify the preceding statement. But,I'd like to point out a live conspiracy happening.

Andhra Pradesh is at the verge of being fragmented into another state-they call it-A Telengana state. It is very transparent,that this is a politically motivated agenda,and end benefactors would definitely not be the people.Unfortunately,it has gathered a fiery momentum. This is when I start to wonder,why people behave in such an extremely unreasonable manner,by staging huge protests,riots,suicides(!),and other atrocities to support this atrocity.

India:A country manifesting Unity in Diversity, was the dream of our forefathers,and it has been eluding us,and now it is drifting away,evanescing amidst the chaos.  

Most of the time at the Vantage point :P

I do not know how many of you have been a part of a crowded discussion,and have had a strong feeling of 'non-belonging' towards it, or have found the discussion extremely trivial with silly facts flying all around with a very inappropriate pride to it! 


I am made to feel so quite often ;)


I interact and discuss a lot with people. But,in situations as described above I am left paralyzed(voluntarily though). I try to be as inert as possible,because I have this tendency of putting forward my points with extra passion,which would successfully offend my counterparts. But,by not persuading an audience which is not ready to listen-I definitely conserve my energy,apart from not losing my patience. 


Off late,I have started to get amused when in such entourage,for,I conveniently see myself at a vantage point of having a mindset better than the average of the audience.I inject a few impulsive points once-a-while,to prick the grey matter of the audience,which, in most cases is dealt with inappropriately. 


Let there be light!!!

Science vs 'Not yet' Science ;)

Another weekend evening at office,and it was occupied with an interesting debate with a colleague. This time,it started off from my current read- Carl Sagan's book The Demon Haunted World.I have completed only a couple of chapters in the book.And,it talks about scepticism against Pseudo Science and superstitions,and,Science as a way of thinking.

This initiated an amusing discussion between the two of us.Straight away we plunged into the horizon beyond what Science has already explained.We were talking about intuitions,DejaVu's,acts of hope and faith,gut feeling,sixth sense,hunches,medical miracles,unnatural physiological adaptations,and various other phenomena we experience on a daily basis,but for most of which Science has no convincing answers as 'yet'.

The point being advocated by him was-There are things which science can't explain,and Science should learn to respect its opposition.

My argument was-There are things which Science can't explain 'as yet',and the 'supposed' opposition will slowly be traded into the domain of science by logic and reasoning,sooner or later.

Science is still an infant,trying to conquer the eternal universe and the inexplicable human brain. With such a task at hand,the growth Science has made is miniscule,nevertheless of immense ramifications.(And Yes,I do acknowledge the negative consequences). But,I disagree on the point that the life without Science would be better than that one with fulfilling reasons and logic.

I would want to reiterate a point which I have previously written in a post about God-The concept of God is a human creation to justify his own ignorance.

We attribute obscurity and ignorance to God and mystics,to feel better about our weaknesses.Science is not an enemy or an opposition to religion.It is the only religion rigourously striving towards the betterment of people and itself,wide open to sceptical thinking and challenges.

Science is a(?the)way of thinking. Ignorance is not bliss,it is frustration. And conquering ignorance yields unimaginable joy which sometimes even Science can't entirely comprehend ;)


Illusion lures us,but it's science which leads us out of it.

Stratum 3: Why the frivolous stratification?

God,Gender,nationality,religion,wealth,social status,caste,creed,language,complexion,ancestry,food habits,and a million other excuses to divide ourselves!

Personally,I believe if there has to be a reasonable basis to divide ourselves into groups,then the only factor is our intellect-The Wise and The Foolish. 


Now,how could anyone be classified based on their intellect?Isn't it a very relative term?

A first level litmus test devised by me to declare someone a fool,would be their endorsement of the divisions based on any/many of  the frivolous factors as mentioned initially. According to me,people who see themselves superior or inferior when compared to others,because of being augmented to any of the cults under discussion,lose out their chance of a dignified humane life.

Discussing about the motive behind the stratification,it is mainly to seek advantage over fellow beings using unreasonable factors,instead of getting a niche by personal growth. It is our natural tendency To Divide and Rule. The instigators of such sectors,utilize this vulnerability of ours,to manipulate and have us under their control.

This is why I call it foolishness. Instead of leading an independent life filled with reason and purpose,trying to tread a path of love and accomplishment,we easily are bamboozled,and tend to digress our efforts into such gullibilities.

So,
Stay wise, be united.

(This is the third post of the series-The Question is Why?11,November,2009)

Chat turned Cognizant conversation!

VV: Hey raghu
me: Hi Mr.V V :)
VV:had dinner?
me:yeah..jus now.u?
VV:good. me having now,typing with my left hand, preparing for a 1 hr lecture this friday
me: cool...ur left hand speed matches with my double-handed attempt!,
oh,nice. abt?
VV: :P 
Cultural studies-students' knowledge and ownership in cyber space
me: interestin topic :) very relevant too
VV: So huge amount of matter to be prepared and delivered, non-tech
me: yeah,will be nice :)
VV: I was reading Engles' "Origin of family, pvt property and  the state",Very apt
me: yeah,I'm readin M N Roy's articles
VV: any highlights?
me: I'm half way thru his works, I can relate more to his works for obvious reasons
VV: main points? how ?
me: Revolution of a huge magnitude can start even from the most unprobable places if the right forces reach ppl,keepin the then India and World war and our freedom struggle in perspective.
Also about the failure of the British capitalist reign in all aspects,
VV: This depends on both the objective conditions and subjective preparation. The masses cannot rise by themselves,they/we are trapped in the existing setup, we have seen that most leaders of the masses are normally from the working/middle classes. Normally the consciousness of the masses is below required 
me: Yes,he also emphasises on the role of intellectuals and student force mainly to instigate the masses
VV: Without raising that consciousness by popular struggles that is not possible
me: I agree... I think his voice of a socialist society was drowned in the echoes of freedom
VV: Marx himself pointed out that his works are not rules. They have to be applied keeping in mind the existing ground reality. The "Maoists" try to apply mao's interpretation of Marx to Indian conditions without suitable modification ,which is one of the reasons why they are not successful..
me: I am not fully aware of the maoists,so this cud be one reason
VV: That was an example. While reading you need to be critical you have to see the objective conditions at the time the theory was conceived and if they matched 
me: Yes,very correct
VV: what is true one minute need not be true the next
me: I tend to easily waver my opinions while reading
VV: people think this is dual standards but it is not
me: I'm workin on it
VV: it is the application of science hence the term social science
me: :)
VV: Not arts :)
me: right :)
will always have it in mind
VV: I have that argument with some of my friends from the "arts" streams
me: A valid point there.. That is what I guess keeps it evolving with the society-The Science involved
VV: scientific methods are used to analyse the development of society. Science evolves with the increase in the productive capacity of society ,because scientific methods are needed to improve production 
me: There are a lot of things in general I,like many, ignore while reading,And with a more critical approach it'll benefit more
VV: The book by engles that I mentioned explains this very clearly
me: OK...
VV: You can try Navakarnataka book house on cresent road for some of these books
me: sure... will visit it
VV: my copy costed around rs.35
me: oh...thats nicer ;)
VV: this was in 2005 ;)
me: he he. 
Its alright ,even with inflation and recession it will be around 100 i guess :)
VV: :)
Will discuss later.. my laptop battery is going to get drained
g'night
me: cool..
thx for the chat
VV: np
me: :)
g'night


PS: Mr. VV is a fellow activist in the Free Software Movement-Karnataka,and my mentor :)

How to be What you want to be!

Yesterday,after obliging to a friend's invitation I attended an Introductory Seminar to a Curriculum for Life programme. They are an organisation who actually happen to teach the Way to Powerful Life filled with joy and love.

I appreciate their methodology and the principles behind this training. It would definitely be of immense help to a lot of people. But, not for everyone. It will be of benefit to people who haven't been living their lives themselves,but of some other fictitious person as portrayed by the people around them. People who have succumbed to circumstantial impacts on their lives,and who have temporarily forgotten their identity.

But,for the rest of us,who are nothing but-Pure Self,it'll be of little help.As most of it would be like hearing someone repeat you!

In a world of increasing hypocrisy, facade,lies,dishonesty-it is apt that such a programme is gaining momentum,and people are wanting to live their lives(Good for the World :))

If you want to live your life to the fullest knowing what is that you really want,then,let all your actions emanate from this one line Philosophy,by Ayn Rand.

I swear by my life and the love of it,that I will never live for the sake of another man,nor ask another to live for mine- John Galt in Atlas Shrugged.

Nagamandala: My first Kannada Play read

'ನಾಗಮಂಡಲ', ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು ಬರೆದ ಒಂದು ನಾಟಕ. ಇದು ನಾನು  ಪಾಠಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಹೊರತು ಓದಿದ ಮೊದಲ  ಕನ್ನಡ ನಾಟಕ. 


ನಾಗಮಂಡಲ  ನಾಟಕದ ಕಥಾವಸ್ತು- ಮನೋರಂಜಿಸುವ ಅತಿರೇಕದ ಕಲ್ಪನೆ. ಇಂತಹ  ಕಲ್ಪನ್ನೆಯನ್ನು ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಅವರು ಉತ್ತಮವಾಗಿ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ನೇಯ್ದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಕಥೆ,ಜ್ಯೋತಿ, ಗೀತೆ,ಮನುಷ್ಯ -ಎಂಬ  ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು ಪ್ರೇಕ್ಷಕರೊಡನೆ ಸಂಭಾಷಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿ ನಾಟಕದ ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಮುಂದೆ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ಯುತ್ತವೆ.ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ  ಪಾತ್ರಗಳ ಸಂಭಾಷಣೆ ಅತಿ ಸರಳವಾಗಿ, ಆದರೆ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮ ವಿವರಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮೂಡಿ ಬರುತ್ತವೆ.  


ಸುಮಾರು ನಾಲ್ಕು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಬಳಿಕ  ಕನ್ನಡ ಓದುತ್ತಿರುವ  ನನಗೆ ನಾಗಮಂಡಲವನ್ನು ಓದುವುದು  ಬಹಳ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ  ಅನುಭವವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಓದುವಾಗ ಎಲ್ಲ ಪದಗಳ ಅರಿವೂ ನನಗಿದ್ದುದು ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ವಿಷಯ :) ಆದರೆ  ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿ ಬರೆಯುವಾಗ ಕೆಲವು ಪದಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ನಿಘಂಟನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. 


ಹತ್ತು ದಿನಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ಮುಕ್ತಾಯಗೊಂಡ ಪುಸ್ತಕೋತ್ಸವದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವಾರು ಕನ್ನಡ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಂಡುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಇನ್ನು ಮುಂದೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾಸದಿಂದ ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಓದುತ್ತೇನೆ,ಹಾಗು ನನ್ನ ಬ್ಲಾಗಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆಯಲೆತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. 


ಇಂತಿ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಆತ್ಮೀಯ,
ರಾಘವೇಂದ್ರ  

Best lines from 5 ecstatic Tamil songs :)

The songs in Indian movies most of the times are like- unnecessary pitstops. But, some great music and wonderful lyrics have emanated from this system.

Here,I jot down my favourite couple of lines from Tamil cinema songs.There are numerous marvelously written songs,but,here I am qouting the ones which immediately stand out in my head. And 4 out of the 5 are composed by A R Rahman,so, that's my distinction there:)
These extraordinary lines are witty,meticulous and are peaks of imagination. I shall try to give you a gist of these lines,because translating them is virtually(?actually) impossible!I tried really hard to translate,but it seems to get awful!Hats off to all these lyricists.
[format:Song(Movie)-Lyricist]

1.Puthu Vellai Mazhai(Roja)-Vairamuthu


உன் புடவை முந்தானை சாய்கயில் இந்த  பூமி  பூப்பூத்தது
இது கம்பன்பாடாத  சிந்தனை உன்தன் காதோடு யார் சொன்னது



Beautiful exaggeration of the company with the girl by the guy,
The girl compares this exaggeration to an unwritten line by a great Tamil poet-Kamban;

2.Netru Illatha Maatram(Puthiya Mugam)-Vairamuthu


கடவுள் இல்லையென்றேன்- தாயை காணும்வரை;
கனவு இல்லையென்றேன்- ஆசை தோன்றும் வரை;
காதல் போய்என்று சொன்னேன்- உன்னை காணும் வரை;
கவிதை வரியின் சுவை- அர்த்தம் புரியும் வரை;
கங்கை  நீரின் சுவை-கடலை சேரும் வரை;
காதல் சுவை ஒன்று தானே காற்று வீசும் வரை;

Amazing similes exemplifying the importance and pleasure of love in life.For example,You enjoy a line of poetry only until you comprehend it;But,It is love which you can enjoy to eternity.

3.Anbe Anbe(Jeans)-Vairamuthu

பெண்ணே  உனது மெல்லிடை பார்த்தேன்-அடடா பிரமன் கஞ்சனடி;
சற்றே நிமிர்ந்தேன் தலை சுற்றி போனேன்-ஆஹா அவனே வெள்ளனடி;

An intimate description of the feminine features of the girl.

4.Anarkali(Kangalal Kaithu Sei)-Pa.Vijay

உலகத்திலயே மிக பெரும் பூவும் நீயடி;
நதிகளிளியே சின்னஞ்சிறு நதியும் நீயடி;

Metaphors  at its best:You are the largest flower,and the smallest river in the world


5.Ayengaru veetu azhage(Anniyan)-Vairamuthu

வான் மழையில் நனைந்தால் பயிர்கள் உருவாகும்;
ஆண் மழையில் நனைந்தால் உயிர்கள் உருவாகும்;

Lines about the masculinity,written excellently:)

These amazing lines are actually indescribable in any other way except the way they are.The emotions these songs churn up are divine,linking them with many personal attachments.

Raghavendra @ Pecos!

Yeah,it was me at Pecos,BEL road!And,before you people could express your exclamation about this,I've done it before hand ;)

I have discovered a new social networking tool(as put by my friends),by sipping two and a half mugs of Draught,for the very first time :)

I didn't do it because of peer pressure,or to emulate the 'metro' lifestyle. It was a personal inquisition which drove me to this adventure,encouraged by my today's entourage,which I enjoyed. Talking about,if I went high or anything,I guess I felt mildly tipsy just for a minute or so,that's all:)It was again a new lesson,wherein I learnt a lot many new terminlologies,and technologies behind the entire intrigue,which drives people crazy apart from me doing something for the first time ;)

I shall be limitedly available on this networking tool too;)Catch you all sometime then.

Stratum 2: 'Premature dotage' driven 'Absurd Chauvinism'

(Second post in my post series "The Question is Why!",11 Nov,2009)

Dotage:Feebleness or imbecility of understanding or mind,particularly in old age;
Chauvinism:Blind and absurd devotion to a fallen leader or an obsolete cause; hence, absurdly vainglorious or exaggerated patriotism.

I guess,the above definitions pretty much clears the clog of the post title(If at all there was one!).

I wonder how people find so many absurd reasons to channelise their efforts and time,instead of concentrating on the quintessential issues.I shall be expressing my views about the futile 'show of strength',and ridiculous opposition to logical scenarios by certain sects.

We have all been witnesses to the recent Linguistic upheaval a particular Chauvinistic group(instigated by a couple of their (mis)'leaders') is creating in Maharashtra. This isn't the only place in India where we can witness such atrocities. Linguistic Chauvinism is the very burning issue,which is a reason for a perennial under current between various neighboring states in India,as an example the infamous Karnataka-TamilNadu conflicts.

When issues such as Linguistic Chauvinism snowball,and grow demonically impeding the progress of the nation,or the betterment of the society,I wonder what goes on in the minds of the mislead mob-We,the people!

It is unfortunate to see regular manifestations of such insane instances,of which we are an equal part of. There are a million other issues,of hugely immense consequences to be dealt with rather than cribbing and quarreling over language or caste or creed,or any other trivial issue.

Encouraging a Language or culture will not happen by protesting and releasing provocative statements.A personal suggestion To promote a language-Endorse and help in the growth of Literature by Promoting writers,Subsidising books,inspiring students by Literary fests and not by polluting their minds by political meetings.

We still are a proud Developing country,and I guess we have grown comfortable with this excuse for leading a mediocre life in an average and imbalanced society. Let us concentrate our efforts and resources in breaking out of this secure but shameful carapace. We are all the culprits,and we should do our part in this already late atonement.

Free Software;Business models;Future Technology;Entrepreneurship;Politics;Ethics

This was the flow of a casual chat with a colleague in office yesterday. He wanted to talk about my inclination towards Free Software,and we got into an engrossing discussion.

I briefed him about the motive,consequence and path of the Free Software Movement. Touching upon the Freedom aspect,social significance and the technical ramifications it has and will continue to bring about.

Then,his immediate point was about the business models run on Free Software.This led us into the Free Software industry models like the Service,Support and Customised Solution providing scenarios.

He was rigid about his ideas about IT Business models being analogous to Proprietary firms.So,I had to bring up the essential topic of the quality of Technology that is emanating from Free Software,using the Internet as example,which thrives on Free Software. Then,came in Cloud Computing,and his Proprietary contenders would be seen misplaced in near future when we will all embrace Cloud Computing.

Also,I used instances of my acquaintances who are successful entrepreneurs today based on Free Software to manifest its potential in the current recession struck(and slowly recovering) world. Free Software provides the best platform for all the binary babies to become self sufficient and independent.

Talking about successful implementations of Free Software in the society-I mentioned Venezuela,Brazil and our own Kerala,which are fully "Free". Then,the question of Government supporting it,and that it would be convenient if it was Leftist.His immediate doubt was that if I was a Leftist,and I knew that I had crossed the line between Right and Left,moving towards Left.Although,I am not fully convinced yet,and am in the process of comprehending it myself.

Talking about Indian Democracy(of which both of us were unhappy about),I suggested a two-party system to make some sense out of this chaos(without mentioning what exactly I had in mind).But,he immediately put out my thoughts and said-For a system like India to fall into the right track,we need to be under an appropriate Dictatorship for atleast a decade(Exactly my ideas,I have spoken to a few of you about this).

Then,again came the Profit making vs not-so much profit making Free Softare industry,according to him. I then told if he was fancied by the Profits of a certain Proprietary Company,it was ultimately at the cost of exploiting the society.And it would be the ethics and morale of the individual to decide upon.

Personal conviction is the greatest strength,and the lack of it is man's greatest weakness.

Race between Freud and Che !

Two of the most adamant revolutionaries the world has known- Sigmund Freud and Che Guevara. This post will be the first of many I would be compelled to write about these two 'men',Nah!Two eternal minds.Although both were relevant to different fields-the inner core of their life was the same "Groundbreaking Ideas and a pathbreaking Journey".

I have already been admiring Freud for long time,although haven't read him entirely. I felt then that I required to groom myself a bit more mentally,to be able to comprehend and contemplate him. I had started with his most famous work-Interpretation of Dreams and paused the read after reading about 30% of it.

And about Che. I wasn't aware of him,until a mentor of mine happened to mention him,and talked passionately about him. I have since then tried to collect information about him,and have been left astounded by his ideas and his revolutionary life.

But,now my mind is simultaneously craving for both the greats. When I am reading Freud,I want to get more of Che. And while being immersed in the ocean of ideas of Che,I feel like drowning into Freud. This contention is driving me to get more of both the Mavericks.

People like Freud and Che are definitely a rarity.We need to fulfill their purpose of life by reading them,and trying to play our role in fulfilling their 'ideas'.

PS: We should not mourn for men of high ideals. Rather we should rejoice that we had the privilege of having had them with us, to inspire us by their radiant personalities.
~ Indira Gandhi ~