To hell with Krishna Sweets.

I have always been amazed with NSK. He was a genius. Even in the days of black and white cinema he had been thinking of the unthinkable. His comedy was intellectually much better than any others in the time. Chandrababu was great and almost as good as NSK but only nearly.

NSK had once predicted a machine that will deliver hot Idlies on pressing a button, welcome to the instant world. Fast cars, fast foods, fast everything. The pace has increased and lots of things are available off the shelf.

What disturbed me is that KrishnaJayanthi and Ganesh Chaturthi festive packets are being sold. Not that it has made us lazy but actually life a little more convenient. I am somehow not convinced. Once a year is when we get to eat Kozhukattai, Suyom, Adhirasam and all the other delicacies. First time in 24 years I am missing these............So to hell with Krishna, Grand, Adyar Ananda Bhavan and all other sweet stores that have launched a campaign to rob me of my once a year treat.

Bowl Out the Anti Climax

India known for its history of snatching a defeat out of the jaws of a victory, made a mess of a fine chance. Innitial hiccups and a modest total. Fine bowling display that went wayward in the final three overs to let Pakistan crawl back in to the game. The result was a tie....High drama in the last over ending with a wicket of the last ball.

For the love of PLASTIC money is the root of all evil

It is a common saying that “money is the root of all evil.” The saying originated in the New Testament. “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” Timothy, 6:10.
It’s obviously one of those sayings that has as great deal of staying power, having been around for two thousand years and still going strong. But how fair is it to blame all evil, or even any evil, on a medium of exchange?
I think it would be a much more accurate statement to say that the root of most evil is man’s desire for status; either greed to increase one’s status, or jealousy over losing in the status game to others. Money is the most obvious measure of one’s status, so it’s easy to confuse the two, but they are certainly not the same thing at all. Money is just one way of keeping score. Blaming money for evil is like blaming the scoreboard for the baseball game.
It’s easy to point to many evils committed for the sake of status in which money wasn’t involved at all. For example, figure skater Tonya Harding conspired to have Nancy Kerrigan assaulted so she wouldn’t be able to compete in the Olympics. Now it’s true that there is some money involved in winning an Olympic medal, but Olympic athletes are mostly motivated simply by the desire to be the champ, and that status that brings them in their own world of athletics.
Then there’s the story of O.J. Simpson, who killed his ex-wife and the man he thought was her boyfriend. O.J. was motivated by jealousy over the fact that some other man was more successful with his ex-wife than he was. Jealousy over women is a very common cause of evil. It has nothing to do with money, but everything to do with status and being jealous of another man’s greater success with a particular woman.
One should never expect the Bible to be consistent, and sure enough, it isn’t when it comes to evil. One of the very first acts of evil committed in the Bible has nothing to do with money. In the Book of Genesis, Cain kills his brother Abel because he is jealous that Abel’s offering to God was better received than his own. He is jealous that Abel has achieved higher status than him.
Idealists wonder why we can’t live in a world where everyone is equal, and therefore where there is no greed or jealousy resulting from status differences. Unfortunately, they overlook the fact that our desire to have higher status than others is part of our human nature, and nothing can change it. The goal of communism was that an economic system would be created where no one would be rich or poor, where everyone would have equal wealth. The problem is that such a system is impossible. Man’s desire to rise ahead of others is too strong, and money is not the only thing that man competes over. And because all men are not equal in ability and other characteristics, no matter what the playing field is, some will rise ahead and others will fall behind, and those who are behind will feel intense jealousy, even if the competition is about something other than money.
One might even say that communism itself is a great evil, and the root of communism is jealousy on the part of its adherents that others have more money than they do.
Desire for money, or greed for money if you prefer to use stronger language (reminiscent of a scene from the movie Wall Street), is a good thing when people play by the rules, and when their desire for money and status results in better ways of doing business and in inventions that help people and that make the world a better place. Desire for money and status is only bad when people do bad things in order to obtain what they desire. And even then, it’s not “greed” that’s really bad, but the person who’s doing the bad things who’s bad.
The goal of a just government should not be to punish people for being successful in obtaining money, but to create rules to ensure that competition for money results in good for society.

Angry: To Be or not to be, that is the question;

To be or not to be, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life,
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.

I like it the way the Bard puts it across about suffering and pain.

Anger is an emotion. It is a psychophysiological response to pain, perceived suffering or distress, or threat thereof, which has been uncalled for or unjustly brought upon oneself or others, at least from a subjective viewpoint. A threat may be real, discussed, or imagined.

Anger is often a response to the perception of threat due to a physical conflict, injustice, negligence, humiliation, or betrayal. Anger may be expressed actively or passively. In the case of "active" emotion, the angry person "lashes out" verbally or physically at a target. When anger is a "passive" emotion, it is often characterized by silent sulking, passive-aggressive behavior, hostility, and tension. Anger can also be caused as irritation escalates during exposure to an annoyance.

Humans often experience anger empathetically. For example, after reading about others being treated injustly, one may experience anger, even though she/he is not the victim.
Anger is usually magnified and lasts longer when a cognitive decision is made about the intent of the individual inflicting the pain. In other words, if one decides the pain infliction was intentional or deliberate, the emotion is usually more intense.

Anger causes the suffering of the worst kind. Anger is good but it is the form we choose to express it that causes much damage and pain. It is not wrong to be angry, it is foolish neverthless to express it.

Outlaws and In-Laws!

I went for an engagement this evening, it sure was fun but there are lots of observations I made......Indian weddings are unique and have a lot customs and traditions involved. There is this huge crowd (All kinds of relatives, friends, colleagues and a lot of well wishers), huge quantities of great food, loud music, grand flower arrangements and of course the प्रोहिथ.

Usually these weddings last for up to anything between a few days and a week। There were times when this used be for an entire week.The world has become a faster place these days and more often than not the grooms fly down from America for a few days or maybe a week to get married and fly back again (That is exactly how it happened with my pal Shaarwari; her superman came flying to India and carried his princess away). I still remember my uncles wedding when I was about three years old. Not sure if he was enjoying the whole thing but I was having fun. The folks made me wear a panjam and a neat looking kurta complete with a turban. It definitely was a week long affair. I had a ball of a time in all of my cousins' weddings. One of the actually got married about three times (Big B might read this blog one day...The Sikh wedding, Telegu wedding and the one at the register office). Interfaith weddings have become much more common these days. Lots of friends started getting married while I was in college and then later at work there were even more.......Of late all my friends from school and college are getting married in a great hurry. A few months ago it was my main hobby to attend these weddings and wish the couple a long married life.I was always wondering why there is so much of noise and lots of people going crazy about an Indian wedding. Lots of dowry is almost always involved. Is this a good thing to carry on in this generation or is it still causing a lot of trouble with the bride's folks? Thinking about this for a long time I guess that even though this practice causes a great pinch in the In Laws pockets, it is something that should not be demanded or forced. This is a marriage and not an exchange of goods at the market. This practice has its advantages too. Probably it is one of the reasons why an Indian wedding lasts longer and is much more stable. One tries to make a compromise and live in peace rather than spend a lot more and call all the folks and get married all over again. (Western world are you reading this?)

Since the daughters never had a share in their dad's legacy; I think this custom of giving a huge dowry compensated it somewhere. Now the daughters demand a share of the property too. So it is not fair for the young men to demand a dowry. If we had left a system as it was originally things will not looks so messed up. Either take a dowry at the time of your wedding or share the paternal wealth with your siblings. I am also surprised that if a potential groom refuses a dowry in Andhra then there are some rumors circulating that the boy has some kind of a defect. The only one I can see is a good heart and more rational thinking.......So my general observation is that do not force someone to take or give a dowry, do not demand anything. Get a lot of folks invited to the wedding and there is a high probability that the marriage will be with a happy ending similar to the ones in a fairy tale.And they happily lived ever after.........Since in India a wedding is not just between the two, one gets married into a family. It is just a notion that in-laws are outlaws, they will become better once they become more familiar. Sacrifice and adjustment is the key to a successful marriage.



I wish my pal Balaji the very best in his life and hope that I am around to witness his point of no return when he ties the "Thali" (मंगल सूत्र).

I wish to remain single for a few more years but I guess my parents are on the hunt again already....lets see if the hunter gets hunted.

Harry Potter's Charm and Magic

The Harry Potter book arrived by mail (I wish it was an owl that brought it in; Errol or Hedwig!). I was never a great fan of the J.K Rowling's books. I did like the first two movies though. Thanks to the repeat telecast on Pogo I actually started liking all the three movies that were screened throughout the summer. The Deathly Hallows was the first book that I laid my hands on in this series. It is not a great book, nevertheless it has since captured my imagination and I would rather say "Accio Water" than walk and grab a glass of water. I wish the summoning charm will work for a lazy bones like me. In a world where more than half my lifetime is being spent searching for my personal belongings and documents, these little charms will certainly do a whole world of good.



The final plot seemed to be closely following a 1960's or 70's "Kollywood Magical"; The villains life is stored in seven vats that can be found after you cross seven oceans and then seven mountains and seven deserts. Blah, blah, blah.....I would somehow still say I like this book, new interesting spells, horcruxes, parlsetounge, the undiluted pure magical fiction, Quidditch, how wizards can live their life with trouble, how a witch can be as adorable and sweet like Hermione! and the most important lesson that magic can't solve a lot of problem. Too good. If this book can catch my attention span for nearly two days when I am 24, imagine what it would have done if I was in my early teens. I would have loved to devour the pages with the same fervour of doing it to a Archer, Grisham, Agatha Christie or Forsyth. Children are meant to waste time. So let them waste time on things that are meant to waste time. Reading a book does not harm anyone in any particular manner. It is a healthy habit, helps one relax, immeasurable learning, good grasp of the language, better vocabulary, improved thought process. The advantages are many; On the other hand one can spoil the eyesight if there is no precaution and selecting the correct content is very important.
This young wizard who turns 17 in this book just is too good a read for lots of youngsters and young adults. Not too sure how my granddad would have liked this book though. Now I understand why my nieces and join the queues outside Landmark and Higginbothams at 3 AM to buy their first copies on the day of the launch.

BTW, my dad suggested the name "हरी पोठें - मगीसिँ" in an online contest to win his free copy. A good read for ages between 12 and 30; perhaps beyond. The books have been slightly expensive but I will definitely add all the 7 in this series to my collection of books and the two that were kind of a supplement. Quidditch through the ages and Magnificent beasts and where to find

them. Maybe you can borrow them one day......

The 7 & Half and the 2& Half...........

The Rev Robert Harold Schuller once said "Tough times never last, but tough people do!". The last 90 Months have been testing times. Especially the last 20 of them were a little too difficult to get through with. The learning will of course help me go a long way. From a freak accident that left me with a broken leg to the first training I did for my company this weekend will all be there in my memories and will help me face the good times ahead. This is one good time to forget the Lethonomia and Dysania; Time to kick some ass now........

Sani Peyarchi or Saturn Transit is an event in which the planet Saturn alsocalled as Sani Bhagawan moves or transits from one house to another. Saturn stays in a house for a period of 2.5 or 7.5 years.

Karaikal (Pondicherry) is known all over the world for its unique and the only temple devoted to the Lord Saneeswara (Lord Saturn) at Thirunallar. This temple for Saneeswarar is one among the Nava Graha Stalams. The presiding deity here is Saneeswara Baghawan with goddess Praneswari. Special Sani Peyarchi Festival is held here for each Saturn transit. The Sani Peyarchi festival is the "Kumb Mela of Pondicherry" attracting lakhs of devotees. Special Poojas are particularly held at the Saneeswara shrine there. If it is not possible to visit any of the shrine, then poojas can also be performed at any Siva temple which has a shrine for Saturn or Lord Saneeswara. Prayers to the Sun God will also prove beneficial, as Lord Sani is the offspring of Sun.

The Lord Sani is black hued, having eagle as his mount, wields sula, wearing blue garments, blue flowers and ornaments. In the south, the crow is represented as his vehicle.

The Birth of Saturn is an interesting story, Samja, the wife of the Sun could not bear the intense heat of her husband. She created a duplicate of her form called Chaya, left her in the house and went away to her parents. The Sun not aware of this plot lived with Chaya, thinking her to be his wife, she begot a son to Sun and he is Saturn.

Sanee (Saturn), the Lord that brings us all good things transits from Kataka Rasi (Cancer) to Simha Rasi (Leo) on Sunday 05th August, 2007 at 11.58 AM and is going to remain there for the next two and half years. The last transit occurred on 27th June, 2005, a Monday, exactly at 1.24 a.m. Saturn moved from Mithuna Rasi (Gemini) to Kadaka Rasi (Cancer).