Independence day

Its been 62 years since we became independent. Its a day of national significance , a day to pay homage to those leaders who strived in getting us the freedom. But how long are we going to hide behind superlative statements like "the emerging super power" "double digit economy" etc..

The poverty, corruption, illiteracy & terrorism is taking a toll on India .

No amount of Ana Hazare's and Arundati Roy's wont work , People need to get together to save this great country from its fall....

But how.... give it a thought.

Kinks - You really got me going!

I've started listening to this song again!!! Wow o Wow. I'm Back.

The man is back in town, don't mess me around.  !!

This is 2.00 mins of sheer bliss, I would have heard it over a million times till date. If something could ignite a music ignorant person. this is it. Shut up and listen. This is played by one of the best band ever known to mankind - "The Kinks". This song is more than 40 years old, but still hasn't lost its sheen.

Signed.

R>A>M>K>I (Wild Guitar strumming in the background)!!!!

*Evil Smile*

Shrug off - BrrrrRRRrrrr!

I love this new coca cola commercial "Brrrrr".  Conceptualization of the commercial is awe-inspiring. The sets of the location, the star cast (from the IPL) and landscape where it is shot is aesthetically appealing.

Take a sample of the Ad :

Generally I find all the cola (Pepsi and Coke) ads to be "just gas" and no substance. Though on a funny note this Ad seems to strike a a nice chord with the audience.

I see another interesting aspect of this commercial - when the person performs the "brrrrrr" - I see that as a sign of shrug off.. a sign of let go...

Letting go is a virtue. its not so simple as it seems.

Failed relationships.                                                                       Ruthless society.
                          
                      Breakdowns.                                                    Lost the loved ones.                           

                                Betrayals.                                                       Bankruptcy
                    
                                                             Stock market crashes.

Be it whatever - Shrug it off. Its one Life - which is frigging short. So just drop down your baggage and stay light. Your life is to be lived. Even a second lost - sulking over the above stated miseries is just foolishness.

So live the moment - shrug off all the heavy weights sitting on your back. Shrug off emotions, Shrug off tears, Shrug off bad memories. Shrug off rugged past.

Shrug off is definitely a virtue, its a commitment to live this short journey in this world called "Life".

Shrug off doesn't mean giving up - it means letting go of certain things in life which delivers you nothing but crap. This "something" could be people, or that heavy thing that weighs down on your heart, or that itch in your palm that keeps you off your peace.

Get off the sticky web called agony/trauma, there is a beautiful world outside up for the grabs. There about six billion fascinating people to be acquainted with. So get out of all the mental chains you are entangled to.

Even the 'Atlas, Shrugged' - why can't you?

Life Without...

Man invented few things. those things got used by one man and got abused by another man. Imagine a life without those inventions. Here I'm not talking about "Mars Rover" or 'Drone" or "Pacemaker" kind of inventions. Its about those subtle inventions which has changed life in a beautiful way. I list down a few items below - which I feel though are not life saving but definitely interesting invention/innovation.. Just imagine a life without these!

Hand showers used in the closet. Shaving Razor. TV remote control. silent modes in phones.  table fans. ATM machines. credit cards. torrents. Google. mosquito repellents. Wii. escalators. ready-to-eat food. wipers in the car. side stand for a bike. Zip locks. noodle strap bra. Youtube. stock market tickers. straw. GPS. wrist watch. microwave oven. contact lenses. projectors. eBay. bottle opener. iPod. Laptops. Twitter.


You can take a call whether the above list makes any sense to you or not. You decide. Because I'm not your daddy!

know iPod.know Life.

Yeah I too can live the live the life without anyone of the above inventions stated above in a happy way except for one - iPod. Yeah I don't know whats wrong with me - but Led Zeppelin, Floyd, Kinks, Deep Purple are in my DNA.

Next post will be on those inventions which has made man a "slave" to his own inventions. (keep checking for the post!)

Being a Panda

Whats World Wildlife Fund's logo? 

Well yeah you are right - its a panda ! why was it chosen as the logo for WWF?

Ok all right, no one likes too many questions. Panda is the most endangered creature on this planet earth and is the most threatened too. According the WWF survey there are only about 1600 pandas in the whole world. So the WWF guys thought it would be apt to have Panda's symbol as the logo for the WWF. 
There is also another reason why panda was preferred - it can be sketched out with a pencil - black and white and there by is just simple to be reproduced on handouts etc.


There is yet another reason - why Panda was used as the logo (my version) : See the Pandas in captivity does not mate - the zoo authorities tried so many techniques to aid its mating like showing them the videos of giant panda mating. They also went to the extent of giving viagra (if you dont beleieve it "Read on! " )to the male panda. All this techniques doesn't seem to work with panda. The only way they are bred is through artificial insemination. one panda in two years. Thats not too many . Isn't it rare for a species to mate and keep the population spiraling up? That is what as mankind are specialist at.

So panda has to be bred in the artificial way to keep the species from extinction. Pandas don't care about their extinction - they refuse to mate, remember it. So (i think) that is another reason why WWF thought Panda would be the apt logo for its project to save the wild life.  They must have thought there is no way that pandas will be alive when left to themselves - so the organization must go all guns to keep the species allive.

So here comes my theory and the new term I've coined.

world is falling, help me.

"Being a Panda" - represents a person who is sulking over all his grief to the world, and chest beats all the grief to everyone he meets.  He fails to take corrective action for all his misery. In short it represents a person - who is plunged into an ocean called the "self pity" and waits for the world to solve his problems.

Illustrative Usage : Ram to Laxman
Ex no 1: Ram : hey how's shyam doing?
Laxman : Dude you know what, he's just being a panda man, he keeps brooding over his failed university exams. god save him.


Disclaimer : the facts used above have been culled out from http://wwf.panda.org/ . Pics used are from WWF website and http://www.clipartof.com/details/clipart/21318.html. Panda logo shown above is the registered logo of WWF.

Car Festival In mylapore - then and now!

It was way back in mid-90's when I was a kid I used to love the mini- sized giant wheelscalled the "raatanam" (ராடனம்). I will pester my amma for doing rounds in that. During the month of March every year - there used to be this festival called - "Panguni Uttiram" (பங்குனி உத்திரம் ) where a lot of festivities are planned across the temples in India. Of all the places the one that happens in Mylapore Kapaleeshwara temple is one thing that stands close to my heart. One for the reason, I'm a resident of mylapore since 1989 and two the same reason. Schools in mylapore used to remain closed during the festivities and the kids take active participation in the proceedings. 

Lot of things used to get distributed free during the festival time especially during the two days - தேறு festival  (car) and அறுவத்திமூவர் (63 nayamars). During these two days at least 20,000 people assemble in mylapore around the all famous mylapore tank. Residents of mylapore distribute food, water and cool drinks to all the devotees who throng the place.

There was energy in the air all through the festivities. I would take part in every single day of the function. I used to be so happy those days.

Now its that time of the year when the festivities have started - but i look sober and pale. Reasons are too a many or only one? I'm not sure. 

But Happiness is just a state of mind and no body can steal my happiness. So i decide to put up a smiling face and enjoy the festivities that has just begun.

Japan - Thy will rise again

over 750 dead and 1000 missing, cities inundated, dams broken, train missing and Nuclear plant in a critical state of emergency- all the debacle within hours from the deadly earthquake measuring 8.9 on Richter scale. Japan is one of the most highly prepared country to deal with natural disasters of high magnitude but this quake was a lot more than what they were prepared for.


What always amazes me is the discipline with which the Japanese operate, the orderliness. I read a news report, that even after this catastrophe, people stand in queue (in Tokyo) to get into a bus and wait for the signal to turn green. A salute to such meticulous orderliness. This is rare, and one of a kind.

japan with the world's largest forex reserves of over a trillion dollars will quickly rebound. The people of Sendai will get back into business fast and will give the mother nature a pleasant surprise by rehabilitating so many displaced people and structures. Thats Japan!

Japan will get out of this fast and get back quickly into business and the Nikkei will soar once again! My prayers are with the people of Japan.