Monday, May 21, 2007

swing till you swoooon...

I am hooked to the album jhoom barabar jhoom for this week. shankar-ehsaan-loy have come up with brilliant peppy tunes. The album is a sure hit and dont miss to hear those in a good stereo system or else you will not feel the music and my way will be to taste the music. Wondering how to taste music!! thats ecstasy...

The melody track from mahalaxmi; sukhwinder’s voice in the title track are my pick. Title track appears 3 times and each song excels. Now stop reading and listen to the tracks here. Keep swinging!

Monday, May 14, 2007

rain rain come again!!

It is always the unexpected happening every time, especially when it is an encounter with nature, that too in a city like Chennai. This is a season of mercury soaring to its peak. It’s horrible to be out at times like this in the city.

Surprisingly, there were showers on Saturday night. It lasted for just 15 min, but down poured heavily with thunder and lightening. I was watching a movie; electricity was cut; sneaking out that time, the thunder and lightening was far better than the visuals and sound in the movie ;) few lines flashed out and I penned those and was curious in knowing how they were and started disturbing my friends at that time of the day.

its raining! its raining!
with thunders and storm,
with lightening across the sky,
with an amazing pace,
in this summer,
in this city,

in my face,
its raining!!

Is it like the KG rhyme!? Yeah!! Sometimes, you need to go back to your childhood to enjoy certain things ( ;) LOL)

What made me raise my eyebrows was that the next day I heard that it had rained only in few parts of the suburbs and I was fortunate to have a feel of it this season!!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

unnale unnale...

earlier this day, happened to listen to the track from the movie "unnale unnale". the lyrics went on like

netru enbadhu ninaivil illai,
naalai enbadhu kayil illai,
indru mattume nenjil undu thozha...

it sounded very good with the music rendered by harris. nice lines. in english it is

yesterday is not in thoughts,
tomorrow is not with us,
today is what we have in hearts...

so lively, past is gone, nothing can be changed even in future. just enjoy the days however it is!

Monday, May 07, 2007

vision for future!!!

Standing near the tower the other day I felt for not having a cam to click the aerial view of the city at that time of the day. I thought;

"How would it be if the lens I wear in my eyes be equipped with nano/bio technology and every blink of eyelid be converted to cam clicks getting a snap of moments and nothing I see great is missed to be cherished!?"

Hold on! There is a lot to think from here actually on how the pics can be converted to a physical form and the like. I am not getting into any scientific research now. But you can think on it and post it in comments. In the mean time is shall too think over it and try to post.

Dont comment its impossible! A typical PC has one processor and a lot of memory. A typical brain has billions of processors (neurons) and probably very limited formal memory.

C'mon, invoke the half baked scientist in you... think and jot down here!!! Nothing can stop you from imagining... :)

Update: Check out my next post futuristic on the same

Saturday, May 05, 2007

this is also life!!

waking up at 11a,
no food,
a bottle beer by 2p,
rs 30 ticket in a c-class cinema hall for a flop movie,
severe headache coming out of the hall,

hmmmm....this is also life!!!!

Friday, May 04, 2007

moments!!!

I have roamed in this city through its length and breadth over years. There are still lots of places I haven’t been to. Some places like Mount Road, Kathipara Junction, Gemini Circle irritate me because of the traffic and also places like Pudupet, Egmore, Ritchie Street, Parrys Corner fascinate me for the pace, life moves on there.

But still this city has places and moments to be cherished;

Have you driven in Mount Road when there is no vehicle around?

I was doing this yesterday. I had to drive from Gemini to Tarapore Towers at 1 am in the morning. Believe me, that is a moment to be cherished. There were only mercury lamps glowing on the roads with yellow drill in the signals. Driving near TVS, the yellow drill in the signals till Tarapore Towers is something which you can witness only at that time of the day and it was simply awesome.

That’s not all; I was on top of a tower building with my office team for erecting up a new tower for our radio station. The view from there was new for me in this city. I felt new in this city that moment... Next time you pass on through Royola Towers, check out the new tower atop. That’s an exclusive tower for our radio station.

All my thought standing there near the tower was that I did not have a digi cam/mobile cam to click.

That’s where my vision for future triggered…Check out to know what it is…

Monday, April 23, 2007

ekam - update

I would request you to read the post titled 'ekam' before reading this post.

ekam post is completely my own thoughts written down. The same subject which is written there is actually preached long back by the saint monk Vivekananda. I was astonished on reading it (for the first time).

It is;

The caste system is opposed to Vedanta. Caste is a social custom, and all our great preachers have tried to break it down. Every sect has preached against caste, and every time it has only riveted the chains. Caste is simply the outgrowth of the political institutions of India; it is a hereditary trade guild. Trade competition with Europe has broken caste more than any teaching.

Thanks to my friend KK for sending it across to me.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Juicy Mangoes for 500 CC+ engines!!

01 September 2005 - Agencyfaqs reported;

“We do not have a presence in India yet and are keen on entering this market. We are now exploring the opportunities for our entry into India,” Harley Davidson Inc vice-president Timothy K Hoelter told The Times of India.

According to industry watchers, the Harley bikes would range between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 14 lakh in India, including the 60% import duty.

18 May 2006 - Rediff reported;

In the first week of May, the company's executives were in New Delhi, making the rounds of the commerce ministry.

Their agenda was to find out the government's intent regarding the emission norms on high-end motorcycles and to seek a reduction in Customs duty on the bikes, says government officials.


The wait is over now for the cult bikes to hit the roads. What is getting exchanged are juicy Mangoes - King of Fruits.

13 April 2007 - Department of Commerce, GOI reports;

"GOVERNMENT PERMITS IMPORT OF MOTORCYCLES OF 800CC ENGINE CAPACITY OR ABOVE SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS"

and

"Indian mangoes will enter the US market this season and the first export consignment of Indian mangoes for USA is expected to leave later this month. Both India and the United States had expressed happiness over this market opening for a major Indian agricultural product"

Harley Davidson is being given a liberal treatment of meeting Euro III norms instead of Euro IV norms. Mangoes were banned by the US govt for various non-trade reasons and also radiation hitches in the fruit.

Things are getting cleared and soon both markets will witness the new products on either side.

I will give you a dozen fresh juicy mangoes...Will you give me your car?? ;)

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

ekam

As far as I have heard from my childhood, neither The Bhagvat Gita, neither The Bible nor The Quran had the words Hindu, Christian or Muslim in those. They all contain teachings for the well being of humanity for all ages. Classifications existed among people based on their customs, region and professionalism. Later it got down to classification based on economics and then religion and caste emerged. There have been a lot of people like Jesus, Rama, Buddha, some n no. of years back to spread kindness and love. They were able to convince only a section of people while few others started yet another religion on their name and started making money actually. Then came another section of people like Ramanujar, Rajaram Mohan Roy, Vivekananda, Subramania Bharathi, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa who right royally fought in one or the other way for the discriminated giving them the equal status in the society. Whatever they preached and practised was not their ideas or works. They were much more ancient. Those people gave power to those ideas. We all have seen them through our eyes and still we doubt that "GOD is one".

The scenario today is religion and castes are not divisions based on God's. They are all created by some very intelligent human beings who know to gain money out of it. Those who follow are blind folded, those who dare not to follow them are fools and those who don’t bother about them are atheists. I always have a doubt; "If there are so many God's as we classify, the heaven should also be crowded with Gods and there will be a fight between them in heaven as like we fight on their names right!??"

I very rarely visit temples though I hail from a community which is called "Brahmin". Brahman is a person who has highly qualified in Vedas. I know nothing from Vedas. I have never even touched those scripts in paper. But, I have heard that the Vedas have nothing mentioned on caste or discrimination. But, history has Brahmins discriminating the society. All those were created by those who havn't understood the Vedas properly and tried to dominate in the society through casteism. History also has Brahmins who had fought to break all those and achieve equal status for all. Subramania Bharathi is a classic example. The same had happened across all sections of people.

Tirumala Balaji is considered as the Holy Diety for each and everyone across the world and thats what makes TTD record the second highest collection from one single temple next to Vatican City. People visiting Tirumala have immense faith on the Lord. TTD maintains 12 temples and their sub-shrines, and employs about 14,000 persons.

The Board has performed a utsav named Srinivasa Kalyanam(celestial marriage of the Lord) in Vemuru village which is predominant with Dalits(Yet another classification of discrimination. These people are not even allowed to enter the temple of the Lord). The deities were taken around all the main streets of the village. Usually the devotees have to pay INR 1000 to witness the ceremony in Tirumala temple. TTD has taken it free of cost to the devotees place. "This is an attempt to bring the upper caste and oppressed together" says the TTD Board Chairman Mr. Reddy. This ceremony has been performed by 40 Veda pundits lasting for one hour. They have also stayed in the village for the night and have gone around the village chanting Vedic mantras the next day morning. They have also ensured that the elders in the village sat in the rows to witness the Lord. "This activity will be extended in phased manner to other places in Andhra Pradesh", according to the Chairman (covered by Deccan Chronicle today).

I feel it should be extended to the whole India across sections. Definitely, this is a daring attempt to bring people together. I hope it gives a clear message to all who have their eyes closed till now on the matter written.

Let there be a positive change with lives :)

Do comment with your view...

Monday, April 09, 2007

I'm Blogging!

No, I'm not working; I'm Blogging why I'm not...

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Egislnh Lngaguae!!

Gotta fwd this mnirnog. Check it out!

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Ist awlyas a tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

My egislnh techear is not aournd to raed tihs!!

Charlie Chaplin

I havn't seen Chaplin delivering dialogue in a movie that too in a aggressive way like this.

This scene is from 'The Dictator'

Monday, April 02, 2007

its gooooogle all the way

No matter what, Google rocks day by day! Here are the recent updates from Google Labs!!

Do ping me if you find any difficulty in understanding any of these above. I would be glad to pass on what all i know on those. Hail Google!!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

this is called Online கோலி விளையாட்டு!

This is the solved 'Pegs' game which you can find at the right column of this blog.


Panthera Tigris!

  • The tigers are Apex Predators
  • They are the heaviest cats in the world
  • Most tigers live in forests or grasslands
  • Tigers often ambush their prey
  • Adult tigers are territorial and fiercely defensive.

All these are known facts. There is one more thing which you need to know. Iam awed at their prowess actually. Check out the cartoonscape of today's THE HINDU.

RIP: my handwriting

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Hot News!!

Today's Headlines on MSN had news which almost made me feel like what the hell is going on... It read "Collector travels by bus". The Father of the Nation every time used to travel in 3rd class compartments. What is so special now, in a collector traveling in bus? HUH!! Of course, they need to know what happens with the public in a day to day basis as they are the people who actually work for the ministers.

But, there was a surprise for me when I looked to the article in detail. This incident has happened in my hometown, Madurai. Amazing! Isn't It! I now wonder why BBC hasn’t carried this news and only MSN has!!

Friday, March 02, 2007

Just do It!

Friday, February 23, 2007

tripleR strikes deal for Movies

Chennai, Feb 22: In a joyous note, tripleR, the 'what may come' attitude guy has honored a joint deal with his friend for watching one movie every week. "It’s a win-win deal for me in spending quality time on entertainment" says tripleR. His other entertainment options include chatting, blogging and more than all he loves spending time with friends often. If nothing is there in the schedule the option would be to sleep. The new option of watching 1 movie every week is a new entrant in his kitty and it is noted that all the movies will watched by tripleR in INOX hall alone. Sources close to him indicate that there is a major budget saving in the deal although the financial figures are not revealed.

The first movie watched by him under the deal was Music & Lyrics by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore on Thursday. The movie was very pleasant and romantic according to tripleR. The next movie to be watched by him might also be on next Thursday, say sources close to him. So, folks who would like to catch him can expect him in INOX hall.

-by Personal Bureau

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Blogs - A Glad news - A Responsibility

A glad news to bloggers who serve news on their sites. Check out the link below on the responsibility of bloggers in America. I feel the same shift will be in India as media is going biased nowadays. Blogs have become a source for authenticable information and moreover, the different views in blogs on a single issue gives different perspective of solving the problem.

Its not to be surprised that online journals and blogs will take over the print journals with tie - ups between blogs. If so, the advertsising industry will also see a major shift.

While internet has opened up doors to the world, blogs have utilized its share effectively and will continue to grow in a amazing way.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Hi All !! Its a new Template!!

Hold on!! Are you done noticing the changes in the blog. Just thought of having an interactive page with simple design and enough content. The result is what you are seeing now.

THANKS A TON to Deepa for helping me out with patience. Do check her blog http://beta-templatetesting.blogspot.com/, you will notice her skills in designing and coding. Amazing stuff from her!!

When decided to have a interactive page, the first thing to strike my mind was to have a chat box what you see in the left side(notice deepa's tips on improvizing ;)). Do leave your comments there. Then came the clock and Play It!! in the right side. Also thought of some music playing while the blog loads, so added the music player and the BGM with autoplay when the blog loads. But, it took long time for the blog to get loaded and hence got it removed(I liked the way the BGM played when the page loaded). Now, the three column page looks simple and good. Hope you too like the design. You can also expect good posts too. Suggestions are always WELCOME.

Keep visiting..Keep Commenting..

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Blocking me!! Huh!!

Some ppl are trying to block me from logging to certain sites. Friends, I have added a Chat Box (Thanks to Deepa) in my blog. Check out that. I shall resume chatting from my own blog.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

su-do-ku

Huh!! I have played brainy games. Although I know to play the games I have never tried to solve them. Was browsing through sites and found out an online SUDOKU game. Having nothing to do, started giving a try to the game. Alas!!! I completed it in less than 20 min approx (although it was a easy puzzle; i never mind). Jus wanted to memoir the first puzzle I solved :) check out it. Experts of the game, please stay away. Amateurs, pls try playing the game. U will definitely get v.good remarks from your boss as a result of jealousy.

P.S: Please believe me, I never took help from anyone (;



Tuesday, January 30, 2007

kaadhal konjam

i am listening to this track now.. catch up the guitar interlude..jus lovely..

update: listen to Unakkul Naan from the same album - Pachakili Muthucharam - check out the violin BGM in this track ..its mesmerizing...

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Open up Coconut

This piece can be the theme song for all our coconut openers in our state.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

iPHONE

Apple has always been the leader when it comes to cutting edge technology and Digital Convergence. Probably Apple had followed it much before the word Digital Convergence came into being. Here is the next revolutionary product from the house of innovations in technology. I am not writing about the features. Just have look at the product which integrates a OS, mobile and a music device together into one.



















































Now, dont search for the keypad. This is a iPHONE from Apple - its touch screen.

And also dont start dreaming to own the product. Its right now available only with Cingular, which is not in India :(

Monday, January 08, 2007

Simple Innovation

This is what I call as Innovation. I cant miss to blog stuff like these.

This is a modification done to facilitate the transporatation of materials for laying BG track between Salem-Attur-Virudhachalam in Tamilnadu. This lorry on rails reaches with ballasts to places where normal lorries cant reach.

For more details please turn to page 8, THE HINDU dated 8th Jan 2007.

Friday, January 05, 2007

ignored

Sometimes...... I Feel, You Don’t Remember
Sometimes...... I Feel, You Do;
All Those Words I Spoke,
All Those Letters I Wrote,
Asking You For Something.
My Question Remained Unanswered......
And My Wish...... Unfulfilled.
Guess...... Its Always Been So With Me...
Wonder How It Doesn’t Affect You At All !
Wonder.....what went wrong.
Its Been A Long Wait.......

Maybe..... I Don’t Even Expect
That Small Happiness From You Now.
Maybe..... In This Rush Of Life
Its Difficult To Spare Time For Me.
Or Maybe.... I Am Not Deserving.
Maybe...... I Won’t Ever Dare
To Ask You Something For Myself....
I Am Hurt...
My Dear Friend........ I realise,Tomorrow...... I Won't Be Here,But.......By You,
Today.......I Am Forgotten.
Today.......I Feel Ignored.....

This is written by my friend maddy. I was much moved by her lines and wished that she get in touch with her friend soon and thought I will share it with you all as well.

Maddy: No worries ok :)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

su·per·star

Yet another living person is celebrating his birthday today. Actually an entire industry - the entertainment industry is celebrating his birthday today. His birthday is a monetizing event for agencies. Hundreds of people work to celebrate his birthday. In that sense he has created jobs every year. The whole industry looks to him when he makes a statement. Who is he? Where did he come from? How is he doing all this? There are several questions like this and trying to find answers to these questions would lead me to write a book on him. But, I cannot do it right now coz I am hungry and I am going to fill my stomach. So, I re-post what I had previously written.

According to Dictionaries, Superstar mean;

  • 1. A widely acclaimed star, as in movies or sports, who has great popular appeal.
    2. One that is extremely popular or prominent or that is a major attraction.

    • noun an extremely famous and successful performer or sports player

    A widely acclaimed celebrity, such as a star of motion pictures or music, who has great popular appeal and is prominent, or who is a major attraction. These celebrities may include actors, actresses, musicians and athletes.

For the people in Tamilnadu, a southern state in India, Superstar means one single person - rajinikanth. Rajinikanth is not the real name of that person, still if u ask anyone in the state "Who is superstar?", there will be a prompt answer. I am actually trying to understand how this unreal name of that person has become almost a household name. I will be using both the names Superstar and Rajinikanth exchangingly because I too hail from Tamilnadu, the state which knows Superstar means Rajinikanth & Rajinikanth means Superstar.

Rajinikanth is a cine star in Tamilnadu for over 25 years. He has a huge fan following which almost considers him as demigod. His potrayal in films was of an angry man fighting for justice, standing up for honesty, devotional son to mother, honest lover boy, affectionate brother mostly. He was doing the same kind of roles for 25 yrs. That was a reel image of his, which has gained him such admiration from his fans.

I am also doing the same kind of activities, same thought process for past 15 yrs.

Ok..Ok.. Cool down.. Was jus kidding..

BTW, apart from his reel life, he is admired by the industry people much as like as his fans. Now, he acts in 1 movie in a year or two. Still, that movie will be the biggest hit in the box-office in the history of Tamil Cinema. Rajinikanth himself has returned the losses occurred to the distributors who had immense faith in his films. He has also acted in few films without any remuneration.

I am a die-hard fan of his characters in films. On his real life I like the simplicity, respect and his style in doing things. One of my friend had a experience working with him closely during Baba. He is usually humourous in sets and keeps everyone cool everytime, a keen lover of solitude, does not expect hi-fi provisions for his proceedings and so on.

Superstar after his tenure of 25 yrs in the Cine Industry attributed his success to co-star Kamal Haasan saying "If u think I am successful in the field for all these years, its all because of Kamal". He uttered this statement in front of over 10000 people on stage. I dont think no other big shot will rememeber the good old days. Such is his modesty. As his dialogue in a movie goes "I do what I say, I say what I do", he is a man of deeds.

All the above mentioned characteristics of his are not to highlight the traits of the person. All these are the base behind the charm, a brand called Superstar. Its a brand now. A trustable, lovable, admirable brand.

"Superstar yaarnu kaetta, Chinna kozhandaiyum sollum"

This recent photograph of Rajinikanth inspired me much to write this article.

He is seen enjoying a speech on stage during the release of Ilaiyaraja's Thiruvaasagam.

Monday, December 11, 2006

125th Anniversary

If you think there are people who can make me write about them at the early hours of a working day that too on a Monday, when my boss is around me asking for reports and I dont listen to him and keep on writing...YES, there are... 1 living and 1 dead... I would rather say this way, out of those two, the living will die when my memory dies, the dead will never die.

Jesus died pinned to the cross;
Krishna by a swift arrow;
Even Rama yielded to death by water;
But I shall not die, 'tis certain

These are the words from the one whom I mentioned as dead. The words are live and so he lives and will never die. I am speaking about Subramanya Bharathi, the fearless fiery whom the world thought as a fanatic. He never bothered about the world and kept going with his beliefs which the present world is still finding difficult to adopt. His 125th anniversary today is celebrated by people around the world. His funeral was attended by just 14 people. :) WHAT A WORLD!!! Its like the verse "Pagalile kalakkal vaaramal Iruttile kannadich Enna Payan" meaning what is the point in serving water to the dead.

I thought I would listen to some songs of Bharathi which I havnt heard before. One such is "thikkuteriyaatha kaattil". Few lines from the song;

aNNA unadhadiyil vIzhvEn enai
anja kodumai solla vENdAm piran
kaNNAlam seidhu vitta peNNai undhan
kaNNAR pArtthidavum thaghumO?

Edi! sAtthirangaL vEndEn undhan
inbam vENdumadi kaniyE!
mUdi kirukkudhadi thalayai nalla
mudhai pazhaya kaLLai pOlE

I am extremely sorry for those who cannot follow the language. I tried my best in breaking my head to translate those lines, but unfortunately I am less proficient with Tamil. Will try to do that ASAP.

Yet another 125th anniversary to come for him...LONG LIVE BHARATHI

P.S: If someone is not able to follow this post, it's your disinterest in the post.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

GURU


The MASTER is back and so I am back to my blog(Jus luk how the image blends with my blog: ). But, you have to wait one more month. Till then, brush up your senses, liberate them and check out http://www.guru-themovie.com/. Its a periodical film about an ordinary individual who had extraordinary vision. Yet another masterpiece from one of my favorite director. Simple, but powerful.


Guru says "If a law can be made in a day, it can be changed in a day". Got the message??


Wednesday, October 18, 2006

On-Air

I have been on air twice before. Both were for commercial purposes when I was working with 98.3 FM. (I meant, my voice went on-air in the radio). This time I was literally on-air, amid the clouds. I occupied the window seat in the airbus and was looking through the window every minute other than the time when the hostesses were giving instructions and near my row. Was a wonderful experience to be in the clouds...! My seat was near the wings and the way the bus turned itself in the air made me feel as if I was flying with those huge wings... Nothing was visible in the land after a certain layer in the sky. I could see only clouds, balloons of clouds with the shades of orange from the sun. It was early morning 5:00 while boarding and it was a 2 hr journey. I wished I could have stayed there with the clouds itself... au nature...

It was actually a last minute decision from my org to make me travel by air. Was a v. good experience actually. And the most defining moment for me was I was made to fly while returning back, in Boeing 737...again the window seat... I was On-Air!!

Saturday, October 14, 2006

To give, in Humility

Seva Café in Ahmedabad is a restaurant built around an ethical, not commercial, framework.

AN interesting experiment in the art of giving has begun in Ahmedabad in the form of a restaurant called "Seva Café". Located on the fashionable C.G. Road - literally in the "heart" of the city - the café is not your ordinary eatery. You are welcome to dine, converse and enjoy the ambience, yet are required to pay only what you wish for the meal. The restaurant is run mostly by volunteers, and there are no prices for any of the food items. Only one expectation exists of the server and the served: that acts of kindness and love be perpetuated. The "pay it forward" economic model of Seva Café is radically different from capitalist notions that power most modern-day interactions. At the café, you can enjoy your meal, which is being offered to you as a genuine gift from a guest who has dined at the Café previously. To complete the circle of giving, you can leave a donation to pay for the meals of other guests who will come in after you. All profits made are donated to charitable causes. In a world of give and take, the "give and keep giving" ethos of the café is, to say the least, refreshing in its simplicity and purity. Continuing customsThe founders say that the inspiration for the café springs from an age-old Indian custom that gives the highest honour to guests (Athithi Devo Bhava). The unhurried and warm atmosphere of the café is aimed at making guests feel like they are, in fact, at home. "At Seva Café, we offer greater nourishment than food alone. Here, not only will you find yourself in a unique, service-inspired environment...you will find yourself at home," says a sign at the entrance of the restaurant. Indeed, guests are encouraged to freely interact with the servers and other guests, and can even cook a meal at the café if they wish to. So moved have volunteers been that some have even washed their dishes at the end of their meal. "I remember one family that was so moved that they decided to stay back to wash all the dishes and clean up after the restaurant closed," says Jagat, a volunteer. Indeed, the touching stories that have emerged in the Café's short existence are enough to fill a good-sized book. People from around the world have been inspired by the Café's simple yet powerful philosophy; a group of volunteers of the organisation "Be The Cause" has even opened up a Seva Café in Long Beach, California. Nipun Mehta, who volunteered as a waiter at the Café during its inauguration, says he had an inspiring story for each day that he volunteered. One day, he says, he was touched by a simple act of kindness of an unassuming 20-something-year-old girl who came up to him just as she was about to leave, and handed him a stack of folded hundred rupee bills and asked if he could do something good for someone, on her behalf, with the money. "Although my typical response would've been to rebound ideas to get her to engage in some acts, I felt like she was attempting to connect our journeys over a bridge of service," he says. Inspiring others One day, another volunteer remembers, a man walked in hesitantly and looked around the café in disbelief. He'd heard about the idea, he said, but he couldn't believe it was true. After a while, he asked if he could cook and serve at the café one day. "I sell chaat and golgappas at a stall across the street," he said. "Me and my friends had heard about this place, and would also like to participate in this opportunity to give," he said. Ultimately, the café aims to ignite the spark of humanity and service in as many people as possible, irrespective of nationality, community or class. In addition to its energetic volunteer staff, guests can also draw inspiration from the Café's art gallery, its abundance of information on community service projects in Ahmedabad and the inspiring quotations that decorate the space. At the very least, a meal at the café will leave you with much food for thought. As another sign reads: "Seva Café invites you to feel at home and engage in inspiring conversation. We ask you to feed your mind and your soul by taking the idea of selfless service beyond our walls, into your daily life and into your community. Are you ready to be the change you wish to see in the world?"

Source: THE HINDU dated October 08,2006

Monday, September 11, 2006

Obituary

11 December 1882 to 11 September 1921

Jesus died pinned to the cross;
Krishna by a swift arrow;
Even Rama yielded to death by water;
But I shall not die, 'tis certain.

Subramanya Bharathi is the Prince of modern Tamil literature. He was a poet, essayist, political journalist, translator, short story writer, novelist, in short, a wizard of pen. His genius gave the transforming glow to all the forms of literature that he touched.
More more details please visit

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

September 5

Chitragupta would have recorded a sin in my lifebook if I had not posted my writing to the blog this day . He would have also recorded a crime if I had written on any other topic except my ‘TEACHERS’ on this day.

I bow, thank, praise or whatever it is, on this fantastic day for them. I really remember all my teachers from my LKG in Israel Matriculation School to SRM School of Management. A preview about them:

Padmini Miss:
She was not only an all-in-one subject teacher in my primary classes, but also taking care of administration of the school. She still remembers me and my gang.

Nixie Miss:
I secured only 10 marks in mathematics in the entrance exam. The principal on the recommendation from this teacher admitted me to the school for my 7th Class. She added a ‘0’ to my mark making it 100. She made me to secure a centum in the final exam which was a surprise to all in my class and the principal (me too). In fact, I begun to like both the subject and the __________

Narasimhan Sir:
He is another mathematics teacher during my 11th class. I will be the only person to ask doubts to him during the class. One day while solving a problem on the board, he turned back, called me and said, “Rajaram, I know for sure... You will become great one day”. It still puzzles me the context he uttered that statement. Anyway, he is a true visionary.

Mahan Maharaj:
A white cotton dhoti showing the down quarter of the leg, a white cotton shirt, full shaven head with a little ‘kudumi’ in the back head is the appearance of this gentleman monk who has done PhD in Computer Science from Berkley. He was just 26 years old when he was teaching me. I admire him much for his simplicity.

Dr. Jayashree Suresh:
This 60 year young lady has inspired, supported and encouraged me everyday during my two years of MBA. Not only me, the whole batch of students are very much grateful to her. Her advice to students is to;
“Learn through Application, Participation and Experience.”
I call her as Lady Gandhi, not only deriving the name from her nature, but also by her birth date which is the same for M. K. Gandhi which falls a day after mine.

Mr. Sudeep Jain:
This person is not a teacher and has not taught me anything off campus. But I have learnt a lot from him which is not in books. He gave a biggest and rarest gift called “CHANCE”. This astounding personality from UP has an Engineering Degree, a MBA and the most dignified qualification in India- the IAS . This Guinness Book Record holder always stresses the importance of POSITIVE ATTITUDE.


This is just a partial list of teachers who had only seen the good half of mine. I also thank the remaining set of teachers who have tried their best to correct me many times. I wish to convey them that I am the same Rajaram till now who has never forgotten the past.

LONG LIVE THEIR SERVICE

Monday, August 28, 2006

Love Rocks! (a must read)

It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murty through my friend Prasanna who is now the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco. Most of the books that Prasanna lent me had Murty's name on them which meant that I had a preconceived image of the man. Contrary to expectation, Murty was shy,bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner. I was a bit taken aback as I thought the young man was making a very fast move. I refused since I was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to meet for dinner the next day at 7.30 p.m. at Green Fields hotel on the Main Road ,Pune. The next day I went there at 7' o ! clock since I had to go to the tailor near the hotel. And what do I see? Mr. Murty waiting in front of the hotel and it was only seven. Till today, Murty maintains that I had mentioned (consciously!) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet him...And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a friend at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter. Soon, we became friends. Our conversations were filled with Murty's experiences abroad and the books that he has read. My friends insisted that Murty as trying to impress me because he was interested in me. I kept denying it till one fine day, after dinner Murty said, I want to tell you something. I knew this as it. It was coming. He said, I am 5'4" tall. I come from a lower middle class family. I can never become rich in my life and I can never give you any riches. You are beautiful, bright, and intelligent and you can get anyone you want. But will you marry me? I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn't want me to marry a wannabe politician, (a communist at that) who didn't have a steady job and wanted to build an orphanage... When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family. But my father asked: What's his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me. He was willing to go dutch with me on our outings. My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a particular day at10 a. m sharp. Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to take care of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment, asked my father. At 12noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work to Bombay , was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi(though it was very expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law. Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life. Murty said he wanted to become a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage. My father gave his verdict. NO. I don't want my daughter to marry somebody who wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn't have money to support his family. Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages something, which Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I realized I had developed a liking towards Murty which could only be termed as love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man. He proposed to me highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I will not marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time, I cannot marry anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because somebody wanted him to. So, I was caught between the two most important people in my life. The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was always broke. Moreover, he didn't earn much to manage. Ironically today, he manages Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of the world's most reputed companies. He always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don't have money with me, you pay my share, I will return it to you later. For three years I maintained a book on Murty's debt to me.. No, he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding. The amount was a little over Rs 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant and started his own software business. Now, I had to pay his salary too! Towards the late 70s computers were entering India in a big way. During the fag end of 1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni Computers in Bombay. But before he joined the company he wanted to marry me since he was to go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty had a decent job, now. WE WERE MARRIED IN MURTY'S HOUSE IN BANGALORE ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978 WITH ONLY OUR TWO FAMILIES PRESENT.I GOT MY FIRST SILK SARI. THE WEDDING EXPENSES CAME TO ONLY RS 800 (US $17) WITH MURTY AND I POOLING IN RS 400 EACH. I went to the US with Murty after marriage. Murty encouraged me to see America on my own because I loved travelling. I toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences which will remain freshin my mind forever. Like the time when the New York police took me into custody because they thought I was an Italian trafficking drugs in Harlem . Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn't get a response from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or kidnapped. IN 1981 MURTY WANTED TO START INFOSYS. HE HAD A VISION AND ZERO CAPITAL...initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business. We did not have any business background .. Moreover we were living a comfortable life in Bombay with a regular pay check and I didn't want to rock the boat. But Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support him. Typic! al of Murty, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him Rs 10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, This is all I have. Take it. I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams without any worry. But you have only three years! Murty and his six colleagues started Infosys in 1981,with enormous interest and hard work. In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty. We bought a small house on loan which also became the Infosys office. I was a clerk-cum-cook-cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst with Walchand group of Industries to support the house. In 1983 Infosys got their first client, MICO, in Bangalore . Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with his mother while I went to Hubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days after my son was b! orn, Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only after a year, as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had infantile eczema, an allergy to vaccinations. So for more than a year I did not step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only after Rohan got all his vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook, programmer, clerk, secretary, office assistant et al. Nandan Nilekani (MD of Infosys) and his wife Rohini stayed with us. While Rohini babysat my son, I wrote programs for Infosys. There was no car, no phone, and just two kids and a bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was taking shape. It was not only me but also the wives of other partners too who gave their unstinted support. We all knew that our men were trying to build something good. It was like a big joint family,taking care and looking out for one another. I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us. Murty made it very clear that it would either be me or him working at Infosys. Never the two of us together... I was involved with Infosys initially. Nandan Nilekani suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he did not want a husband and wife team at Infosys. I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am qualifi! ed to do and love doing. It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason behind Murty's request.. I realized that to make Infosys a success one had to give one's 100 percent. One had to be focussed on it alone with no other distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosys then what would happen to our home and our children? One of us had to take care of our home while the other took care of Infosys. I opted to be a homemaker, after all Infosys was Murty's dream. It was a big sacrificebut it was one that had to be made. Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine. You are responsible for my success.

Source: Aishwarya78 on Rediff

In-Source: Sudha's Autobiography

Thursday, August 24, 2006

daNcE bABy DAnCe

Follow the instructions below to learn the dance:


  1. Take one step with your foot.

  2. If you just brought your left foot forward, point your left fist to the sky and your right fist directly ahead, otherwise do the opposite.

  3. If you bring your left fist skyward, look straight ahead or slightly upwards, otherwise look down at your feet.

  4. The above three steps should be done simultaneously.

  5. Bob your torso up and down once.

  6. Repeat with the other foot and continue doing so.

  7. Maintain a pace of one step every second, with a bob equidistant between every two steps .

  8. Pelvic thrusts between steps can also be introduced to provide some variation.

  9. Dance saying "O" "O" "O" or "Appadi podu ah ah" or "Uttalakkadi" or "eh amukki podu" or "eh Izhuthu kuthu"

  10. Preferably Dance in a pair so that both can express the emotions and at the same time look good.

It is considered important to dance the way one feels during the performance (i.e., to improvise), so this dance is not necessarily restricted to the above steps, though they form the major elements of this traditional art form.

Music & Instruments: Tharai Thampattai

Outfit: Lungi

Gesture of Admiration: Facial expressions; for example, the tongue, folded over and held in position with the front teeth, whistling and fire crackers

This dance is called Dappaankuthu, dance performed on the streets of Chennai, India. It is commonly performed to relieve emotional stress or in celebration of an event. It is therefore equally likely in both wedding processions and funeral processions. It is traditionally performed to the infectious beats of gaana music.

Source: Wikipedia.Org

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

M-A-D-R-A-S

chennai misses

  • saffire theatre
  • the evergreen MG train
  • adyar aalamaram


Thursday, July 27, 2006

Switch to BD


I meant the Blu-Ray Disc, the next generation optical disc format which is equal to 5 DVD's with storage capacity of 25GB data. So, anyone having a 4 GB or 20GB HD, please throw it off immediately.

For more info on BD browse through http://www.blu-ray.com/info/

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Brain & Heart or Heart & Brain

Me and my friend once had an interesting written conversation on the roles of brain & heart; whether an individual should follow his/her brain or heart when taking decisions. The following is the transcript of the conversation;

for brain (by my friend);

Thinking - a heart process? - the only way to think - is to think with your brain! Why? thats the only organ in the body that is built for that purpose.

Some people claim to think thru their “hearts”. Excuse me… the heart is a muscular organ thats built for only one purpose - pumping of blood. How is that related to thinking?

Now coming to brain - its built with neurons - “nerve cells”, only components that can “think”. The only other organ that can do anything near to thinking is the spinal cord.

So, how is that people say that some think with brains and some think with hearts..Simple reason, they didn’t learn their biology!

for heart (by me);

Thinking is obviously not a heart process!

Most of the people think with their brains ignoring the feel of heart.

Are we living for ourselves or others? I know we live for ourselves; I live for me.. You live for you.
Your brain knows others. It doesn’t know you. Its your heart which knows you and you alone. If you want to live for yourselves, listen to your heart, not your brain.


Then, what is the role to your brain? Make your brain listen to your heart. There comes real happiness and joy and it needs dare within to execute.

Every individual is bound to feel and think. Now Think, Feel and invoke the truth within.
GOD did not create biology, he created only hearts and brains.


Hold on.. Both of us are not biologists to define the role of brain and heart..still we did..

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

mentor

men·tor (mntôr, -tr)n.


1. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
2. Mentor Greek Mythology Odysseus’s trusted counselor, in whose guise Athena became the guardian and teacher of Telemachus.


v. men·tored, men·tor·ing, men·tors Informalv.intr.
To serve as a trusted counselor or teacher, especially in occupational settings.
To serve as a trusted counselor or teacher to (another person).


Check out http://specials.rediff.com/money/2006/jul/11sld1.htm for the story of Infy.

Friday, July 07, 2006

I Stay here!

My home - Bird's Eye View. To know the route click http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=12909440&x=80090561&z=18&l=0&m=a

Sunday, June 25, 2006

kaathalinal maanudarku kalavi'yundaam
kalavile maanudarku kavalai theerum
aathalinal kaathal unarveer ulagatheere
athuve ivvulagin thalamai inbam

--bharathi

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

6-6-6 - Post Stolen from "Death Ends Fun"

I'm not leftist, I'm not rightist, I'm a typist


Today is the 6th day of the 6th month of the 6th year after 2000! That's 6-6-06. Or if you like putting your month before the day, American style, that's 6-6-06. Drop the zero for no reason except that it looks more dramatic without the zero, and you have 6-6-6! Six-six-six! Shock and horror! The Number of the Beast! The Day of Evil!

Also my friend Salil's birthday, though he's no beast. Well ... say no more.

Happy Beast Day. Wherever you are, I hope you are fending him off as best you can. Don't laugh. Remember, Mahendra Dhoni ended his innings with three sixes in a row. What does that tell you, eh? You think it's a mere coincidence that this happened on 6-6-6?

Stolen from http://dcubed.blogspot.com/2006/06/six.html

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

September 11, 2001

This would probably be the first divorce case in USA related to the September 11, 2001 attack. Read on...

The Guy had his office in the 97th floor of the Twin Centre. On that day of the attack he bunk his office and went to his girl friend's room and was enjoying there with his mobile phone switched off. By 11 A.M when he turned it on, his wife had called him and she was screaming, "Darling! Where are you?". The guy replied "Stay Cool Baby! I am in office".

Friday, May 26, 2006

Munnabhai MBBS

You would remember how Sanjay Dutt writes exams in Munnabhai MBBS with the help of bluetooth device. Now check out this;

One of my friends somehow managed to get his mobile inside the exam hall. I just entered office at that time and was in a tense mood.

He called me and spoke in a very feeble voice from down under the table.

Me: (In a louder voice) what do u want?
Him: I am in Exam Hall

Me: (Again in a louder voice) then why did u call?
Him: Speak slowly.. I am in exam hall

Me: "..........", you have to speak slowly! Why should I?
Him: Please da, I need some answers. Help me pls!

Then I asked him to message the questions for which I too, did not know the answers. Logged in to the new site from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting India.gov.in (I have already posted about that site), found out the answers and messaged him. They were simple GK questions.

He has got through the exams. Very Funny incident when remembered! And dont ask me who that student is!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

I will be back

There is a slog in my blog for over a month. I wanted to write and accidentally found no time in between.

~ for those who visit my blog regularly
~ for those who don’t visit my blog regularly
~ for those who visit, but post no comments
~ for those who visit once in a while and comment

and for all those reading this post, the message is I WILL BE BACK with fresh thoughts and posts to make you engross in the contents.

Friday, April 21, 2006

I Love My Friends

Yesterday night I had a unique forwarded message in my Mobile which said "It's SPILL THE BEAN day!! Is there something you have wanted to tell me but never had the guts or chance to! Now is the chance... B frank!". I sent it to my friends and the replies were funny and touching. Check out!

"To b frank with u Nee Oru Loosu... I have no words to express da" - very funny guy

"Ya.. I wanted to tell you to get a Royal Challenge Full Whisky with necessary side dishes and come to my room this saturday night" - this guy is the no. 1 fraud i have seen ever

"Go fry in Hell!" - this particular message is late by 2 yrs

"U r really very caring and timely to help but a bit arrogant" - touchy message

"Poda .........." - green lang

"I am so happy to have u as a friend" - this guy is a lazy one..

"You will never give up you ideas easily but ..." - this person has observed me so keenly and i have not included the 2nd part of the message"

To b honest, I have admired the above said persons at different levels... I am struck by their love and have no words to essay about my friends.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Lunch Break

Today, the annual Temple Car Festival was held in Mylapore. Traffic diversions were on and the road to the hotel where I used to have lunch was blocked. I had to go to an other hotel. Usually I prefer full meals. Since, I was new to the other hotel I restricted myself to tiffin. Hospitality was different and were above 30 yrs. Taste was good and the matter which impressed me there was a board saying "WE PROUDLY INFORM THAT WE DONT EMPLOY CHILD LABOURERS"

Thursday, April 06, 2006

'Donkeys better than wives'

Hold On.. I am not an experienced person to utter the statement. A school textbook in Rajasthan suggests donkeys make better companions as they complain less and are more loyal.


Check out TOI online edition in http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1479524.cms

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Yahoo Surprise

Its a real morning surprise for me when i opened my Mailbox to see the Yahoo Mail Beta! today. It looks amazing, much better than before.. the combination of outlook express and opera, I cant describe it., so a snapshot of that.. But it does not work with my other Yahoo id.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Just 10 minutes

This is absolutely fantastic stuff which i got as forward in my mail... Dont start reading this if u cant spend 10 minutes of your time now.

An Atheist Professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill.But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, or smelled your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you a! re making, youngman?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a preacher rather than a scientist?

(The class is in uproar)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class ! breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelled it?No one appears to have done. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol,science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student : That is it, sir.. The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Now guess who the student is ????? If you are really curious in knowing the student, mail me at emailrajaram@gmail.com. I will definitely reply and will never say that its me.

Links

now a days, am doing nothing. i just browse, send mails, read blogs and curse those who dont reply to my mails. The two links given below were interesting and they are my picks for the day.


cheers

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Jeevan Ke Rang! Happy Holi!

Some time back, festivals stood more for celebrations, togetherness, meeting friends and also a temporary relief from the hectic office schedule.

Now, the above said reasons seem to have pushed to secondary position. People have been made to look for more TV programme, new movies and things which should not be given primary slot.

It is the marketers becoming experts in utilizing the entire potential of customers attention during festival season. Thanks to them that some minor "Day" festivals are also celebrated at least at the micro level. But, still at one particular junction, I get irritated to see some ads preying for customers during festivals.

I still love the ads for the creative content in them. Here, is an ad for a "post-event". This is the first time I am seeing an ad for a repeat telecast. It also has good creative content. Check out!

I wish U all a Happy Holi! May the colours bring more happiness, health & wealth!

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Celebrating Women's day

I wanted to write on women's day about some lady who can inspire. Names were juggling in my mind, but those names were mostly popular ones and many of us knew them already. I always like to introduce some unique personalities particularly those holding low profile. Today THE HINDU has showcased a rare personality of women. I am indeed happy to introduce them to you.

Gomathy Ammal and her daughter Karpagam - make a living — in a male-dominated profession — taking care of the dead.

Gomathy Ammal as a result of poverty entered to the profession to make money knowing well that it unsuits women. People refused to talk to her and ostracised her. "But my focus was on providing for my child," says Gomathy Ammal. In the 20 years she has been on the job, she has arranged more than 10,000 funerals.

Helping people with last rites has stood Gomathy Ammal and her daughter in good stead. Their monthly earnings top Rs. 10,000 and they now support about 40 staff, 15 of whom have no family, and feed 40-50 people every Ammavasai (new moon day). She also does five free funerals every month. They have bought a home with their joint savings, married off Karpagam's daughter and educated her son.

Women's day are meant for the women like Gomathy Ammal stirring the souls. It is not for celebrating with crowns, roses and for marketing gimmicks.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Park with Park Mate


What is a bigger problem than finding a parking space, squezzing your car in that tiny space without leaving your paint on the other car. This may seem straight from a Sci-Fi movie but a technology being developed by Siemens VDO called "Park Mate" not only finds you parking space, but automatically parks your car too. Sensors automatically measure a row of parked cars and alert the driver when there is space large enough for your car. Then a chime is played asking the driver to stop and then the Park Mate takes control over the car. It steers the car itself into the small gap and parks.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Gear up Movie Fanatics!

Gear up Movie Fanatics! Its gala time for you all.

The titans of Tamil Cinema are Coming to entertain you all. Rajinikanth, Kamalhaasan, Vikram, Linguswamy, Gautam Menon, Shankar and Maniratnam will be there for you this year. Watch out for

~ Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu
~ Sivaji
~ Bhima and
~ yet to be titled Hindi film from Maniratnam

Stay Cool... The above said matter is a buildup to narrate my meet with Maniratnam, the man who made the world to look and listen to Tamil Cinema. He is one of the Intellect who has proved the mettle of Indian Cinema.

I met him in a public function in which Maddy, Hindu Ram, Khushboo, Vivek and Vivek Oberoi were a part of it. I had an oppurtunity to speak with him for continous 5 minutes.(The matter we spoke is highly confidential). I could not forget those 5 minutes in my life.

I was astonished by the simplicity he displayed and the very trait he follows till now even in the creative media:- HONESTY & POSITIVE APPROACH.

To me he is "THE DIRECTOR".

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Rosakutty Granny, 106 not out


Check out the passion of this lady at the age of 106. She hails from Kadamakudi in Kerala's Ernakulam district.


This Day Last Year

Exactly the same time, This Day Last Year, I started my career as a Business Development Executive (precise designation) in the Corporate Division of ICFAI University. The job is to sell Distance Learning Programs such as MBA, MCA, CFA to corporate people. That was a job for which only experienced candidates were recruited. I was the first fresher to join that team. I dont really believe, that I got that offer based on my performance in Interview. The consultancy girl made me through into the job to get her incentive. I struggled a bit to cope with the job and fitted in a month's time. But, even after, something was disturbing me and all of sudden on a pretty good morning, I submitted my resignation letter just like that, ignoring my one month's salary.

Now, This Day This Year, High Court of Madras has restrained the University from making fresh admissions.

The day after I resigned from that University I am in the 'Events' Industry. Now, I am working as Logistics Co-ordinator on contract basis in a Times of India Group company which has its strong presence in both print and broadcating media all over the nation.
Now, I would like to share what I have understood and learned during this period.

Knowledge Acquisition:
Its important for every individual to update their skills & knowledge every day. This should not stop with regular full time studies in schools and colleges. Real Knowledge comes only when the text in the subjects are blended together with job experience. To spell out the truth, my mind and brain are in hibernation for the past 8 months.

Money Matters:
Knowledge alone can never give the bread and butter. Money plays a vital role even in acquiring knowledge. This is the greatest lesson I have learnt in the past one year.

My suggestions to;

Freshers/Job Seekers:
Never ever getaway with jobs with lucrative salaries. Stand up to want u want even it takes some time. Keep Updating yourself everyday. Meet as much people as you can in a day. Remember, when u get a job for which u were longing for, dont work for free after a certain period. You will be forced to get into some job which gives you money. That spoils your career.

Recruitment Executives in Consultancies:
Never ever push any candidate, to fetch an incentive for yourself. Understand the nature of job and the profile of the candidate yourself even when the organization fails to communicate properly.

Parents:
Never ever compare your son/daughter getting ready to enter the corporate world, with their peers or neighbours. Remember, your blood will rock the world one day with his/her unique talents.


(This article is posted in public interest)

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Truly Indian Flavour @ Times Square, NY

'Incredible India' has become the first Indian Brand(probably) to reach the billboards in Times Square, NY, standing out in its unmistakably Indian flavour. These images have been drawn from village folk art and common imagery seen across India, images that bring to mind the colours, uniqueness and diversity of India. Have a look at them.




Mr. Infosys at George Washington University's School of Business

Over half-an-hour before the doors of the Jack Morton Auditorium at the George Washington University's School of Business were thrown open for the annual Robert P Maxon Lecture February 6, the foyer was overflowing with Washington's business elite, academia and students lining up to get in.

The speaker? N R Narayana Murthy, chairman of the board and chief mentor at Infosys Technologies Limited.
For the next hour and a half, the audience was mesmerized by Murthy's hard-hitting lecture and Q&A session on 'Good Corporate Governance" A Mindset or a Checklist?'

Narayana Murthy, who was introduced by Prabir K Bagchi, senior associate dean of GWU's School of Business as the 'conscience-keeper of India's businesspeople and leaders and the 'sage of Bangalore,' was uncompromising in his argument that even under the most extenuating external pressures, a commitment to values and ethics should always be the guiding principle of any company, above profit and the need for growth.

He said it is imperative that the current generation conducts itself in a manner that creates role models for the younger generation. The younger generation, he said, was the future because 'the future is all about youth, youth is all about energy, about new ideas.'
Consequently, Murthy declared, "It's better to lose a billion dollars, than a good night's sleep."
"A civilized society is one where each generation works hard, makes sacrifices, so that we leave a better society for the next generation. That responsibility likes much more with us than with you," he told scores of business majors lapping up every word he spoke.

Asked how he faced the challenges of growing his company and reconciling the values and ethics he spoke of the pressure to make profits without making any compromise. Murthy said it is a fallacy that growth is hampered by honesty and that everything from fudging the books to giving bribes and kickbacks is part of doing business.

He acknowledged that "there have been occasions when officials in my country have demanded bribes and we have said no, and that was the only time."

Murthy said, "The other day, the CEO of a Fortune 10 company asked me if there is one attitude in my view that is the most important -- above any other, never mind whether in corporate leadership, national, political whatever. And it took me less than 10 seconds to say, courage, courage to dream big, courage of conviction, courage to go against traditional thinking, courage to take risks, all that."

But he reiterated that this did not mean any compromise of values and principles "and that that's where having leaders who promote this culture was extremely important so that it percolates all the way down to the trenches."
"As long as the leaders articulate the value system very clearly, as long as they show by example," he said, "the company can hold on its own in any environment, even faced with intense competition and avoid the pitfalls of the likes of Enron, WorldCom, Qwest, Tyco and others."

Murthy, who spoke fondly of his parents and his lower middle-class upbringing talked about the values instilled by both his father -- a teacher -- and mother. "My father would say, work hard and my mother would say, don't cheat anybody and if you are good today, tomorrow, something good will happen to you."

Of how Infosys survived through the years since its founding in 1981, more than a decade before India's economy was opened up, he said, it was because of very simple facets of entrepreneurship, of capturing an idea and taking the power of that idea to the next level and the next. "Not a complex sentence, no ifs, no buts, no nevertheless, no howevers."
Murthy also noted: "We were very lucky there was no market in India for us at that time, so we had to, perforce, look at it in the global market, which meant that right from day one, we created a global mindset. We prepared ourselves for the best of competition."

Murthy declared that "corporate governance, to me, is about maximizing shareholder value legally, ethically and on a sustainable basis, while ensuring fairness to every stakeholder -- the company's customers, employees, investors, vendor-partners, the government of the land and the community. Thus, corporate governance is a reflection of a company's culture, policies, how it deals with its stakeholders, and its commitment to values."
"These corporations exemplified entire organizational cultures dominated by greed, arrogance and utter disregard for law to the immense cost of shareholders," he said, pointing out that the scandals at these firms and others "resulted in a loss of more than $7 trillion in market capital, the largest in the history of capitalism."
He said that "corporations must integrate their value systems into their recruitment programs. They must mandate compliance with the value system as a key requirement from each potential employee. They must ensure that every employee owns responsibility for accountability and ethics in every transaction. Corporations must publicly recognise internal role models for ethical behaviour."
"They must reinforce exemplary ethical conduct among employees, through reward and recognition programmes," he added. "Ethical standards and best practices must be applied fairly and uniformly across all levels of the organisation. Any non-compliance must be swiftly dealt with and publicized. Additionally, there should be strong whistle-blower mechanisms within the corporation for exposing unethical or illegal activities."
Murthy said: "The need of the hour is for all voices in the corporation to unanimously extol the value of decency, honesty and transparency." He noted that at Infosys, "every Infosysian is encouraged to act according to our belief that 'The softest pillow is a clear conscience," and that "every employees remembers and follows the adage, 'When in doubt, disclose.'"