tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54099607400104844622024-02-07T02:04:42.496-08:00Random Ramblingscolmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-78072706473182078492018-03-18T19:16:00.000-07:002018-03-20T23:06:45.010-07:00Bharathiyaar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have always been
fascinated by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subramania_Bharati">Bharathiyaar’s</a>
songs. My father had most of the songs learnt by-heart and had a
habit of singing out loudly at home. So ,in the pre-radio days that
is the only channel we grew up listening to.
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Over the years ,
with more and more resources available on the Internet, I have read
up the songs, commentaries and have listened to various versions of
the songs rendered by celebrity singers and commoners alike. Every
time I listened to a song, it has been absolutely amazing to note
that the great poet’s songs sound as captivating in every avtar,
every form at any part of the day.</div>
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Recently, I listened
to , or I should say ,saw a video version of a song on the you tube
presented by the <a href="https://indianraga.com/">Indian Raga</a>
group. It is a channel I follow regularly and it is heartening to note that the current generation loves the poet as much as we did. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFKcTJXt_nU">Here</a>
it is .
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What I liked was the
way, the artists moved seamlessly from a classic style to a folk
style on the same song, with the same instruments. The words are so
beautiful; sound so great, yet so simple to understand, and the flow
is so smooth adapting to every style or raagam it is sung in. Tamil
being an ancient language, many poets are tempted to use high-flown
words to show off their learning. But Bharathiyaar’s songs are so
contemporary in style that even though many of the words are hardly
ever used in spoken Tamil, every word hits home as if it is your
mother speaking.</div>
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It is not just the
beauty of the words, the meaning conveyed is so sublime that every
time you hear a song it is so much more inspiring !</div>
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Just to appreciate
his writings , one feels, a life time is not enough you wonder how on
earth did he compose so much in a short span of twenty odd years !<br />
to listen to Bharathiyaar's songs .... <a href="http://sibha.online/NiceAdmin/Music/bharathi_songs.html" target="_blank">Click </a><br />
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-55952370645547803232017-07-20T01:34:00.000-07:002017-07-20T01:42:57.857-07:00Aadhaar Card and I <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is much talk,
or should we say, heated arguments, in the Social media about Aadhaar
card and how it impinges on privacy of citizens. By and large , the
elite are disturbed by loss of privacy while the vast majority of the
unwashed masses couldn't care less one way or the other, about the whole issue .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4_jJ1mHLHOlBmqzhqtsDOCmqe9rMzl4SiD_S-N0DAPp72LgerVkyBTKxX5QNDstPpng49FaWC34pYnlcWVFd2UXffnxu4VgGHKGAWFCpUeHjmBVWy-44Q6d384ogtqgFJs8G-afB98Fs/s1600/aadhaar.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="279" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4_jJ1mHLHOlBmqzhqtsDOCmqe9rMzl4SiD_S-N0DAPp72LgerVkyBTKxX5QNDstPpng49FaWC34pYnlcWVFd2UXffnxu4VgGHKGAWFCpUeHjmBVWy-44Q6d384ogtqgFJs8G-afB98Fs/s320/aadhaar.jpeg" width="320" /></a>There would
definitely be some genuine people who like Henry Thoreau believed that
any govt can only be detrimental to individual freedom . Those
interested in his philosophy can check out “<a href="https://americanliterature.com/author/henry-david-thoreau/book/walden-pond/summary" target="_blank">Walden Pond</a>”. It's
something like, “I want nothing from the govt,except to be left
alone”. That is understandable. people can find a secluded spot and live with Nature ;No Taxes, No identity and all the privacy you want and more viz, Solitude.</div>
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In my opinion, most
people who oppose Aadhar , simply want their income and expenditure
hidden from the Govt and general public unless they want to disclose
something. How else can you explain a person giving minute to minute
report of every meal and every event on every social media under a
name like 'cool_cat' or 'nameless' , and yet claiming to be “a very
private person” when it comes to getting Aadhaar Card issued?</div>
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When I first heard
about Aadhar Card and Nandan Nilekeni's Project , I could never have
imagined the opposition to the venture. Identity cards were already ubiquitous.
People in the corporate world , wear their cards proudly, with a fancy
ribbon, during entire period of working hours, if not 24 x 7. Then you have
Passport,Driving license, PAN Card,Voter ID and so on, none of which prompted
this kind of threat to privacy as Aadhaar does now.</div>
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As an army man, for
a long time I had had no card other than the Identity Card issued by the
army. It did not have address or phone number and it was not to be
photocopied or handed to anyone even temporarily. I had nothing by
way of proof of identity or proof of address for anything like
opening a bank account. Particularly in the south, it was so
difficult to explain that I had no documents at all like telephone
bill, electricity bill, Ration Card or Seshan card(Voter Identity
Card). Not that we had free electricity just that the electricity
charges were directly recovered by our paying authority at Pune,
based on reports sent by MES.(Military Engineer Service) , irrespective of where we were stationed.</div>
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So, how did we get
about in the civvies street ? we had a certificate made by the
Battalion about where we lived and worked. Since it had a heading
like “To Whomsoever it may concern”, It was generally referred to
by soldiers and sailors simply as “whomsoever”. It could be used
as “Ek whomsoever chahiye, bank account kholna hai” As for the
family members of a soldier, it was even more difficult to provide any kind of proof of their existence.</div>
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Coming back to the
time when the aadhar card was introduced, we were thrilled. We
trooped down to the designated place, where all faujis,serving and
retired gathered along with their families to put our thumb impressions.</div>
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When the card
finally materialized, it was a great day. Though the photo on the
card was anything but flattering, it was a card accepted in the civvies street. The magical 12 digits gave us an address proof and
identity proof. At last we had something other than “Whomsoever”.
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-6202258809774533592017-06-29T08:11:00.001-07:002017-06-29T08:21:04.200-07:00Truth, Half-Truth,Post-Truth, Alternatiive-Truth and anything but Truth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Truth and accuracy
are corner stones for any kind of journalism.
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Today journalism
includes Web and Social Media besides Print and TV. While Print
media can still stick to the orthodox way of News reporting (Truth
and accuracy) the other three avtars of journalism shoot from the hip. TRP and
sensationalism and being fast on the trigger takes priority over
truth and accuracy.</div>
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The same incident
gets reported by different channels so differently that they don't
even look like the same incident; so much so that a good guy in one
version becomes the villain in the other.</div>
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Here's an incident
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The Right Wing says<span style="color: blue;"> <i><b>a police officer was kidnapped on suspicion of being a Muslim. </b></i></span></div>
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The BBC, which can be absolutely non-partisan where no White-man was involved , says simply<span style="color: lime;"> <i><b><span style="color: #741b47;">India Policeman lynched in Kashmir.</span></b></i></span><i><b><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></b></i></div>
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NDTV says "<i><b><span style="color: red;">Man opens fire outside Mosque; killed by mob</span></b></i>". It is further elaborated; <span style="color: red;">man was taking photographs, when confronted he opened fire. He was caught by people and beaten to death ;police called to restore peace. </span></div>
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By time you read the third narrative, it appears that a criminal was trying to disturb peace in the area and was brought to justice by law-abiding citizens and the situation was handed over to police.</div>
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Having gone through different sources , the headlines and the full story , it is amply clear that it is not the just the style of the individual reporters , but a deliberate stand taken by the Editors, based on their political ideologies and Revenue sources. </div>
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It is really the headlines, sub-headlines and Pictures that matter as not many people read the full story. Even if they do read, it is the headlines and pictures that stick to memory, not the fine print.</div>
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Is it possible that there occur genuine gaps in a story ? I doubt . Recently I came across a term "bending of facts, at times beyond breaking point". What a way to refer to "A white lie"?</div>
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If there is something to be happy about, by and large, the bias and prejudices are consistent. Stories which favour the stand taken by a channel are amplified and ones that are against are suppressed.</div>
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Our panelists for debates are also so biased , spokesperson or not. A seasoned TV viewer can watch a debate on TV with the audio switched off; he would still be able to make an accurate guess of who said what . </div>
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As a database enthusiast, all I can think of is to create a database of channels and quantify their bias. Each channel can be given a deviation quotient for Left Wing and Right Wing stories, separately. Then one will be able to compute all and arrive at minimum truth, maximum truth and average truth!</div>
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In the battle of Kurukshetra, when Dronacharya was met with misinformation from all directions, he looked up to Yudishtra for the truth. Yudishtra told the truth, though his words were selectively suppressed by Krishna.</div>
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Do we have a Yudishtra to look to when we are bombarded with all kinds of truths, half-truths, post-truth,alternate-truth and anything but truth ? The issue is further complicated by fake photographs and videos even from reputed journalists.</div>
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Under the circumstances is there any point in reading newspapers or watching TV for news ? May be for advertisements which are more truthful!</div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-60579858484020114102017-06-28T02:21:00.000-07:002017-07-20T01:03:11.620-07:00Twitterati Times <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today most people
live in the cyber world, be it on Twitter , Whatsapp Stock Market or
Chess. This is just an attempt to understand the behaviour of
Twitterati who spend at least 2-4 hours a day doing over 100 tweets per
day . (This , in all probability would be more than the conversation
they have had with their spouses over a whole week.)</div>
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A random bit of
statistics as thrown up by google says, “A day's worth of Tweets
would fill a <b>10 million page paper book</b>”</div>
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Twitter is
different from other SM platforms like Whatsapp and Face-book for
two reasons. Firstly, there is a 140 characters limit to the posts
(though that does not deter some Miltons or Twiltons, from posting a thread a mile
long) Tweeting is an art by itself. Secondly, you have only your
followers reading your tweet. If you can post an abusive tweet, there
is good chance that you would get re-tweeted and reach a larger
audience. Another ploy used to reach out is to go piggy back on
celebrities as done by people going for crowd funding or doing
“missing persons “ posts.</div>
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Labeling anything
can be so misleading . It gives an idea that we understand but then a label is just a label, not necessarily understanding. The world of medicine gives
high sounding names like Idiopathic Polyneutritis to describe a
malady, but a cursory look into Wikipedia is enough to realize that “idiopathy”
is just a way of way of saying in Latin that you know f*** all about
the disease.</div>
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With that disclaimer
, let me go about giving some labels to the Twitterati who populate the
cyber world.</div>
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Firstly we have
labels like <b>Bhakts</b> ,(nothing to do with the Bhakti movement of the
medieval period) Aaptard, Libtard and so on. We don't know what all
else would be suffixed with 'tard ' to coin a derogatory term.While
it may be true that the term Bhakt may actually refer to a real
devotee of our prime minister, the term is used on anybody who
supports the govt on any issue or it may even apply to someone who is
not critical of any policy spelt out by the Govt, at any point of
time. You cannot be a Rahul Bhakt. In case you are devoted to the
Feroz Gandhi (just to differentiate from Mahatma Gandhi) family, you
would be called a Congi , not Bhakt. Bhakt can only apply to Modi and
not even for Shiva , Vishnu or any other entity in the sacred space.</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When you find a
tweet with just one of these terms bhakt or libtard, with no
reference to any issue being discussed, be aware that the tweeter has
run out of arguments or has simply resigned to “You are this and I
am that and never the twain shall meet “ in Rudyard Kipling style.</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><u>Other Categories</u></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><u><i>Promoters
</i></u></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They are generally
celebrities with a million odd followers. They being seasonal , appear very active only to
promote their movie or books and then they disappear as suddenly. Promoter of a movie may start early and reach a crescendo at the time of release
while promoter of a book starts around the time of release and goes
on for some time. After all a book takes months to consume and
digest.
</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><i><u>Intellectuals</u></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They come out with
homilies and general advice on perseverance , charity and spiritual
evolution. They avoid controversies , unless they are prepared to be
labeled pseudo-intellectuals. These days even here, one has to tread
carefully as a simple quote from Swami Vivekananda “Arise , Awake
and Stop not till the goal is reached” can label you as Bhakt.
</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><i><u>The Columnists and News Anchors.</u></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They are the largest
group of Twitter users. Some statistics quote , that their threads form about
25% of the Twitter. First they write that they are going to write,
then they announce that they have indeed got the column published and
then they take post to defend the brickbats or gloat over the
bouquets . They may also resort to some stunts to increase the number of followers ,likes and comments. Fake photos can spike the “likership” or comments
manifold as @tavleen learnt recently, or so she says. </div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><i><u>The Abuser</u></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They prefer using
abusive language to using any logical arguments. They are the ones
who are blocked, unblocked and sometimes even get their account
deleted. Like the mythical Rakshasa (or gods , in case you are on
their side) they hurl abuses from the skies and when blocked or
deleted they rise again like phoenix, in different forms to continue
their Mayajaal warfare. They also create fake handles. Like the Rakshas <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raktab%C4%ABja" target="_blank">Raktabhija</a> each drop shed by the monster can give rise to a 100 more such monsters.</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><i><b>The Modern Ladies
</b></i></u></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These users move
about with a chip on their shoulders, ready to take offense anytime.
It is for that reason I wouldn't dare to think of a more appropriate
label. They are the products of Mahakavi Bharathiyaar (<a href="http://shaktiam.blogspot.in/2012/07/bharathi-kanda-pudumaip-penn-new-age.html" target="_blank">Puthumai Penn)</a> and Rabindranath
Tagore on one side and Germaine Greer and Simone de beauvoir on the other; a curious mix of East and West.</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They are Independent
, proud women highly opinionated and can be easily identified by
their propensity to blame patriarchy or misogyny for every problem in the
society. Of course , I must admit that on most occasions they are right. Acutely aware of female sexuality , they can hurl expletives
that would make a sailor blush. It could be very embarrassing for any
old fashioned person to be caught up in their discussions on graphic descriptions of sports
bra, menstrual cup, and TWISS , HAUN etc (please have an urban slang
dictionary to decode their posts )</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><i><u>Whatsappias</u></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These are the guys
who are still in whatsapp mode identified by their inclination for
forwarding videos and long winding stories , without watching or
reading. The South saw an invasion of Whatsappias into Twitter world
when Suchithra karthik decided to choose Twitter for a 'tell all about
Kollywood' campaign. Most of those accounts must have become inactive
now. (Northies , google google , Suchithra who )
</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The bottom-line is
that Social Media Platforms are here to stay , in some form or the
other and we are going to spend more and more time fighting or
hugging strangers. It can be fun, it can be pain , So let us adapt.
</div>
</div>
colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-90189719367651919602017-05-31T18:12:00.003-07:002017-06-01T08:57:07.623-07:00Tamils<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For the past six
months or so, the happenings in Tamilnadu have been hogging the
headlines rather disproportionately.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
A non - tamil would
often find it difficult to follow the logic , or lack of it, of a
common Tamilian ; be it the fierce loyalty of the unwashed masses
towards their matinee idols in Cinema and Politics or the herd like
behaviour in support of “jallikattu” or “bull-taming”. Any
issue remotely connected to “tamil Culture” provokes such an
emotional reaction not seen in other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_HMsJGLSjp4tJTHzc9j8zHtFhADyNayxgdB_6bXGdwkVGb5S0FbqcAsXOUMHEXGJ5dRRBdvu18MYHj0U9cQKT90KSMYsOe5MTtqruGyTQ-2djgM5uOpRnm-yu0J1s3UpAZnwDKUH5nqT/s1600/tamils0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="447" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_HMsJGLSjp4tJTHzc9j8zHtFhADyNayxgdB_6bXGdwkVGb5S0FbqcAsXOUMHEXGJ5dRRBdvu18MYHj0U9cQKT90KSMYsOe5MTtqruGyTQ-2djgM5uOpRnm-yu0J1s3UpAZnwDKUH5nqT/s320/tamils0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It reminds me of a
song by Namakkal Ramalingam Pillai made popular through MGR Starrer
“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbj_12AYsCw" target="_blank">Malai kallan</a>”. (A trivia; the film was produced at Coimbatore , the then popular place for Film studios) .For those who read tamil (and understand poetry)
<a href="http://www.tamilpaa.com/2997-thamizhan-endroru-inam-tamil-songs-lyrics" target="_blank">Lyrics</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The song talks of
the uniqueness of the Tamil people over 2000 years of history and
culture. Then it goes on to glorify the tamilian values nurtured
through reat literary works like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silappatikaram" target="_blank">silappadikaaraam</a>, manimekalai,
<a href="https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjKqYi_s5vUAhVIuo8KHZQcCpUQFggzMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTirukku%25E1%25B9%259Ba%25E1%25B8%25B7&usg=AFQjCNHgAu5JoMvimy5DIy6LL3p1Wl10Lg&sig2=xNBvf2cslKuhdAvuQ3t9MQ" target="_blank">thirukkural</a>, thevaram , divya prabandham and so on. For a more
detailed list of ancient tamil literature , one can go to <a href="http://www.projectmadurai.org/" target="_blank">Projectmadurai</a> or <a href="http://tamilelibrary.org/" target="_blank">Tamil Library</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
That got me thinking
if there is anything really unique about contemporary tamilians in
Tamilnadu and the diaspora world over. (Some popular radio stations
abroad kalasam , Lankasri, eelam tv, paris tamil radio ). For a
complete list <a href="http://playtamilfm.com/">http://playtamilfm.com</a>.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGm0Z8kzmqk9-EqHR5GWIg0oCClFpoyC3U6XugBe6AZEyviLlQW50QplVqIjrMru3wWnSscWdEhJNQOJpkIlb1TQ7PYtMeHj8P3RqH0Yh2gTeaALoUUXe4hVhO2-y6XHVtBdOUmeV5GZU/s1600/tamil5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="617" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGm0Z8kzmqk9-EqHR5GWIg0oCClFpoyC3U6XugBe6AZEyviLlQW50QplVqIjrMru3wWnSscWdEhJNQOJpkIlb1TQ7PYtMeHj8P3RqH0Yh2gTeaALoUUXe4hVhO2-y6XHVtBdOUmeV5GZU/s320/tamil5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, here I go….</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Firstly, the names ;
I don’t think there is any other language in the world that figures
in names of people as “tamil” does. You have, Tamil chelvan,
tamil chelvi, tamilarasu, tamilkudimagan, then thamiz , sen tamil and
so on. Even the BJP leader of Tamilnadu unit id Tamilisai(literally
meaning Tamil Music) soundararajan. Someone with lots of time and
inclination for collectin useless information can check out madurai
telephone directory .I can’t even think of one name starting with
“Punjabi” or “bangla”, however much a punjabi or bengali may love his mother tongue.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
Secondly, Tamils
have a craze or affinity for “pattam”. “pattam” is a kind of
untranslatable word which can mean an academic degree, lawfully earned,
or an honorific bestowed by any formal or informal society, big or
small, or even a nick name . For eg Sinnaih Ganesan is better known
as Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa was just referred to as amma. EV
Ramasami naikar was so impressed by ganesan playing the role of the
maratha leader, he awarded the pattam Sivaji and it stuck. There are
other actors with "pattam" like captain or major based on the roles they played
on screen.(Silk smitha did not act as silk; have to trace how she
came to called simply as Silk or Silku.) Suffice to say , anybody who
is anybody in Tamilnadu needs to be called by some name other than
the actual name. Kamalhasan is called “thirai gyaani” or “
ulaganaayagan”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAR5uZ7U0maQnEY64ne8NuoTIfKK-lqMHmkx_pVqH8gLBhzv2y27gnqNeTvJexim2lWzLy8a1ZgUpuSYH9O9bFTfz4GP1Kw523zbjXEJsiJra26v_QSjw4kpK8mupK85ptJlOSENwAk9F_/s1600/tamils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="641" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAR5uZ7U0maQnEY64ne8NuoTIfKK-lqMHmkx_pVqH8gLBhzv2y27gnqNeTvJexim2lWzLy8a1ZgUpuSYH9O9bFTfz4GP1Kw523zbjXEJsiJra26v_QSjw4kpK8mupK85ptJlOSENwAk9F_/s320/tamils.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yqVpJny6HsJlb_DmwC2gdmGQaX96v_V5g3CK9l_NwZ6UcRgOMcV1FRL2ObATfpxN0BLH-cUX8Nia6HzICvJgqniWEZma6i_zNPXx1jgu7dg4lWnfazqv3PtoLm7pM6SuAuLO3y0u-j_q/s1600/tamils2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="437" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yqVpJny6HsJlb_DmwC2gdmGQaX96v_V5g3CK9l_NwZ6UcRgOMcV1FRL2ObATfpxN0BLH-cUX8Nia6HzICvJgqniWEZma6i_zNPXx1jgu7dg4lWnfazqv3PtoLm7pM6SuAuLO3y0u-j_q/s320/tamils2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Thirdly is the
popularity of debating societies or "patti manram" as they are called in tamil. Top speakers are
house hold names and some are even treated as rock stars ; in great demand for any cultural
or social functions. While Sunday debates are telecast by popular
TV Channels, Festivals like Pongal and New year witness Special
Bumper Patti manram. It is absolutely amazing to see a full house
patiently listening to a group of men and women discussing a social
or literary issue, quite unlike Arnab Goswamy’s panelists. The
debate could be a passionate discussion on who was a nobler character
in mahabharatam, karnan or arujnan or it could be a subject that
touches every life; Who has more influence on bringing up a child,
the teachers or parents. It could even be some trivia like idli
tastes better with chuttney or sambhar. Week after week people do
come up with a new subject for testing their eloquence and of course
the capacity of audience to sit through hours of talk-talk-talk</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Fouthly, the tamil’s
love for silly jokes , particularly in their weekly magazines , is
unbelievable.. About 10-20 percent of any magazine is devoted to silly jokes and
till today there are jokes in every magazine on such stale issues
like “sleeping in the office” “a king running away from battle
“. To top it , these days, you also have jokes from the social
media forums.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Fifthly, we have the
monthly novelettes brought out by leading publications. There are
only two genres, crime and romance. A new issue would cost Rs 20 /
and an old one as little as Rs 2 or 3. Outside Madras Central you can
see the shops selling these books in Kilos. These novelettes , besides
being the favourites of housewives and travelers, are an important
source for plots for film directors.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcoci1TWJRXOpHTmmIu_Bxg2rlD4O_H940s6BIE3LZL24elYmTrE-h4zCHwXO0Ou5TVzEEZD8cFG7I8cfGTGWi2L6YM82FVvgtw_8Zlng18cbqU8MarS1oVHy5HoUS7KpuGoqTPuPa2PU/s1600/tamil6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="155" data-original-width="786" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcoci1TWJRXOpHTmmIu_Bxg2rlD4O_H940s6BIE3LZL24elYmTrE-h4zCHwXO0Ou5TVzEEZD8cFG7I8cfGTGWi2L6YM82FVvgtw_8Zlng18cbqU8MarS1oVHy5HoUS7KpuGoqTPuPa2PU/s640/tamil6.png" width="560" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sixthly, tamils have
a great affinity for lottery tickets. Surprisingly there are states
like Sikkim and Bhutan who print lottery tickets in Tamil and Malayalam. I think Kerala has clearly overtaken tamilnadu in their attempt to woo Lady Luck.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXohNtJgYbQey71I_fEJjWKMxCE1N-qR__UTsDcapTz1BekGssd_j6vngH9kmCiiyQzCPF6Vq-4bHDpV6MfYNlcM_goTgEGIpbLw6yuroboVEY4jSj3GnKPR1gfTtvJ8_tgf-ZghhD1KAg/s1600/tamils3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="640" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXohNtJgYbQey71I_fEJjWKMxCE1N-qR__UTsDcapTz1BekGssd_j6vngH9kmCiiyQzCPF6Vq-4bHDpV6MfYNlcM_goTgEGIpbLw6yuroboVEY4jSj3GnKPR1gfTtvJ8_tgf-ZghhD1KAg/s320/tamils3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Last, but the most
disturbing trait is the readiness for self – immolation. Whenever a
hero like <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/2002/06/02/stories/2002060201871700.htm">MGR
dies , the tragedy becomes personal loss to many a family due to spate of the
self-immolations that follow</a>. 31 people killed themselves when
MGR died . Very disturbing indeed. There were other issues like
Anti-hindi agitation, Srilankan tamil problems, arrest of a popular
leader and so on have triggered self-immolation.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Recently we saw
some bizarre ways of protest at Jantar Mantar by Tamilnadu farmers.
Not easy to decode; I suppose it is a complex mix of fierce
attachment to the language and culture , coupled with total
inability to deal with contemporary issues in a rational manner.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>PS</u></b> : <span style="color: blue;"><i>This post does not take into consideration, Tamil Brahmins, who are a different species all together. They love Tamil, but they also love Sanskrit, English and any other language. Atleast , I haven't come across any of them with "Tamil" in their names.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>The Tamil Brahmin Exodus started long before Kashmiri Pandits. The Dravidians with their anti-brahmin stance and reservations for education, successfully drove them out of Tamilnadu. Fortunately for them , the whole world outside Tamilnadu was good, a sort of carrot and stick; carrot outside and stick within TN. You will find them in corporate board rooms and back offices all over the world. Physically, they are too timid to tame a cat, leave alone a bull. They are outside the purview of this post, which is all about 'dravidians' as they like to be called.</i></span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-66387237812805764982016-11-23T09:23:00.001-08:002016-11-23T09:39:00.482-08:00Is variety the curse of life ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><b>Variety is the spice of life<span style="color: black;"> </span></b></i><span style="color: black;">, is a much abused cliché . </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">It starts with food, goes on to clothes and touches every aspect of life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">A random google search throws up this explanation</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Diversity makes life interesting, as in <span class="dbox-italic">Jim dates a different girl every week—variety is the spice of life, he claims</span>.</b> </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;">After all "Polygamy is the opposite of monotony" </span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: black;">Of course there is no mention of Mary seeking the spice of life. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: black;">What does it mean in day to day life ? Variety in cuisine has come to mean changing your dietary preference every day from Mughlai to South Indian, Continental to Thai and so on. Why do you need so much variety; to break the monotony of course. My question is don't we need a staple diet to build up monotony in the first place. How else can you break the monotony ?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><i><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: black;">Secondly, no two experiences are the same as any experience depends on both the subject and the object .</span></span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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When you listen to the same music , over and over, you either get hooked on to it or move away from it. No music worth listening to, leaves the listener unaffected. So the next time you listen to the same music, the experience is so different, and when you listen to a kind of music for over 25-30 years, it becomes a unique experience by itself.</div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR12Z8f1Dh8" target="_blank">Kolaveri</a> kind of Music comes and goes, but <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._S._Subbulakshmi" target="_blank">MS</a> kind of music goes on forever. Firstly , it is not monotony as every time you listen, the experience is more intense, and even if it is so, why should I want to break this heavenly monotony.</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;"> Cuisine is one area where spice plays a major role. Here again, if you ask anyone hooked to the delicacy called curd rice with lemon pickle, he or she would swear that it is not the same experience but every time it tastes better and better.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyvDd3a3lqS9diae54DJ1oKmwh2rFG31NErlW7sRWQrGHHfgklKRysRYb6KE43yVl5OP-AocN81EcpINZJZ7DztlX3thl32VPu_yQbUWq7kiopwuhGW1li_c35uZa0GU_BLsWZAKmSedV/s1600/food.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyvDd3a3lqS9diae54DJ1oKmwh2rFG31NErlW7sRWQrGHHfgklKRysRYb6KE43yVl5OP-AocN81EcpINZJZ7DztlX3thl32VPu_yQbUWq7kiopwuhGW1li_c35uZa0GU_BLsWZAKmSedV/s400/food.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;">These days it is fashionable to serve a variety of cuisine in a single meal. The other day, we attended a wedding lunch at a five star hotel and as per norms, there was a lavish spread covering recipes from every region across continents. The diners are not happy with the taste of one region, but help themselves to a micro portion of every dish that looks appetizing. It is not uncommon to have Manchurian, chicken tikka , noodles and dosa punctuated by Thai soup and Chocolate soufflé </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;">The next day many complained of stomach upset and with so many dishes, it was indeed difficult to identify the culprit. My own reading is that it was the random order of consuming a random combination of dishes that did it.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;"> In the pre-refrigerator days, the left over, from the day meal could be carried over for the evening, but any food unconsumed in the evening meal had to be given away. I remember the typical call of the beggars who would regularly make their rounds at night to collect these left overs. The housewives also kept aside some food for these people. These alms seekers mostly ended up with small portions of all kinds of food in their bowls, much like what we find on the plates of variety seekers in a five star hotel. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;">So much for variety. </span></i></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-43868826762179161252016-11-19T00:26:00.005-08:002016-11-19T00:49:49.467-08:00Running commentaries and Media Coverage on Rush for Cash<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I remember the first running commentary I heard of India - West Indies Test series in 1966. Those days it was not just a novelty, but pure magic to be able to follow live, an event taking place thousands of miles away. But these commentaries, then, were reserved mainly for sports events. Today every event or even a non-event is telecast live with tadka or embellishments.</div>
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Anyone who is a regular spectator of football, tennis or cricket matches would vouch that watching an event live is so different from watching it on TV. What is a cricket match without the crowd hollering for 'fours' and 'sixes' in unison or what is a tennis match that doesn't give you a neck pain following the ball from side to side. There is something very unreal in lying on a couch with a packet of chips watching the players sweat it out.<br />
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I remember the high altitude posts like Siachin where satellite TV had just made its appearance. MTV Grind used to be a popular show among soldiers and officers alike. What can be more unreal than men clad in layers and layers of warm clothing gawking at the almost naked men and women basking in the sun. These soldiers would not have seen any female form clothed or otherwise and exposed parts of their own bodies for months.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mEk-uEq6GYtJ3HzCVs2hR2VmEjAp7dg_Dsh7B6mxwvIRg6DpXxmhnhSVtm6S3Ti96F2een9SpGMrGlXdYJTaOVZaDQWEF-s6lT-PIIUhKT_35m6vbs626V4aHoaB9vgkBlmKnVPhYKVF/s1600/a3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mEk-uEq6GYtJ3HzCVs2hR2VmEjAp7dg_Dsh7B6mxwvIRg6DpXxmhnhSVtm6S3Ti96F2een9SpGMrGlXdYJTaOVZaDQWEF-s6lT-PIIUhKT_35m6vbs626V4aHoaB9vgkBlmKnVPhYKVF/s640/a3.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Seeing the media coverage on the current issues that is how I feel, far removed , disconnected and disoriented. We are subjected to day long tale-commentary on #rushforcash. If some rabble rouser goes hysterical, media personnel are not far behind. Once in a while I go out to the town, to see for myself, the situation on ground. Being from a semi rural town, I can hardly connect the real life situation I see, to the TV news running all day. </div>
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I think the best coverage from Ground Zero , on the subject was done by Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today. His coverage from various banks followed by his coverage of the Parliament is nicely summed up in his tweet .(hail twitter for the word restriction)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtm0C70fRakzJkyoJO4hikyFYuKJeYBZHJW9JYlHJ90aBafG5yCM42iMqy30TK1_QQS-8OQfYE2xIc1n8doQ2LjhLuBYNBPIi5ell_hlt6qzKnn9RLHyx-eQhX2pK0Uu7pCV5ljf__6zbG/s1600/photo_2016-11-19_13-41-53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtm0C70fRakzJkyoJO4hikyFYuKJeYBZHJW9JYlHJ90aBafG5yCM42iMqy30TK1_QQS-8OQfYE2xIc1n8doQ2LjhLuBYNBPIi5ell_hlt6qzKnn9RLHyx-eQhX2pK0Uu7pCV5ljf__6zbG/s400/photo_2016-11-19_13-41-53.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Whichever way you throw a fat cat , it always lands on its feet, sometimes crushing some hardworking ants under its feet , further softening the landing. Yeh Hai India. Yeh hai Dunia</span></b></i></span>.</div>
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Cartoon : Courtesy: https://twitter.com/hashtag/StraightLines?src=hash</div>
colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-41106326702629637002016-06-03T23:46:00.000-07:002016-06-04T06:58:59.866-07:00Online Woes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt2dlvkYAH8_98haoyMBdzBI2XBLQxZv-8oShJ_V0EhRPjOoXH_U5DecZgZlSv908_R8z3T4kWdCWaofNkvYSUKi8SpmlPUv8AVdp63Vcl61_jt7i2igrN4g2WThHMqqsWniyfBC1DU9W/s1600/post+box2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt2dlvkYAH8_98haoyMBdzBI2XBLQxZv-8oShJ_V0EhRPjOoXH_U5DecZgZlSv908_R8z3T4kWdCWaofNkvYSUKi8SpmlPUv8AVdp63Vcl61_jt7i2igrN4g2WThHMqqsWniyfBC1DU9W/s320/post+box2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These days major load of the postal department has been taken over by Courier services and E-Commerce and net banking. P & T has become just P . Telegram had gone redundant years back , but only recently</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> has</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the Govt admitted to the fact and has closed down the service officially. Yet there are times one needs to visit these dinosaur departments once in a while.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(We actually have these ancient style post boxes at Mhow till date. This is no snap from the History Book !!) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having filed the ITR , I had to send it by Speed post (or just drop it into the Dinosaur's mouth)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Post office was virtually deserted, with one or no customer at any counter. The Queue at my counter with all of one customer just would not move for over 15 minutes. There was an old man at the post, peering into his screen with a frozen look of concern and concentration. I woke him up from his reverie to learn that the server was not working and that he was 'trying'. I also learnt that there was no manual way to book the post. It was windows trouble shooting at its best with the slogan "Re-start ; Re-install; and Re-format". Of these an operator of a client station could resort only to the first option and that's what he had been doing for over half an hour. I went to the post master and She for her part upgraded the trouble shooting effort. She restarted the Server !</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I decided to move over to the next counter to update my PPF account and to make a deposit. Again it was a similar scene with a lady staring at a monitor screen. It was a different server. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I asked her if I could access the account online. She gave a frustrated look, "<i><b><span style="color: red;">server ki wajah se to delay ho raha hai</span></b></i>" (She was working on the server and that's why it was taking more time) . </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Later I came too know that the problem was not with the server but with the 'served' . She just couldn't decipher the contents of the page she had been served. After what seemed a long long time, an all knowing youngster came to help her. He said, that a transaction has to be done to see the statement! I was asked to deposit Rs 2000. It was OK with me as that's what I had gone there for. Challan filled, money collected and data feeding started and then came the long wait again. For some reason, the lady started calling for the 'expert' again . The way she repeatedly invoked the name of "Ghanshyam ", even Krishna Parmatma would have come down from his heavenly abode, but there was no sign of this Ghanshyam. There was that tone of urgency in her voice , since a 'time out ' would mean refilling all the details. The pleading tone did have some effect and the help arrived. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Submit " button daba doon (Shall I press the submit button) Oh, it was for this confirmation that she needed an "expert" ? </span></span></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Permission obtained, data submitted , both were looking keenly at the response on the monitor. How I wish I had access to the screen they were staring at! Finally, Ghanshyam informed me with an absolutely sorry look ," Minimum amount, the system would accept would be Rs 5400, as you have not deposited for over 3 years" . Fortunately , there was an ATM of a private bank nearby,and the correct amount was deposited and the transaction was committed on the server. I am sure that was the only transaction done by that lady for the day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I was leaving the Post office, I just happened to glance at the Speed Post Counter to see some activity on the printer. So, the 50th restart had worked ?! I asked him if he could try now. he said in a sing song voice "Khosish karenge..... . Ho jaata .......to ...bahut achcha hoga" (I'll try and if it works, fine) . After four envelopes, when my turn came , the system hanged again. He looked </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">at me, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">amused yet accusingly ,declaring that the system hanged as soon as he had fed the data pertaing to my letter! Mea Culpa !! But he was kind enough to restart again and this time it worked !</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Everyone was so nice and wanting to be so helpful yet were so helpless . Now that all transactions are online , there is no looking back. So, they have no other option but to look back and yell for "GhanShyam " or whosoever could coax a server into action on that day .</span></span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-40525576308302099242016-06-02T23:23:00.001-07:002016-06-02T23:32:21.840-07:00A Bicycle Lamp and Bell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjvNy8jZRw07jh3HJv_jsxI0FQTL15S6vA0-6W0is0QE4a8_0TyeiqMV1ouaZY4nmLy2mPCROUixCv8JfwDAF4OldBCvfDUVtIthrUFtjyOGmFNKNOkX5vVnLDWFCmWqLz05SL0Ps5dVP/s1600/160531_-_Open_Page_2875011e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjvNy8jZRw07jh3HJv_jsxI0FQTL15S6vA0-6W0is0QE4a8_0TyeiqMV1ouaZY4nmLy2mPCROUixCv8JfwDAF4OldBCvfDUVtIthrUFtjyOGmFNKNOkX5vVnLDWFCmWqLz05SL0Ps5dVP/s320/160531_-_Open_Page_2875011e.jpg" width="240" /></a>I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> am regular reader of Open page of The Hindu. <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/those-infractions-on-two-wheels/article8668710.ece" target="_blank">Here's</a> an article by Ashokamitran .</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The writer gives a humorous account of his tryst with the law on traffic violation. The violation happened to be 'not having a properly working bell on his Bicycle'. The infringement takes him to the court , where he pays a fine and finally , armed with the receipt from the court, he retrieves his bicycle from the police station.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Today, the story sounds so exaggerated and even fictitious , but I know it is very much true. In early seventies, I have seen cyclists in the twilight hour ,looking for a match box to light their lamps. Then the introduction of the Dynamo light was a great improvement and convenience.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nothing tells more about an issue than the jokes it evokes in the weekly magazines,(like Kumudam and Vikatan) much like the whatsapp jokes today. The magazines those days had many cartoons on the plight of an erring cyclist and a policeman. I distinctly remember a few lines from a play in our school days . It goes like this, </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Cyclist :why do I need light, the whole town is lit up? </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>and the policeman deflates his tyres saying,"why do you need air in your tyre, the whole place is full of air ? Ha ha. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Coming to the present, I still use a bicycle and at times I miss a simple bicycle lamp. I went to my favourite cycle shop at <a href="http://mi59.blogspot.in/2016/04/a-town-called-mhow.html" target="_blank">Mhow</a> bazaar to correct the situation. As is customary in Mhow, the shop was small enough to repair a punctured tube and big enough to sell and service a 15-gear Bicycle. But when I asked for a Cycle lamp, there was a look of disbelief and some smirking all around as if I had asked for the moon. I continued to keep a straight face indicating that it was a serious question and I was still waiting for a serious answer. Gradually the smirking stopped and one of the guys replied "Saab yahan chal jaata hai" (You can do without it here). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How have we come to this state where it is perfectly OK to ride motorcycles without helmet, or for four adults to travel on a motorcycle and the number of people or stores on a bicycle is limited only by the pedaling power of the cyclist? Lamps and bells are not even available leave alone being mandatory. Anyway, I scouted for one online and placed an order, and I intend using it however ridiculous it might look on the streets of Mhow.</span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-24088351414803051412016-05-30T09:25:00.000-07:002016-05-30T11:55:03.052-07:00Who Stole My MIlk ? - Facebook Style !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am totally indebted to the face book philosophers for this post. The name of the game is <span style="color: purple;"><b><i>"who stole my milk</i></b></span> ?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadRJnI4hvGQBrzyp-_9ot8-OeiEl8hnDgzqqWaTzwclBpbclqlQ2O6mSKuWkgUsq9P5AulCaYWgP9Vw6Nf3YFharGdfsUsKSa4TUrfkdpc1kiaVn9m5POi353wKUKaR4HkmPexLq6I0tZ/s1600/hungry-child_pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadRJnI4hvGQBrzyp-_9ot8-OeiEl8hnDgzqqWaTzwclBpbclqlQ2O6mSKuWkgUsq9P5AulCaYWgP9Vw6Nf3YFharGdfsUsKSa4TUrfkdpc1kiaVn9m5POi353wKUKaR4HkmPexLq6I0tZ/s200/hungry-child_pic.png" width="200" /></a>
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To begin with , you pick up a photo of a hungry looking child like the one on the left. I picked up the first image answering to the search 'hungry child'; Just avoid African and Whites as the game involves <i><b>some serious 'India bashing'.</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3pwT62_nrb0kmRlv0W4hxIMp1juMl6IbAKe9EFK5__vUUlGJgoOygu_-pWCcenxE9bMJEWl5wAo2l0moRDmzGf-btkgNp6NvjklhB5N9hoVUGmjfOffQC1fwFXXjo16SuhnrHauh-B-M/s1600/bjpladdoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3pwT62_nrb0kmRlv0W4hxIMp1juMl6IbAKe9EFK5__vUUlGJgoOygu_-pWCcenxE9bMJEWl5wAo2l0moRDmzGf-btkgNp6NvjklhB5N9hoVUGmjfOffQC1fwFXXjo16SuhnrHauh-B-M/s320/bjpladdoo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The next step is to find the villain who could have stolen the milk from the Child. If not stolen , you can always argue
that 'so and so ' is so well off that it would be a sin if he /they do not provide milk to the Child.<br />
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The villain could be anyone who is involved in expending some milk. It could also be symbolically expressed by just show of wealth. A lot depends on who is your target. If you think the govt is to blame ... then show a Govt partying... Add a caption ,<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: purple;"><q>they have laddoos to celebrate but no milk for a hungry child</q></span></b></i>
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In case you are anti-corporate , bring in Vijay Mallaya.<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: purple;"><q>The banks have 9000 crores for Mallya and none for the hungry child</q></span></b></i>
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Peaceniks can always go after the Hawks crying for a higher defence budget. They can come up with “<i><b><span style="color: purple;">Cost of one Fighter aircraft can feed all the hungry children in the country !</span></b></i>” Even The OROP bill for 8000 crores can be attacked !<br />
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Of course the easiest target is religion . Get a picture of an idol being offered milk ... or cash being counted at a religious place.
<i><b><span style="color: purple;">Imagine, the amount of money people spend on God; If only this money is spent on the poor , there would be no child going to bed hungry.</span></b></i> (It's a different matter , that had there been no temples, this money would most likely be used to make Vijay Mallya and the like richer)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcnMM5bu5LXpYTaAz6THY_3bxyrqjVaGINYgL52h12j3heKzmG8epjQExMCzCrjwpgVjPXwvmgqlBl8KfELjQ6P09fjhLWyuuELObGqn8o4hGVvZ63rXhSj6T2Imdf6ZFVnl8w0G4Dv71/s1600/blog_milk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcnMM5bu5LXpYTaAz6THY_3bxyrqjVaGINYgL52h12j3heKzmG8epjQExMCzCrjwpgVjPXwvmgqlBl8KfELjQ6P09fjhLWyuuELObGqn8o4hGVvZ63rXhSj6T2Imdf6ZFVnl8w0G4Dv71/s400/blog_milk.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can even blame the farmers . There was a news report from Odisha about three weeks back, that the farmers emptied a milk tanker letting 14000 litres of milk flowing on to the street. No use crying over spilt milk; they were just protesting against a company not accepting the quality of milk they supplied. <a href="http://odishatv.in/odisha/body-slider/angry-dairy-farmers-empty-omfed-tanker-in-bargarh-milk-floods-streets-141616/">news report</a> <br />
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The scope is tremendous; you can do IPL bashing or F-1 Race bashing if you don't like sports. With some imagination you can make even children feel guilty. How ? throw some statistics like "70% of the milk produce is used for making Ice Cream and Confectionery " So any ice cream eating or chocolate eating child is literally eating into the minimum protein requirement of a poor , hungry child; isn't it ? One photo does it all; depends on where you place it.</div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-32393658252641710832016-05-26T20:16:00.000-07:002016-05-27T21:04:27.228-07:00The Other Train Journey in SA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Anyone with a nodding acquaintance with the life of mahatma Gandhi would be familiar with the story of Gandhiji being unceremoniously thrown out from a First Class Compartment in South Africa. </div>
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To quote Louis Fischer, <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68_1ViURsOvRF0U5WCK61Vc72TTFQBYVvV4jimgIZNmwfJ91p1_0_RMEdK7mf-frO7I807yeIhiyK4Ef5CM1Xo8vyWL5D-EBbuZF4Altzh5ewxpY_SS05klTfQpbcJaLg6_wZeuveR6nC/s1600/15yttrain_gandhi_j_2051744f%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68_1ViURsOvRF0U5WCK61Vc72TTFQBYVvV4jimgIZNmwfJ91p1_0_RMEdK7mf-frO7I807yeIhiyK4Ef5CM1Xo8vyWL5D-EBbuZF4Altzh5ewxpY_SS05klTfQpbcJaLg6_wZeuveR6nC/s400/15yttrain_gandhi_j_2051744f%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">.............<i>The incident occurred at At Maritzburg, the capital of Natal, in 1893.Gandhi could have returned to the train and found a place in the third class car. But he chose to remain in the station waiting room. It was cold in the mountains. His overcoat was in his luggage which the railway people were holding; afraid to be insulted again, he did not ask for it. All night long, he sat and shivered, and brooded. ..... That bitter night at Maritzburg the germ of social protest was born in Gandhi. ................</i></span></div>
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From an ordinary lawyer, the transformation to an extraordinary world leader had started.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>What is lesser known is the other journey that transformed Gandhi's life and indirectly India's destiny was another rail journey Gandhiji undertook in 1904.</i></span></b></blockquote>
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During the period from 1893 to 1904, Gandhiji continued to practice as a lawyer at Johannesburg. He took up all kinds of issues affecting the Indian Community in South Africa , through every available forum, for redressal, but he was essentially a successful Indian lawyer.</div>
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In 1903, Gandhi had helped to start a weekly magazine called Indian Opinion. The paper was in difficulties, and to cope with them at first hand Gandhi took a trip to Durban where the magazine was published. By then he had found a close friend in Henry S. L. Polak, a London born Jew who totally involved himself in the Indians' cause in Transvaal. Polak saw him off at the station and gave him a book to read for the long journey. It was John Ruskin's Unto This Last.</div>
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As Gandhiji himself says in 'My Experiments with Truth" <b><i> </i></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;">"It gripped me. Johannesburg to Durban was a twenty-four hours'
journey. The train reached there in the evening. I could not get any
sleep that night. I determined to change my life in accordance with the
ideals of the book," Gandhi wrote.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"> </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;">"I believe that I
discovered some of my deepest convictions in this great book," he wrote,
adding the work "captured me and made me transform my life."</span></i></div>
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Again to quote Louis Fischer,<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><b> </b></i>........Those books appealed to him most which were closest to his concept of life and, where they deviated, he brought them closer by interpreting them. 'It was a habit with me'. Gandhi once wrote, 'to forget what I did not like and to carry out in practice whatever I liked.'........</span></div>
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At the end of the journey , he was fully convinced of the course of action he should take. He wrote a long letter to his elder brother to be relieved of the financial commitments to his family. It was his brother who had sent him to London to study law. He bought a piece of land to establish an Ashram. It was called Phoenix farm. The rail journey took place in Oct 1904 and in Nov 1904, Phoenix farm was born.</div>
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It took him another year to completely close down his establishment at Johannesburg , but thereafter , he never looked back. In South Africa it was Phoenix Farm and later Tolstoy Farm. Back in India it was Sabarmati Ashram and later Warda Ashram that became the hub of Indian freedom Struggle. </div>
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Gandhiji had a wonderful faculty of translating into practice anything that appealed to his intellect. Some of the changes he had made in his life were as prompt as they were radical.</div>
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He did not preach but just practiced what appealed to him . When asked by a someone as to what was his message to the world , he could simply say, <br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b> My life is my message</b></i></span></span></blockquote>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-29502716888264442652016-04-19T22:17:00.001-07:002016-04-22T06:14:06.051-07:00A Town Called Mhow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq-B7_CX3LDp44_MWuGwyGbLqJzWkdzTrVS4TmLzlW2lrK2R0Kekd3kP-vFaITnN4-u3XDOg2dn8OGftkozP9A9TO1HlCKUlSAWu4-mfiZGMxnN9O99ObEdW5IXn92xnFintZ9ZkMCqkz/s1600/mhow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq-B7_CX3LDp44_MWuGwyGbLqJzWkdzTrVS4TmLzlW2lrK2R0Kekd3kP-vFaITnN4-u3XDOg2dn8OGftkozP9A9TO1HlCKUlSAWu4-mfiZGMxnN9O99ObEdW5IXn92xnFintZ9ZkMCqkz/s400/mhow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> How
often have I been asked ? A south Indian, how come you have
settled down at Mhow? I have no clear answers . But every time I hear such a question, it triggers a series of thoughts on
the uniqueness of Mhow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> As a
fauji I have been through 23 different places of posting , generally
referred to as a military station or a cantonment. Many fellow-rovers
would agree with me that most of the people , toy with the idea of settling down in their place of posting</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, some time or the
other </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. It could be
the Nilgiris, a Punjabi might fall in love with or Pithoragarh
(google map please!) that might entice a South Indian. But these
places are known for the short tourist seasons , and the ideas for taking roots at such places are also seasonal... In Pithoragarh if you go through one winter , the salubrious climate in Summer is spoilt with this thought “If summer is here , can
winter be far behind ?, .. run before it sets in" . It would be John
Keats reverse-quoted (a word I just coined) .</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsPDZeTsIssVYQRA1EYpFego5_N7eGQmbQdULbetKtQXugNm-4m9-4TZk9sLf6EcCI3f2RASbmNbNPt7wR9Oo-fzkMArXkvT3-ayuzUWLIBxaTklsXMOgsW_3tZ3RFPKpDbl81MiqG0gh/s1600/mhow5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsPDZeTsIssVYQRA1EYpFego5_N7eGQmbQdULbetKtQXugNm-4m9-4TZk9sLf6EcCI3f2RASbmNbNPt7wR9Oo-fzkMArXkvT3-ayuzUWLIBxaTklsXMOgsW_3tZ3RFPKpDbl81MiqG0gh/s400/mhow5.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So
it goes, one place good only for summer, another good only for
winter, too far <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">N</span>orth or too far <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">S</span>outh, East or west , too much rain or too little
rain, concrete jungle or too remote a place and it goes on... Now let
us look at Mhow. It is like the story of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narasimha">Narasimhavatar</a> of Vishnu....
neither too warm or too cold, neither too <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">N</span>orth or too <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">S</span>outh, neither
urban nor rural, neither a cantonment nor a civil area...well , on
which ever axis you consider, it falls right in the middle ! It
Includes some dubious considerations; neither are people too law
abiding nor too lawless !</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Any <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">account</span> of Mhow is not complete without a mention of </span>Mhow-bazaar. The
Main street is almost as if custom made for the fauji ladies !
Walking across just half a km, they can find fancy gowns, dresses , suits, leather jackets,
leather boots, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">or beautiful curtains , </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">paintings, wood carvings and such stuff for their drawing
room <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, ingredients to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">exercise</span> all their culinary skills in Chinese and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Continental</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">dishes (poor husbands !)</span>.</span> Mhow tailors , historically , have been catering for the
Rajas and aristocrats <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">during </span> British <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">India</span> and later to the army
personnel posted all over the country in the Independent India. I for
one have always got my uniforms made at Mhow, wherever I was posted;
did I say 23 stations ?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whats
so great about a market and tailors? It is the <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ambiance</span> that strikes.
Whether it is the people moving about in the narrow streets and lanes
of the town, or the shop keepers sitting at their desk on a summer
afternoon, there is a sense of timelessness. Many shops actually
shut down from two to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">f</span>our for the afternoon siesta. The bhoras are
always smiling with the 'koi dikkat nahin' attitude. I bought
curtain rods for my house,<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> my</span> measurements turned out to be wrong and I </span>went back for <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">exchanging</span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">them</span> , not with much hope. As<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> it happened </span>,
fresh piecees <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">were</span> cut to the revised size <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">w</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ith a 'Koi dikkat nahin' smile.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxaB5k9Zjrr3ow5brhSzHzrpfpaNTQTVIPpbxa8MIrY8KGCSersYz67Ol5um5JVt3XxYI876pla0GBNiTfezd5IKqozYLH3SQCecEpDecCbAcX9SBlOeobs2LfMcs_5MnF4Gs7Q_Xy4Ed/s1600/mainstreet+deepawali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxaB5k9Zjrr3ow5brhSzHzrpfpaNTQTVIPpbxa8MIrY8KGCSersYz67Ol5um5JVt3XxYI876pla0GBNiTfezd5IKqozYLH3SQCecEpDecCbAcX9SBlOeobs2LfMcs_5MnF4Gs7Q_Xy4Ed/s320/mainstreet+deepawali.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My wife ha<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">d</span> been lugging around an old Sumit mixer grinder , absolutely functional but one crucial knob missing. The machine was so obsolete no spares were available anywhere. That was before we reached Mhow. A 10 ft by 12 ft shop with a know-all , do-all owner, with a 'koi dikkat nahin ' attitude found the right solution in no time . It is not just the jugaad for repairing stuff , they can also produce <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">such stuff found only in elite stores.</span> I was looking for a <span data-dobid="hdw">'quiche tray' and the same shop-keeper produced it seemingly out of nowhere. (I had only recently learnt the word 'quiche' but as a shop-keeper of Main street , Mhow he was fully aware of the the contraption as an essential need of a fauji mem-saab.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span data-dobid="hdw">An ancient defence service officers institute coupled with modern <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">libraries, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">gymnasiums</span> ,</span> tennis and squash courts, an olympic size swimming pool, a sprawling golf course and most importantly the ambiance of Mhow-bazaar has made this place truly a haven for a retired fauji.</span> </span></span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-49186476498499999972016-04-06T04:29:00.003-07:002016-04-14T04:53:55.717-07:00Quote Unquote<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: Normal;">In the era of
social
media , it has become the trend to share 'Quotes' . Find out what
you
want to say, then check out who has said a similar thing, modify
it a
bit and it will carry more weight. I have done a subtle experiment
on Facebook ,don't tell anyone, to embellish my sayings ,with some
good
background, fancy fonts and finally by appending the name of some
celebrity . It definitely gets more 'likes', thank God there is no
provision for 'dislike'. </span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">Actually there is
no
harm in these 'shares' as long as you just keep receiving and
forwarding , focusing only on the number of 'likes' and 'shares'
;not
really reading anything, or seriously considering the contents. </span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">Trouble starts when
some one reads and may be follows it up with some study of his own
and then he feels offended. </span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">I have been
receiving some serious sounding stuff on parenting, attributed to
Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar. . These sayings were everywhere except
in
the only book he is said to have written ! This is one work, I
have
been carrying even on LRPs (Long Range Patrols, for mycivilian friends)...
</span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">In some of the
groups , I pointed it out, then I just got tired of pointing out,
since few read them anyway. </span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">There was another
quote attributed to Swami Vivekananda. This was particularly
creative
as it just mentioned one part of the paragraph and conveniently
left
the concluding remark , which was 180 degrees apart. I have always
carried the complete works of Swami... wherever I have been . So,
immediately I checked back and got so upset, seeing the out of
context, mischievous 'quote' . I shouldn't have got upset really
but
somethings are beyond you . Got to be a little thick-skinned, if
you
want to surf the social media sites and also read. Who cares for
the
niceties of right and wrong and feelings of readers. Finally I
wrote a <a href="http://mi59.blogspot.in/2015/03/thus-spake-swami-vivekananda.html">blog
pos</a>t to assuage my hurt sentiments and it ended there. </span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">So, in any group, I
think it is better to avoid 'quotes' on anything particularly
subjective issues. Once you own responsibility for your words , it
is very difficult to make sweeping statements like 'Christians are
always good' or 'Jews are always bad' , though it is convenient to
post the same as views expressed by Hitler or Pope. </span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">Secondly, If a
quote
has to be posted why not check out on the validity, the
time, place and the purpose of the quote , by consulting Prof
Google for 5-10
minutes?</span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><u>Note</u>
This does not apply
to anecdotes which are best expressed by the narrator in his own
style. </span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><u>Tailpiece :</u>
What is a rule if you cant break it. Having spoken at length about
quotes, here's a quote by Chanakya "Rumour mongers should be
given death penalty" . I quoted this to a fellow-officer at a
lighter moment for spreading some silly rumour of some one having
received his posting order to some place. (cant think beyond). He
assumed a very serious posture and replied "Murali , I am not
spreading any rumour, I just originated it. Others are spreading
it;
go and kill them".</span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: normal;">Cheers !</span></span></i></span></span></h2>
</div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">murali</span></span></i></span></span></span></b></span></h2>
</div>
</div>
colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-44811631275773458932016-02-15T10:20:00.002-08:002016-04-22T06:15:05.558-07:00Do I really need a Cell-phone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx5sm80BhLNDzGDoetYKLm5ip_AcvJXDqQxb5YH5XhATDm8BW1KxPUwP0apdAF7tGXwSmJJ__aucreqT-ZMkbIxchgfOOtzPuzbaSUnq_yZAowUAoSSj2DnNgp6CgIK6QOuLJZVs6nP9v/s1600/smartphone3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx5sm80BhLNDzGDoetYKLm5ip_AcvJXDqQxb5YH5XhATDm8BW1KxPUwP0apdAF7tGXwSmJJ__aucreqT-ZMkbIxchgfOOtzPuzbaSUnq_yZAowUAoSSj2DnNgp6CgIK6QOuLJZVs6nP9v/s320/smartphone3.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This question has been bugging me ever since I could afford to buy a cell-phone. I managed to delay it for as long as possible, but sometime around 2006, sitting at a remote place in North Bengal with non-existent or poor STD services, kind of forced me to hook on to the cellphone network. Now I learn through googling that the device had come into being a early as 1990 and that I had survived the onslaught of this device for a good 16 years !</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since then it has been a kind of love-hate relationship. On one hand, it is sheer magic to be able to communicate from anywhere anytime complete with streaming video images and on the other hand , it is terrible that anyone could intrude into your time anytime, anywhere. It can be a magic window to access happenings and people , world-wide , 24 x 7 and it can also be a cruel leash around your neck 24 x 7.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am very poor at responding to a call , and definitely not 'the fastest draw in the west' as the likes of people whipping out their phone from nowhere, on the slightest indication of a call, whatever they may be doing, wheresoever . My log register always shows more missed calls and sent calls than received calls.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I observe that most people carry their phones while going for walk or run and I have heard that they carry their phones even to the loo. As for me, I find it difficult to keep a phone even close enough to reach before two rings.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Where I really missed a phone was when I started seeing the ubiquitous message on my computer screen - "OTP sent to your registered mobile number xxxxx901 and enter the OTP to proceed further" That's the time I started looking for the phone frantically , most of the time , finding it only by calling from my land-line.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, I started keeping the phone close to my desktop PC as another accessory like mouse or keyboard.</div>
<br />
Over the years , the device size has been getting smaller and smaller and presto, suddenly there is a U Turn and the evolution is in the opposite direction. Here's a cartoonist's view of the point of inflection<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoEJZwbC89zUfhBI8m-Ej0ZH8u3HD816SWCaHPizwJ0s7ScaefI8-vO8ezDb7b2ieXFZbVM3S7EFm5Ct3zsITrUsZAT5beFizPjCGelTdT0ll5VtXpdwD20GPQnPy4z2LdBBkXrvfunGo/s1600/smartphone4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoEJZwbC89zUfhBI8m-Ej0ZH8u3HD816SWCaHPizwJ0s7ScaefI8-vO8ezDb7b2ieXFZbVM3S7EFm5Ct3zsITrUsZAT5beFizPjCGelTdT0ll5VtXpdwD20GPQnPy4z2LdBBkXrvfunGo/s400/smartphone4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyway, the smart-phones have arrived and with it , the social media apps whatsapp, telegram etc. When I tell people that I don't always carry my mobile phone, the FAQs are:-</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vbT4hvNEBDxxmtgf_E_QN68-vM5MRnGH_zygcwwPTvl3ymVvrO22nXBd8KzUSGmqUst-VMAe7P_E2Q6rpIqkn_-AJtfdTywZ3HAXoswQE2tRPra7Y-FLOMaY0DTQsT6XZEbpLwIbW-1C/s1600/smartphone2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vbT4hvNEBDxxmtgf_E_QN68-vM5MRnGH_zygcwwPTvl3ymVvrO22nXBd8KzUSGmqUst-VMAe7P_E2Q6rpIqkn_-AJtfdTywZ3HAXoswQE2tRPra7Y-FLOMaY0DTQsT6XZEbpLwIbW-1C/s320/smartphone2.jpg" width="267" /></a>Aren't you on whatsapp ?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
- I do have the app installed but is it really required to read a surd / blonde joke , immediately on alert, leaving whatever you are doing ? Isn't it enough to browse, say, once a day?</div>
<br />
How can you move around without google maps ?<br />
<br />
- I agree , google maps are useful when you are in a strange city, but how often do you need to navigate to your wash room ?<br />
<br />
<br />
How do you keep in touch with your children ?<br />
<br />
-well, I use the land-line, instant messengers or email while I am sitting at office or home and while on move, it really doesn't matter if one is out of reach for an hour or two .<br />
<br />
Don't you miss it when , say, receiving someone at air port or railway station ?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
-In army we tie up a whole lot of details before an operation, like frequency for radio communication etc.. but we never lugged around our radio sets 24x7 just for such contingencies. When required for a specific operation, it sure is very useful. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Coming to the original question, 'do I really need a cell-phone' ; it is good to own one , but I have stopped looking at it as a phone anymore . It is a standby for wallet, notebook, modem, music player, news aggregator , in-box, torch light and a thousand other things besides being <i>a device for emergency voice calls. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCOQBHZb7DzITa9F5JJVCY6pyjr2unl_egqpEWglxLYUxEAwaSKVT7PUKSNitHumxBpsrNEXk9sTtY5E9pYhalrsOrlnxN6-3hCRqTLdkdZddKAbEAGRbmXFO1Le9yyCi4RUblZsaPcf5/s1600/smartphone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCOQBHZb7DzITa9F5JJVCY6pyjr2unl_egqpEWglxLYUxEAwaSKVT7PUKSNitHumxBpsrNEXk9sTtY5E9pYhalrsOrlnxN6-3hCRqTLdkdZddKAbEAGRbmXFO1Le9yyCi4RUblZsaPcf5/s320/smartphone.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, it is good to have one or more devices, but to carry it everywhere you go , I feel , is definitely a leash around the neck that I would rather do without.</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-48582805188304198802016-02-08T05:32:00.001-08:002016-04-22T06:15:31.702-07:00A Tale of two Chiefs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXeb1TX0rIzUeJ4iaIZlTfBa_BzpTBjJmi0xllfTcmuGjPcLgRU4flpcYxh36Y2nu7ZPBiZfnsVIfdALF7ZlRjM8XwbP0rIAt2zJORifhe0rvyXPX1bP6NNeGkgmFnEpLMtSU0mbWrn23/s1600/chief1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXeb1TX0rIzUeJ4iaIZlTfBa_BzpTBjJmi0xllfTcmuGjPcLgRU4flpcYxh36Y2nu7ZPBiZfnsVIfdALF7ZlRjM8XwbP0rIAt2zJORifhe0rvyXPX1bP6NNeGkgmFnEpLMtSU0mbWrn23/s1600/chief1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was circa 1990, during the address to officers by the COAS at DSSC Wellington, one infantry officer had the temerity to suggest that something be done about providing better opportunities to infantry officers for nomination to attend DSSC Course at Wellington. He further explained that the Staff Course had become so important for promotion to higher ranks and that infantry officers did not get time to study due to operational commitments.<br />
<br />
Well, the Chief went ballistic; some raw nerve had been touched. He himself was a gunner and an air op officer . When he took over as the Chief, a leading National daily , had wondered as to how a battle hardened Force like the Indian Army had thrown up a Chief without any battle experience. The General was known for his strategic thinking rather than for soldiering. Mandal Commission was the then rage, across the country. He thundered, “I do not want mandalization in Army, we cannot have a quota system for infantry” . After a long, seemingly never ending diatribe he declared “ we have a fair system and anyone can reach the higher ranks”</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwhaSwsI2jY0vLXzrtYUzh0DzCA9Wn7aLpx6HlsysjgJ3ZfJ93xl-kKWbiTXhULJW4VD3X559oWxO5BmELx3zv8yBlsqIAJmta7T5wUS-RxlgLZiBGfAAD6HaKE0O7cp3QxNtYwoQLStw/s1600/chief2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwhaSwsI2jY0vLXzrtYUzh0DzCA9Wn7aLpx6HlsysjgJ3ZfJ93xl-kKWbiTXhULJW4VD3X559oWxO5BmELx3zv8yBlsqIAJmta7T5wUS-RxlgLZiBGfAAD6HaKE0O7cp3QxNtYwoQLStw/s320/chief2.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
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Recently, in circa 2015, the present Chief, during his visit to Mhow, addressed the officers in the Station. In the course of his talk, he disclosed, “....... I am a Non-psc officer , and I have reached where I am through sheer soldiering. We do have a fair system in the Army .....”</div>
<br />
He happens to be the first non-psc Chief. Well, we have come a full circle.</div>
colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-2725744674691109312016-01-25T21:27:00.000-08:002016-04-22T06:15:51.736-07:00Appy Times<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiO_9jHc2nNvj6q6H8pdVQf8t4slZa52FQbTfOLKEirWdzv0gwZ1MFTf6L15RNjdmfTil0I5Z31zvki8uHtmi8LU8xyHE39FNDSJJ28UyNYtqoCGDK4C3Jwkx9F4EQV5hKcFwuwot0T057/s1600/Screenshot_2016-01-26-10-52-20.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiO_9jHc2nNvj6q6H8pdVQf8t4slZa52FQbTfOLKEirWdzv0gwZ1MFTf6L15RNjdmfTil0I5Z31zvki8uHtmi8LU8xyHE39FNDSJJ28UyNYtqoCGDK4C3Jwkx9F4EQV5hKcFwuwot0T057/s320/Screenshot_2016-01-26-10-52-20.png" width="180" /></a></div>
These are times when it
is difficult to find someone who is not keenly interacting with a
smart phone, be it in a cafeteria or a classroom. Even people of my
age, have become 'touch-savvy' , if not 'tech-savvy'. Guys who have problem understanding whats an app, understand and use
'WhatsApp'</div>
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<br /></div>
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There was the time
when business men realized that a website had become an integral
necessity in their business cards. Today , a business without an app
is severely 'handi-apped' .
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For our NDA(National Defence Academy) course
reunion, I made a basic website and was brazing myself for a stampede
of visitors vying to upload a deluge of articles, photographs and all
kinds of memorabilia.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_xyHiDTA-PyfvpK04r9AWfy0tA48IMF28pVKN8AHYgsXjE005HKJvq4GJVyBBJ-Lv2gz0cPjtOm_7aGkNE27NCMJPQwV6ksKj1nEMoHC6YtFOS3iINemGUW708B-ZzsHVKKp0I9NACSX/s1600/Screenshot_2016-01-26-18-26-26.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_xyHiDTA-PyfvpK04r9AWfy0tA48IMF28pVKN8AHYgsXjE005HKJvq4GJVyBBJ-Lv2gz0cPjtOm_7aGkNE27NCMJPQwV6ksKj1nEMoHC6YtFOS3iINemGUW708B-ZzsHVKKp0I9NACSX/s320/Screenshot_2016-01-26-18-26-26.png" width="180" /></a> While our whatsApp
group had an average of 150 posts a day along with all kinds of
media, the website was like the NDA library, where none ventured
unless forced to.</div>
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I wished I could
make an app for smart-phones. A cursory browse on the net led me to Android Studio, a beta grade software for app development. Once I
installed it on my system, one thing led to another and I surprised
myself by creating an app in 15 days. In fact, I created two, one
for the course reunion and one for this blog.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://55nda.in/Downloads/random_ramblings2.apk">Here's</a> the link to
download the app for this blog. (You have to 'allow installation of
apps from unknown sources' by going to settings ----security.).</div>
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<br /></div>
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I just love the
learning environment in the IT world today. The net is full of
tutorials, Discussion forums, open source development software and
most importantly people who love to share knowledge.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
Appy times are here
again. Anything is possible in IT and through IT.</div>
</div>
colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-54283701979685438352015-12-26T23:08:00.002-08:002015-12-27T20:05:35.958-08:00Why Tolerance can be Dangerous <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Why tolerance can be dangerous ?</div>
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There is lot of talk about lack of tolerance. Is tolerance really a virtue ? so it seems . Let us look at the dictionary meaning of tolerance.</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><i>the ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behaviour that one <span style="color: red;">dislikes or disagrees</span> with.</i></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">the capacity to endure</span> <span style="color: blue;">continued subjection to something such as a drug or environmental conditions without adverse reaction.</span></b></div>
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Suppose a friend of yours tolerates you... it means he dislikes you or disagrees with you .. not very flattering isn't it ? Can you continue to be friends tolerating each other ? It would be more like a ' <span style="color: black;"><i>Mahagathbandhan</i></span>' of Indian politics, ready to break apart once the immediate target is achieved.</div>
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What happens when you tolerate someone ? As long as you are in a good mood or in a good environment , it is easy to put up with the differences. And when your own comfort is affected , the tolerance turns to intolerance and to violence. It is always easy to tolerate when you are in an AC room, well rested and with enough to eat as compared to being in heat , dust and grime, deprived of sleep and on empty stomach.</div>
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Yet why does tolerance seem to be a virtue ? Is it because we consider 'intolerance' as the only other alternative ? There would be a paradigm shift in our thinking if we consider another alternative to tolerance , which is 'acceptance'.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklHwuBuGIN8flmIim4o9J9WUyyofvrwtqDA05tjHrhtrGWKWbSF52U9dk9k4ZQmX0eS8zOH6OR1KCMlWb-_3hD7sfzLxCtbtq-ABNE6asgG9nTe9ZguLR-1siFmuDBh0rL06enj0ya_yz/s1600/tolerance1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklHwuBuGIN8flmIim4o9J9WUyyofvrwtqDA05tjHrhtrGWKWbSF52U9dk9k4ZQmX0eS8zOH6OR1KCMlWb-_3hD7sfzLxCtbtq-ABNE6asgG9nTe9ZguLR-1siFmuDBh0rL06enj0ya_yz/s1600/tolerance1.jpeg" /></a></div>
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How long can a husband and wife merely 'tolerate' each other? For the relation to be stable there has to be acceptance of each other , complete with warts and all. A student tolerating mathematics or a language cannot go very far in the academic world till such time he feels comfortable with these subjects or drops them altogether.</div>
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Does it mean we need to like everyone and agree with everyone's opinions? Not necessarily so. It is just an acceptance that just as you have your opinion, the others have their opinions.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Iqvmk8u-vIXtrl8iDKGiA02nmFc9a1O6eZqO2RdgRJYscRU5DzJSloo7zRom5T2Bo9JM84gRGoD4yqWPTs9sO8dL80VQqg-H0qfTQHKvqKkKwyPaKKrhT_nZ49VUHGFaH8joJlfwDon/s1600/tolerance2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Iqvmk8u-vIXtrl8iDKGiA02nmFc9a1O6eZqO2RdgRJYscRU5DzJSloo7zRom5T2Bo9JM84gRGoD4yqWPTs9sO8dL80VQqg-H0qfTQHKvqKkKwyPaKKrhT_nZ49VUHGFaH8joJlfwDon/s320/tolerance2.jpg" width="320" /></a> Where does the word 'tolerance' fit in ? Whenever there is dislike, disagreement and conflicts, tolerance at best can be an intermediate stage before the stage of 'acceptance ' is reached . To that extent ,it is better than 'intolerance'; but tolerance cannot ever be an end by itself and a total divorce may actually be better than a 'permanent state of tolerance'. </div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-37736820750817802562015-09-04T23:16:00.000-07:002015-09-05T06:03:38.973-07:00OROP, What it means to me <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As a veteran, do I want or, more importantly, do I need OROP ?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />To be more precise, do I need that extra money ? I don't think so. It is a soldier's dignity that take a beating , when he is back among civilians in the society.<br /><br />Money is really is of no consequence. Any amount of money is insufficient if the society robs you of your dignity and honour.<br /><br /><br /> That is the way army was when I joined. It was considered too 'bania-like' to have a second look at your pay statement. A pay statement (pay slip as it is called ) was routinely torn up after seeing the figure 'remittance to bankers'. Today it may sound foolhardy. But it is not unique to Indian Army. Warriors all over the world disdain money, it is only the banias or bandits who accumulated wealth(banias did it without weapons and bandits did it with weapons).Japanese concept of Bushido explains it best. Here's an extract from the book BUSHIDO THE SOUL OF JAPAN BY INAZO NITOBÉ, A.M., Ph.D.<br /><br />.........He disdains money itself,—the art of making or hoarding it. It is to him veritably filthy lucre. Niggardliness of gold and of life excites as much disapprobation as their lavish use is panegyrized. "Less than all things," says a current precept, "men must grudge money: it is by riches that wisdom is hindered." Hence children were brought up with utter disregard of economy. It was considered bad taste to speak of it, and ignorance of the value of different coins was a token of good breeding. Knowledge of numbers was indispensable in the mustering of forces as well, as in the distribution of benefices and fiefs; but the counting of money was left to meaner hands...........<br /><br /> We never complained about not getting our due , for the simple reason we hardly knew what was our due. While on leave, I was surprised to find that my civilian friends not only knew the current DA rate but were also aware of the next one. That explains why OROP was not talked about for four decades.<br /><br /> On the other hand, Dignity and respect were valued a lot. One only had to see a military special train , where compartments are marked "officers mess' 'Tiger', Lion and so on. Even in the middle of a jungle, a clearing where the CO's tent was put up attained the status of a bungalow. Furnishing was done with available material like logs , planks and grass. It resembled the den of 'Hagar the Horrible' but far from complaining about, we were proud of the arrangements. It was termed 'jungal men mangal'.<br /><br />Lack of money did not affect the dignity of a soldier when he returned home after completing 15 years of service. He had a place in the society. Education and medical expenses were less or non existent. After all army had one of the best networks of hospitals and medical centres. <br /><br /><br />The liberating nineties , as Gurcharan das calls it changed all that. It was extremely difficult for a fauji to seek admission for his children in private educational institutions and treatment at private hospitals became out of reach. Even to die with dignity it cost money. I could not leave army as I had no civil qualifications and people at the universities and colleges wanted you to apply a year before and go through the process of entrance exams and enrolment. I actually met the Vice Chancellor of Madras University . I thank him for agreeing to meet me without prior appointment, but the rules quoted by him were absurd to me. How can these babus, who have not served in army ever understand how difficult it is when posted at Tawang or Poonch to go through this one year process. No sir, I did not want money, I just wanted an opportunity to study, upgrade my skills to suit the civilian life. <br /><br />An army man misses the opportunities to invest, to upgrade his skills or simply learn the way of life in civil environment. And it happens due to his spending the most productive years at the borders or at sea, not through chasing money at Gulf countries or a better life style in the West.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When a society does not give an opportunity to find a dignified livelihood, the least they can give is the means , extra money , to buy a modicum of dignity and respect. I rest my case.</span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-70170037314581086752015-09-02T06:48:00.003-07:002015-09-02T07:03:18.103-07:00Scottish Tunes and the Desi Regiments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Having served for 35
years in a Regiment and having frozen to attention every time the Regimental March past played, all I remember is a feeling of intense pride and a deep respect for the Flag and the Regiment when I heard these notes.
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<i>Back O <span class="st"><i>Bennachie</i></span></i> is our Regimental March-past. Though I never learnt the lyrics nor the history of the song I have developed a close
attachment for the tune. I just presumed that it was a song about soldier, soldiering and battles. In the pre internet days, ignorance on any subject was
well preserved as there was no way to check out facts. One just went
by feelings rather than well researched facts.
</div>
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I remember , a
commanding officer musing aloud, “why do we need a march-past
called 'Back O Bennachie' ? Half the people can't spell it or
pronounce it and nobody can understand it; we need an Indian tune
composed by a great Indian musician like Pandit Ravishankar.” The
next day was 15 Aug and after the function at the JCOs Club, we were
all standing in attention and as the last notes of the Regimental
March past played , he looked at me , gently shook his head and
muttered 'no, no, we should stick to it'
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As a good adjutant, I
agreed with him on both the occasions and as the feelings go , it was
not difficult to agree.</div>
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Years passed and one fine day, my son sent a video clip of the song played on mandolin. Following that link and further surfing in breadth and depth led to numerous versions. I downloaded and read up
everything on the tune and also listened to some terrific versions of
the tune played on mandolin, guitar and bag pipe.</div>
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It is a Scottish folk
song, a sad love song about a girl who talks of two suitors. As the story goes, both
the suitors die under different circumstances and it ends on a sad note
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><i>" It's noo that twice
I've been a bride,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><i>I've been a bride,
I've been a bride,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><i>It's noo that twice
I've been a bride,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><i>But a wife I'll never
be. "</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">For whatever reason , the song is set to a lively tune. Today, it appears to be a huge joke; it could well have been 'Mary had a little lamb' . What comes to my mind is the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti that seemingly meaningless rituals and words can become profoundly sacred through repetition over a period of time.It was something I had read long back, but courtesy, 'the net', I reproduce it below.</span><i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>.......By repeating Amen or Om or Coca-Cola indefinitely you will obviously
have a certain experience because by repetition the mind becomes quiet.
It is a well known phenomenon which has been practised for thousands of
years in India - Mantra Yoga it is called. By repetition you can induce
the mind to be gentle and soft but it is still a petty, shoddy, little
mind. You might as well put a piece of stick you have picked up in the
garden on the mantelpiece and give it a flower every day. In a month you
will be worshipping it and not to put a flower in front of it will
become a sin......</i></span><br />
<br />
<i>Some links to lyrics and videos (The song is called ' back o bennachie' or 'gin I were the gadie rins' )</i><br />
<pre></pre>
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ytO745eVU4"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>On mandolin</i></span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaRVMkCHbw8">Old Blind Dogs </a></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUKKU2rEPcA">The Bag pipe </a></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i2YFgjwLCE">On Accordion</a> </i></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Bennachie%282%29.htm"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>The Lyrics</i></span></a><br />
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-54664360959553816812015-08-25T22:07:00.001-07:002015-08-25T22:08:05.324-07:00Is Technology the new God ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvg_oNB2nFmKExSBN0SUDcy4c30dY6NHjKnfobCdo09r3UPxhGBXZdxTl5hBOz0-rMqDxF8xEqts0Eo4Wr5nkbuzAkdxqAyIQglMIuF29Jwi5aJFDsnoHwhrzNifFLym0Lg9JiYqNyl3B/s1600/Screenshot+from+2015-08-26+10%253A21%253A26.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvg_oNB2nFmKExSBN0SUDcy4c30dY6NHjKnfobCdo09r3UPxhGBXZdxTl5hBOz0-rMqDxF8xEqts0Eo4Wr5nkbuzAkdxqAyIQglMIuF29Jwi5aJFDsnoHwhrzNifFLym0Lg9JiYqNyl3B/s400/Screenshot+from+2015-08-26+10%253A21%253A26.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">"<i><b>Uparwala sab dekh raha hai</b></i>" </span></div>
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the saying is as old as the hills, but what's new in the TV commercial is that 'Uparwala' here refers to 'CP Plus' CCTV.</div>
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Earlier days, a child was told "God sees all, knows all, is all powerful and he knows what you are up to , anywhere, any time, so better behave....." As one grew up either the conscience took over the role of God or one just concluded that as an adult one had only his boss or the policeman to watch out for.</div>
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Today, be it a child or an adult, we have Technology watching over everyone. The Omnipresent,omniscient, and omnipotent God is in the form of CCTVs, databases and drones armed with all kinds of sensors and weapon systems.You may receive a challan for overspeeding and you may not even be aware as to where and when you broke the speed limit. To compound the issue thee is no human face, call it cop, to negotiate or reason with. You may receive a demand note from IT dept for arrears of tax dues along with fine and you may be blissfully unaware of any tax evasion on your part; nor is there any other human being aware; it is just as "What God giveth, He taketh back"</div>
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With the kind of digital foot print you leave of every activity; details of your movements, telephone calls, money transactions, shopping habits are all saved in some server and some software is forever crunching the 'big data' to catch you with 'hand in the cookie jar'. </div>
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So have we finally invented a God, as Voltaire had wished we should ? But so far we have seen this God acting as a policeman, faithfully enforcing man-made laws.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"> <i><b> May be some day we have Technology used to locate a hungry child and direct a food-laden drone to feed her; providing the proverbial "manna from the heavens". Till then , God is God and Technology is just Technology.</b></i></span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-25610987670483406952015-06-16T07:22:00.000-07:002015-06-16T20:37:13.616-07:00Travelling Light<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Continued from <a href="http://mi59.blogspot.in/2015/06/a-faui-and-his-baggage.html">Fauji and his Baggage</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition to all that contraptions and devices to see one through any latitude from 10 degree N to 35 degree N, one has to plan for the transportation of all the flora and fauna that an army man's family falls in love with.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then you have a an archaic rule that a govt servant cannot have two quarters on his name, at the same time, for a period of more than 10 days If the move is say, from Coimbatore to Pithoragarh, that makes it a little like a photographer trying to cover both the start and finish of a 100M dash.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In any case , most of the time you don't have to worry about such situation , as it takes at least six months before you get a large enough accommodation to open all the packages.Yet some remained in packed condition for years. May be for this reason everything is packed in heavy Steel and wooden boxes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One often hears , "..a two bed room house is more than enough for us, but what about our baggage and the empty boxes ?" I have seen a family of four huddled in a drawing room and one bed room while rest of the space including the second bed room and verandas on either side were stacked with boxes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is a popular formula for the number of boxes required; 2n +2 where n is the number of years of service. So, you start with two and add two boxes a year and end up with between 65-70 at the time of retirement.This is a very conservative estimate and people do reach three figures.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I myself stopped adding on to my tally , when it was around 25, somewhere in the mid-way through my long service.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was moving from the North East to Chennai and I had decided to take a truck with part load. With plywood loaded it had weight but not volume. The truck driver was also carrying some new refrigerators from the show room. As my 5 year old fridge was being loaded packed in a heavy wooden box made of pine wood and being placed next to the brand new refrigerators in their original card board packages, it was a eureka moment for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn47Jk_U66zzzxwkBL1Fy-lpvGCfZiMej5XyCjZ9UcdBCu-UIdeOlau5bqeK1k30zp4rcDydtusgREDbaiQh9UZKem2MyefPWCxkXMcwRt_IesXI80Lv9EIaz4P0DTd6SWbVQ__dkSppQo/s1600/blog+baggage+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn47Jk_U66zzzxwkBL1Fy-lpvGCfZiMej5XyCjZ9UcdBCu-UIdeOlau5bqeK1k30zp4rcDydtusgREDbaiQh9UZKem2MyefPWCxkXMcwRt_IesXI80Lv9EIaz4P0DTd6SWbVQ__dkSppQo/s1600/blog+baggage+1.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It suddenly dawned on me that all goods, however fragile, however new, however costly, are transported across the length and breadth of the country in cardboard boxes and gunny bags, till the time they become proud possessions of an army man.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yet, it took two more transfers before I relieved the fridge of its body armour, though I stopped buying any more new boxes. Since then I have kept my faith in the original card board packing and that trust has never been betrayed. If cardboard was good enough for white goods, then why not for clothes , books, kitchenware etc ? Now, having disposed off the few steel boxes I had, I feel a lot lighter and better. </span></span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-14656824536176143882015-06-10T00:06:00.001-07:002015-06-16T07:26:41.488-07:00A Fauji and his Baggage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8rqdbqy0O9UdR4zFRD3KZNl2py04_gB3tnxcdRjfhhK6Yq3iKFd6Pthyphenhyphen33z0BDT3zZWLC17EIi48PaHoJu6ooKXA1L9xjoje4Sfm-ENcOOuU0jVnDpwdcII8lIThPdt_aemrFgoeaYxO/s1600/truck2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8rqdbqy0O9UdR4zFRD3KZNl2py04_gB3tnxcdRjfhhK6Yq3iKFd6Pthyphenhyphen33z0BDT3zZWLC17EIi48PaHoJu6ooKXA1L9xjoje4Sfm-ENcOOuU0jVnDpwdcII8lIThPdt_aemrFgoeaYxO/s400/truck2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well baggage is baggage; what is so different about a fauji's house hold baggage ? He is always on the move, every year or two. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can hear a
civilian friend saying, "What's so great in 'relocation' ? even we do
that you know ? I mutter to myself 'From Bombay to Bhopal (and back
after a year)'. Having criss-crossed this great Bhatratvarsh from East to West and North to South, with 22 moves in 36 years , that is not the kind of 'relocation' I am talking about. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span>A Fauji is posted to places, which to a civilian will not even qualify to be called a place. A typical conversation may go like this "hi where are you these days ?", 'Binaguri'... 'where's it?', 'New Jalpaiguri ... that's near Siliguri' 'and where is that ?' 'somewhere near Darjeeling' 'Oh ! You are at Darjeeling, why didn't you say that ? nice place eh ?'</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">or it could be 'Samba', ' near Pathankot' ending up as "So you are in Kashmir ?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I am digressing, let us go into the details of a fauji household baggage.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> A typical fauji household baggage would have an assortment of stuff. In addition to regular stuff like TVs, Refrigerators, Air conditioners and kitchen gadgets, you will encounter some place-speific essentials ; Woollen clothings , quilts and a Kero-heater to survive himalayan winters (a room-heater actually working on kerosene) popular at Dharchula (one can google to find the loc), a heavy duty voltage stabilizer to bring up the voltage from 75V to 200V or a diesel generator (for places where power supply is near zero and a couple of Desert Coolers (for our western regions). You can't discard any stuff any time as by now you are only too aware as to how indispensable these are at places where you bought them . And one never knows the place of the next tenure and if there is anything to go by , you can consider Murphy's law for fauji postings "Thou shalt see three postings along the coastal areas once you have acquired desert coolers to survive in Thar Desert and enough woollens and jackets for a trip to Tibet . I speak from personal experience.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Original</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span>idea was to write about how the stuff is moved but as it has been a long preamble , that would follow in the next post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Contd -- <a href="http://mi59.blogspot.in/2015/06/travelling-light.html">Travelling Light</a></span></span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-2061389190036259152015-05-29T22:05:00.000-07:002015-06-03T22:13:42.586-07:00Pen Drives are Secure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQwkUV2DYMC4nBUg29bXcp4Os1JFNmjXeEOf06M-Fmw8uj9pjWKzxr2WrDeR_P8JKokvI8DyH2xLHav6-GaCA4JdNx9owmG_Uapq_MlNo-hN1GfMuZaZ_Npai4qmK6n5YDN8Kf0nfXWMV/s1600/pen+drive.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQwkUV2DYMC4nBUg29bXcp4Os1JFNmjXeEOf06M-Fmw8uj9pjWKzxr2WrDeR_P8JKokvI8DyH2xLHav6-GaCA4JdNx9owmG_Uapq_MlNo-hN1GfMuZaZ_Npai4qmK6n5YDN8Kf0nfXWMV/s1600/pen+drive.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ever since the news of '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Shankaran">Navy War room leaks</a>' broke out in 2006 , pen-drive phobia reached such proportions that many senior officers would not touch a pen drive with a barge pole. Ironically use of CDs increased though they can be as much of security hazard as a pen drive. Had pen drives not been available probably CD or some other media would have been used to steal info.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are many myths related to pen drives, that they cause virus infection, security leaks and loss of data.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let us do a reality check. Is a CD or DVD any more secure than a pen drive ? I can hear the users saying " a pen drive is inherently insecure as it allows easy reading and writing " </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The biggest disservice done by developers of propriety software is to make the users believe that they were imbeciles and cannot be trusted to alter anything made by the Gods of Technology .</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your work environment should be customisable to the extent that if you want to open a window or close a window, whenever you want, the way you want, you should be able to do it. Everyone has the basic common sense to know when to open a window (not MS Windows) and by how much. So is it with a pen drive. If only a user is trusted to know how to partition, format and configure a pen drive, it is very very safe and secure.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">People do not know much about pen drives. The other day, I had gone to the market to take a printout. As I plugged in my pen drive into a Windows machine, the file I wanted to print wouldn't show up. I realised that the entire partition was invisible to Windows. When I explained the problem to the guy there, he sagely pronounced " only hard drives have partitions and pen drives don't " It sounded absurd to me as I have always used pen drives with multiple partitions. To confirm, I went to the adjacent shop and tried another Machine. One windows machine is as dumb as another, and this time, a young boy, may be tenth pass (or tenth fail ?) gave an exasperated look and said,"Uncle, ek pen drive, ek hi partition (one pen drive, one partition"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Coming back to reality check, whenever I bought a pen drive, the first thing I did was to partition it and format it as per my requirement. It had a bootable partition (if required), a small secure partition with 128 bit encryption and a large general purpose data partition for data . This way, data is secure and if you want to protect the drive from virus attack, you can make it read only as well.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why is every one not using it ? At the risk of sounding too condescending , I would say ' due to ignorance'. Manufacturers of pen drives and the dominant OS, M$ would want us to believe that you cannot customize a pen drive. The main threat is that the warranty would become Null and Void.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How to do it ? One word answer is "Linux". I tried some googling on how to do it through M$. All solutions appear too complex and involved third party, propriety software.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Disks' is a simple free utility which is part of ubuntu installation. Here's a snap shot of my usb drive partions. I normally have a small secure portion and a large general purpose portion.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F62ngeNeonjLJJVh1SIg2BFxqHOYNiSHrHLrqYHpkT9jT2S0o0mMloUaYU7U5zTUcp_O2emGTbvM6UZJNd_V0Of64PRMNzz_oia3_4d9WgLM7uqVJnzHjqBkUS_WFfNgekTfq3CIn0uF/s1600/Screenshot-Disks.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F62ngeNeonjLJJVh1SIg2BFxqHOYNiSHrHLrqYHpkT9jT2S0o0mMloUaYU7U5zTUcp_O2emGTbvM6UZJNd_V0Of64PRMNzz_oia3_4d9WgLM7uqVJnzHjqBkUS_WFfNgekTfq3CIn0uF/s640/Screenshot-Disks.png" width="600" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The reality is that 80 % of Computers have M$. So is it an advantage or a disadvantage to partition a disk ? I would say it is a definitly a step in the right direction for safety and security.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a multi-partitioned disk, Windows sees just the first partition. So when using a M$ Machine I just have to have a very small first partition . What I have realised is that my pen drives are really safe from M$ virus. How can a virus attack when the entire partition is Invisible ? The real virus or the threat is the Windows Operating System, and blaming a pen drive is like shooting a messenger. Avoid M$ and you avoid Virus.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If only everyone uses Linux Machines and Linux partitioned Pen Drives, the Infotech world will be safer, much more secure and a lot more happier. Is the IT God listening ? Om Computaraya namaha ! Thathastu !</span></span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-4076545514047586052015-05-25T20:50:00.001-07:002015-05-25T20:56:34.143-07:00Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b><u>Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!</u></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpM-_Hf3W1R4BLEaMySadmlosKKjY8Y3ABN71tteVUDeFR439xA9P-NxVG3yBHZr56Tik3eGq_k_a3Z4VUE7YsS7qGwtPHEjAD0SwkSlSHLeexTm_3xIfEeGcyaNEX7gB5hcZoX6-o-pRR/s1600/rum+blog+panorama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpM-_Hf3W1R4BLEaMySadmlosKKjY8Y3ABN71tteVUDeFR439xA9P-NxVG3yBHZr56Tik3eGq_k_a3Z4VUE7YsS7qGwtPHEjAD0SwkSlSHLeexTm_3xIfEeGcyaNEX7gB5hcZoX6-o-pRR/s320/rum+blog+panorama2.jpg" width="119" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: normal;">Though, in the West, Rum is generally associated with sailors, In India, it is the soldier and an infantryman at that, who is more attached to this incarnation of Soma Ras. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is not just the contents, even the container serves the infantryman so well. There are some unusual applications of this container and here we are talking only about a bottle having a uniformly cylindrical body and narrow neck and is made of glass; fancy shaped ones or PET bottles will not do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the field areas, generally in mountains, bunkers are made using available natural resources, ie Rocks, timber and mud. A CGI (Corrugated Galvanized Iron) Sheet is generally fabricated to form the door(fabrication involves putting a few holes in the iron sheet and using some wires to anchor it to a pole on one side or to use as a door handle or a door fastener !) What do we do for windows ? Getting glass panes is out of question. This is where the empty rum bottle comes into picture. Just make a rectangular hole in the wall and fill it up with a neat row of bottles. Sheer simplicity does it; your skylight is ready to brighten up your living space . Should you favour tinted glasses, well, you can try using beer bottles. I wish I had a photograph, but had to do with a simple illustration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> While on a Long Range patrol, the <i>bottle</i> is used just about everywhere. Though there is a whole range of equipment issued by the Ordnance Depot, like Mess tins, 4 men cooking set, 45 men cooking set and so on, what really works is a simple kerosene stove, a tawa (hot plate ?) and patila (a handle less pan) locally purchased. All solid (I wouldn't say dry , as in army, opposite of dry is fresh and cooking oil comes under dry rations !) rations are carried in bag-packs and liquid or semi solid rations are carried in , you guessed it right, rum bottles. So you have milk, Curd, Cooking Oil, kerosene, and of course rum, all carried in rum bottles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> When you halt for the night, the patrol gets cracking to prepare a meal. You knead some dough , find a flat surface or use steel plate, and start rolling out the chapattis using the good old rum bottle as belan or the rolling pin. For a housewife a rolling pin might become a weapon, but for a soldier, his rum bottle becomes a rolling pin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> After the meal, which is generally cooked before it gets dark, you need a lamp. Fill up a bottle with kerosene, stick a piece of chindi (cloth for cleaning weapons) and you have a nice lamp; not so nice really , but so what ? I have actually read though nights using these lamps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> If that's the story in a Field area, what happens in the peace station ? Well, you can see manifestations of a soldier's sense of Good Life, in a Peace station. It is not uncommon to find money plants growing in rum bottles on window sills. And during the company bara khana , some hibiscus flowers or even a bunch bougainvillea flowers placed in rum bottles pass for flower arrangement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Even in Officers messes, a rum bottle had its use. In the earlier days, cash strapped as we generally were, the mess secretary took pains to ensure that the empty bottles were sold at a good price to augment the income for the officers mess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> God knows how a soldier could have lived and fought without the Gift of Rum bottles with or without the original contents.</span></div>
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colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409960740010484462.post-42126153526691872982015-05-21T21:15:00.000-07:002015-05-21T21:35:58.226-07:00Shelf Life of anything<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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These days I am wary of the word 'latest' as I am only too aware that 'latest' is, more often than not , not the greatest .<br />
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I am not against technology or progress, but then most of the latest gadgets, software, fashions, movies etc are just aimed to fill the coffers of the producers from the pockets of ever obliging consumers. If there is a tremendous rage for profits on the part of producers, so is the rage for consuming among the general public. So the consumer and the producer are merrily plodding along supporting each other even while leaning on each other like two big drunkards. Obviously , even they would not know Where they are heading for.</div>
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So we have new launches for auto-mobiles, electronic gadgets every month, Windows version every two years, and a Bollywood flick every week. Is a movie or a car model , a perishable commodity ? Microsoft has to come up with its latest version of Windows not just to boost its bottom-line, but also to help the hardware manufacturers as the 'latest' software needs the 'latest' hardware' . Had Microsoft been producing auto-mobiles, we would have been upgrading our roads and bridges every two years.</div>
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If that is the state of consumer goods, so is the case of skills in every field. In the field of Sports, I grew up watching, or hearing about, the famous Vishy square cut, the shot the great cricketer kept working on to perfection from his first match till the day he finally hung up his boots. Today a cricketer has to reinvent himself at every stage as even cricketing strokes get obsolete ! A good teacher is struggling to come to terms with the ever changing demands of parents , School System , the examination system, Technology and the whole environment of education and employment. So we have the Kota type coaching classes clearly scoring over teachers with decades of experience and may be even a Presidents Award. We need the latest method of coaching in tune with the latest system of examination and evaluation. Is education also a perishable commodity ?<br />
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A whatsapp / facebook message is drowned by a barrage of other messages in minutes. There is a 'breaking news' every ten minutes. News of a Nobel prize or an Olympic gold medal may be pushed into oblivion if there were to be a wardrobe malfunctioning concerning the latest cutest model in the same hour. The old adage that "This too shall pass " has never been more real.</div>
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Housing, Food, Apparels ,Gadgets, Entertainment, Job Skills and even Relationships today, come with a clear and present danger of Obsolescence . The Expiry date or 'a shortening shelf life' is the ultimate reality. <br />
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Is there anything at all which is bucking the trend, where the shelf life is actually increasing ? Ironically, all I can think of is 'Milk', the most perishable commodity of yester years has increased its shelf life from 6-8 hours to 6-8 days and actually 6-8 months in a tetrapak . </div>
colmuralihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02505907127793085628noreply@blogger.com2