It is a scientific method that Osho describes as one of the best ways to feel destressed through gibberish. "Gibberish is to get rid of the active mind, silence to get rid of the inactive mind and let-go is to enter into the transcendental." says Osho.
Gibbersih is a must to through away all the garbage that has piled up in the minds of men for centuries and is gathering dust since then. It is important to offload the garbage by doing all things crazy in pragmatic sense for few minutes. That will be purgatory and will give you a levity that is required to behave normally. It is a soul cleansing exercise and then you will feel like a child who Wordsworth said is the father of man. It does not require training and will lead you an inner silence, which will become a one-way traffic for your betterment. Become of meaningless existence for two minutes. And you will be immensely shocked to know that just within two minutes you become so light, so ready to enter into silence. This is what the Master says.
It is strange how oaf gathers all negativities and tries to infect others with his own ones. Ergo, it is important not to be indoctrinated by any hypocrite who is pretending to worry of your stability when on the other hand your instability will give him the raison'd etre. The road less travelled is fraught with challanges and one has to add a few aces up the sleeves to win over them. Try to let go and levitate in the inner cosmos for it is the ultimate reality of Universal Consciousness. Sooner or later, one does wake up to the reality and that cannot be lablled fatalistic. That is a fact as true as the fact that Sun rises in the East. God give all of us peace and unselfishness to fight the sinister designs of the nemesis. For this it is good to go for gibberish and let go methos once in a while.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Mamma Mia!
What a song by the successful pop group ABBA released in the album 'Waterloo' in April 1974! Mamma Mia is an Italian expression and it means surprise or anguish. I have uploaded the song on Orkut as a token of a poor fan's appreciation and I could not resist posting on the song Honey Honey..., which found a place in the 2008 movie Mamma Mia!, a stage-to-film adaptation the 1999 West End musical also titled Mamma Mia!, based on the ABBA, with additional music also composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson. Mamma Mia! features Amanda Seyfied (the actress singing this song in the movie), Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep etc. Mamma Mia! is a lighthearted comedy, subsuming events around the eight main characters and trying to untangle the not-so-serious complicity, which will decide the fate of each: young Sophie, her fiance Sky, her mother Donna with two lady friends (who sang together years ago as Donna and the Dynamos ), plus the three men Donna had been with in midsummer 21 years ago (Sam, Harry and Bill). Each of them has been concealing secrets from the others, and the frantic pace of wedding preparations will lead to further miscommunications.Oblivious to all, no one is who they at first appear to be, and a divine intervention might reveal the truth. Fortunately, all are about to meet together, on a Greek island dedicated to the ancient goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite.
The Hindi movie 'Dil Ashna Hai''s plot bore a tad of verisimilitude, if i am perceiving both correctly.
"Honey, Honey" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA and included on their Waterloo album. It was the 2nd single to be released from the album after the success of the title track winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.
"Honey, Honey" was written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Stig Anderson, with shared vocals by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
The lyrics are:
Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey I'd heard about you before I wanted to know some more And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine Oh, you make me dizzy Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, don't co ... Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey I'd heard about you before I wanted to know some more And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine Oh, you make me dizzy Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, don't conceal it, ah-hah, honey honey The way that you kiss goodnight (The way that you kiss me goodnight) The way that you hold me tight (The way that you're holding me tight) I feel like I wanna sing when you do your thing I don't wanna hurt you, baby, I don't wanna see you cry So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high But I'm gonna stick to you, boy, you'll never get rid of me There's no other place in this world where I rather would be Honey honey, touch me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, hold me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey You look like a movie star (You look like a movie star) But I know just who you are (I know just who you are) And, honey, to say the least, you're a dog-gone beast So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high There's no other place in this world where I rather would be Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey I heard about you before I wanted to know some more And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine.
Oh, this song is sooooooooooooo melodious! It gives me a real high!
The Hindi movie 'Dil Ashna Hai''s plot bore a tad of verisimilitude, if i am perceiving both correctly.
"Honey, Honey" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA and included on their Waterloo album. It was the 2nd single to be released from the album after the success of the title track winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.
"Honey, Honey" was written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Stig Anderson, with shared vocals by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
The lyrics are:
Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey I'd heard about you before I wanted to know some more And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine Oh, you make me dizzy Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, don't co ... Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey I'd heard about you before I wanted to know some more And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine Oh, you make me dizzy Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, don't conceal it, ah-hah, honey honey The way that you kiss goodnight (The way that you kiss me goodnight) The way that you hold me tight (The way that you're holding me tight) I feel like I wanna sing when you do your thing I don't wanna hurt you, baby, I don't wanna see you cry So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high But I'm gonna stick to you, boy, you'll never get rid of me There's no other place in this world where I rather would be Honey honey, touch me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, hold me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey You look like a movie star (You look like a movie star) But I know just who you are (I know just who you are) And, honey, to say the least, you're a dog-gone beast So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high There's no other place in this world where I rather would be Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey I heard about you before I wanted to know some more And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine.
Oh, this song is sooooooooooooo melodious! It gives me a real high!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Shakespeare in Love
The contribution of William Shakespeare can be gauged from the fact that he added 1700 plus words in the English lexicon. I read one of the words, 'tetchy', perhaps coined by Shakepeare. His works have heightened state of emotions and his characters are largely passion-driven. Any tome comrising stuffs like these can be melodramatic for a staid guy. For example, for a nerd who prefers being number-crunching geek it can be mawkish. But for a heathen, those emotions were as true as their existence because they were largely id driven.
Shakespeare's dramatic and scornful lack of formulaic contruct, especially by the use of transitory effects as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his expansion of minor characters, and his use of subplots to embellish the story, has been hailed as being the genesis of great drama in the years to come. His tomes ascribed to a different realistic philosophy that talks many a times of accepting one's status with full raw ferocity and there was nothing collusive about his plot even in the factions that he decribed. His plays give different poetic forms to different characters, sometimes morphing the the form with the progression of the character. Romeo, for example, grows more adept at the sonnet form over the course of the play. Othello became "egotistical" in jealousy but William Hazlitt. Hazlitt makes a statement saying that "the nature of the Moor is noble...but his blood is of the most inflameable kind".
Hamlet is experienced in polemic. He uses highly developed metaphors, stichomythia, and in nine memorable words deploys both anaphora (as in example of Lincoln's “we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground” and asyndeton(as in example of “I came, I saw, I conquered”): "to die: to sleep— / To sleep, perchance to dream". on the other hand when need be arises, he is succint and forthright, as when he explains his inward emotion to his mother: "But I have that within which passes show, / These but the trappings and the suits of woe". Who can forget Lear declaring 'Never, never, never, never,.....'.
Perhaps Macbeth, 'the son of life' begins the play as a "nice guy." Unlike Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear, no one seems to genuinely admire or love him except as a warlord. Lady Macbeth dislikes him being full of the milk of human kindness. In reckoning the murder, Macbeth seems most worried about the perils and disadvantages to himself. You may enjoy listing these. ("Maybe destiny will make me king without murdering anyone." "It would be more fun to enjoy my current success and popularity for a while." "I'll go to hell." "Duncan is a good man and people won't like his killer." "I might get caught red-handed." "Somebody will assassinate me in turn.") Do you think he's also considering that his what he's doing is wrong? Different people will reach different conclusions.
All said and done, Shakespeare's unputdownable scripts still remain a favourite movie making stuff. Our very own percocious Bollywood moviemaker Vishal Bhardwaj has taken a cue from his novels and made Macbeth and Othello meet a tad east in movies like Maqbool and Onkara. Bollywood's "Last Lear" a treat for Shakespeare lovers by not about Shakespeare and is not based on "King Lear," but fans of the Bard may find traces of both in a new Bollywood film set in conetemporary India.
Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood's biggest star, plays a reclusive stage actor in "The Last Lear," one who quotes Shakespeare with relish and is making his movie debut at an old age.
Passages from some of Shakespeare's best known works are sprinkled into the film's dialogues.
"Shakespeare almost becomes a character in the film," director Rituparno Ghosh says,"and metaphorically, the vulnerability of old age, an old man who is taken advantage of, is represented in the film,"
For Amitabh Bachchan, the role of Harry and the way he used Shakespeare's language to illustrate his points brought back memories of his own early acting days. It is almost as if Shakespeare himself is the central character of the movie.
Let us not bother about the borrowed rehashings for someting artistically good. After all, it art-for-art's-sake that we are aiming for in the truest of spirits!
Shakespeare's dramatic and scornful lack of formulaic contruct, especially by the use of transitory effects as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his expansion of minor characters, and his use of subplots to embellish the story, has been hailed as being the genesis of great drama in the years to come. His tomes ascribed to a different realistic philosophy that talks many a times of accepting one's status with full raw ferocity and there was nothing collusive about his plot even in the factions that he decribed. His plays give different poetic forms to different characters, sometimes morphing the the form with the progression of the character. Romeo, for example, grows more adept at the sonnet form over the course of the play. Othello became "egotistical" in jealousy but William Hazlitt. Hazlitt makes a statement saying that "the nature of the Moor is noble...but his blood is of the most inflameable kind".
Hamlet is experienced in polemic. He uses highly developed metaphors, stichomythia, and in nine memorable words deploys both anaphora (as in example of Lincoln's “we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground” and asyndeton(as in example of “I came, I saw, I conquered”): "to die: to sleep— / To sleep, perchance to dream". on the other hand when need be arises, he is succint and forthright, as when he explains his inward emotion to his mother: "But I have that within which passes show, / These but the trappings and the suits of woe". Who can forget Lear declaring 'Never, never, never, never,.....'.
Perhaps Macbeth, 'the son of life' begins the play as a "nice guy." Unlike Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear, no one seems to genuinely admire or love him except as a warlord. Lady Macbeth dislikes him being full of the milk of human kindness. In reckoning the murder, Macbeth seems most worried about the perils and disadvantages to himself. You may enjoy listing these. ("Maybe destiny will make me king without murdering anyone." "It would be more fun to enjoy my current success and popularity for a while." "I'll go to hell." "Duncan is a good man and people won't like his killer." "I might get caught red-handed." "Somebody will assassinate me in turn.") Do you think he's also considering that his what he's doing is wrong? Different people will reach different conclusions.
All said and done, Shakespeare's unputdownable scripts still remain a favourite movie making stuff. Our very own percocious Bollywood moviemaker Vishal Bhardwaj has taken a cue from his novels and made Macbeth and Othello meet a tad east in movies like Maqbool and Onkara. Bollywood's "Last Lear" a treat for Shakespeare lovers by not about Shakespeare and is not based on "King Lear," but fans of the Bard may find traces of both in a new Bollywood film set in conetemporary India.
Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood's biggest star, plays a reclusive stage actor in "The Last Lear," one who quotes Shakespeare with relish and is making his movie debut at an old age.
Passages from some of Shakespeare's best known works are sprinkled into the film's dialogues.
"Shakespeare almost becomes a character in the film," director Rituparno Ghosh says,"and metaphorically, the vulnerability of old age, an old man who is taken advantage of, is represented in the film,"
For Amitabh Bachchan, the role of Harry and the way he used Shakespeare's language to illustrate his points brought back memories of his own early acting days. It is almost as if Shakespeare himself is the central character of the movie.
Let us not bother about the borrowed rehashings for someting artistically good. After all, it art-for-art's-sake that we are aiming for in the truest of spirits!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
An author's blog on the recent financial falls
It was interesting to get it on the rediff homepage. The questions can be: Who will bail-out if the Fed goes bust? Why did it chose AIG over Lehman? How about the Indian decoupling phenomenon? Who is to be held responsible-Allan Greenspan for once or a systemic failure per se? What is in Bernarke's mind nowadays? Has the Wall Street been greedy in recent past? What unprecedented sequence of happenings led to this colossal financial catastrophe? And so on and so forth...
Coming back to the title of the post, which talks of an interesting blog for finance novices like me- "The United States is so broke, its people at every level -- from the Federal Reserve on down -- don't know whether to shit or go blind," wrote James Howard Kunstler an American author and social critic - in one of his blogs.
As an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal puts it, "With the benefit of hindsight, everyone can see that the US economy built up an enormous credit bubble that has now popped. . . this bubble was created principally by a Federal Reserve that kept real interest rates too low for too long. In doing so the Fed created a subsidy for debt and a commodity price spike."
The crash has led few of the experts to philosophize by saying c'est la vie or 'That is life'! Some become rich and vice versa. Socialism crumled decades before and capitalism has not perhaps delivered 100 per cent. But do we have an alternative?
It is ironical that China, India or Russia are opting more for the capitalistic model whereas The US of A is adopting a modicum of socialism. Or can we dream of a third alternative, which will be very realistic and not utopian to start with?
The flip side of rising crude prices and Fed funneling approx 700 bn dollars to sort of mitigate the impending finacial crisis has been that dollar has taken flight from emerging markets like India resulting in rupee's exchange rate has depreciated dramatically during this period whereas the sudden and colossal demand for the US greenback has seen it strengthen.
On the other hand, India's ivy-league B-schools are still going gung-ho on day zero placements. Last year, IIM-A had scapped GD as a part of the selection process for full time PGP(MBA) selection. This year it has come up with more electives. Premier B-Schools are not bothered much. Consultancy is one of the hot favourites with the top students of IIMs and more than 3-4th have opted to work in India. Can we still say that the world is flat? It can be depending on the stakes.
Coming back to the title of the post, which talks of an interesting blog for finance novices like me- "The United States is so broke, its people at every level -- from the Federal Reserve on down -- don't know whether to shit or go blind," wrote James Howard Kunstler an American author and social critic - in one of his blogs.
As an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal puts it, "With the benefit of hindsight, everyone can see that the US economy built up an enormous credit bubble that has now popped. . . this bubble was created principally by a Federal Reserve that kept real interest rates too low for too long. In doing so the Fed created a subsidy for debt and a commodity price spike."
The crash has led few of the experts to philosophize by saying c'est la vie or 'That is life'! Some become rich and vice versa. Socialism crumled decades before and capitalism has not perhaps delivered 100 per cent. But do we have an alternative?
It is ironical that China, India or Russia are opting more for the capitalistic model whereas The US of A is adopting a modicum of socialism. Or can we dream of a third alternative, which will be very realistic and not utopian to start with?
The flip side of rising crude prices and Fed funneling approx 700 bn dollars to sort of mitigate the impending finacial crisis has been that dollar has taken flight from emerging markets like India resulting in rupee's exchange rate has depreciated dramatically during this period whereas the sudden and colossal demand for the US greenback has seen it strengthen.
On the other hand, India's ivy-league B-schools are still going gung-ho on day zero placements. Last year, IIM-A had scapped GD as a part of the selection process for full time PGP(MBA) selection. This year it has come up with more electives. Premier B-Schools are not bothered much. Consultancy is one of the hot favourites with the top students of IIMs and more than 3-4th have opted to work in India. Can we still say that the world is flat? It can be depending on the stakes.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Sachin opts out of the upcoming Irani trophy
Bad news for all the die-hard Sachin fans who indefatigably love to watch him play in the park. However, he has been rested as per BCCI keeping the upcoming Aussie tour in mind. Tis surprising how much zing is attached still to any test format. That ratifies the holiness of this format. Despite cricketing legends lamenting the loss of sheen in Indo-Pak rivalry,(more so because of Pakistan cricketing side being a depleted one now), Indo-Aussie rivalry still enthuses a few cricket fans. You need quality bowling attack to challenge Sachin, Dhoni or any other veteran batter. Kumble might just gradually give way to Dhoni for the test captaincy but 'Jumbo'will always be remembered for his amazing consistency all these years. I saw his 8-wicket haul againt Australia in an inning in a test series in Jan, 2004. The match also saw India crossing 700 plus runs with Sachin top-scoring with 241* runs in the first innings and 60* in the second one. However, 'Jumbo' has been magical many times, especially in Kotla, Delhi, where he took all the ten wickets in an inning, if I am getting it correctly. Then again not being given captaincy in the lengthier format has perhaps eased off things for Dhoni as of now who seems to a cool customer in the faster formats. Ponting has a point to set the records straight this series and erase all doubts regarding his shoddy performance in India and he has the calibre to achieve any milestone. Forget his 12 plus average in test cricket on the Indian soil. He can be a masterclass act anyday. He is more restrained in his speech these days and Clarke, the new face of the future Aussie leadership brigade has cautioned the Aussie batsmen to be wary of Indian spinners. Similarly, Kapil has cautioned India against complacency. Gilchrist and Sachin have called any Indo-Aussie series as 'iconic'. We cricket lovers are eagerly awaiting the start of the series in October and let us hope that Sachin will get the 77 plus runs need to become the highest run-getter even in the Test cricket. Even if he does not, he will remain the best after calling it quits. I am sure Lara, another legend, will not rest in peace if it happens very soon. Another legend Viv Richards was able to grab 30 odd man of the match awards in almost half the matches vis-vis other greats. Sachin has been over 50 plus times the man of the match recipient. Ganguly is not very far behind either in that. But time has come for him perhaps to quit gracefully and remain in good memories in the minds of all the cricket fans and not just the bengali cricket fans. He has contributed a lot to India and pioneered the now famous 'aggro' quotient in the team.
In the end, let us hope again that Sachin will bounce back again and critics will not make him a punching bag again for any normal 'human' failure. Border-Gavaskar series, please get started ASAP!
In the end, let us hope again that Sachin will bounce back again and critics will not make him a punching bag again for any normal 'human' failure. Border-Gavaskar series, please get started ASAP!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hurricane Lehman and Delhi blasts
Lehman gone bust, Merill Lynch sold and Fed bailing out AIG. Global cues are very disappointing. In India, terror strikes are commoner and it has become a euphemism to say that the spirit of the target city is as vibrant as ever despite the attacks. If newly n-powered Indian capital is not safe, what to say of the rest? Government is still soft on everything and the politicians are behaving like selfish cowards interested only in vote banks. It's a truism that while tackling terrorism, the government always appears as either partisan or too soft. Shivraj Patil showed his sartorial elegance in full flow that evening(that of Delhi blasts) by changing clothes thrice within few hours for addressing the media to deliver soundbites on his take on the terror attacks in India. The minority community is not to be blamed for Islamist militancy because it has been at the receiving ends in most of the cases and it is only a misguided section in any community that is responsible. That actually does more harm to the reputation of their own community for which they are willing to lay down and take innocent lives. The victims in any terrorist activity do not belong to any faith. They are just human beings. But we are prejudiced to see only one side of the coin. The appeasement policies of the government have done little good to the minority community in any social sphere. They need better amenities and care in the real sense. Educate them more, give them better jobs and last but not least please trust their patriotism or allegiance. Let us not forget Abdul Hamid, Ashfaqullah Khan, Begum Hazrat, Annie Besant, Bhagat Singh and the rest who are the rolemodels for any Indian patriot. They did not belong to the dominant majority community. The same trust should be given to the Maoists, Naxalites, ULFA, LTTE or any other warring outfit. Meaningful dialogues might work wonders.
On-the-cricket-front, Ozs have full right to raise security concerns as Indian security scenario now seems no different from that in Pakistan, which has perhaps rightfully pointed out the discrimination carried on security pretexts. India is now on a similar path.
God knows who will take care of our materialistic accumulations when the security could be sabotaged as per the will of the terrorists. The economy is already in a jeopardy because of global slowdown and now our families are not safe too. What will we do with the dollars, yens, euros, or simply any other basket of currency? Amitabh Bacchan did not miss the opportunity to say in his blog that Abhishek Bacchan could have been the hapless victim of terror blasts in Delhi as he was in CP that evening. The poor have lost the will to say anything. They are much too bored now with the daily miseries.
However, love is even more required now to end hatred. Let everyone feel the peace within and outside. Amen!
On-the-cricket-front, Ozs have full right to raise security concerns as Indian security scenario now seems no different from that in Pakistan, which has perhaps rightfully pointed out the discrimination carried on security pretexts. India is now on a similar path.
God knows who will take care of our materialistic accumulations when the security could be sabotaged as per the will of the terrorists. The economy is already in a jeopardy because of global slowdown and now our families are not safe too. What will we do with the dollars, yens, euros, or simply any other basket of currency? Amitabh Bacchan did not miss the opportunity to say in his blog that Abhishek Bacchan could have been the hapless victim of terror blasts in Delhi as he was in CP that evening. The poor have lost the will to say anything. They are much too bored now with the daily miseries.
However, love is even more required now to end hatred. Let everyone feel the peace within and outside. Amen!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
phelps and bolt rule
Bindra is the new poster boy in Ind1a but itz Phelps and Bolt that have outshone the rest. Mark Spitz is not spitting but heaping encomiums on Phelps and Michael Johnson is acknowledging gleefully the bolt from the blue in the name of Usain Bolt. Beijing mandarins must be happier too after an all round execellent spectacle so far.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
run-of-the-mill
The first million will perhaps come in the next janam but I am looking forward to have a good tryst with spirituality. Rehab is round the corner or at least an honest attempt is on for that.
Ratiocination leaves one high and dry and non-conformity is important at times. Osho says that do not follow the master just for the heck of it and it is tragic that majorly religious protagonists have tried to shoot two birds with one arrow. They killed the joy and gave stress just to ensure that their bastion remains secure. Indeed, it is foolhardy to run after a rigmarole. The world is illusory not because it is not real but because in a heightened state of self-centredness it remains forgotten. That can be called a form of infantile narcissism but it is the transcendence of the temporal. Enlightenment may come in a flash and may not come in the eons to come. But few icons scared the masses about it and could have done well to give false enchantment initially because the spiritual journey once started in the right direction would spontaneously make the disciple discard excess baggage who might not mind the initial fanciful presicience of the master.
The dogmas are fetters and that proves Marx right at places. There have been intellectuals but very few intelligent people, says the master. We learn from the simplest of things. A tea-shop owner daily opening his shop in the morning without fail might well set a touchstone of specs for the top executives. A green tree standing tall since years can inspire a virtuoso to paint a magnum opus. Mona Lisa was the center of the cosmos for Da Vinci when he painted the masterpiece and the world's greatest genius refused riches owing to his love for that.
The world is metamorphosing in something new and different and lot many spritual, artistic, literary things et al are becoming archaic but it soothes at times to return back to the basics.
Everything remains the same. Same curtains, flower pots and doors! But the flower becomes redolent in bliss. The walls reveal blithely inner secrets and the monsoon showers bring forth the child.
Happiness is the keynote of life perhaps. And thanks God that mankind finds ways more than one to remain happy even in the warp of prosperity and the woof of suffering!
Ratiocination leaves one high and dry and non-conformity is important at times. Osho says that do not follow the master just for the heck of it and it is tragic that majorly religious protagonists have tried to shoot two birds with one arrow. They killed the joy and gave stress just to ensure that their bastion remains secure. Indeed, it is foolhardy to run after a rigmarole. The world is illusory not because it is not real but because in a heightened state of self-centredness it remains forgotten. That can be called a form of infantile narcissism but it is the transcendence of the temporal. Enlightenment may come in a flash and may not come in the eons to come. But few icons scared the masses about it and could have done well to give false enchantment initially because the spiritual journey once started in the right direction would spontaneously make the disciple discard excess baggage who might not mind the initial fanciful presicience of the master.
The dogmas are fetters and that proves Marx right at places. There have been intellectuals but very few intelligent people, says the master. We learn from the simplest of things. A tea-shop owner daily opening his shop in the morning without fail might well set a touchstone of specs for the top executives. A green tree standing tall since years can inspire a virtuoso to paint a magnum opus. Mona Lisa was the center of the cosmos for Da Vinci when he painted the masterpiece and the world's greatest genius refused riches owing to his love for that.
The world is metamorphosing in something new and different and lot many spritual, artistic, literary things et al are becoming archaic but it soothes at times to return back to the basics.
Everything remains the same. Same curtains, flower pots and doors! But the flower becomes redolent in bliss. The walls reveal blithely inner secrets and the monsoon showers bring forth the child.
Happiness is the keynote of life perhaps. And thanks God that mankind finds ways more than one to remain happy even in the warp of prosperity and the woof of suffering!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Exacting faith
Emptiness is a negative connotation depending on the usage. Osho says that plain emptiness is negative but full of emptiness is positive. The insecurities abound as we pine too much for securities. Overemphasis always leads to a reaction. Let us be like a hollow pipe, which is blissfully unaware of the resources but still remains a good participant in the euphony of nature when required. The universal consiousness is all pervasive. Let us meditate to sing and dance and then a thousand orgasms might just burst forth and might recompense infinitely more for the materialistic losses. A yogi is a practical person as he believes first in keeping his body healthy. A stressed and burnt-out executive may not be that practical if the monetising circumstances are taking a toll on the body. A tree man knows the fragrance of the trees even as a die-hard agnostic cannot explain by dissecting a seed how the seed gives rise to the leaves, flowers, foliage, stem or any other living form. Similarly, infinite atoms comprising matter is reason enough to make us believe in a divine power who is now not lost after creating all these. The designs of the creator are abstruse but one can empathize with people like Thomas Hardy who wrote tomes on the world being full of sufferings and claimed in one of his writings that earth is a blighted planet. Perhaps, circumstances are stronger than faith at times. Facts supersede the truth at times.
Cautious optimism is good as a business jargon and optimism beomes a literary jargon at times.
However, it is good to try and have faith that only God will guide us through all these and we can say, "This too shall pass!"
And it is not that we mortals try to extract our pound of flesh in that! We are deperate without HIM!
Cautious optimism is good as a business jargon and optimism beomes a literary jargon at times.
However, it is good to try and have faith that only God will guide us through all these and we can say, "This too shall pass!"
And it is not that we mortals try to extract our pound of flesh in that! We are deperate without HIM!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
a day without a high in the night!
It is different but how much it is, God knows!
In the morning itself, flashes of teenage affections started troubling and the mind started wondering how can one forget all these after all these!
Five years of unbridled affections and then a few cardinal sins and it is gone, all in a flash...
Ten years back, it was about the same and now also it is the same: memories that are haunting the soul. What has changed? The riches, achievements, hedonism, conscience, or plainly the circumstances?
God knows!
Sometimes it is best left unpondered. Let it go on like this. Let it flow uninterrupted like this. Let God be the saviour!
"Osho: Nothing to Lose But Your Head"
In the morning itself, flashes of teenage affections started troubling and the mind started wondering how can one forget all these after all these!
Five years of unbridled affections and then a few cardinal sins and it is gone, all in a flash...
Ten years back, it was about the same and now also it is the same: memories that are haunting the soul. What has changed? The riches, achievements, hedonism, conscience, or plainly the circumstances?
God knows!
Sometimes it is best left unpondered. Let it go on like this. Let it flow uninterrupted like this. Let God be the saviour!
"Osho: Nothing to Lose But Your Head"
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
lovely love
Good to be full of love some times even if it is like the ephemeral flower of beauty that might wilt away very soon! The objective to exist is more pronounced in that. It is a blissful stupor and feeds the rest in the cosmos with an undefinable resonance.
This mixed with the feeling of becoming a 'chacha' has been great. I thank God for the great day today. Who knows if all the days do not remain similarly blissful? Hoping for the best for the entire humankind and praying to God for that!
This mixed with the feeling of becoming a 'chacha' has been great. I thank God for the great day today. Who knows if all the days do not remain similarly blissful? Hoping for the best for the entire humankind and praying to God for that!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
night and morning anamoly
In the nights the resolve is steely that something extraordinary will happen the next morning...
In the morning, it becomes a dampener...
Psst...
It is wrong committing something without observing a pattern emerging out of the past few fortnights performance. Excusing oneself is the easy way out but that is the only way out in trying circumstances. This is amply clear to someone who bore the brunt on-the-business-front and even clearer to the other one who has suffered excruciationg mental agony of committment.
The back-up should be there in place before starting a venture.
In the morning, it becomes a dampener...
Psst...
It is wrong committing something without observing a pattern emerging out of the past few fortnights performance. Excusing oneself is the easy way out but that is the only way out in trying circumstances. This is amply clear to someone who bore the brunt on-the-business-front and even clearer to the other one who has suffered excruciationg mental agony of committment.
The back-up should be there in place before starting a venture.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
What is the sum of 1/sqrt(n)?
just came across a question
What is the integral value of 1+1/sqrt(2)+1/sqrt(3)+1/sqrt(4)+.....1/sqrt(1000?
i am curious about the general formula till the nth term. This is what i could dig out in a limited timeline:
What's the formula for
n
SUM [1/sqrt(i)]?
i=1
The sum lies
between 2*sqrt(n)-2 and 2*sqrt(n). That is because what you have is
bounded above by
INT [1/sqrt(t) dt] from 0 to n
and below by
INT [1/sqrt(t) dt] from 1 to n
which have the values as indicated.
The formula for the sum is a bit difficult. It is:
n
SUM k^(-1/2) = 2*n^(1/2) - 3/2 + n^(-1/2)/2 -
k=1
n
(1/2)*INT (x-[x]-1/2)*x^(-3/2) dx)
1
Here [x] means the greatest integer less than x. This can be proved by Mathematical Induction.
What is the integral value of 1+1/sqrt(2)+1/sqrt(3)+1/sqrt(4)+.....1/sqrt(1000?
i am curious about the general formula till the nth term. This is what i could dig out in a limited timeline:
What's the formula for
n
SUM [1/sqrt(i)]?
i=1
The sum lies
between 2*sqrt(n)-2 and 2*sqrt(n). That is because what you have is
bounded above by
INT [1/sqrt(t) dt] from 0 to n
and below by
INT [1/sqrt(t) dt] from 1 to n
which have the values as indicated.
The formula for the sum is a bit difficult. It is:
n
SUM k^(-1/2) = 2*n^(1/2) - 3/2 + n^(-1/2)/2 -
k=1
n
(1/2)*INT (x-[x]-1/2)*x^(-3/2) dx)
1
Here [x] means the greatest integer less than x. This can be proved by Mathematical Induction.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Math Camp
I remember when I was in my 10+2 days it was rumoured that a student from a local school had proved Fermat's theorem. It is years later that I am reading about the theorem. The curiosity was immense in those days. Sometimes I miss those days when we used to be obsessed with Science and Math questions. I read a bit from the book Snapshots from Hell, which is a nice book talking about fun in Mathematics.
Something about Fermat's last theorem:
X^n+Y^n=Z^n is a diophantine equation, which has no nontrivial solutions for n>2 and x.y, z being non-zero. It has a long and fascinating history and is known as Fermat's last theorem.
Fermat first scribbled Fermat's last theorem in the margin of his copy of the ancient Greek text Arithmetica by Diophantus. The scribbled note was discovered posthumously, and the original is now lost. However, a copy was preserved in a book published by Fermat's son.
The full text of Fermat's statement, written in Latin, reads "Cubum autem in duos cubos, aut quadrato-quadratum in duos quadrato-quadratos, et generaliter nullam in infinitum ultra quadratum potestatem in duos eiusdem nominis fas est dividere cuius rei demonstrationem mirabilem sane detexi. Hanc marginis exiguitas non caperet" (Nagell 1951, p. 252). In translation, "It is impossible for a cube to be the sum of two cubes, a fourth power to be the sum of two fourth powers, or in general for any number that is a power greater than the second to be the sum of two like powers. I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition that this margin is too narrow to contain."
As a result of Fermat's marginal note, the proposition that the Diophantine equation
X^n+Y^n=Z^n
where x, y, z, and n are integers, has no nonzero solutions for n>2 has come to be known as Fermat's Last Theorem. It was called a "theorem" on the strength of Fermat's statement, despite the fact that no other mathematician was able to prove it for hundreds of years.
The restriction for n>2 is so because we have infinite value of Pythagorean triples satisfying the equation for x^2+y^2=z^2.
Something about Fermat's last theorem:
X^n+Y^n=Z^n is a diophantine equation, which has no nontrivial solutions for n>2 and x.y, z being non-zero. It has a long and fascinating history and is known as Fermat's last theorem.
Fermat first scribbled Fermat's last theorem in the margin of his copy of the ancient Greek text Arithmetica by Diophantus. The scribbled note was discovered posthumously, and the original is now lost. However, a copy was preserved in a book published by Fermat's son.
The full text of Fermat's statement, written in Latin, reads "Cubum autem in duos cubos, aut quadrato-quadratum in duos quadrato-quadratos, et generaliter nullam in infinitum ultra quadratum potestatem in duos eiusdem nominis fas est dividere cuius rei demonstrationem mirabilem sane detexi. Hanc marginis exiguitas non caperet" (Nagell 1951, p. 252). In translation, "It is impossible for a cube to be the sum of two cubes, a fourth power to be the sum of two fourth powers, or in general for any number that is a power greater than the second to be the sum of two like powers. I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition that this margin is too narrow to contain."
As a result of Fermat's marginal note, the proposition that the Diophantine equation
X^n+Y^n=Z^n
where x, y, z, and n are integers, has no nonzero solutions for n>2 has come to be known as Fermat's Last Theorem. It was called a "theorem" on the strength of Fermat's statement, despite the fact that no other mathematician was able to prove it for hundreds of years.
The restriction for n>2 is so because we have infinite value of Pythagorean triples satisfying the equation for x^2+y^2=z^2.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Ramanujan number
The number 1729 is indeed interesting. It is the smallest number that can be expressed as a sum of two cubes not once but twice.
1729=10^3+963
=12^3+1^3
It was discovered by Ramanujan who did extensive self-trained research on Mathematics.
This property of 1729 was mentioned by the character Robert the sometimes insane mathematician, played by Anthony Hopkins, in the 2005 film Proof. It was also part of the designation of the spaceship Nimbus BP-1729 appearing in Season 2 of the animated television series Futurama episode DVD 2ACV02, as well as the robot character Bender's serial number, as portrayed in a Christmas card in the episode Xmas Story.
I read an article online that reflected a wee bit of the genius of this man. The link is: http://www.durangobill.com/Ramanujan.html. I am able to comprehend a bit of the pattern. However, I believe thay since there is a program in C to generate Ramanujan numbers, the algorithm for the same can be understood with a bit of hard work. With my little comprehension, I am trying to give the key features of this. Here it goes:
Durango Bill’s
Ramanujan Numbers
and
The Taxicab Problem
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you mention the number “1729” or the phrase “Taxicab Problem” to any mathematician, it will immediately bring up the subject of the self-taught Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. When Ramanujan was dying of tuberculosis in a hospital, G. H. Hardy would frequently visit him. It was on one of these visits that the following occurred according to C. P. Snow.
“Hardy used to visit him, as he lay dying in hospital at Putney. It was on one of those visits that there happened the incident of the taxicab number. Hardy had gone out to Putney by taxi, as usual his chosen method of conveyance. He went into the room where Ramanujan was lying. Hardy, always inept about introducing a conversation, said, probably without a greeting, and certainly as his first remark: ‘I thought the number of my taxicab was 1729. It seemed to me rather a dull number.’ To which Ramanujan replied: ‘No, Hardy! No, Hardy! It is a very interesting number. It is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.’”
Since then, integer solutions to:
I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3
have been called “Ramanujan Numbers”.
The first five of these are:
Ramanujan Number
I J K L (No “,” With “,”)
----------------------------------------------
1 12 9 10 1729 1,729
2 16 9 15 4104 4,104
2 24 18 20 13832 13,832 (This is a multiple of Solution 1)
10 27 19 24 20683 20,683
4 32 18 30 32832 32,832 (This is a multiple of Solution 2)
The lowest solution to this “2-way” problem is also referred to as “Taxicab(2)”.
Ramanujan Triples
Next, we might ask if there are any triple pair solutions to I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3 = M^3 + N^3 where all the numbers are integers. Again, there are an infinite number of solutions. The first 5 solutions are:
Ramanujan Triple
I J K L M N (No “,” With “,”)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
228 423 167 436 255 414 87539319 87,539,319
11 493 90 492 346 428 119824488 119,824,488
111 522 408 423 359 460 143604279 143,604,279
70 560 198 552 315 525 175959000 175,959,000
339 661 300 670 510 580 327763000 327,763,000
Solutions involving 3 pairs are also called 3-way solutions. The lowest solution to any “N-Way” problem is also called a “Taxicab Number”. Thus “Taxicab(3)” is 87539319.
Ramanujan Quadruples
The sequence can be extended through Ramanujan Quadruples. (There are 4 ways that the sum of two cubes can share a common sum.) The first five quadruple pairs (I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3 = M^3 + N^3 = O^3 + P^3) are:
Ramanujan
I J K L M N O P Quadruple
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
13322 16630 10200 18072 5436 18948 2421 19083 6,963,472,309,248
12939 21869 10362 22580 7068 23066 4275 23237 12,625,136,269,928
17176 25232 11772 26916 8664 27360 1539 27645 21,131,226,514,944
21930 24940 14577 28423 12900 28810 4170 29620 26,059,452,841,000
26644 33260 20400 36144 10872 37896 4842 38166 55,707,778,473,984 (A multiple)
Taxicab(4) is thus 6963472309248.
Ramanujan Quintuples
If a number can be formed by the sum of 2 cubes in 5 different ways (5-way solution) it becomes a Ramanujan Quintuple. The 16 lowest primitive solutions are shown in the table below. The lowest is of course “Taxicab(5)” which has been found/verified by several sources. The ramanujans.c program took 3 hrs. 15 min. for Taxicab(5). (The current optimized version cuts this to less than 2 hours.)
(I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3 = M^3 + N^3 = O^3 + P^3 = Q^3 + R^3)
I J K L M N O P Q R
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) 231518 331954 221424 336588 205292 342952 107839 362753 38787 365757
3) 579240 666630 543145 691295 285120 776070 233775 781785 48369 788631
8) 1462050 1478238 1150792 1690544 788724 1803372 580488 1833120 103113 1852215
13) 1872184 2750288 1283148 2933844 944376 2982240 265392 3012792 167751 3013305
16) 2808000 2953080 2384460 3250260 2025400 3408080 1041204 3602796 262665 3631095
19) 2273733 3527139 1941984 3642078 1654136 3711070 1329636 3762990 653022 3811152
22) 2615985 3692391 1839516 3958290 1164002 4054792 640500 4081266 120069 4086483
34) 4972160 5227585 3884265 5917170 2595033 6285342 2416890 6313545 1006145 6421240
35) 4542802 5670830 3478200 6162552 1853676 6461268 825561 6507303 581384 6510184
38) 3811712 6608416 3126048 6792768 2658867 6876621 1509320 6983224 1084848 6997968
39) 5486400 5769864 4658868 6350508 3957320 6658864 3325590 6843114 513207 7094601
46) 5966610 6293820 5348655 6758505 3469365 7488675 2641964 7624786 225810 7729020
50) 5708052 7282590 5384475 7465677 4989264 7651854 4016670 7976052 3179918 8143576
53) 5167575 8016225 4413600 8277450 4112052 8356698 3759400 8434250 3021900 8552250
57) 6461170 8065550 4947000 8764920 2636460 9189780 1405246 9250754 1174185 9255255
65) 8387550 8480418 6601912 9698384 3330168 10516320 935856 10624056 591543 10625865
Of interest is the increasing sparseness of numbers that can be formed by the sum of two cubes. At 1.0E+20, only one number in 16,000,000 is the sum of two cubes. The sparseness slowly gets worse with increasing number size. A Poisson Distribution calculation based on this “density” indicates a random number near 1.0E+20 should have only a 7.9E-39 probability of forming a 5-way solution. If numbers that can be formed by the sum of two cubes were distributed randomly, there probably wouldn’t be any 5-way or greater solutions. (This would be particularly true for primitive solutions beyond the first one or two.) Given that sporadic 5-way solutions exist, one can conclude that the distribution is not entirely random. (This extends beyond the known modulo 9 relationship.)
Ramanujan Sextuples
The process of “N-way” solutions can be extended to numbers that can be formed by the sum of 2 cubes in 6 different ways. There are several known solutions, but the search run by Uwe Hollerbach confirms that “Taxicab(6)” is the result shown below.
Taxicab(6) = 24153319581254312065344
= 28906206^3 + 582162^3
= 28894803^3 + 3064173^3
= 28657487^3 + 8519281^3
= 27093208^3 + 16218068^3
= 26590452^3 + 17492496^3
= 26224366^3 + 18289922^3
It is interesting to note that this candidate for Taxicab(6) is 79 times Taxicab(5). If you multiply the I, J, K, etc. components of Taxicab(5) by 79, you will get the last 5 pairs of Taxicab(6). (The actual resulting number is 79^3 times larger.)
One possible way of constructing “N” way solutions is to start with “N-1” way primitive solutions and generate/try all possible multiples to see if anything interesting happens. The author tried multiplying all the above primitive 5-way solutions by all integers such that the result was less than Taxicab(6). There were no new smaller 6-way solutions. (Note: All integer multiples have to be used for these trials and not just multiples using prime numbers. For example, the 5th primitive 5-way solution, “16)” above, is 65 times a primitive 4-way solution, and “65” is not a prime.)
Cabtaxi Numbers
While “Taxicab(N)” is defined as the lowest number that can be formed by the sum of two cubes in “N” different ways, Cabtaxi(N) is defined as the lowest number that can be formed by the sum and/or difference of two cubes in “N” different ways. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabtaxi_number for more information.)
1729=10^3+963
=12^3+1^3
It was discovered by Ramanujan who did extensive self-trained research on Mathematics.
This property of 1729 was mentioned by the character Robert the sometimes insane mathematician, played by Anthony Hopkins, in the 2005 film Proof. It was also part of the designation of the spaceship Nimbus BP-1729 appearing in Season 2 of the animated television series Futurama episode DVD 2ACV02, as well as the robot character Bender's serial number, as portrayed in a Christmas card in the episode Xmas Story.
I read an article online that reflected a wee bit of the genius of this man. The link is: http://www.durangobill.com/Ramanujan.html. I am able to comprehend a bit of the pattern. However, I believe thay since there is a program in C to generate Ramanujan numbers, the algorithm for the same can be understood with a bit of hard work. With my little comprehension, I am trying to give the key features of this. Here it goes:
Durango Bill’s
Ramanujan Numbers
and
The Taxicab Problem
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you mention the number “1729” or the phrase “Taxicab Problem” to any mathematician, it will immediately bring up the subject of the self-taught Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. When Ramanujan was dying of tuberculosis in a hospital, G. H. Hardy would frequently visit him. It was on one of these visits that the following occurred according to C. P. Snow.
“Hardy used to visit him, as he lay dying in hospital at Putney. It was on one of those visits that there happened the incident of the taxicab number. Hardy had gone out to Putney by taxi, as usual his chosen method of conveyance. He went into the room where Ramanujan was lying. Hardy, always inept about introducing a conversation, said, probably without a greeting, and certainly as his first remark: ‘I thought the number of my taxicab was 1729. It seemed to me rather a dull number.’ To which Ramanujan replied: ‘No, Hardy! No, Hardy! It is a very interesting number. It is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.’”
Since then, integer solutions to:
I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3
have been called “Ramanujan Numbers”.
The first five of these are:
Ramanujan Number
I J K L (No “,” With “,”)
----------------------------------------------
1 12 9 10 1729 1,729
2 16 9 15 4104 4,104
2 24 18 20 13832 13,832 (This is a multiple of Solution 1)
10 27 19 24 20683 20,683
4 32 18 30 32832 32,832 (This is a multiple of Solution 2)
The lowest solution to this “2-way” problem is also referred to as “Taxicab(2)”.
Ramanujan Triples
Next, we might ask if there are any triple pair solutions to I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3 = M^3 + N^3 where all the numbers are integers. Again, there are an infinite number of solutions. The first 5 solutions are:
Ramanujan Triple
I J K L M N (No “,” With “,”)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
228 423 167 436 255 414 87539319 87,539,319
11 493 90 492 346 428 119824488 119,824,488
111 522 408 423 359 460 143604279 143,604,279
70 560 198 552 315 525 175959000 175,959,000
339 661 300 670 510 580 327763000 327,763,000
Solutions involving 3 pairs are also called 3-way solutions. The lowest solution to any “N-Way” problem is also called a “Taxicab Number”. Thus “Taxicab(3)” is 87539319.
Ramanujan Quadruples
The sequence can be extended through Ramanujan Quadruples. (There are 4 ways that the sum of two cubes can share a common sum.) The first five quadruple pairs (I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3 = M^3 + N^3 = O^3 + P^3) are:
Ramanujan
I J K L M N O P Quadruple
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
13322 16630 10200 18072 5436 18948 2421 19083 6,963,472,309,248
12939 21869 10362 22580 7068 23066 4275 23237 12,625,136,269,928
17176 25232 11772 26916 8664 27360 1539 27645 21,131,226,514,944
21930 24940 14577 28423 12900 28810 4170 29620 26,059,452,841,000
26644 33260 20400 36144 10872 37896 4842 38166 55,707,778,473,984 (A multiple)
Taxicab(4) is thus 6963472309248.
Ramanujan Quintuples
If a number can be formed by the sum of 2 cubes in 5 different ways (5-way solution) it becomes a Ramanujan Quintuple. The 16 lowest primitive solutions are shown in the table below. The lowest is of course “Taxicab(5)” which has been found/verified by several sources. The ramanujans.c program took 3 hrs. 15 min. for Taxicab(5). (The current optimized version cuts this to less than 2 hours.)
(I^3 + J^3 = K^3 + L^3 = M^3 + N^3 = O^3 + P^3 = Q^3 + R^3)
I J K L M N O P Q R
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) 231518 331954 221424 336588 205292 342952 107839 362753 38787 365757
3) 579240 666630 543145 691295 285120 776070 233775 781785 48369 788631
8) 1462050 1478238 1150792 1690544 788724 1803372 580488 1833120 103113 1852215
13) 1872184 2750288 1283148 2933844 944376 2982240 265392 3012792 167751 3013305
16) 2808000 2953080 2384460 3250260 2025400 3408080 1041204 3602796 262665 3631095
19) 2273733 3527139 1941984 3642078 1654136 3711070 1329636 3762990 653022 3811152
22) 2615985 3692391 1839516 3958290 1164002 4054792 640500 4081266 120069 4086483
34) 4972160 5227585 3884265 5917170 2595033 6285342 2416890 6313545 1006145 6421240
35) 4542802 5670830 3478200 6162552 1853676 6461268 825561 6507303 581384 6510184
38) 3811712 6608416 3126048 6792768 2658867 6876621 1509320 6983224 1084848 6997968
39) 5486400 5769864 4658868 6350508 3957320 6658864 3325590 6843114 513207 7094601
46) 5966610 6293820 5348655 6758505 3469365 7488675 2641964 7624786 225810 7729020
50) 5708052 7282590 5384475 7465677 4989264 7651854 4016670 7976052 3179918 8143576
53) 5167575 8016225 4413600 8277450 4112052 8356698 3759400 8434250 3021900 8552250
57) 6461170 8065550 4947000 8764920 2636460 9189780 1405246 9250754 1174185 9255255
65) 8387550 8480418 6601912 9698384 3330168 10516320 935856 10624056 591543 10625865
Of interest is the increasing sparseness of numbers that can be formed by the sum of two cubes. At 1.0E+20, only one number in 16,000,000 is the sum of two cubes. The sparseness slowly gets worse with increasing number size. A Poisson Distribution calculation based on this “density” indicates a random number near 1.0E+20 should have only a 7.9E-39 probability of forming a 5-way solution. If numbers that can be formed by the sum of two cubes were distributed randomly, there probably wouldn’t be any 5-way or greater solutions. (This would be particularly true for primitive solutions beyond the first one or two.) Given that sporadic 5-way solutions exist, one can conclude that the distribution is not entirely random. (This extends beyond the known modulo 9 relationship.)
Ramanujan Sextuples
The process of “N-way” solutions can be extended to numbers that can be formed by the sum of 2 cubes in 6 different ways. There are several known solutions, but the search run by Uwe Hollerbach confirms that “Taxicab(6)” is the result shown below.
Taxicab(6) = 24153319581254312065344
= 28906206^3 + 582162^3
= 28894803^3 + 3064173^3
= 28657487^3 + 8519281^3
= 27093208^3 + 16218068^3
= 26590452^3 + 17492496^3
= 26224366^3 + 18289922^3
It is interesting to note that this candidate for Taxicab(6) is 79 times Taxicab(5). If you multiply the I, J, K, etc. components of Taxicab(5) by 79, you will get the last 5 pairs of Taxicab(6). (The actual resulting number is 79^3 times larger.)
One possible way of constructing “N” way solutions is to start with “N-1” way primitive solutions and generate/try all possible multiples to see if anything interesting happens. The author tried multiplying all the above primitive 5-way solutions by all integers such that the result was less than Taxicab(6). There were no new smaller 6-way solutions. (Note: All integer multiples have to be used for these trials and not just multiples using prime numbers. For example, the 5th primitive 5-way solution, “16)” above, is 65 times a primitive 4-way solution, and “65” is not a prime.)
Cabtaxi Numbers
While “Taxicab(N)” is defined as the lowest number that can be formed by the sum of two cubes in “N” different ways, Cabtaxi(N) is defined as the lowest number that can be formed by the sum and/or difference of two cubes in “N” different ways. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabtaxi_number for more information.)
Monday, June 30, 2008
Punter
I have found a daffy definition of punter. The punter is a result oriented person, who cares a damn for methods. He usually solves his problems from answer choices. I would love to be a punter in attitude. Will love to post a little about punter.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Doubtful USP!
If the USP becomes doubtful then what can be done? It causes an immense loss of self-belief when one's belief in one's core competence gets shattered. After being known for one particular domain and then being known for other can be okayish for most of us but is very painful for someone who had put his heart and soul into that. It is tough to reconcile with the loss of a particular skillset. Never mind. Every loss comes at the cost of a gain. Is it a zero sum game? Let me not rue over my brain shifting position from right to left. I always had a bit of lefist leanings.:)
Monday, June 2, 2008
planning to go to Noida
Hey,
just wanna desperately a drinks break...
letz c what noida pals have planned for the treat tonight!
i recall how a teacher chides a student for having correctly told the meaning of the word, "dipsomaniac"!
He said, "You were not supposed to know this!"
i also wanna a home trip very soon...
Do not want any of the, "been there, seen that" stuff for a bit of time!
just wanna desperately a drinks break...
letz c what noida pals have planned for the treat tonight!
i recall how a teacher chides a student for having correctly told the meaning of the word, "dipsomaniac"!
He said, "You were not supposed to know this!"
i also wanna a home trip very soon...
Do not want any of the, "been there, seen that" stuff for a bit of time!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Good Mourning
Good Morning!
What should be a 'Suprabhat' starting with a 'Surya Namaskar' is rarely like that. It rather starts with pair of cigarettes in a row. That is hazardous but is required to recover from the slumber. The feeling does not sink in initially that it is work time folks.
Looking for an alternate vista where the eyes are not wide shut like this. Instead, they will open naturally in response to an internal stimulus. I can recall how I used to wake up early in the morning in anticipation of publishing of my write-up in a local newspaper. Since then I have not moonlighted or worked as a freelancer but plan to dabble and not work full-time irrespective of what comes of it. Until then,
Good Mourning!
What should be a 'Suprabhat' starting with a 'Surya Namaskar' is rarely like that. It rather starts with pair of cigarettes in a row. That is hazardous but is required to recover from the slumber. The feeling does not sink in initially that it is work time folks.
Looking for an alternate vista where the eyes are not wide shut like this. Instead, they will open naturally in response to an internal stimulus. I can recall how I used to wake up early in the morning in anticipation of publishing of my write-up in a local newspaper. Since then I have not moonlighted or worked as a freelancer but plan to dabble and not work full-time irrespective of what comes of it. Until then,
Good Mourning!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The familiar surroundings beckon!
Oh, I love the sticky leaves of my garden now when i am off it and stranded in a concrete jungle! How can one rue over the loss? I mean in what ways can one express the deepest desire to smell the breath of fresh air emanating from the familiar shores of my village! Every village has its own story. Forget about Kerela being God's own country. Probably god resides in villages more than in the cities or let us presume that god is in the cities only on weekends. Because God is simple and does not wish to take care of urban machinations at times.
Yeah, there is an intensity required to stand up to a cause. In my case it is rather simple as well as complicated as I prefer to listen to the heart and not much to the mind. It is strange why so much emphasis is given on sacrificing your instincts every now and then. Probably the rules to live have changed over a period of time and I am living eons away from the so called mainstream.
I can only say, "The heart has its own reasons whereof reason knows nothing"!
Donno know but somehow pantheism attracts now.Is God really found in nature? Life is life everywhere. I will try to find out life in the melee that upsets my conscience normally. It will be difficult but I will try.
Yeah, there is an intensity required to stand up to a cause. In my case it is rather simple as well as complicated as I prefer to listen to the heart and not much to the mind. It is strange why so much emphasis is given on sacrificing your instincts every now and then. Probably the rules to live have changed over a period of time and I am living eons away from the so called mainstream.
I can only say, "The heart has its own reasons whereof reason knows nothing"!
Donno know but somehow pantheism attracts now.Is God really found in nature? Life is life everywhere. I will try to find out life in the melee that upsets my conscience normally. It will be difficult but I will try.
Friday, April 25, 2008
The vernacular err domino effect
The local patoi is good for the ears but it can potentially damage your twang and might render you unfit for the corporate or any other chilled out metro ambiance. It is not a phoney talk but it is true. Ergo, watch out all you upcountry dudes aspiring a career in corporate sweepstakes! This does not take away your love for the hometown. It is important to take tough calls keeping in mind the bigger picture. It is not a loss to burn your fingers once or twice in a venture. You learn something good. But it is vital to realign the business models as per the trends. This realisation has come to me a bit late. But never mind. I will try not to embark on a journey through the road less travelled for a while.:)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sadist says, " Power trip again due to inefficient administration."
As I make up my mind to write something about the screwed days, light has gone off adding to my mental woes. Load shedding has become the order of the day and ten hours of power cut in UP is a de riguer. Aj behenji ki maya hai. Kal kisi aur ki hogi.
But do I need more than ten hours of electricity? Someone rightly pointed out whether I do something for the system. Verily, I do not exercise my franchise and am anti-suffragist. Too bad. We must practice what we preach.
Nowadays it is becoming increasingly difficult to acclimatize with the flora and fauna of a place because the mind has become quite complacent. Now this compacency is different from that within the soul of a supined seer. This is lethargy and I need to pull up the socks.
Now this write-up might invite comments as people are more happy when one is in distress over something. I heard the meaning of the word 'sadism' few years back. The denotation was clear. The connotation is now clearer.
There is a bit of sadist in me too. Let me see how I can try to curb my sadistic instincts. It is well nigh impossible. But I do have the guts to confess.
But do I need more than ten hours of electricity? Someone rightly pointed out whether I do something for the system. Verily, I do not exercise my franchise and am anti-suffragist. Too bad. We must practice what we preach.
Nowadays it is becoming increasingly difficult to acclimatize with the flora and fauna of a place because the mind has become quite complacent. Now this compacency is different from that within the soul of a supined seer. This is lethargy and I need to pull up the socks.
Now this write-up might invite comments as people are more happy when one is in distress over something. I heard the meaning of the word 'sadism' few years back. The denotation was clear. The connotation is now clearer.
There is a bit of sadist in me too. Let me see how I can try to curb my sadistic instincts. It is well nigh impossible. But I do have the guts to confess.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Inflation hits a 3-year high in India!
Inflation hit the 7% mark and the BSE sensex plummeted as the global cues were disappointing again. It was expected to snap a bit. The sentiments were negative as BSE witnessed nearly 3% fall of 483.92 points and ended at 15,343. Benchmarks ended their short run-up because of rise in commodity prices.
HDFC (down 6.57%), BHEL (6.55%), Mahindra & Mahindra (5.86%), Larsen & Toubro (5.58%) and Jaiprakash Associates (5.03%) were the biggest index losers.
Ranbaxy Laboratories, up 2.73 per cent, was the only Sensex gainer. Market breadth remained negative with 1,817 declines and 815 advances on the BSE.
So many stocks took the knock and the investors' faith remains shattered as of now.
The US government is under pressure to intevene in US housing market to mitigate the repurcussions of a possible economic slowdown.
“Given the magnitude of the systemic and macroeconomic risks the US faces, there is a growing case for a finely calibrated public intervention, perhaps addressing both the demand-side as well as the supply-side of the problem,” the Institute of International Finance said.
Eulogising interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, Bank of England and Bank of America, it however added that closer co-operation between these banks and their European and Japanese counterparts was of “critical importance”.
HDFC (down 6.57%), BHEL (6.55%), Mahindra & Mahindra (5.86%), Larsen & Toubro (5.58%) and Jaiprakash Associates (5.03%) were the biggest index losers.
Ranbaxy Laboratories, up 2.73 per cent, was the only Sensex gainer. Market breadth remained negative with 1,817 declines and 815 advances on the BSE.
So many stocks took the knock and the investors' faith remains shattered as of now.
The US government is under pressure to intevene in US housing market to mitigate the repurcussions of a possible economic slowdown.
“Given the magnitude of the systemic and macroeconomic risks the US faces, there is a growing case for a finely calibrated public intervention, perhaps addressing both the demand-side as well as the supply-side of the problem,” the Institute of International Finance said.
Eulogising interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, Bank of England and Bank of America, it however added that closer co-operation between these banks and their European and Japanese counterparts was of “critical importance”.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Yesterday was a bad day for the stock market
Yesterday was not promising for the stock market after it showed signs of resilience last week. The BSE sensex shed 700 plus points and fell below 16k again. The large caps took the knock. Global cues were negative and inflationary concerns are impacting the market sentiments. India is likely to steel itself against inflation by asking domestic iron ore producers to lower prices as part of a range of emergency measures aimed at stemming an alarming jump in inflation.
The government is reducing import duties and scrapping some export incentives for steel producers in response to rising inflation, which hit a 13-month high of 6.68 per cent in the week ending March 15.
News is just in that Ketan Parekh has been sentenced to 1 year jail for the 1992 stocks scam.
Also, the Bombay Stock Exchange could list on its own market this year either through an initial public offering or a direct listing, Rajnikant Patel, the group's chief executive, said.
The government is reducing import duties and scrapping some export incentives for steel producers in response to rising inflation, which hit a 13-month high of 6.68 per cent in the week ending March 15.
News is just in that Ketan Parekh has been sentenced to 1 year jail for the 1992 stocks scam.
Also, the Bombay Stock Exchange could list on its own market this year either through an initial public offering or a direct listing, Rajnikant Patel, the group's chief executive, said.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Pakistan on the road to recovery perhaps
Yesterday, I chanced to read again a bit from the novel 'Adha Gaon' by Rahi Masoom Reza.
Rahi Masoom Reza’s candid and controversial novel unfolds during the latter years of the Raj and the first decade of Independence and portrays the loves, fights and litigations of rival halves of a zamindar family. It attacks the creation of Pakistan and studies the abolition of the zamindari system and its repercussions at the village level. A semi-autobiographical tome set in the author’s village of Gangauli, in Ghazipur district on the fringes of Avadh, Adha Gaon, is full of passion and vibrancy, a powerful record of the meeting of Muslim and Hindu cultural traditions that bound Indian society together.
It is sad that we fight with each other in the garb of communalism. We are like siblings and still fight tooth and nail against each other. Those who love their villages can empathize with the sufferings in the novel. The writer says somewhere that he was happy to be known as the resident of Gangali village and was saddened when people started knowing each other as Shia, Sunni or Hindu.
On-the-neighbour's-front, I believe that India and Pakistan together can be a force to reckon with and this axis will upset the geopolitical balance in our favor perhaps.
With the restoration of democracy in Pakistan, there are chances that Pakistan will be able to overcome the challanges especially that of terrorism. The new PM Yousuf Raza Gilani has taken a very positive step of proposing to initiate dialogues with the militants so that they can lay down their arms and live peaceful lives. As per the new PM, 'war against terrorism' is Pakistan's own war as it has suffered a lot due to it. There has been an unprecedented increase in violence in Pakistan reently. The perils still exist. The PM has planned to reinstate the judges that were sacked by General Musharraf. This demacratically elected government has shown light at the end of tunnel and peace will perhaps return in Pakistan and elsewhere. We will perhaps experience a family reunion again.
Let us hope that India-Pakistan will forge warmer ties and will together grow in stature on all fronts.
Rahi Masoom Reza’s candid and controversial novel unfolds during the latter years of the Raj and the first decade of Independence and portrays the loves, fights and litigations of rival halves of a zamindar family. It attacks the creation of Pakistan and studies the abolition of the zamindari system and its repercussions at the village level. A semi-autobiographical tome set in the author’s village of Gangauli, in Ghazipur district on the fringes of Avadh, Adha Gaon, is full of passion and vibrancy, a powerful record of the meeting of Muslim and Hindu cultural traditions that bound Indian society together.
It is sad that we fight with each other in the garb of communalism. We are like siblings and still fight tooth and nail against each other. Those who love their villages can empathize with the sufferings in the novel. The writer says somewhere that he was happy to be known as the resident of Gangali village and was saddened when people started knowing each other as Shia, Sunni or Hindu.
On-the-neighbour's-front, I believe that India and Pakistan together can be a force to reckon with and this axis will upset the geopolitical balance in our favor perhaps.
With the restoration of democracy in Pakistan, there are chances that Pakistan will be able to overcome the challanges especially that of terrorism. The new PM Yousuf Raza Gilani has taken a very positive step of proposing to initiate dialogues with the militants so that they can lay down their arms and live peaceful lives. As per the new PM, 'war against terrorism' is Pakistan's own war as it has suffered a lot due to it. There has been an unprecedented increase in violence in Pakistan reently. The perils still exist. The PM has planned to reinstate the judges that were sacked by General Musharraf. This demacratically elected government has shown light at the end of tunnel and peace will perhaps return in Pakistan and elsewhere. We will perhaps experience a family reunion again.
Let us hope that India-Pakistan will forge warmer ties and will together grow in stature on all fronts.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The transit feeling of Love in a flash
Never thought how an old man suddenly discovers in a rare flash what it means to be in the reflection of love! It hurts when you had been feeling all along that you are beyond this feeling in these very modern times of ours and in the circumstance you are but suddenly you realize in a brief transit of time that you are just a human being prone to falling in an emotional trap despite all apalling contradictions. It all stems from continued interactions. The heart races off to a an alternative but not parallel world where you are content just with love and are willing to do or at least imagine things that are not sober enough for your profile. You feel a twinge of sadness.
Well, blame on gods or thank goodness, the vulgar reality gets the upper of the surreal and that darned practicality makes inroads to remind you of all sorts of mundane insecurities because one may not be content with the status of Giles Winterborne of Woodlanders whose muse Grace Mulbery had wronged him and had a never-ceasing pity for the man in the end and posits her feeling thus:
A man who had been unfortunate in his worldy transactions; who notwithstanding these things had, like Hamlet's friend, borne himself through all his scathings
As one, in suffering all, that suffers nothing.
Well, blame on gods or thank goodness, the vulgar reality gets the upper of the surreal and that darned practicality makes inroads to remind you of all sorts of mundane insecurities because one may not be content with the status of Giles Winterborne of Woodlanders whose muse Grace Mulbery had wronged him and had a never-ceasing pity for the man in the end and posits her feeling thus:
A man who had been unfortunate in his worldy transactions; who notwithstanding these things had, like Hamlet's friend, borne himself through all his scathings
As one, in suffering all, that suffers nothing.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Dor
What a movie! Nagesh Kuknoor delivered an uncharacteristic genre of filmmaking. The young faces were absolutely awesome and showcased the nuances of acting. The plot did not have any masala but that did not take away the zing from it. It was perhaps the lack of climaxes that made the movie special and very very realistic.
Those who have the appetite for big-budgeted, opulent, star-studded, melodramatic Bollywood movies may not find pleasure in watching a relatively small-budget, realistic film with Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade in the lead roles.
The story majorly revolves around two women- Mira (Ayesha Takia) whose husband has been accidentally killed by the husband of Zeenat (Gul Panag) who wants her husband to be acquited by a 'mafinama' from Mira. Both have different personality types and complement each other. Zeenat is a headstrong woman who has always struggled to live life her way. Mira is a domesticated character who plays a meek, submissive widow with muffled desires but she is the one who choses a life of independence in the end. Behroopiya(Shreyas Tarpade) dupes people with his antics but helps Zeenat to find Mira. In the end Mira gives 'mafinama' to Zeenat and Zeenat finds a friend in her forever.
Music is fantabaulous and there is something nostalgic about the song 'Yeh hausla kaise jhuke...'
This movie is a cinematic treatise on how to realize that there is can be life beyond the metros without any antagonism intended. The happy dancing of the trio in the deserts on the song 'Kajrare..' was hilarious. It was delightful to find a docile widow breaking the shackles of widowhood by enjoying a bit. The message was good that loving someone after the lover's death is not lost because of a few happy moments.
The locales of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have been picturised beautifully.
Hats off to Nagesh Kuknoor and the entire unit for 'Dor'!
Those who have the appetite for big-budgeted, opulent, star-studded, melodramatic Bollywood movies may not find pleasure in watching a relatively small-budget, realistic film with Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade in the lead roles.
The story majorly revolves around two women- Mira (Ayesha Takia) whose husband has been accidentally killed by the husband of Zeenat (Gul Panag) who wants her husband to be acquited by a 'mafinama' from Mira. Both have different personality types and complement each other. Zeenat is a headstrong woman who has always struggled to live life her way. Mira is a domesticated character who plays a meek, submissive widow with muffled desires but she is the one who choses a life of independence in the end. Behroopiya(Shreyas Tarpade) dupes people with his antics but helps Zeenat to find Mira. In the end Mira gives 'mafinama' to Zeenat and Zeenat finds a friend in her forever.
Music is fantabaulous and there is something nostalgic about the song 'Yeh hausla kaise jhuke...'
This movie is a cinematic treatise on how to realize that there is can be life beyond the metros without any antagonism intended. The happy dancing of the trio in the deserts on the song 'Kajrare..' was hilarious. It was delightful to find a docile widow breaking the shackles of widowhood by enjoying a bit. The message was good that loving someone after the lover's death is not lost because of a few happy moments.
The locales of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have been picturised beautifully.
Hats off to Nagesh Kuknoor and the entire unit for 'Dor'!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Shekhar Ek Jeevani
Agyeya wrote the tome that is a masterclass writing.
I came across a touching poem of Rosetti perhaps that found a mention in the novel.
"I want to die while you love me-
While yet you hold me fair,
While laughter lies upon my lips
And lights are in my hair,
I want to die while you love me.
Oh who would care to live?
Till love has nothing more to ask
And nothing more to give
I want to die-"
I came across a touching poem of Rosetti perhaps that found a mention in the novel.
"I want to die while you love me-
While yet you hold me fair,
While laughter lies upon my lips
And lights are in my hair,
I want to die while you love me.
Oh who would care to live?
Till love has nothing more to ask
And nothing more to give
I want to die-"
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Sons and lovers
The troubled and controversial writer D.H. Lawrence who was also misinterpreted as a sexual pervert wrote this fine novel. This novel was partly autobiographical and is majorly about Paul Morel's love for his mother to such an extent that he grapples with his other youthful love affairs. This was the first insinuation of Oedipus Complex by Lawrence's own account: "as her sons grow up she selects them as lovers--first the eldest, then the second. These sons are urged into life by their reciprocal love of their mother--urged on and on. But when they come to manhood, they can't love, because their mother is the strongest power in their lives."
It seems rather absurd but it is a modern portrayal of Freud's concept of Oedipus complex. Paul's mother Mrs. Morel gradually detaches herself from the passion for his husband after repeated fights and also due to occasional violent behaviour of her husband resisted by the elder son. They separate finally. She gets totally absorbed in the lives of her sons. The elder son William Morel dies early and the heartbroken mother now starts doting on the younger one. Paul Morel grapples with his youthful desires and gets entangled in two failed love affairs- earlier with his childhood sweetheart and a farm girl Miriam and later with a divorced suffragette Clara who fulfils his physical needs. Both these affairs fall apart because Paul Morel is more attached with his mother and discards any other attachment. His mother dies in the end and he is left alone.
A strange but good novel. Paul Morel is a sensitive character who is always troubled with himself and appears detached to others. After his mother's death his tragedy is decribed thus in the novel:
"When he turned away he felt the last hold for him had gone. The town,
as he sat upon the car, stretched away over the bay of railway, a
level fume of lights. Beyond the town the country, little smouldering
spots for more towns--the sea--the night--on and on! And he had no
place in it! Whatever spot he stood on, there he stood alone.
From his breast, from his mouth, sprang the endless space, and it
was there behind him, everywhere. The people hurrying along the
streets offered no obstruction to the void in which he found himself.
They were small shadows whose footsteps and voices could be heard,
but in each of them the same night, the same silence. He got off
the car. In the country all was dead still. Little stars shone high up;
little stars spread far away in the flood-waters, a firmament below.
Everywhere the vastness and terror of the immense night which is
roused and stirred for a brief while by the day, but which returns,
and will remain at last eternal, holding everything in its silence
and its living gloom. There was no Time, only Space. Who could say
his mother had lived and did not live? She had been in one place,
and was in another; that was all. And his soul could not leave her,
wherever she was. Now she was gone abroad into the night, and he
was with her still. They were together. But yet there was his body,
his chest, that leaned against the stile, his hands on the wooden bar.
They seemed something. Where was he?--one tiny upright speck of flesh,
less than an ear of wheat lost in the field. He could not bear it.
On every side the immense dark silence seemed pressing him, so tiny
a spark, into extinction, and yet, almost nothing, he could not
be extinct. Night, in which everything was lost, went reaching out,
beyond stars and sun. Stars and sun, a few bright grains, went spinning
round for terror, and holding each other in embrace, there in a
darkness that outpassed them all, and left them tiny and daunted.
So much, and himself, infinitesimal, at the core a nothingness,
and yet not nothing.
"Mother!" he whispered--"mother!"
She was the only thing that held him up, himself, amid all this.
And she was gone, intermingled herself. He wanted her to touch him,
have him alongside with her.
But no, he would not give in. Turning sharply, he walked
towards the city's gold phosphorescence. His fists were shut,
his mouth set fast. He would not take that direction, to the
darkness, to follow her. He walked towards the faintly humming,
glowing town, quickly."
A nice novel.
It seems rather absurd but it is a modern portrayal of Freud's concept of Oedipus complex. Paul's mother Mrs. Morel gradually detaches herself from the passion for his husband after repeated fights and also due to occasional violent behaviour of her husband resisted by the elder son. They separate finally. She gets totally absorbed in the lives of her sons. The elder son William Morel dies early and the heartbroken mother now starts doting on the younger one. Paul Morel grapples with his youthful desires and gets entangled in two failed love affairs- earlier with his childhood sweetheart and a farm girl Miriam and later with a divorced suffragette Clara who fulfils his physical needs. Both these affairs fall apart because Paul Morel is more attached with his mother and discards any other attachment. His mother dies in the end and he is left alone.
A strange but good novel. Paul Morel is a sensitive character who is always troubled with himself and appears detached to others. After his mother's death his tragedy is decribed thus in the novel:
"When he turned away he felt the last hold for him had gone. The town,
as he sat upon the car, stretched away over the bay of railway, a
level fume of lights. Beyond the town the country, little smouldering
spots for more towns--the sea--the night--on and on! And he had no
place in it! Whatever spot he stood on, there he stood alone.
From his breast, from his mouth, sprang the endless space, and it
was there behind him, everywhere. The people hurrying along the
streets offered no obstruction to the void in which he found himself.
They were small shadows whose footsteps and voices could be heard,
but in each of them the same night, the same silence. He got off
the car. In the country all was dead still. Little stars shone high up;
little stars spread far away in the flood-waters, a firmament below.
Everywhere the vastness and terror of the immense night which is
roused and stirred for a brief while by the day, but which returns,
and will remain at last eternal, holding everything in its silence
and its living gloom. There was no Time, only Space. Who could say
his mother had lived and did not live? She had been in one place,
and was in another; that was all. And his soul could not leave her,
wherever she was. Now she was gone abroad into the night, and he
was with her still. They were together. But yet there was his body,
his chest, that leaned against the stile, his hands on the wooden bar.
They seemed something. Where was he?--one tiny upright speck of flesh,
less than an ear of wheat lost in the field. He could not bear it.
On every side the immense dark silence seemed pressing him, so tiny
a spark, into extinction, and yet, almost nothing, he could not
be extinct. Night, in which everything was lost, went reaching out,
beyond stars and sun. Stars and sun, a few bright grains, went spinning
round for terror, and holding each other in embrace, there in a
darkness that outpassed them all, and left them tiny and daunted.
So much, and himself, infinitesimal, at the core a nothingness,
and yet not nothing.
"Mother!" he whispered--"mother!"
She was the only thing that held him up, himself, amid all this.
And she was gone, intermingled herself. He wanted her to touch him,
have him alongside with her.
But no, he would not give in. Turning sharply, he walked
towards the city's gold phosphorescence. His fists were shut,
his mouth set fast. He would not take that direction, to the
darkness, to follow her. He walked towards the faintly humming,
glowing town, quickly."
A nice novel.
Monday, March 3, 2008
carnage on halaal street today.:)
I am not a finance guy. However, I am trying to be more knowledgeable about it by listening to CNBC and trying to comprehend,recapitulate, and paraphrase(not copy and paste)the nuances. It can be full of bloopers.
It was a bad day for the market with a loss of 900 plus points. The dampeners can be prevelance of STT and higher short-term capital gains tax. Global cues remain disappointing. The banking sector took the beating as well after assurances of refund of farm loans. The recession worries are still persisting but there are speculations that the US market could rebound in Q3CY08. The post-budget wishlist is very much there and the FM is clarifying that it is not a case of 'Heads I win and tails you lose!'. Chidambaram has defended his budgetary loan waivers by citing the examples of legendary Rajaji in the late 30s and later of Janardan Pujari who fought for similar causes.
Many Maharashtrian farmers are not happy with the 5 acres ceiling and are saying that it is a case of too little too late.
On the other fronts there is news of maverick moves of maverick Branson's Virgin Atlantis and Tata group JV in telecom domain. It is now under DoT scanner. I could not comprehend the reason behind the glitch.
Vodafone too is involved in a litigation over tax related issues with the tax department. This appeared a bit nebulous too to my comprehension.
The tax holidays have not yet been extended to STPI's. This can lead to STPI's spaces being utilized by non-IT companies and will impact metros or mini-metros like NCR, Hyderabad, Pune or Bangalore.
Warren Buffet speaks on CNBC and is now candid about US recession. The motown is not happy as it finds that very little has been done to larger cars and small car segment is getting the advantage. Small wonders Maruti was the sole gainer with other auto scrips feeling the heat today.
I hope my efforts to learn a bit about finance were not a debacle!:)
It was a bad day for the market with a loss of 900 plus points. The dampeners can be prevelance of STT and higher short-term capital gains tax. Global cues remain disappointing. The banking sector took the beating as well after assurances of refund of farm loans. The recession worries are still persisting but there are speculations that the US market could rebound in Q3CY08. The post-budget wishlist is very much there and the FM is clarifying that it is not a case of 'Heads I win and tails you lose!'. Chidambaram has defended his budgetary loan waivers by citing the examples of legendary Rajaji in the late 30s and later of Janardan Pujari who fought for similar causes.
Many Maharashtrian farmers are not happy with the 5 acres ceiling and are saying that it is a case of too little too late.
On the other fronts there is news of maverick moves of maverick Branson's Virgin Atlantis and Tata group JV in telecom domain. It is now under DoT scanner. I could not comprehend the reason behind the glitch.
Vodafone too is involved in a litigation over tax related issues with the tax department. This appeared a bit nebulous too to my comprehension.
The tax holidays have not yet been extended to STPI's. This can lead to STPI's spaces being utilized by non-IT companies and will impact metros or mini-metros like NCR, Hyderabad, Pune or Bangalore.
Warren Buffet speaks on CNBC and is now candid about US recession. The motown is not happy as it finds that very little has been done to larger cars and small car segment is getting the advantage. Small wonders Maruti was the sole gainer with other auto scrips feeling the heat today.
I hope my efforts to learn a bit about finance were not a debacle!:)
Friday, February 29, 2008
A user friendly budget this time!
We used to be told in Technical Writing that writing has to be user friendly. We must take care of the fact,"What is there in it for me?" Something similar is happening in the budgets. The rail budget was hailed as the 'aam admi ka budget' with quite a few loopholes to plug in. For example as opposed to 3000 plus old coaches sops were offered for mere 200 odd new coaches. Lies, damned lies and statistics! However, the silver lining was the promise of putting an end to the serpentine queues for tickets at railway stations. E-ticketing was a nice concept and getting tickets through mobile is even better a concept in the face of the impending telecom revolution.
Mr. Chidambaram has offered a better one. Though the finance minister has budgeted for a 2.5 per cent fiscal deficit for 2008-09, many believe he'll overshoot this, given the loan waiver, impending Sixth Pay Commission awards and off-Budget liabilities.
The 60000 crore loan waiver is not being currently accounted for. The farmers can also heave a sigh of relief with 2 plus crore loan waiver on cards. This might curb the suicide rate of the farmers. Then again the Income tax cuts can ensure a 4k-5k savings of any professional. To curb inconsistencies in the secondary market tax on on short term capital gains has been increased by 15%. FM has also promised retaining of 9% growth. More impetus has been given on increase in capital for education and healthcare sectors. The lack of it happened to be India's nemesis earlier. The plan to open more IITs and IIMs will solve a bit the problem of shortage of skilled manpower in India.
A lot has been done keeping the upcoming elections in mind. UPA can go for the Indo-US nuke deal in June and all efforts have been made to lure the middle class. The timing is just right. However, FMCG has been given a shorter shrift. The bourgeoise and the proletariat is more concerned with consumable items like sugar,soyaban oil,dal,rise,wheat etc. and there is no price decrease on these. Luxury items could have been targeted for price increase thereby slightly impacting only the rich blokes. The common man in India still prays daily, "To this day Lord give us our daily bread." There is another flaw in the loan waiver of farmers. Very few farmers approach the banks for loans. They procure it from moneylenders mostly. Now it can goad them to approach banks for loans and can be trapped further. It makes them vulnerable. Besides, NREG was planned to be implemented only in 593 districts. It has not kickstarted the way it was planned by our visionaries like Rahul Gandhi.
All said and done, it is a political budget crafted dexterously by a few good men- Mr. Chidambaram, Mr. Manmohan Singh, Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwahlia just to name a few.
All said and done, it is not such a bad budget either.
Mr. Chidambaram has offered a better one. Though the finance minister has budgeted for a 2.5 per cent fiscal deficit for 2008-09, many believe he'll overshoot this, given the loan waiver, impending Sixth Pay Commission awards and off-Budget liabilities.
The 60000 crore loan waiver is not being currently accounted for. The farmers can also heave a sigh of relief with 2 plus crore loan waiver on cards. This might curb the suicide rate of the farmers. Then again the Income tax cuts can ensure a 4k-5k savings of any professional. To curb inconsistencies in the secondary market tax on on short term capital gains has been increased by 15%. FM has also promised retaining of 9% growth. More impetus has been given on increase in capital for education and healthcare sectors. The lack of it happened to be India's nemesis earlier. The plan to open more IITs and IIMs will solve a bit the problem of shortage of skilled manpower in India.
A lot has been done keeping the upcoming elections in mind. UPA can go for the Indo-US nuke deal in June and all efforts have been made to lure the middle class. The timing is just right. However, FMCG has been given a shorter shrift. The bourgeoise and the proletariat is more concerned with consumable items like sugar,soyaban oil,dal,rise,wheat etc. and there is no price decrease on these. Luxury items could have been targeted for price increase thereby slightly impacting only the rich blokes. The common man in India still prays daily, "To this day Lord give us our daily bread." There is another flaw in the loan waiver of farmers. Very few farmers approach the banks for loans. They procure it from moneylenders mostly. Now it can goad them to approach banks for loans and can be trapped further. It makes them vulnerable. Besides, NREG was planned to be implemented only in 593 districts. It has not kickstarted the way it was planned by our visionaries like Rahul Gandhi.
All said and done, it is a political budget crafted dexterously by a few good men- Mr. Chidambaram, Mr. Manmohan Singh, Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwahlia just to name a few.
All said and done, it is not such a bad budget either.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Quirkyalone
What a blog did I come across as I signed in my blog account. It was about International Quirkyalone Day, which is not anti-valentine day despite falling on the same date and being opposed in nature. It actually glorifies the feeling of being single and not being ready to mingle just for the heck of it. Verily, quite a few like me are confused nowadays as to what crime they have committed in being single. Just because they did not attest importance to the thought of comanionship after an age makes them vulnerable. There can be a not-so-daffy definition of the portmanteau Quirkyalone.
quirk•y•a•lone n. a person who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than date for the sake of being in a couple. With unique traits and an optimistic spirit; a sensibility that transcends relationship status. Also adj. Of, relating to, or embodying quirkyalones.
Then there is good quote:
Language has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone, and the word solitude to express the glory of being alone.
-Paul Tillich
Indeed, one can be alone without any problems and not think much about how one is being perceived in the society. Quirkyalones are like that and quirky along with alone best glorifies the singleton status. The blog goes on to ratify that this independence also makes quirkyalones good at long-distance relationships.It is not that Quirkyalones do not get lonely sometimes, just like everybody else. They take it as solitude. Some people need constant interaction to feel like they're fully living, but some of us have to have enough solitude to let us regenerate on a regular basis.
Ergo, there isn't much need to worry about what a married couple is thinking of you if you are a Quirkyalone. There isn't much need to answer when you are planning to get married. There isn't much need of not going for occasinal drinks for the fear of bad smell. The examples in the favour of quirkyalones are also manifold. As long as one is a Quirkyalone one need not be much too worried about the stigma or refactor oneself back into the fold every now and then. After all, solitude is a euphemism for isolation.
quirk•y•a•lone n. a person who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than date for the sake of being in a couple. With unique traits and an optimistic spirit; a sensibility that transcends relationship status. Also adj. Of, relating to, or embodying quirkyalones.
Then there is good quote:
Language has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone, and the word solitude to express the glory of being alone.
-Paul Tillich
Indeed, one can be alone without any problems and not think much about how one is being perceived in the society. Quirkyalones are like that and quirky along with alone best glorifies the singleton status. The blog goes on to ratify that this independence also makes quirkyalones good at long-distance relationships.It is not that Quirkyalones do not get lonely sometimes, just like everybody else. They take it as solitude. Some people need constant interaction to feel like they're fully living, but some of us have to have enough solitude to let us regenerate on a regular basis.
Ergo, there isn't much need to worry about what a married couple is thinking of you if you are a Quirkyalone. There isn't much need to answer when you are planning to get married. There isn't much need of not going for occasinal drinks for the fear of bad smell. The examples in the favour of quirkyalones are also manifold. As long as one is a Quirkyalone one need not be much too worried about the stigma or refactor oneself back into the fold every now and then. After all, solitude is a euphemism for isolation.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
India fighting at Adelaide
Yuvraj has made a comeback in his signature style. Let us hope he finishes off the game in a similar style. It was disappointing that India failed to take advantage of the initial crucial breaks when Sri Lanka was struggling at 6/2. The bowlers failed to capitalise on the initial breakthrough. Ishant Sharma seems to be overused. He needs a break as too much of dependency might lead to an immature exit or to a performance akin to that of Shoaib Akhtar. All pace and little guile. The pace battery is erratic in temperament and not always piercing. Sangakkara is a real crisis man and bails his team out in crunch situations. His century was great. His huge partnership wih the captain saw Sri Lanka posting a fighting total of 238. In reply, Sachin got out on a duck. That can raise hackles as to when should he plan his retirement. Gilly decided that in a flash and it is high time Sachin decided the same and avoided a disgraced exit. As a die-hard Sachin fan I will never love that. Ergo, it will be tough for a sachin fan like me to see the idol retire but in the larger interest of the idol and the game I feel that his retirement must come in his prime. The old order changes in favour of the newer ones and one has to reconcile to the bitter truth of change.
In the end, hats off to Yuvi for his resilient comeback!
In the end, hats off to Yuvi for his resilient comeback!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Woodlanders
It is a lesser known novel from Thomas Hardy. However, it touched my heart the most. I was in the flushes of romance during my early 20s when others were busy firming up their career path.:) In that process I even wrote a novel after my B.E., which few of my friends hail as a national comedy.:)
I chanced to read this novel and found it too captivating and unputdownable. The character of Winterborne seemed attractive because of his unflinching love for Grace Mulbery.
First, let me give you the plot summary as per wikipedia:
The story takes place in a small woodland village called Little Hintock, and concerns the efforts of an honest woodsman, Giles Winterbourne, to marry his childhood sweetheart, Grace Melbury. Although they have been informally betrothed for some time, her father has made financial sacrifices to give his adored only child a superior education and no longer considers Giles good enough for her. When the new doctor – a well-born and handsome young man named Edred Fitzpiers – takes an interest in Grace, her father does all he can to make Grace forget Giles, and to encourage what he sees as a brilliant match. Grace has more awe than love for Fitzpiers, but marries him nonetheless. After the honeymoon, the couple take up residence in an unused wing of Melbury's house. Soon, however, he begins an affair with a rich widow named Mrs. Charmond, takes to treating Grace coldly, and finally deserts her one night after he accidentally reveals his true character to his father-in-law.
Melbury tries to procure a divorce for his daughter so she can marry Giles after all, but in vain. When Fitzpiers quarrels with Mrs. Charmond and returns to Little Hintock to try to reconcile with his wife, she flees the house and turns to Giles for help. He is still convalescing from a dangerous illness, but nobly allows her to sleep in his hut during stormy weather, whilst he insists on sleeping outside. As a result, he dies. Grace later allows herself to be won back to the at least temporarily repentant Fitzpiers, thus sealing her fate as the wife of an unworthy man. No one is left to mourn Giles except a courageous peasant girl named Marty South, who all along has been the overlooked but perfect mate for him, and who has always loved him.
What a novel! I used to fantasise of my position as that of Winterborne. Now it seems that what a silly thing it was to think like that. But then it is probably another way to live. On the contrary in my musings I find that I was more in love with life sans everything else. My muse still exists and I am truly a Winterborne now involved in a sinecure in the eyes of the world! I do not mind that anymore. But will reflecting on my past loving memories at least provide me an objective to live further?
The poem in the novel was touching,
‘ If I forget,
The salt creek may forget the ocean;
If I forget
The heart whence flowed my heart’s bright motion,
May I sink meanlier than the worst,
Abandoned, outcast, crushed, accurst,
If I forget.
Though you forget,
No word of mine shall mar your pleasure;
Though you forget,-
You filled my barren life with treasure;
You may withdraw the gift you gave,
You still are queen, I still am slave,
Though you forget.’
There is a movie on the novel directed by Phil Agland and it won a few good awards and nominations.
The cast was as follows:
Emily Woof ... Grace Melbury
Rufus Sewell ... Giles Winterbourne
Cal Macaninch ... Dr. FitzPiers
Tony Haygarth ... Mr. Melbury
Jodhi May ... Marty South
Polly Walker ... Mrs. Charmond
Walter Sparrow ... Old Creedle
Sheila Burrell ... Grandma Oliver
I chanced to read this novel and found it too captivating and unputdownable. The character of Winterborne seemed attractive because of his unflinching love for Grace Mulbery.
First, let me give you the plot summary as per wikipedia:
The story takes place in a small woodland village called Little Hintock, and concerns the efforts of an honest woodsman, Giles Winterbourne, to marry his childhood sweetheart, Grace Melbury. Although they have been informally betrothed for some time, her father has made financial sacrifices to give his adored only child a superior education and no longer considers Giles good enough for her. When the new doctor – a well-born and handsome young man named Edred Fitzpiers – takes an interest in Grace, her father does all he can to make Grace forget Giles, and to encourage what he sees as a brilliant match. Grace has more awe than love for Fitzpiers, but marries him nonetheless. After the honeymoon, the couple take up residence in an unused wing of Melbury's house. Soon, however, he begins an affair with a rich widow named Mrs. Charmond, takes to treating Grace coldly, and finally deserts her one night after he accidentally reveals his true character to his father-in-law.
Melbury tries to procure a divorce for his daughter so she can marry Giles after all, but in vain. When Fitzpiers quarrels with Mrs. Charmond and returns to Little Hintock to try to reconcile with his wife, she flees the house and turns to Giles for help. He is still convalescing from a dangerous illness, but nobly allows her to sleep in his hut during stormy weather, whilst he insists on sleeping outside. As a result, he dies. Grace later allows herself to be won back to the at least temporarily repentant Fitzpiers, thus sealing her fate as the wife of an unworthy man. No one is left to mourn Giles except a courageous peasant girl named Marty South, who all along has been the overlooked but perfect mate for him, and who has always loved him.
What a novel! I used to fantasise of my position as that of Winterborne. Now it seems that what a silly thing it was to think like that. But then it is probably another way to live. On the contrary in my musings I find that I was more in love with life sans everything else. My muse still exists and I am truly a Winterborne now involved in a sinecure in the eyes of the world! I do not mind that anymore. But will reflecting on my past loving memories at least provide me an objective to live further?
The poem in the novel was touching,
‘ If I forget,
The salt creek may forget the ocean;
If I forget
The heart whence flowed my heart’s bright motion,
May I sink meanlier than the worst,
Abandoned, outcast, crushed, accurst,
If I forget.
Though you forget,
No word of mine shall mar your pleasure;
Though you forget,-
You filled my barren life with treasure;
You may withdraw the gift you gave,
You still are queen, I still am slave,
Though you forget.’
There is a movie on the novel directed by Phil Agland and it won a few good awards and nominations.
The cast was as follows:
Emily Woof ... Grace Melbury
Rufus Sewell ... Giles Winterbourne
Cal Macaninch ... Dr. FitzPiers
Tony Haygarth ... Mr. Melbury
Jodhi May ... Marty South
Polly Walker ... Mrs. Charmond
Walter Sparrow ... Old Creedle
Sheila Burrell ... Grandma Oliver
Jab we met!
It is probably the time when one feels like writing for oneself. just for oneself with little regards for anything else. i feel like crooning 'tera na hona jane kyon hona hi hai'! The movie Jab We met is great for me because it made me realize one thing missing in our everyday lives- the music in work. Forget all the cliched motivational craps of our thought gurus. They all are baseless and are meant to elevate the sagging spirits of the white collared slaves. It was great for a jilted lover in the movie to have found out what life is from a very-2 loud and peurile babe who inadvertently shows him a new way to live- by loving oneself and life. If only we could do that! Let us love ourselves first. How much suffocation surrounds us! Who is resonsible? It is us. And why do we do that? The loft designations, fat paypackets, pseudo-pride, and all the negativity that we gather in the name of urbansation and progress. And look what gets the beating? Love and life. We are not filling our moments with beauty but are rather taking away the beauty from it. That is sacrifice and the killing of spirits just to appease others. When will we live for ourselves? I do not like getting up in the mornings. I do that to conform to the societal norms. What do I get in return? Just a lil bit of satisfaction that others have noticed my getting up for some damned task.
Let us enjoy first whatever we like if it does not border on profanity and pleases us without displeasing others.
We say that we must work as per a pattern. Why so? Why a pattern in everything? Is that how lives are supposed to be?
We were born without our consent. We were sent to schools without our consent. We join a college without our consent. We join a job or our work without our consent. We marry and have kids without our consent. The only thing that we can do with our consent is to die. That is because lives nowadays are not lives. They are deaths. There is nothing like a 'free' man. Believe me, with all your riches and status you will be always be embroiled in the vicious circle. No break from that.
Let us try to break free from the fetters. Let us love first and live later.
Yes, Jab We Met was quite interesting and Kareena was especially tantalizing in that.
Synopsis:
Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor), a demoralized industrialist, gets even more depressed after attending the marriage of the girl he loves the most. Feeling ashamed to face the world, he walks out of the marriage gathering and boards a train in the night. Over there, he meets Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor), a beautiful talkative girl who is leaving Mumbai to go to her hometown - Bhatinda (Punjab).
In the beginning, Geet irritates Aditya to a large extent and every meeting becomes mental torture for him. She discloses big plans to him of eloping with her boyfriend Anshuman (Tarun Arora) as she fears resentment from her parents. Geet irritates Aditya to the point of getting him to leave the train. As she tries to get him back on the train, she ends up missing it and the two find themselves stranded on a desolate station with no luggage or money. Geet confronts Aditya and tells him that he is now responsible of reaching her safely to her house in Punjab. Both of them begin an idyllic journey through the exuberant North Indian heartland, and make their way through buses, taxis and camel-carts to reach her house.
Kareena Kapoor as Geet Dhillon in the filmOn arrival, Geet's family (Pawan Malhotra, Dara Singh and Kiran Juneja) mistakens the two for lovers. Before this misconception can be cleared, Geet escapes to her boyfriend in Manali. Aditya leaves with her, confirming the suspicion that they are lovers. In Manali, Aditya feels empowered to return to Mumbai and resurrect his ailing business.
Destiny despises Geet's love story as Anshuman avoids and dumps her. On the other hand, Aditya begins to do well in life after he resurrects his failing business empire. One day, Geet's family, who think that she is with him, confronts Aditya. He is shocked to learn that Geet has not returned home. He takes it upon himself to find her and tells her family that he will bring her home in ten days.
Aditya finally tracks her down in a Himalayan town and is traumatized to learn about Geet's misfortune. Consoling her to face the circumstances, he manages in patching up the relationship of Geet and Anshuman, and they decide to travel back to Bhatinda. Back in Bhatinda, Geet's family again mistaken the two for lovers. Trying to clear the misconception, situations make Geet realise that she is in love with Aditya not Anshuman, and therefore they get married.
What a movie! Great dialogues, songs, scenes, climaxes et al. Kareena slips into two different characters with consummate ease. Shahid is good. He is a cutie-pie with bagloads of talent. Director Imtiaz Ali has done a wonderful job.
Let us enjoy first whatever we like if it does not border on profanity and pleases us without displeasing others.
We say that we must work as per a pattern. Why so? Why a pattern in everything? Is that how lives are supposed to be?
We were born without our consent. We were sent to schools without our consent. We join a college without our consent. We join a job or our work without our consent. We marry and have kids without our consent. The only thing that we can do with our consent is to die. That is because lives nowadays are not lives. They are deaths. There is nothing like a 'free' man. Believe me, with all your riches and status you will be always be embroiled in the vicious circle. No break from that.
Let us try to break free from the fetters. Let us love first and live later.
Yes, Jab We Met was quite interesting and Kareena was especially tantalizing in that.
Synopsis:
Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor), a demoralized industrialist, gets even more depressed after attending the marriage of the girl he loves the most. Feeling ashamed to face the world, he walks out of the marriage gathering and boards a train in the night. Over there, he meets Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor), a beautiful talkative girl who is leaving Mumbai to go to her hometown - Bhatinda (Punjab).
In the beginning, Geet irritates Aditya to a large extent and every meeting becomes mental torture for him. She discloses big plans to him of eloping with her boyfriend Anshuman (Tarun Arora) as she fears resentment from her parents. Geet irritates Aditya to the point of getting him to leave the train. As she tries to get him back on the train, she ends up missing it and the two find themselves stranded on a desolate station with no luggage or money. Geet confronts Aditya and tells him that he is now responsible of reaching her safely to her house in Punjab. Both of them begin an idyllic journey through the exuberant North Indian heartland, and make their way through buses, taxis and camel-carts to reach her house.
Kareena Kapoor as Geet Dhillon in the filmOn arrival, Geet's family (Pawan Malhotra, Dara Singh and Kiran Juneja) mistakens the two for lovers. Before this misconception can be cleared, Geet escapes to her boyfriend in Manali. Aditya leaves with her, confirming the suspicion that they are lovers. In Manali, Aditya feels empowered to return to Mumbai and resurrect his ailing business.
Destiny despises Geet's love story as Anshuman avoids and dumps her. On the other hand, Aditya begins to do well in life after he resurrects his failing business empire. One day, Geet's family, who think that she is with him, confronts Aditya. He is shocked to learn that Geet has not returned home. He takes it upon himself to find her and tells her family that he will bring her home in ten days.
Aditya finally tracks her down in a Himalayan town and is traumatized to learn about Geet's misfortune. Consoling her to face the circumstances, he manages in patching up the relationship of Geet and Anshuman, and they decide to travel back to Bhatinda. Back in Bhatinda, Geet's family again mistaken the two for lovers. Trying to clear the misconception, situations make Geet realise that she is in love with Aditya not Anshuman, and therefore they get married.
What a movie! Great dialogues, songs, scenes, climaxes et al. Kareena slips into two different characters with consummate ease. Shahid is good. He is a cutie-pie with bagloads of talent. Director Imtiaz Ali has done a wonderful job.
Friday, February 15, 2008
pyar tera dilli ki sardi!
Delhi is a massive metropolis with an enormously enchanting past. It has been the capital city for so many of India's rulers that every bit of its landscape speaks of a glorious past. It is indeed the city that symbolizes India's myriad and turbulent history.
Sometimes Delhi evokes nostalgia even if you have been away from the capital for a long, long time. Delhi winters are special. Designers love to flaunt their fall winter collections and that makes Delhi a special place to showcase the designer stuff for the fashionistas. Delhi is also very much a city for the common man who has enough money to buy food, have a shelter, and access to basic amenities. It has a large heart. The chics are awesome irrespective of the fact that quite a few are 'Behenji' types as Mumbaikers love to call them. There is no gainsaying the fact that their beauty gives others an inferiority complex. It is not good for those afflicted with Venustaphobia (the fear of beautiful women)! But for the die-hard romantics Delhi is just the right place to live in. One can enjoy the warmth of Delhi in the airs. The ancient monuments are reminiscent of the Raj and also of the romance surrounding the city of djinns.
This is how wikipedia describes Delhi:
Delhi (Hindi: दिल्ली, Punjabi: ਦਿੱਲੀ, Urdu: دلی, IPA: [d̪ɪlːiː]) sometimes referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis in India, after Mumbai, with a population of 11.5 million, and with an extended metropolitan population of almost 22 million. Located in northern India on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has the political status of a federally-administered union territory known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), which in itself is part of National Capital Region. A constitutional amendment in 1991 gave Delhi a special status among the Union Territories; Delhi has its own legislative assembly with limited powers. The National Capital Territory of Delhi comprises nine districts, 27 tehsils, three statutory towns viz. Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), 59 census towns and 165 villages.
Delhi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Having been the capital of several empires in ancient India, Delhi was a major city in the old trade routes from northwest India to the Gangetic Plains. Many ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance have been erected in its history. The Mughals built a section of the city (now known as Old City or Old Delhi) that served as the capital of Mughal Empire for a long period. During the British Raj, New Delhi was built as an administrative quarter of the city. New Delhi was declared the capital of India after India gained independence from British rule in 1947. As the seat of the Government of India, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India, making Delhi a powerhouse of Indian politics.
Delhi has grown up to be a cosmopolitan city owing to the immigration of people from across the country. Like many other large cities of the world, Delhi suffers from urbanisation problems such as pollution, traffic congestion, and scarcity of resources. The rapid development and urbanisation of Delhi and surrounding areas coupled with the high average income of the populace has largely eclipsed socio-cultural traits that used to represent Delhi until a few years after independence. Today, Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial center of India."
Every city has a character. It has a form and a vignette of its own.
Small wonders that a novel City of Djinns (1994), which is a travelogue by William Dalrymple about the historical capital of India, Delhi, proved to be a bestseller.
Sometimes Delhi evokes nostalgia even if you have been away from the capital for a long, long time. Delhi winters are special. Designers love to flaunt their fall winter collections and that makes Delhi a special place to showcase the designer stuff for the fashionistas. Delhi is also very much a city for the common man who has enough money to buy food, have a shelter, and access to basic amenities. It has a large heart. The chics are awesome irrespective of the fact that quite a few are 'Behenji' types as Mumbaikers love to call them. There is no gainsaying the fact that their beauty gives others an inferiority complex. It is not good for those afflicted with Venustaphobia (the fear of beautiful women)! But for the die-hard romantics Delhi is just the right place to live in. One can enjoy the warmth of Delhi in the airs. The ancient monuments are reminiscent of the Raj and also of the romance surrounding the city of djinns.
This is how wikipedia describes Delhi:
Delhi (Hindi: दिल्ली, Punjabi: ਦਿੱਲੀ, Urdu: دلی, IPA: [d̪ɪlːiː]) sometimes referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis in India, after Mumbai, with a population of 11.5 million, and with an extended metropolitan population of almost 22 million. Located in northern India on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has the political status of a federally-administered union territory known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), which in itself is part of National Capital Region. A constitutional amendment in 1991 gave Delhi a special status among the Union Territories; Delhi has its own legislative assembly with limited powers. The National Capital Territory of Delhi comprises nine districts, 27 tehsils, three statutory towns viz. Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), 59 census towns and 165 villages.
Delhi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Having been the capital of several empires in ancient India, Delhi was a major city in the old trade routes from northwest India to the Gangetic Plains. Many ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance have been erected in its history. The Mughals built a section of the city (now known as Old City or Old Delhi) that served as the capital of Mughal Empire for a long period. During the British Raj, New Delhi was built as an administrative quarter of the city. New Delhi was declared the capital of India after India gained independence from British rule in 1947. As the seat of the Government of India, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India, making Delhi a powerhouse of Indian politics.
Delhi has grown up to be a cosmopolitan city owing to the immigration of people from across the country. Like many other large cities of the world, Delhi suffers from urbanisation problems such as pollution, traffic congestion, and scarcity of resources. The rapid development and urbanisation of Delhi and surrounding areas coupled with the high average income of the populace has largely eclipsed socio-cultural traits that used to represent Delhi until a few years after independence. Today, Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial center of India."
Every city has a character. It has a form and a vignette of its own.
Small wonders that a novel City of Djinns (1994), which is a travelogue by William Dalrymple about the historical capital of India, Delhi, proved to be a bestseller.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Entrepreneurship on a new high in India Inc as per BS!
Things seem to be getting rosier for those who hate watch-clockers and typically the period of 9-5. The first-generation professional is also realising more and more of hid dreams by foraying carefully in the domain of entrepreneurship. The year 2006-07 has been special because the BS 1000 list has never before seen so many new entrants. For 2006-07, there were as many as 120 debutants.
However, we do feel that that the word entrepereneurship is sometimes a misnomer.
Merriam-Webster defines an entrepreneur thus:
One who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.
Now, the gamut of the word 'enterprise' is quite large and is not necessarily defined by the moolah factor. A paanwallah selling a very special, delicious and a different kind of 'paan' is an entrpreneur. A roadside Dosa vendor selling quality dosa at a premium is also one. A salesman in the bus managing to sell his ensemble of unique item/s is also an entrepreneur. Do we have specific benchmarks or parameters to define an entrepreneur? I believe that nowadays an entrepreneur is recognized not just because of the ROI factor but also because of the quality of the enterprise. Infosys making a mark as the numero uno in the Indian IT sector was not a flash in the pan and also not an extension of a legacy. It was an example of how such a huge corpus can be built with a meagre 10k rupees. Non-pareil is the word that describes NR Narayan Murthy's persona. But there are several others residing in the backwaters who did not have so much of an ROI but managed to do a mundane task differently and wonderfully so despite all hiccups and stigma involved.
We need to salute an average face of India who tries to alienate himself from the Sisyphean tasks set out by the society. Let us now master the Zen and the art of ......
It is an open-ended FIB(fill in the blanks).
However, we do feel that that the word entrepereneurship is sometimes a misnomer.
Merriam-Webster defines an entrepreneur thus:
One who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.
Now, the gamut of the word 'enterprise' is quite large and is not necessarily defined by the moolah factor. A paanwallah selling a very special, delicious and a different kind of 'paan' is an entrpreneur. A roadside Dosa vendor selling quality dosa at a premium is also one. A salesman in the bus managing to sell his ensemble of unique item/s is also an entrepreneur. Do we have specific benchmarks or parameters to define an entrepreneur? I believe that nowadays an entrepreneur is recognized not just because of the ROI factor but also because of the quality of the enterprise. Infosys making a mark as the numero uno in the Indian IT sector was not a flash in the pan and also not an extension of a legacy. It was an example of how such a huge corpus can be built with a meagre 10k rupees. Non-pareil is the word that describes NR Narayan Murthy's persona. But there are several others residing in the backwaters who did not have so much of an ROI but managed to do a mundane task differently and wonderfully so despite all hiccups and stigma involved.
We need to salute an average face of India who tries to alienate himself from the Sisyphean tasks set out by the society. Let us now master the Zen and the art of ......
It is an open-ended FIB(fill in the blanks).
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Just remebered what IO had written 6 yrs, back. Now it seems kitschy!
We must read something fully before cocking a snook at places. Moreover rationality comes easily to us sitting at better places. but think of those actually undergoing the trauma in love. Its true that sentimental alcoholism must not be given too much importance, but the thing is if in a society one is not free to chose one's own bride or career what damned use is it to live like a saint or a hero. In west u all cannot feel how much gut is required in rebelling against the society. i feel to undestand the character of devdas one has to be as grey as him. I believe in realism much more than any such idea of heroism. people are sadistic to enjoy such movies much more becz almost every day in India u cannot talk to someone u love becz of numerous constraints. it needs a psychoanalysis and mockery is only superficial. We know that people r not 'black' or 'white' and still decry them as if we ourselves have lived like a saint. jane austen is the antithesis of charlotte bronte. She is slightly contemptuous of bronte's pessimism. but 'meri bimari mansik hi sahi par bimari to hai' funda is good. one must be sympathetic over it. It ll heal more. and i genuinely believe that majority is pessimist and like devdas in one matter or the other. No, no sorry that i ve become idealistic but since i cannot forget my own debacle i dont love the rhetoric in such matters. If u read dostoyesky or even dickens u llsee that their heroes were amongst the sinners, self-seekers, dacoits and the fallen ones. maybe i too try to penetratebehind any debacle and then get exposed to a pristine sentimantilaty, passion, idelaism or emotion. lovers like devdas ve a deceptive laid-back approach towards life that confuses many. they r not exactly suicidal. circumstances simply go out of control. and if v cannot alter the circumstances let us at least leave them in their graves resting in peace.
An article replete with sensitivity first of all is bound to be philosophical in part. At times I fail to comprehend what seperates life and philosophy. I used to think that life is in itself a philosophy. But even when I utter a single plain fact of life like, 'life without a solid objecive is a waste', my father snubs me that I am being philosophical. One cannot extricate oneself totally from philosophy. In the very outset of my shortlived professional life, I had decided to block every single philosophical thought to salvage my practicality, as both are diametrically opposed in nature in this very modern world of ours. But a big confusion ensued since the inception of this resolution.My life became a hodge-podge. Sometimes I mused over my practiclaity and at times I also fought to curb my philosophical monologues. I failed in both. Right now I have lost most of the things from the materialistic point of view. But philosphy is there. Ergo, try as we may, we cannot alienate ourselves from philosophy. That way it is very useful in our lives. Call it 'majboori', call it 'thinking' or whatever, philosophy is our raison' d etre. I ve read Nietsche, Kant, Hegel, Spinoza, Osho, Krishnamurthi and the rest too, to no avail. I still cannot conform myself to any of the philosopher, although Osho is my favourite. Osho differs from the rest because he does not ordain one to become a 'superman' to enjoy life in toto. He simply loves one to 'be' one's original self. I cannot recount all that I loved in his philosophy but few points are there which really need to be mentioned. Whenever I see people mourning over the deceased I fail to empathise and start remebering Osho who says to celebrate death. Yes, we are presented a very morbid picture of death. If it was treated indifferently, just as a happening, we would have feared it less. I will tell you story. A man asked a milk-vendor his name. "Shakespeare' pat came the reply. 'He was the no. 1 writer of the world.' 'For three years every morning I have been delivering milk at your doorstep. Is not it as good as writing a book?" True it is. Why bother about becoming a Shakespeare? There are varied opinions I admit and I know every philosophy is bound to be jeered by many. Why to mind it? The motley lover will enjoy every bit of it. But I bear grudges against philoophy too. Like when one of my friends took me to a meeting in Theosophical Society and I was not in the mood. I left it in the middle and my friend asked me the reason. I retorted that I don't want to become a philosopher. I continued that I want to become a realist and thus Thomas Hardy attracts me more than Ramakrishna Paramhans. Becz I dont ve enough money to sit on Internet(that darned practicality making inroad again!)I will logout. But given a free Internet connection I suppose I can write the whole day in one stretch about philosophy and the next day I may perhaps steal cigarettes from the nearest shop vendor. Plz do not mind my content because I am living a very confused life that vacillates frequently from humor to seriousness and I suppz philosophy addresses more to the latter.
Strange are our thoughts as a function of time!
We must read something fully before cocking a snook at places. Moreover rationality comes easily to us sitting at better places. but think of those actually undergoing the trauma in love. Its true that sentimental alcoholism must not be given too much importance, but the thing is if in a society one is not free to chose one's own bride or career what damned use is it to live like a saint or a hero. In west u all cannot feel how much gut is required in rebelling against the society. i feel to undestand the character of devdas one has to be as grey as him. I believe in realism much more than any such idea of heroism. people are sadistic to enjoy such movies much more becz almost every day in India u cannot talk to someone u love becz of numerous constraints. it needs a psychoanalysis and mockery is only superficial. We know that people r not 'black' or 'white' and still decry them as if we ourselves have lived like a saint. jane austen is the antithesis of charlotte bronte. She is slightly contemptuous of bronte's pessimism. but 'meri bimari mansik hi sahi par bimari to hai' funda is good. one must be sympathetic over it. It ll heal more. and i genuinely believe that majority is pessimist and like devdas in one matter or the other. No, no sorry that i ve become idealistic but since i cannot forget my own debacle i dont love the rhetoric in such matters. If u read dostoyesky or even dickens u llsee that their heroes were amongst the sinners, self-seekers, dacoits and the fallen ones. maybe i too try to penetratebehind any debacle and then get exposed to a pristine sentimantilaty, passion, idelaism or emotion. lovers like devdas ve a deceptive laid-back approach towards life that confuses many. they r not exactly suicidal. circumstances simply go out of control. and if v cannot alter the circumstances let us at least leave them in their graves resting in peace.
An article replete with sensitivity first of all is bound to be philosophical in part. At times I fail to comprehend what seperates life and philosophy. I used to think that life is in itself a philosophy. But even when I utter a single plain fact of life like, 'life without a solid objecive is a waste', my father snubs me that I am being philosophical. One cannot extricate oneself totally from philosophy. In the very outset of my shortlived professional life, I had decided to block every single philosophical thought to salvage my practicality, as both are diametrically opposed in nature in this very modern world of ours. But a big confusion ensued since the inception of this resolution.My life became a hodge-podge. Sometimes I mused over my practiclaity and at times I also fought to curb my philosophical monologues. I failed in both. Right now I have lost most of the things from the materialistic point of view. But philosphy is there. Ergo, try as we may, we cannot alienate ourselves from philosophy. That way it is very useful in our lives. Call it 'majboori', call it 'thinking' or whatever, philosophy is our raison' d etre. I ve read Nietsche, Kant, Hegel, Spinoza, Osho, Krishnamurthi and the rest too, to no avail. I still cannot conform myself to any of the philosopher, although Osho is my favourite. Osho differs from the rest because he does not ordain one to become a 'superman' to enjoy life in toto. He simply loves one to 'be' one's original self. I cannot recount all that I loved in his philosophy but few points are there which really need to be mentioned. Whenever I see people mourning over the deceased I fail to empathise and start remebering Osho who says to celebrate death. Yes, we are presented a very morbid picture of death. If it was treated indifferently, just as a happening, we would have feared it less. I will tell you story. A man asked a milk-vendor his name. "Shakespeare' pat came the reply. 'He was the no. 1 writer of the world.' 'For three years every morning I have been delivering milk at your doorstep. Is not it as good as writing a book?" True it is. Why bother about becoming a Shakespeare? There are varied opinions I admit and I know every philosophy is bound to be jeered by many. Why to mind it? The motley lover will enjoy every bit of it. But I bear grudges against philoophy too. Like when one of my friends took me to a meeting in Theosophical Society and I was not in the mood. I left it in the middle and my friend asked me the reason. I retorted that I don't want to become a philosopher. I continued that I want to become a realist and thus Thomas Hardy attracts me more than Ramakrishna Paramhans. Becz I dont ve enough money to sit on Internet(that darned practicality making inroad again!)I will logout. But given a free Internet connection I suppose I can write the whole day in one stretch about philosophy and the next day I may perhaps steal cigarettes from the nearest shop vendor. Plz do not mind my content because I am living a very confused life that vacillates frequently from humor to seriousness and I suppz philosophy addresses more to the latter.
Strange are our thoughts as a function of time!
ONE!
Okay, like any other day in any typical office, big or small, one can be confused. Now, the confusion can be because one hates 9-5 system and the world majorly loves it. One can be constantly reminded that this is one decent way of sustenance for the kayastha community. In a Kayastha family the dictum is that " Lala ka ladka pada bhala ya mara bhala". One need not buy this logic and feel more oriented towards independence. But, being born in an educated community, one can feel that maybe that one is suffering from a DNA defect. Just the other day, I was reading an article on schizophrenia and was surprised to know that 1% of the global population is afflicted by it and 58% of the writers have it. That remains undetected though, if at all it is there. If that is the case, then one might be having an excuse why does one get pissed off by the corporate. But then, this will detrimentally affect one's life simply anywhere and not just the corporate. One may be acting like an escapist hypochondraic or a malingerer. However, the confusion reigns large.
One can live in an obscure place trying to find what suits right to one and one's life...
And what is good and what is not good, do we need anyone to tell us that?
One can live in an obscure place trying to find what suits right to one and one's life...
And what is good and what is not good, do we need anyone to tell us that?
Monday, February 4, 2008
When loneliness is the companion...
A very small percentage of the population is schizophrenic. However, a large percentage is lonely many-a-times. Just how difficult or different it feels to be a lonely person!
Loneliness is a bitter truth that we cannot digest. It is a companion always ready to be by your side when needed. When you are lonely you do not let go of everything. You simply slip away from everything. You are unable to decide what is real- the world outside you or your inner self. You are in communion with just your inner self. All outer connections fail and sometimes you wonder if you would be able to manage maintaining contact with the outer world anymore. What to say of forging newer contacts!
You detest it all the more because you have been indoctrinated against it. It is said that man is a social animal and when you do not feel the urge to socialize you feel that something has gone wrong with you.
Even if loneliness leads to depression we must recognize the presence of depression as much as we attest enough importance to ecstacy. We must not attach any stigma to it. It is just another feeling and we fall further into this because all the time we incriminate ourselves for falling into its trap. It is a vicious circle.
I read a post in an orkut forum and found it good:
"yes, i have been shifting sides with beautiful aloneness and damaging loneliness.. the thin line between these two things get tress passed often now.. more often that not i feel unexpressed and confined..
may be i have come far from the roots.. on one hand i have left touch with world, literally cutting myself from friends, extended family and my musical world too.. i am not playing my musical instrument for long now, and not meditating as well..
i can see myself pretty much answering my question in the above said lines.. but i guess i needed to express myself n needed a vent.. i did that by writing here, where i never see hopelessness i.e. world of osho..
thats true that i have filtered out of what i achieved so far with a conclusion to find something real.. but yes, i am not rich.. i have to work and work to a level which can support me to have time n space to meditate.. working can't be ruled out, so zorba the buddha path.. the funny thing is that i am not being zorba nor a buddha in these past couple of weeks.. "
Loneliness is a bitter truth that we cannot digest. It is a companion always ready to be by your side when needed. When you are lonely you do not let go of everything. You simply slip away from everything. You are unable to decide what is real- the world outside you or your inner self. You are in communion with just your inner self. All outer connections fail and sometimes you wonder if you would be able to manage maintaining contact with the outer world anymore. What to say of forging newer contacts!
You detest it all the more because you have been indoctrinated against it. It is said that man is a social animal and when you do not feel the urge to socialize you feel that something has gone wrong with you.
Even if loneliness leads to depression we must recognize the presence of depression as much as we attest enough importance to ecstacy. We must not attach any stigma to it. It is just another feeling and we fall further into this because all the time we incriminate ourselves for falling into its trap. It is a vicious circle.
I read a post in an orkut forum and found it good:
"yes, i have been shifting sides with beautiful aloneness and damaging loneliness.. the thin line between these two things get tress passed often now.. more often that not i feel unexpressed and confined..
may be i have come far from the roots.. on one hand i have left touch with world, literally cutting myself from friends, extended family and my musical world too.. i am not playing my musical instrument for long now, and not meditating as well..
i can see myself pretty much answering my question in the above said lines.. but i guess i needed to express myself n needed a vent.. i did that by writing here, where i never see hopelessness i.e. world of osho..
thats true that i have filtered out of what i achieved so far with a conclusion to find something real.. but yes, i am not rich.. i have to work and work to a level which can support me to have time n space to meditate.. working can't be ruled out, so zorba the buddha path.. the funny thing is that i am not being zorba nor a buddha in these past couple of weeks.. "
Mumbai on alert after violent incidents in the tinsel town
Early in the morning today two persons hurled glass bottles in the direction of Big B's residence Prateeksha. It has become debatable now whether nationalism should get the upper of regionalism or vice-versa. It should not have been debatable at all. But a famous scholar once said of India that for every thing that is true in India, the opposite is equally true.
Now it is a case of Marathis vis-a-vis Non-marathis. The term non-marathis has been existent years before too but it has gained prominence off late. Tension is simmering all across the country and more so in Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra. Raj Sena is of the radical view that migrants from Uttar Bharat have come as guests and they must not have the audacity of assuming or amusing themeselves as hosts in any way. The allegations are manifold. The row is majorly over the fact that the migrants have blind allegiance towards their roots and that they are not loyal to Maharashtra. It seems to be nonsensical to think on these lines. Even in UP we know that Sindhis, Bengalis, Sardars, Punjabis et al love to be in their own flock and vehemently celebrate their own festivals and not so much the local festivals of UP. We do not cry hoarse about that. In the US of A, the Indians are infamous for showing off their loyalty towards India and the Indian Independence Day is celebrated by the Indians in US with more gaity and fervour than the American Independence Day. Probably an Indian child in America may forget 4th July as the American Independence Day but ask him the Indian Republic or Independence day and quickly will the correct answer pop up. Does America take umbrage of it?
No. This is perhaps because they are truly global and cosmopolitan in outlook than us despite all our efforts to globalise or to ape the westerners. Mumbai is supposed to be the most western or pseudo-western city in India. We believe in the oriental backdrop we can only manage to be pseudo-western. We used to be skeptical of Delhi's ambition of becoming a world-class city because of so many reasons and perhaps a tad justifiably so. It is supposed by few that Delhiites are uncouth, rapists, criminals, dirty politians, garish, parochial ans so on and so forth. The only city that was good in India as per the western standards too was Mumbai and not even Blore, which is somewhat sleepy in comparison.
I can recall the horror with which I and my Purabiya friends used to witness at times a Bihari being beaten on Delhi roads by a dominant Jat. And we used to shrug off and say that this happens only in Delhi. Little were we aware that Delhi is perhaps a lot more respectful of its migrants than Mumbai or ay Chennai. Barring a few cases, we never felt that we are not in the mainstream of Delhi. I do not mean to eulogise Delhi as it has too many weak points of its own. But the status of a migrant is better in North India despite all our failigs on other fronts. We play a perfect host. That we are loud is not because of our illiteracy. It is because we are warm. That North India is more corrupt and crime prone is not because an average North Indian is bad. It is because of the dominance of a selected few and because of the infamous politician-mafia nexus. An average north indian is still possibly a better person than an average Indian. We do not deserve this kind of maulings on foreign shores. It is high time we gave them back the taste of their medicine.
Now it is a case of Marathis vis-a-vis Non-marathis. The term non-marathis has been existent years before too but it has gained prominence off late. Tension is simmering all across the country and more so in Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra. Raj Sena is of the radical view that migrants from Uttar Bharat have come as guests and they must not have the audacity of assuming or amusing themeselves as hosts in any way. The allegations are manifold. The row is majorly over the fact that the migrants have blind allegiance towards their roots and that they are not loyal to Maharashtra. It seems to be nonsensical to think on these lines. Even in UP we know that Sindhis, Bengalis, Sardars, Punjabis et al love to be in their own flock and vehemently celebrate their own festivals and not so much the local festivals of UP. We do not cry hoarse about that. In the US of A, the Indians are infamous for showing off their loyalty towards India and the Indian Independence Day is celebrated by the Indians in US with more gaity and fervour than the American Independence Day. Probably an Indian child in America may forget 4th July as the American Independence Day but ask him the Indian Republic or Independence day and quickly will the correct answer pop up. Does America take umbrage of it?
No. This is perhaps because they are truly global and cosmopolitan in outlook than us despite all our efforts to globalise or to ape the westerners. Mumbai is supposed to be the most western or pseudo-western city in India. We believe in the oriental backdrop we can only manage to be pseudo-western. We used to be skeptical of Delhi's ambition of becoming a world-class city because of so many reasons and perhaps a tad justifiably so. It is supposed by few that Delhiites are uncouth, rapists, criminals, dirty politians, garish, parochial ans so on and so forth. The only city that was good in India as per the western standards too was Mumbai and not even Blore, which is somewhat sleepy in comparison.
I can recall the horror with which I and my Purabiya friends used to witness at times a Bihari being beaten on Delhi roads by a dominant Jat. And we used to shrug off and say that this happens only in Delhi. Little were we aware that Delhi is perhaps a lot more respectful of its migrants than Mumbai or ay Chennai. Barring a few cases, we never felt that we are not in the mainstream of Delhi. I do not mean to eulogise Delhi as it has too many weak points of its own. But the status of a migrant is better in North India despite all our failigs on other fronts. We play a perfect host. That we are loud is not because of our illiteracy. It is because we are warm. That North India is more corrupt and crime prone is not because an average North Indian is bad. It is because of the dominance of a selected few and because of the infamous politician-mafia nexus. An average north indian is still possibly a better person than an average Indian. We do not deserve this kind of maulings on foreign shores. It is high time we gave them back the taste of their medicine.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Whose Mumbai is it anyway?
We never knew that a cosmopolitan city belonged to any particular community. Mumbai's ugly face showed in yesterday's violence when Raj Thakeray's followers went on a rampage mauling several North Indians (specially Purabiyas) and went on to gut several shops in fire. Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena is taking potshots at Samjwadi Party (read Purabiyas) and vice-versa.
The city that never stops is witnessing a bandh called by Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Manch. Strange are the ways of metros.
It was a bizzare spectacle yesterday. What does it have in store for future?
Now this may lead the punjabis in Delhi to think that delhi is being undone by the Biharis. Ergo, they must be thrown out. They too will forget how dependent is Delhi on the Bihari migrants. Who will run the PCO's? Who will pull the rickshaws that provide succour to the rich ones in smeltering Delhi heat? Who will work as the security guard? They have several vocations which cannot be done with elitist notions.
It is strange what premium we give to migration just for the heck of it at times. After all, what is the shame in carrying a similar voaction in your familiar surroundings? metros are El Dorados for quite a few but not for those who are at the bottom of the pyramid. The society has given a nod to migration per se, which leads to forced migration at times. At the macro-level some work is being done on reverse migration. At the grassroot level it scores a zilch. Why cannot we stay put in our familiar surroundings with heads held high? It is paradoxical but true that we have created our own nemesis.
The city that never stops is witnessing a bandh called by Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Manch. Strange are the ways of metros.
It was a bizzare spectacle yesterday. What does it have in store for future?
Now this may lead the punjabis in Delhi to think that delhi is being undone by the Biharis. Ergo, they must be thrown out. They too will forget how dependent is Delhi on the Bihari migrants. Who will run the PCO's? Who will pull the rickshaws that provide succour to the rich ones in smeltering Delhi heat? Who will work as the security guard? They have several vocations which cannot be done with elitist notions.
It is strange what premium we give to migration just for the heck of it at times. After all, what is the shame in carrying a similar voaction in your familiar surroundings? metros are El Dorados for quite a few but not for those who are at the bottom of the pyramid. The society has given a nod to migration per se, which leads to forced migration at times. At the macro-level some work is being done on reverse migration. At the grassroot level it scores a zilch. Why cannot we stay put in our familiar surroundings with heads held high? It is paradoxical but true that we have created our own nemesis.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Die another day!
It was another sad display of batting performance by the Indians at the Brisbane's Gabba stadium today. The rain gods have been lavish in our support and play has long been stopped because of rains. With India struggling at 128 for 6 it seems that a double century for the Indian team today might be a distant possibility. Bret Lee broke our back by taking the prized scalps of Sehwag and Sachin in that order. Sachin was unfortunate again. Blame it on rains or on the rubber spikes or sheer ingnorance or whatever, he got out hit-wicket of Lee's delivery. Strange dismissal it was! Gambhir and Rohit Sharma showed a nice tepmerament and it was a good tale of two cities- Delhi and Mumbai- working in tandem for the country. The partnership broke with Gambhir departing on a gritty 39 runs on board and Sharma on an equally gritty 29 runs. This match might not turn India's way but signs of progress are visible in the Indian guns.
However, this is the take of cricinfo.com on today's match so far:
India's selectors picked an athletic but inexperienced side for the tri-series, and the merits and demerits of that decision were on display in the opening game in Brisbane as the visitors were in danger of getting bowled out inside 50 overs. The running between the wickets was the sharpest it's been for a while but the raw middle-order crumbled against an all-pace attack led by Brett Lee, who once again emphasised that he was at the peak of his powers. His hostile spell was instrumental in India slipping to 6 for 128 before rain interrupted play after the 36th over.
There was heavy overnight rain in Brisbane and then some more this morning but the excellent drainage facilities at the Gabba ensured that play started on time. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, like the captains in 16 out of the last 18 matches in Brisbane, chose to bat despite the overcast conditions and the greenish pitch.
The pitch offered bounce to Lee while Nathan Bracken swung the ball into the right-handers. It was one such inswinger from Bracken which cramped Virender Sehwag for room, forcing him to play on, and gave Australia their first breakthrough in the fourth over. Sehwag innings was brief but he and Sachin Tendulkar had signalled India's intent by dropping the ball with soft hands and running sharp singles.
Lee won the battle against Tendulkar yet again, although, this time he was lucky. Tendulkar nudged off the back foot towards square leg but moved too deep into the crease and hit his stumps with the heel of his boot. It was the first time that he had been dismissed hit-wicket in his 408-match career.
At 2 for 26, with the experienced openers gone, Australia had exposed India's middle order, which was weakened by Yuvraj Singh's absence. Gambhir and Sharma, however, eased the pressure by stealing singles at every opportunity.
Johnson, who vented his frustration after the dropped catches, trapped Gambhir leg before for 39 with one that slanted into the left-hander before Lee's double-strike ripped through the middle order. Sharma edged a wide ball from Lee to Gilchrist and Tiwary, who was set up by a series of bouncers, had no answer to a yorker that burst through his defences.
The flurry of wickets allowed Ponting to give Noffke a second spell and the move gave him his maiden ODI wicket. Noffke surprised Robin Uthappa with a short ball and the edge was comfortably taken by Michael Clarke at point. India had slipped from 2 for 92 to 6 for 102. The collapse forced Dhoni and Irfan Pathan to consolidate watchfully and they had added 26 runs off ten overs before rain halted play.
However, this is the take of cricinfo.com on today's match so far:
India's selectors picked an athletic but inexperienced side for the tri-series, and the merits and demerits of that decision were on display in the opening game in Brisbane as the visitors were in danger of getting bowled out inside 50 overs. The running between the wickets was the sharpest it's been for a while but the raw middle-order crumbled against an all-pace attack led by Brett Lee, who once again emphasised that he was at the peak of his powers. His hostile spell was instrumental in India slipping to 6 for 128 before rain interrupted play after the 36th over.
There was heavy overnight rain in Brisbane and then some more this morning but the excellent drainage facilities at the Gabba ensured that play started on time. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, like the captains in 16 out of the last 18 matches in Brisbane, chose to bat despite the overcast conditions and the greenish pitch.
The pitch offered bounce to Lee while Nathan Bracken swung the ball into the right-handers. It was one such inswinger from Bracken which cramped Virender Sehwag for room, forcing him to play on, and gave Australia their first breakthrough in the fourth over. Sehwag innings was brief but he and Sachin Tendulkar had signalled India's intent by dropping the ball with soft hands and running sharp singles.
Lee won the battle against Tendulkar yet again, although, this time he was lucky. Tendulkar nudged off the back foot towards square leg but moved too deep into the crease and hit his stumps with the heel of his boot. It was the first time that he had been dismissed hit-wicket in his 408-match career.
At 2 for 26, with the experienced openers gone, Australia had exposed India's middle order, which was weakened by Yuvraj Singh's absence. Gambhir and Sharma, however, eased the pressure by stealing singles at every opportunity.
Johnson, who vented his frustration after the dropped catches, trapped Gambhir leg before for 39 with one that slanted into the left-hander before Lee's double-strike ripped through the middle order. Sharma edged a wide ball from Lee to Gilchrist and Tiwary, who was set up by a series of bouncers, had no answer to a yorker that burst through his defences.
The flurry of wickets allowed Ponting to give Noffke a second spell and the move gave him his maiden ODI wicket. Noffke surprised Robin Uthappa with a short ball and the edge was comfortably taken by Michael Clarke at point. India had slipped from 2 for 92 to 6 for 102. The collapse forced Dhoni and Irfan Pathan to consolidate watchfully and they had added 26 runs off ten overs before rain halted play.
Indian young guns ready to be fired on all cyliners!!!
Tomorrow will come like a breath of fresh air with the first ODI match of the triangular series to be played on Sunday. Life me ek Sunday miss nahin hoga.
Let us see how the youngsters fare tomorrow. Aussies captain Ponting has started playing the mind game by saying that Ganguly's exclusion will prove to be a big mistake in the upcoming series to which Yuvi has reacted by saying that the present team is just right to take on any challenges. It is doubtful how highly Ponting rates Dada but it is all about exposing the chinks in the armour of the opponent. The infighting in Indian cricket leagues has lead to a psychological break-down, which is not visible from the looks of it.
However, the young Indian batsmen, many of whom have joined the team only for the T20 and tri-series, will be keen to make amends for the ordinary batting display in Melbourne where the team was shot out for a paltry 74 in 17.3 overs. Lack of practice might be one of the reasons behind the poor show, something which Dhoni had previously alluded to. In India, both the aftereffects-the euphoria after a win or the repurcussions after a loss- are intense in the extremes.
The Indian team can hope that Gilly's swansong will not be the one that befits him.
Something about the wicket!
The wicket, despite having slowed down a bit over the years, is still one of the livelier tracks of Australia and the humidity because of inclement weather is only going to add sting in the tails of the home pacemen.
It rained considerably in Brisbane on Saturday and more thunderstorms are predicted for Sunday.
We hope that this will not play a spolisport.
On-the-neighbour's-front, unlike the Government, Pakistan's cricket team should earn plaudits for completing a 5-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe in the ODI's in the Mobilink Cup.
A new-look Pakistan, without a handful of senior players, drove Zimbabwe into the ground with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory in the final one-dayer in Sheikhupura to clean sweep the Mobilink Cup 5-0. The overcast and bitterly cold conditions didn't faze debutant Khurram Manzoor and Younis Khan as they chased down a meagre target of 182 with 19 overs to spare.
What bodes well for the shpe of things to come insofar as Pakistan's cricket team is concerned is the emergence of spright youngsters who are ably complelmenting the experienced ones like Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq!
We Indians can also take a cue from Pakistan's line-up and must not rely on 'Josh' alone but on 'Josh with Hosh'.
All said and done, one match debacle does not sound a death knell for anyone. It can be one-off case in the one-off TT match. Let us hope for the best!
Let us see how the youngsters fare tomorrow. Aussies captain Ponting has started playing the mind game by saying that Ganguly's exclusion will prove to be a big mistake in the upcoming series to which Yuvi has reacted by saying that the present team is just right to take on any challenges. It is doubtful how highly Ponting rates Dada but it is all about exposing the chinks in the armour of the opponent. The infighting in Indian cricket leagues has lead to a psychological break-down, which is not visible from the looks of it.
However, the young Indian batsmen, many of whom have joined the team only for the T20 and tri-series, will be keen to make amends for the ordinary batting display in Melbourne where the team was shot out for a paltry 74 in 17.3 overs. Lack of practice might be one of the reasons behind the poor show, something which Dhoni had previously alluded to. In India, both the aftereffects-the euphoria after a win or the repurcussions after a loss- are intense in the extremes.
The Indian team can hope that Gilly's swansong will not be the one that befits him.
Something about the wicket!
The wicket, despite having slowed down a bit over the years, is still one of the livelier tracks of Australia and the humidity because of inclement weather is only going to add sting in the tails of the home pacemen.
It rained considerably in Brisbane on Saturday and more thunderstorms are predicted for Sunday.
We hope that this will not play a spolisport.
On-the-neighbour's-front, unlike the Government, Pakistan's cricket team should earn plaudits for completing a 5-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe in the ODI's in the Mobilink Cup.
A new-look Pakistan, without a handful of senior players, drove Zimbabwe into the ground with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory in the final one-dayer in Sheikhupura to clean sweep the Mobilink Cup 5-0. The overcast and bitterly cold conditions didn't faze debutant Khurram Manzoor and Younis Khan as they chased down a meagre target of 182 with 19 overs to spare.
What bodes well for the shpe of things to come insofar as Pakistan's cricket team is concerned is the emergence of spright youngsters who are ably complelmenting the experienced ones like Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq!
We Indians can also take a cue from Pakistan's line-up and must not rely on 'Josh' alone but on 'Josh with Hosh'.
All said and done, one match debacle does not sound a death knell for anyone. It can be one-off case in the one-off TT match. Let us hope for the best!
Friday, February 1, 2008
India crash to embarrassing loss in TT today
World champions India were brought down to earth, thrashed by a ruthless Australia by nine wickets in a low-scoring Twenty20 cricket international at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
The Indians were bundled out for a paltry 74 in 17.3 overs and the home team rattled up the required runs in just 11.2 overs
It seems that we are done in becz we are too many! The selectors must be nonplussed even more now that the young side's performance against the toughest host as well as the team proved to be a damp squib. The inexperience was palpable. The captain was leading a lost battle, albeit in an unimpressive way. Look at Dhoni's stats in today's TT match.
R M B 4s 6s SR
9 30 27 0 0 33.33
Now if this is a match saving effort then God save the Indian cricket team. Sachin is always the soft target for many and today too Dhoni commented after the loss that it was good for Sachin to take the break. What does that mean?
The young Indianj brigade seems to be struggling on a quality pitch and against a quality attack. Is TT really not the right test of one's cricketing abilities?
If it is so, then our being a TT World Cup champ was a fluke! Dhoni and quite a few amassed fortunes out of it.
It was perhaps the absence of Yuvi who is Ausralia's nemesis in the quicker format. Yuvi happens to be the saviour for Dhoni's captaincy and Dhoni must be reuing his absence.
The Indians were bundled out for a paltry 74 in 17.3 overs and the home team rattled up the required runs in just 11.2 overs
It seems that we are done in becz we are too many! The selectors must be nonplussed even more now that the young side's performance against the toughest host as well as the team proved to be a damp squib. The inexperience was palpable. The captain was leading a lost battle, albeit in an unimpressive way. Look at Dhoni's stats in today's TT match.
R M B 4s 6s SR
9 30 27 0 0 33.33
Now if this is a match saving effort then God save the Indian cricket team. Sachin is always the soft target for many and today too Dhoni commented after the loss that it was good for Sachin to take the break. What does that mean?
The young Indianj brigade seems to be struggling on a quality pitch and against a quality attack. Is TT really not the right test of one's cricketing abilities?
If it is so, then our being a TT World Cup champ was a fluke! Dhoni and quite a few amassed fortunes out of it.
It was perhaps the absence of Yuvi who is Ausralia's nemesis in the quicker format. Yuvi happens to be the saviour for Dhoni's captaincy and Dhoni must be reuing his absence.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Chilly winters have now charmed us!
It is now time we recognized the aestheticism in a chilly misty morning. Let us rememeber our youthful days when mist was synonymous with small town dating because the elders were unable to catch sight due to mist. The previous few days were quite tough as they were fraught with anticipation of withdrawal symptoms. They still are but now they have been accepted per se. However, morning brought an old english song on my lips after a long, long time. 'Nothing's gonna change my love for you....'. It is somewhat true. The proportion is quite miniature though. The 'shiddat' is not that much. But it exists.
It appears to be a transition from the intoxicated to the normal and then from the normal to the romantic. It is not smooth and seems to be almost a roller-coaster ride. But the happy end, if it occurs, fascinates a lot to be able to cope with the trials and tribulations.
It appears to be a transition from the intoxicated to the normal and then from the normal to the romantic. It is not smooth and seems to be almost a roller-coaster ride. But the happy end, if it occurs, fascinates a lot to be able to cope with the trials and tribulations.
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