Unmitigated Learnings

2009-03-07T00:00:00.002+05:30

என் விடை பிறந்த நாள் இன்று
பெற்ற விடையை விடை பெற விட மாட்டேன்!

காத்திருப்பேன்; காதலை காத்து இருப்பேன்
அந்த காதல் எனது காற்றானதே!

என்னுள் எரிந்த இருட்டை விரட்டி அடித்தாய்;
வெளிச்சத்தை வெளியே விடுவேனா?
அணையாமல் காப்பேன், கட்டி அணைத்துக்கொள்வேன்
நீ என் குளிர்க்கு வந்த நெருப்பாச்சே...

கணிதத்தின் முடிவிலியை ரசித்தவனுக்கு
சந்தோசத்தின் பின்யத்தை காண்பித்தாய்.
அளவில்லா சாந்தம் தந்தாய்
அந்த வானத்தை போல..

ஏக்கத்தில் தேக்கம் கண்டிருந்தேன்
தேங்கியவனை கிளப்பினாய், நதி நீரா நீ?

நிலையை நாடி அலைபாய்ந்த மனம் எனது
நிலைமை அறிந்து நிலையான மெய்யாக
வாழ்கை வேருக்கு திடம் தந்தாய், நிலமாக...

ஐந்து புலன்களும் நீ,
என் பிரபஞ்சமே நீ.

பிரபஞ்சத்தில் தஞ்சம் வேண்டி காத்திருப்பேன்.
நாடி துடிக்கும் வரை, உன் துணை நாடி துடிப்பேன்.

2006-12-10T20:16:00.000+05:30

Determined imposition of a rationality framework on reality with or without consciously identifying and understanding its defining assumptions is a nice pastime. That it does nothing to alter the state of reality is quite reassuring, while simultaneously discomforting. But wait... does knowledge of reality impinge on the nature of reality? What is reality? Why this fuss to understand it? Let it be.

Ulagathinoram nindru athanaiyum paathirupom,
Nadapavai naadagamendru naamum sernthu nadithirupom.

2006-12-10T17:33:00.000+05:30

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
'The immensity of Irom Sharmila Chanu’s now six-year-old protest is matched only by the paralysing indifference of the State and the national media.'

2006-11-14T23:51:00.000+05:30

En rathathai urindhu valarnthaai,
Indru valarnthapinnum ratharusiyai rasikiraaye.
Dhaagam theeralayo?

2006-11-11T09:37:00.000+05:30

In the past, I have been accused(?) of writing a depressing blog. I have been wanting to post a response for a while now. But the immediate trigger for this post was Anu's comment to my previous post. Anu, I think I should clarify my perspective.

As difficult as it might be for some to believe, my posts are borne out of hope. But to hope for something better, one needs to acknowledge the truth. Shying away from the truth will never lead to even a semblance of lasting happiness. This blog is an attempt to find and accept such truths - and to then explore the hope of improving things.

To quote from The Shawshank Redemption: "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."

And there sure are a lot of reasons to feel hopeful. A few that come to my mind right now (in no particular order):

1. DSF
2. ADR
3. Parivartan
4. PostSecret (Warning: Disturbing and graphic pictures)
5. Gandhi
6. HelpToLive
7. Chennai Food Bank

"Appidi ellam nambikkai illaama naathigam pesaatheenga. Oorellam intha mathiri neraiya saami irukku. Namakku dhaan theriyalai. Nambunga."
(C) Madan/Kamal

Stolen Childhood

2006-11-11T07:33:00.000+05:30

(C) Shaju John
"At a school in Chennai, Kalaivani is engaged in construction work"

"...child labour is not only (or always even dominantly) about poverty: it is essentially about social exclusion, inequality and discrimination, which allow the relative poverty of some to be exploited in this manner."

Excerpts from the cover story of the current Frontline issue.

Oops...

2006-11-10T06:59:00.000+05:30

It was a technical error, stupid.

Buddha has smiled

2006-10-26T00:05:00.000+05:30

Bliss

2006-10-22T12:35:00.000+05:30

Life and Time reveal new dimensions of Bliss every once in a while. Listening to Oru Naalil after a long time is one such instance.

Why

2006-10-21T07:22:00.000+05:30

Never ask why. Especially if you're looking for a non-rhetorical answer.

?

2006-10-14T22:34:00.000+05:30

Should Others read about what The Others speak?

Nodi

2006-10-14T22:05:00.000+05:30

Mukkaal nimidam ore nodipol karaiyum.
Sila nodigalo vaazhkai mudiyumvarai viriyum.

N h

2006-10-13T07:29:00.000+05:30

Kanavu kandaan,
Palikkuma endru theriyavillai.
Therintha silar kanavai thatheduthaargal,
Avargalathu nambikkai kanavukku puthuyir ootiyathu.
Negizhnthaan.
Kanavai noaki pudhu thembudan sendraan.

2006-10-08T22:26:00.000+05:30

Googled for "news". Three of the top four results were BBC, CNN and Google News.

And the Other was this.

What can I say...

2006-10-08T22:04:00.000+05:30

" Here is a mantra, a short one, that I give you. You may imprint it in your heart and let every breath of yours give expression to it. The mantra is: 'Do or Die'. "
- MKG@1942.

Weekend TV Effect

2006-10-08T19:20:00.000+05:30

"... neengapaatum kaasu kudukraanennu kuninju kuninju salaam potute irundhinga na, ungalukku irukrathu mudhugu thandaa rubber thundaa nu sandhegam varumille?"

2006-10-08T18:07:00.000+05:30

Is it just me or does the Indian media nowadays cry a lot lesser than before about the evils of brain drain? Possible reasons for this:
1. Today's media audience, i.e the educated middle class, aspires to settle abroad. So it wont make business sense for the media to portray it negatively.
2. As a society, we now respect the individual's right to choose his future.
3. It is a sign of our growing confidence in our own strength that a move abroad is not seen as a no-confidence vote on India's future.
4. People have accepted brain-drain as just another feature of globalization.
5. We've decided that India is hopeless and it makes no sense to stay in India. So brain drain is not seen as an issue any longer.

Any Others?

OOC 4

2006-10-06T23:23:00.000+05:30

Me: Why does one think life is pointless?
Other Me: One realises his life is so. And its comforting to think it is so for Others as well.
Me: So life is not pointless?
Other Me: When did I say that?
Me: So enna solla vare?
Other Me: How would I know? *Vanishes*

Past OOCs: OOC1, OOC2, OOC3.

Maybe...

2006-10-05T00:14:00.000+05:30

there is some such thing called over-analysis.
Well, only maybe.
:)

Y

2006-10-02T12:30:00.000+05:30

Kanavu kandaai,
Palikka villai.
Norungiyathu kanavu endralum,
Nee noringividathe.

Azhuthidu. Manam vittu azhuthidu.
Kanneer thuligalil aval ninaivu kalayaathu.
Endralum azhuthidu.
Avalai marappatharkaaha azhathe.
Azhuvatharkaaga mattum azhu.

"Yethanai kodi kanneer intha manmithu vizhinthirukkum
Athanai kanda pinnum boomi ingu poo pookum."

Avalai maranthaalum kooda,
Kanavu kaanbathai maranthu vidathe.

"Nooru kanavugal kandaale,
aaru kanavugal palikaatha..."

Norungiya 94 kanavugal ovvondrum,
Un vaazhkaiku puthu artham tharum.
Ikkanam arthamillaamal irukkalaam,
Yendralum porumai kol.

Thookathai naadu.
Kanavu kandidu.

Avalai maranthaalum kooda,
Kanavu kaanbathai maranthu vidathe.

X

2006-10-02T08:09:00.000+05:30

Thendralaai vanthaai.
Manathin pala puyalgalai adakkinaai.
Saantham adainthaan.
Pin vina ezhunthathu -
Thendral kadanthuvidumo endru.
Padapadathaan.
Vidai therinthathu -
Swasikum ovvoru moochilum aththendralum adakkamendru.
Nithaanithaan.

2006-10-01T13:07:00.000+05:30

Flash news on CNN-IBN: Director General of Health Services calls for an emergency meeting on Oct 3 to discuss the dengue outbreak in Delhi.

40+ hours notice for an emergency meeting. Whattay planning!

Its the context, stupid!

2006-10-01T07:57:00.000+05:30

From The Hindu:
Union Agriculture Secretary Radha Singh said the recent spate of suicides by farmers needed to be viewed in context and not blown out of proportion.

"Suicides are a cause for concern but an analysis of the suicide records of the past 10 years shows that the number of suicides in rural India has not exceeded 16 per cent of the total in any given year," she said at the valedictory session of the Agri-Marketing Summit 2006 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Friday.

In 2003-04, the National Crime Records Bureau showed that there were 187,000 suicides in India. "Of this, only 16 per cent were in rural India. This debunks the current perception that there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of farmer suicides in India," said Ms. Singh, who was involved in preparation of the Rehabilitation Package for Farmers. (Emphasis added)

India

2006-09-30T07:24:00.000+05:30

'Largely for lack of clean water, 2.1 million children under the age of 5 die each year [in India], according to the United Nations.' (Emphasis added)

'"I want to work, but I can’t," she said glumly. "I go mad waiting for water."'

Source: NYT

Update: NYT's subsequent articles in this series on the Indian Water Crisis are available here and here.

OOC3

2006-09-29T06:09:00.000+05:30

Me: My life has been very complicated.
Other Me: Really? Look at X and Y.
Me: Hmmm... Maybe my life has been simple.
Other Me: Adhu!
Me: But is that for better or worse?
Other Me: *Vanishes*
Me: #$(@#$^

Other OOCs: OOC1 OOC2

2006-09-27T23:28:00.000+05:30

418

2006-09-26T23:14:00.000+05:30

X is condemned by the highest court of the land to die.
X sits in his prison cell waiting to know when he will be put to death.
And X keeps waiting. For 418 days.

Why?

2006-09-24T20:36:00.001+05:30

Nee mounam saathithaai.
Saathithathaaga ninaithaai.
Maranthu vittai
Un mouna agarathi yenakku athupadi yendru.

2006-09-24T20:36:00.000+05:30

!LMHFCS

Red/Blue Pill?

2006-09-24T19:35:00.000+05:30

Manufacturing optimism by providing false hopes is a pointless exercise. Over time, the audience will see their hopes crash repeatedly and give up.
Instead take a hard look at the truth and come up with a feasible way to realise the dream.

India

2006-09-21T21:48:00.000+05:30

?

2006-09-20T23:17:00.001+05:30

God

2006-09-20T23:17:00.000+05:30

2006-09-17T23:30:00.000+05:30

"Appidi ellam nambikkai illaama naathigam pesaatheenga. Oorellam intha mathiri neraiya saami irukku. Namakku dhaan theriyalai. Nambunga."

(C) Madan/Kamal

2006-09-16T03:09:00.000+05:30

Y ivlo feeling?

2006-09-15T07:54:00.000+05:30

"But dont you think something is wrong somewhere?"

(C) Gulzar/Hrishikesh Mukherjee

2006-09-15T00:40:00.000+05:30

God without a religion.
Poet without words.
Lost, as ever.
The quest continues...

2006-09-15T00:06:00.000+05:30

2006-09-12T23:00:00.000+05:30

You can hope to beat infinity only by attacking it bit-by-bit.

2006-09-09T09:05:00.000+05:30

Often times, something I thought to be profound has turned out to be trivial.
Often times, something I thought to be trivial has turned out to be profound.

Hmmm...

Is this post trivial or profound? :)

2006-09-09T07:29:00.001+05:30

Don't think?!

2006-09-09T07:29:00.000+05:30

Don't.

2006-09-09T07:28:00.000+05:30

Think!

2006-09-09T07:20:00.000+05:30

Yeh raasta hai keh raha ab mujhse
Milne ko hai koi kahin ab tujhse.

(C) Javed Akhtar.

Existence of a path implies existence of a destination?!
Nice.

NYN in SOK

2006-09-08T06:35:00.000+05:30

It would be awesome if the video of NYN had something to do with sleep - either S sleeping with this sadness and experiencing this song in his sleep, or S falling asleep as the song ends.

Loneliness and Sleep are powerful states - each with the power of destroying the Other.

Should be fun to see how the video has actually come out. And no, vetti people who bunk to watch the movie FDFS today or those who watch the telugu video on tv dont need to share their learnings. :)

I'd like to find out for myself.

OOC 2

2006-09-07T22:47:00.000+05:30

Note: The Overhearing Others' Conversation (OOC)series began here. This post is the second in what will hopefully be a regular series.

Me : Why cant life be simple?
Other Me: Its better this way.
Me: Its easy for you to say. You drop by when you feel like it. Its me who has got to live this life.
Other Me: Hmmm. *Vanishes*
Me: $@#@$%^

vali

2006-09-07T22:11:00.000+05:30

ratham kakkumpothu yerpadaathathu,
thuli kanneer sinthinalo nenjamellam vali.

kanneerai kavidhaiyaakinaan,
palar suvaithanar
avanathu valiyai.

pin kaadhalithaan,
vali marainthathu.
kaadhal valikka thuvangiyathu,
thaan mattum suvaithaan ivvaliyai.
rasithaan.
paithiyamaanaan.
motcham adainthaan.

Overhearing Others' conversations

2006-09-07T07:19:00.000+05:30

Me : Why cant life be simple?
Other Me: Its better this way.
Me: True. :)
Other Me: :)

Pirivu

2006-09-07T00:06:00.000+05:30

Vaai thiranthatho vidaipera,
Baashai maranthu oomai aanen.

Piriyum neram vandhathu,
Vilaga nernthathu.

Kaalam thannai vendrathaai karudhi
Mounamai kadhari sidhariyathu manathu.

Satre oru murai thirumbinaai,
Andha oru paarvai...!
Marainthathu ganam manadhil.
Nilaithathu kanam nenjil.
Adhuve nerathin padutholvi.

Anbe Sivam.

2006-09-06T06:20:00.000+05:30

"Truth is yuck."
How true!
Yuck.

2006-09-06T01:21:00.000+05:30

How do you beat time?

Keep the spark alive

2006-09-05T13:46:00.000+05:30

Chirag

"Though sun or moon I cannot be
To make the whole world bright
I’ll find some little cheerless spot
And shine with all my might"

2006-09-03T22:07:00.000+05:30

No comments.

Psycho-analysis of terrorism

2006-09-03T08:15:00.000+05:30

A suicide bomber strongly believes in a cause and would like to play a part for that cause. (By definition these are anti-establishment causes.) He is trying to send a message to the society. It is a cry of helplessness. Anyone who has tried to fight the system will understand this. The person has the will, but not the power. And the system has the inertia to prevail upon him. A suicide bomber believes his action will shock the society to shift the state of inertia. Here is the problem with suicide bombing. The act of killing innocent people is so heinous that the society tends to demonize the suicide bombers and refuses to acknowledge the 'validity' of the cause. In other words, a shocked society does not think. It reacts. In such a scenario, even if the state of inertia is shifted by the act, the shift might not be in the interest of the cause. So what should a prospective suicide bomber do?

The idea is not to kill Other people. But to make them see reason in your cause. To effect the change in the society that you seek, you need Others' support. Without that, the change, if implemented, will not prevail. So you dont kill yourself and make yourself responsible for Others' death. Instead you kill yourself and make them responsible for your death. Self-immolation! Plan it such that you immolate yourself under the gaze of the media. The powerful imagery generated would attack the psyche of the people. That is how you can make a society sit up and take notice.

A more "moderate" option would be a fast-unto-death. But more often than not, the society will react to such a form of protest only if the person(s) undergoing this protest are already well-known. Or if someone actually dies fasting. One downside is that while the death may cause some people to think, there is no accompanying imagery that will engage an entire people. Other forms of Satyagraha like jail-bharo or silent protests might not have a great impact unless a huge number of people participate.

So will self immolation be the future of terrorism?

Not quite. Every cause requires its own tool based on its context.

Palestine: Palestinians need to get the Israeli society to understand their humiliation. Being subject to checkposts, security checks and being blocked from going to places of work by an armed force of another nation is nothing short of humiliation. What if all these Palestinians wore yellow arm-bands/badges (just like those that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust)? Will that not send out a powerful image to the Israeli people? This alone might not help. What if the terrorists, instead of walking into pubs and hotels in Tel Aviv and seting off suicide bombs, actually immolated themselves with the world media watching?

Telangana/Reservation etc: Self-immolation should work wonders.

North-east, Kashmir etc: Any secessionist cause can only win if it has wide support of its own people. In such a scenario, Gandhi-style Satyagraha of jail-bharo, strikes and silent protests should be ideal.

Al Qaeda types: I'm not quite sure what motivates Al Qaeda & co.
1. If its about setting up a worldwide Islamic Caliphate, bombs will not help. Such an aim does not involve convincing the Other side. It is about subjugating them. That cannot be done by bombs alone. You dont set up an empire by destroying other economies alone. You need to setup an economy of your own that can subsume the Other.
2. If its about avenging the wrongs against Muslims worldwide, the cause is difficult to sell if Muslims are seen as committing wrongs against society in general. Probably picking a more specific cause/wrong will make it easier. Like the Palestinian or Kashmir issue above.

If on 9/11, the 19 hijackers had immolated themselves, I'm sure the world wouldn't have felt as much of an impact as it has now. But those 19 deaths alone might have lead the American people to think. The terror attacks helped the US government demonize the perpetrators and their cause. There is no way the American public will ever accept or feel the pain of the hijackers after this atrocity. There is one problem with self immolation here. Will the American people relate to 19 Muslims belonging to foreign countries if they were to immolate themselves? On a larger scale or if done with higher frequency, it may have the necessary impact. Its easier to achieve in the UK. British-born Muslims immolating themselves for a cause would definitely trigger national-level introspection.

If the aim is to bring about a change of heart of the American people, then 9/11 was a blunder. If the aim was to militarily subjugate them, then it might actually have helped their cause. But it is by no means sustainable. What can make it sustainable is not repeated terror attacks, but possession of nuclear weapons. The US War on Afghanistan has almost ensured that Al Qaeda will never be powerful enough to use the threat of nukes. But Al Qaeda has given hope and inspiration to Other terrorist organizations. And the US War on Iraq provides the platform for these groups' recruitment purposes.

Conclusion: Terrorists need to be more innovative, if they are to win. Options like self-immolation are extremely under-utlized now.

2006-09-02T18:54:00.000+05:30

This past week, Bush had this to say about Lebanon in a speech to veterans:

I appreciate the troops pledged by France and Italy and other allies for this important international deployment. Together we're going to make it clear to the world that foreign forces and terrorists have no place in a free and democratic Lebanon.

Ahem, aren't France and Italy foreign to Lebanon?
Even as I was mouthing expletives at this Bush-y logic, the audience applauded.

Hmmm.

Thanks to IHT for the extract of Bush's speech.

2006-09-02T12:04:00.000+05:30

Idealism + cynicism - An awesome combination

Blogs

2006-09-01T22:58:00.000+05:30

Mini group therapy on the net.

Feedback

2006-09-01T21:41:00.000+05:30

People say they can't make sense of my blog.
I wonder if that is a compliment...

:)

Profound

2006-08-28T22:14:00.000+05:30

Ulagathai nenachen, sirichen!

2006-08-27T18:21:00.000+05:30

Karaikadappatharkul thanathu vaazhkaikaraiyai karaikka ninaithaan.
Alasi paarthaan.
Slight too much aahi vittathu.
Alasiyathil vaazhkai kizhinchathu thaan micham.

2006-08-27T07:13:00.000+05:30

There's so much to think about...
Life rocks!

2006-08-27T04:07:00.000+05:30

Avan azha ninaithaan,
yaen endrariyaamal.

Andha kaelvi ezhavillai.
Badhil ariyaa vinaakalo perum thollai.
Thannai thaane yemaathinaan.
Kaelvigalai avan bathilaakinaan.

Pin vaazhkai aagividumo oru kaelvikuri ?
Sila kanangalo aacharyakuri!
Yengiyatho ore mutrupulli.
Kidaikuma uyir pirivatharkul...

2006-08-26T06:58:00.000+05:30

Oh Maname, ullirunthu azhuvathu yaen?
...
Mazhaiyaithaane yaasithom,
Kanneerthuligalai thanthathu yaar?

--------

Kodi keerthanaigalum, kavi koartha vaarthaigalum
Thuli kanneer pol artham tharuma?

(C) Vairamuthu

Cynic

2006-08-26T01:37:00.000+05:30

bloody its boring to be a cynic da
u expect the worst out of the world
and the world never disappoints.

---- From a chat transcript ---

2006-08-25T23:36:00.000+05:30

Is she drowning her sorrows? Or is she drowning in sorrow?

(C) Adi

Learning for the day

2006-08-25T22:48:00.000+05:30

RTI can be more powerful and useful than previously thought.

Drunk

2006-08-25T22:42:00.000+05:30

I am not drunk.
Maybe I should be.
Huh!

Maslow

2006-08-25T22:29:00.000+05:30

All I know about this guy is this need-hierarchy that carries his name.
Will it not be poetic if he actually was so poor that he couldnt afford basic things in life when he discovered this hierarchy?
Would he have attained self-actualisation in spite of not having any "basic needs" satisfied?

Screw Maslow's hierarchy.

:)

Of Hows and Whys

2006-08-25T22:26:00.000+05:30

How? is answered by science.
Why? is answered by philosophy and religion.

How is it that children are taught science and religion, but not philosophy?
Why not ask why?
Why not answer why?

2006-08-25T22:20:00.000+05:30

2006-08-25T22:17:00.000+05:30

If no climax, then there can be no anti-climax.

2006-08-25T22:16:00.000+05:30

Ahem

2006-08-25T21:56:00.000+05:30

There are four kinds of people in this world.

1. Those who have not read this post of mine.
2. Those who have read that post, but havent read my comment to that post.
3. Those who read my comment, but chose not to read it completely because of the spoiler warning.
4. Those who read that comment completely.

I can only feel sorry for the Type 1 people.
Others, rejoice! Type 2 and type 3 people need not worry any more about being deprived of my learnings. Go ahead and read the comment completely.
Read it. Now!

Ok, now we only have two types of people. Type 1 and Others.
Others may please note that my comment might not be completely true*. Apparently, Jo does not die in the movie. So well again, the death interpretation does not fit. :(

* In my defense, The Truth does not exist. :)

2006-08-25T07:15:00.000+05:30

Why?
Why not?

Learning

2006-08-23T23:05:00.000+05:30

NY in VV would make a lot more sense than NY in SOK.

Aug 22

2006-08-22T01:26:00.000+05:30

Today is Chennai Day.
HCD!
:)

Kaadhal redux - translated

2006-08-22T01:03:00.000+05:30

Tried translating it to English for a friend. I prefer the Tam version, but for those souls that dont know Tam but still wish to be tormented by my learnings...

Thanimai avanukku pudhidhalla.
Loneliness had always been his companion.
Mun avan kootathilum thanimai kandaan.
He used to feel alone in a crowd.
Indro thaniyilum unthunaiyil kulirkondaan.
Today he enjoys your company even when alone.

Naalai kandavanai nee kanavanaakinaal,
If you choose an Other,
kanavukottaigalin idipadugalil sikki
caught in the debris of his dreams
kaadhalaasiriyaiku oru nanri solli
he'd thank you for teaching him love
thanimaiyain thunai naaduvaan.
and seek the company of loneliness.

Avalai andru ariyaamalirukkaiyil thondriyathu thanimaiya,
Was he lonely then when he didnt know her?
avalai indru marakkamudiyaamal thavippathu thanimaiya?
Or is he lonely now that he cant forget her?

Any help in improving the translation would be greatly appreciated. :)

The Matrix

2006-08-21T19:45:00.000+05:30

Ahem!

2006-08-21T19:27:00.000+05:30

Konjam aasai, konjam kanavu - ivai illamal vaazhkaiya?
Nooru kanavugal kandaale, aaru kanavugal palikaatha?
kanave kai saera vaa...

(C) Vairamuthu

2006-08-20T23:50:00.000+05:30

Time
is
timeless
!

Kaadhal redux

2006-08-20T19:44:00.000+05:30

Thanimai avanukku pudhidhalla.
Mun avan kootathilum thanimai kandaan.
Indro thaniyilum unthunaiyil kulirkondaan.

Naalai kandavanai nee kanavanaakinaal,
kanavukottaigalin idipadugalil sikki
kaadhalaasiriyaiku oru nanri solli
thanimaiyain thunai naaduvaan.

Avalai andru ariyaamalirukkaiyil thondriyathu thanimaiya,
avalai indru marakkamudiyaamal thavippathu thanimaiya?

Sila pala kuzhappangalum thaedalgalum

2006-08-17T19:40:00.000+05:30

Ninaithu ninaithu paarthen,
Kuzhappam theliyavillai.
Thelivaana kuzhappam adainthen.

*Blink*

Avan vidai thedinaan.
Kaelvi ariyaamal.

Vidai kidaithaalum,
Vidai kodukkuma kuzhappam?

*Blink*

Vaazhkai oru thaedal.
Tholaitha thaedalai thaedugiren...

*Blink*

Vaazhkaiyil paathi neram avan thaediye kazhithaan.
Meethi paathiyai izhanthatharku varunthinaan.

2006-08-16T20:09:00.000+05:30

Kaadhal
Thanimai avanukku pudhidhalla.
Mun avan kootathilum thanimai kandaan.
Indro thaniyilum unthunaiyil kulirkondaan.

Life is a blink.

Mudhal kaadhal thondrum nodi,
AvaL EvaaL AavaaL.

A weekend in blinks

2006-08-14T12:54:00.000+05:30

Drunk Auto Driver blabbering about why most two-wheeler riders deserve to be run over by lorries. Till the auto ran out of fuel. Strangely, the driver became silent immediately thereafter.

*Blink*

Second drunk auto driver blabbering about nothing in particular.

*Blink*

Mental note to myself: Study correlation and understand why auto-drivers are max frustrated and get drunk on a Friday night.

*Blink*

Having taken charge of crowd control, policeman ordering people to bypass the metal detector at the bus stand entrance

*Blink*

Almost missing my bus.

*Blink*

Repeatedly ‘Singing’ “Naangu kannadi chuvargalukkul..” loudly at Majestic at around 5am

*Blink*

Scorpio-hunting

*Blink*

Breezing through Blr on a Splendor+ :) with a slight drizzle on

*Blink*

Watching school children recite prayers and all

*Blink*

Jana Gana Mana remixed.

*Blink*

A running kid coming to a dead halt once he realizes JGM is being sung.

*Blink*

Witnessing pure joy

*Blink*

Discovering the power of BSNL’s website

*Blink*

The Grand Hijacking Conspiracy.

*Blink*

Discussing optimality of the lane-system in traffic regulation

*Blink*

Picking holes in logic built on a set of contradictory assumptions

*Blink*

Champrasthaanu baba

*Blink*

IA23P@Anand@Pudhupettai@Krishnagiri!

*Blink*

Anniyan no more!

*Blink*

Increase in my respect for Blr auto drivers.

*Blink*

No fire, yes fire.

*Blink*

“Tamilians are more South Indian than Kannadigas”
“!!!”

*Blink*

Nice Iyer Lunch, as promised.

*Blink*

Vinoaoaoad BC!

*Blink*

Style happened. Fair revenge for Black. :)

*Blink*

Discussion on possible domestic ramifications of previously unexpected engagements that are way out of line of well-established expectations.

*Blink*

Waiting for the bus – standing in a slight drizzle with tunes of Saare Jahaan Se Accha and Vande Maataram being played on the loudspeaker in a 2-song loop.

*Blink*

Walking in the silent Chennai roads at 4.30am

*Blink*

New York Nagaram…!

,

2006-08-10T20:39:00.000+05:30

Not .

2006-08-10T16:02:00.000+05:30

Ninaithu ninaithu paarthen…

NY

2006-08-07T09:46:00.000+05:30

Naangu kannadi chuvargalukkul,
Naanum mezhuguvarthiyum.
Thanimai thanimai.

I never had too much respect for Vaali. But these lines were just too good. Imagined myself in a room with mirrors for walls… I look in all possible directions, but none is in sight Other than me. And the candle touch is nice. Awesome way to convey the absence of the Other.

But I should say that the way ARR has handled the song has surprised me. To borrow a friend’s words, he seems to be celebrating the thanimai. This, in spite of the pain that one would think the lyricist is trying to convey. Should be fun to see the context in which this song occurs in the movie.

Update: Maybe Jothika dies and in this song Surya celebrates her life. (Jo fans might want to think its the Other female who dies). Vaan, nilam; Ange, inge; Mezhuguvathi (as the vilakku that is kept on after a person's death); ARR's Celebrating tone - Everything fits into the death ka funda. :-)

2006-07-28T20:49:00.000+05:30

An ideal life is like a blog post.
Not necessarily long.
Profound to that person.
Senseless to most others.

:)

2006-07-25T15:08:00.000+05:30

A friend at the RTI camp wondered what we would ask if we were to file an RTI petition to God. Here’s what I thought of.

1. Are you there?
2. What is time? Do you feel it?
3. Does anything matter?
4. Please provide a graph of average human happiness index vs time (the time axis being on a scale of 1 day)

What would you ask?

Lebanon

2006-07-24T16:50:00.000+05:30

Kandhal aanaalum thaimadipol oru suhamvaruma, varuma?

Sorgam endralum sontha oorpol suhanthiram varuma, varuma?

Kan pirantha thesam inge, kan moodum desam yenge?

2006-07-20T21:08:00.000+05:30

Life is the ultimate reality check.

Change your world now!

2006-07-11T20:25:00.000+05:30

Want to change your world? Join the Tamil Nadu Right to Information Initiative. Drop in at the the address given below between 9am and 5pm one of these days.

Bharatiyar Ninaivu Illam,
No 83, TP Koil Street,
Triplicane,
Chennai.

Another conversation

2006-07-10T18:57:00.000+05:30

Him: **** (eV’s note: I don’t remember the statement)
Me: That is not true. What evidence do you have to prove it?
Him: India won independence in 1947. Show me the evidence you have to prove that.
Me: * A strong aha feeling *

There is no truth.

P.S: The conversation went on thus…

Me: I am going to blog about how what you just said matches with the philosophy that there is no truth.
Him: *@#$@#

:)

Reg July 9

2006-07-05T21:07:00.000+05:30

Me: nice try i'm gonna stay up that late watching 22 ppl fighting for 1 ball :P
Him: Thats the beauty of soccer, dude! :-) It's much better than staying up late and checking out Kim and his puppets' grand scheme for nuking the world.

:)

2006-07-03T18:11:00.000+05:30

There is an ever-widening chasm between the real and the possibility of escape from isolation! And the self, which is pulled apart and stretched tight in between the two like a carcass in the jaws of fighting wild dogs, lives in pain – in longing! See… see – oh, this is so frustrating! Longing is… longing is… is where the two illusions – the senses and the dream – meet, it is where they recognize themselves in difference from the other! And the self, possessed and deluded in turns by both but belonging to neither, lives in the purgatory of the living – in longing!”

The Long Reverie of Partha Sarma by C. Sriram.

2006-07-03T18:02:00.000+05:30

Avan naaldhorum poaraadinaan.
Yaen endru theriyaamal.
Thideer nyaanam vanthathu.
Kaaranam therinthathum, poaraatathai kaivittaan.
Thookam avanai kaivittathu.

Hmm...

2006-07-03T17:35:00.000+05:30

According to Election Commission records:

1. On the day the Union election results were announced in 2004, a trust run by the Birla group donated Rs. 1000 Lakhs to Congress(I).

2. Reliance did not donate a paisa to Congress(I) or BJP in 2004.

What did I like about Pudhupettai?

2006-06-29T17:54:00.000+05:30

A friend msged asking me the above question. I knew an SMS wouldn't provide enough scope for me to respond. I started typing out a mail, and decided I should post it here as well. Unmitigated learnings! I didn't have the time to type out all my reasons, but intend to finish it when I get the time, which might be after I (hopefully) watch the movie again this weekend. For those who haven't watched the movie yet, be advised that there are spoilers galore in this post. You may want to watch the movie before you read this. Others, read on...

When I went into the theatre, I knew that the song was not going to be there. I had literally been counting down the days to the movie release so that I could see two things: the context in which the song is used and the picturisation of the song. But Sify & a friend told me that the song wasn’t there. So I had kind-of resigned to that. I didn’t know what to expect of the movie – now that what I had looked fwd to the most wasn’t going to be there.

Then the movie began. I wasn’t especially pleased by the first few shots – but not disappointed either. Till “Enga area ulla varathe” happened. I was terribly disappointed with the beginning of the song. The three guys coming from three directions one-by-one in a predictable manner majorly p*ssed me off. From that low, SR took me on a major high during the song. In that song, SR did what he does best – visually depicting the inter-class disparity. (Aside: SR has done this in TI, KK & 7GRC) Those stills that brought out this contrast gave me that comfort feel that SR hadn’t lost his mind after all.

The next high, for me, came soon after amma’s death. I remember being amazed by the scene in which Dhanush p*ssed in his pants when his father prepares to kill him. To see such a thing that realistic happen in a tam film was too good. At that instant, a huge section of the crowd laughed loudly. I silently swore at the crowd.

The scene where Dhanush takes to begging was also quite interesting.

One of the best scenes in the movie was when Dhanush and his gang-mates talk of their problems over booze. Dhanush’s “naan velila thaan sirikren, aana ulle azhuthutu irukken”, “mani anne, oru oru vaati azhuthidava” and the Other gangster responding finally with “Etho ivanukku mattumthaan kashtam endra mathiri pesuraan!” – nachnu irunthichu. And in this scene, Dhanush also mentions a reason for his guilt feeling – if he hadn’t gone for the night show film that day, he would’ve been home to save his mom from his dad.

2006-06-26T20:06:00.000+05:30

I thought cricket commentators were lousy. And then World Cup 2006 happened.

2006-06-25T12:08:00.000+05:30

Vaazhkai oru kavithai.
Baashai ariyaathavargalukku.

i.e

Life is a poem.
For those who don't know the language.