Flowers Say Cheese

Photos taken at Ooty ;-))

TamilNadu Bandh

I dont remember the last active bandh in TamilNadu (Good Sign?). Anyways, there is one coming tomorrow. State sponsored Bandh-am..so no buses..no trains..no offices..no schools. Care to know the reason: It is a protest against the Supreme Court ruling on reservation.

So Guys..if you are on your way to TN tomorrow..plan accordingly.

English in Schools & Universities

Hmm.. Somebody dared to speak differently.

TamilNadu Higher Education Minister, Mr.Ponmudi while speaking at a function in Presidency College, stressed the need to make English Syllabus easier. This is to facilitate the students to learn and speak English in a better manner.

Tamizh kUrum Nal Ulagham Enna kUrumo?

Quota Quashed

The Supreme Court has quashed the quota providing 27% reservation for OBCs in IITs & IIMs. The bench has ridiculed the fact that 1931 census is the basis for reservation for OBCs.

At the same time, it says "the benefit of reservation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes could not be withheld and the Centre can go ahead with the identification process to determine the backward classes."

Has the bench categorically called for a new census to be taken? It would be desirable if it had done so.

AdventNet Launches ToonDoo

Papara.. Papara.. Pom...the trumpet booms ..

ToonDoo is out there in the big bad world...Go ..let humour get the better of you...ToonDoo is a cool tool to create your own comic strips...

After the internal release at our office, we were having a ball...lampooning each other..So Y don't U pull a fast one on your friends too...

My Own ToonDoo

Note: U will need Flash 8 or above.

Guards

Temples generally have the DwaraBhalakas - sort of guards near the gate. They would look like fierce demons.

Have a look at the neo-Dwara Bhalakas in the Periyaveedu Chettinad house in Karaikudi (thanks to my friend Jaya who visited the place over the weekend). You have two soldiers with guns in their hands;-). Its seems the house is over 60 yrs.

HCL Laptops Safe?

India’s top IT manufacturer HCL has been accused by the NGO Greenpeace for releasing carcinogens (cancer causing substances) into the atmosphere.

Business Standard carries the report. The NGO, in a report released today said that HCL laptops were found to contain heavy metals, lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). The study was conducted in labs in Denmark and Britain. Pranab Chandan Sinha a campaigner for Greenpeace said that BFRS are known carcinogens and accumulate in any room where electronic equipment run in large numbers.

Meanwhile, PTI reports Hours after the allegation, HCL Infosystems announced the launch of eco-efficient Notebook PCs in the country. The company said in a statement it has introduced eco-efficient consumer and business notebooks that are completely safe for users and environment.

Incredible India Ads

The Incredible India print Ads, that keep appearing in the news papers are really eye catching.

• Screensavers
• Wallpapers
• Print Ads
• Internet Banners

The Big Temple

Came across this wonderful site -
www.thebigtemple.com
dedicated to the Thanjavur Big Temple a.k.a Brahadeeswara Temple. Kudos to the team (Ponniyin Selvan Varalatru Peravai - Ponniyin Selvan Historical Society) behind this site.

"From the epigraphical evidence it is known about King Rajaraja-I started building this temple on his 19th year and completed on 275th day of his 25th year. It took just 6 years to complete this work on 1010 A.D."

Bermuda

Thanks to Cricket World Cup!! came to know abt Bermuda..I actually didnt know such a country existed!!

Bermuda (The Bermuda Islands) is an overseas territory of UK in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the East Coast of the USA, it is around 1100 miles northeast of Miami.

Bermuda Wikipedia has more information.

Hmm..it is part of UK, it is not an independent country..then how come, it is playing as a separate entity in the world Cup?

And hey, there is a STORY behind our very own local Bermudas (shorts)..

They are so-named because of their popularity in Bermuda,where they are considered appropriate business attire for men when made of suit-like material and worn with knee-length socks, a dress shirt, tie, and blazer.

Thanks once again to Wiki Friendu

Chandramukhi - 700 days

What do u do if u have a hit picture and a own theatre - Run it for 700 days!!!!
Agreed..Chandramukhi was a super duper hit but definitely not worth for 700 days runtime.

And they want to make to the records for 'longest running tamil movie' . The record is currently held by Haridas (released in 1944) which ran for 784 days in a single theatre.

Doyen leaves us

The most beautiful lady I have ever seen.. majestic in her manners and kind at heart, my Paati -Padmasini passed away this tuesday.

Married at a tender age of 14, she was the better half for my Thatha in all ways..for a phenomenal 70 yrs now. She ruled over our household like a queen.

Not many can achieve that feat..I miss u ..Paati

Bukka I - Vijayanagar king

If there is something that didnt change for centuries, it has to be the religious conflicts in India.

Jyotsna Kamat narrates a good-will incident found in an inscription of Vijayanagar king, Bukka I (1356-77 CE). The king himself interfered to bring harmony between two powerful dissenting sects, Jains and Srivaishnavas.

There was once a conflict between Jains(referred to as the bhavyas)and Shrivaishnavas (referred to as the bhaktas). The Jains complained to the king about the injustice done to them. The king personally examined the issue, visited the spot and proclaimed that there was no distinction between the two creeds and that they will not be treated differently.

The king took the hand of the Jains and placing it in the hands of
Srivaishnavas, with representatives of both the communities watching, declared:

"There is no difference between Vaishnava darsana (Srivaishnava faith and Jaina darsana (Jaina faith).... If loss is caused to Jaina darsana through the bhaktas, the Vaishavas will kindly deem it as loss to their own darsana. The Srivaishnavas to this effect, may kindly set up a proclamation (Sasana) in all the basadis of the kingdom. As long as the Sun and the Moon endure, the Vaishnava creed will continue to protect Jaina darsana. The Jainas and Vaishnavas are one body".

If only the present day conflicts can be solved so easily!

Kotturpuram - Barren Gandhi Mandapam Road

It is all over now...the Gandhi Mandapam Road, Kotturpuram looks barren with its vast green canopy removed.

My heart skipped a beat when harsh sunlight battered my face as I stepped out on the road. It was one of the very few motorable roads in Chennai with lot of lush green cover...

the government decides to strip it off!

This is how it was executed ...Somebody gets a Bright Bulb idea..

1. You extend the road on both sides - leave a five feet gap between the trees near the old pavement & the new pavement.

2. You put a fresh coat of tar - choke the roots of the trees.

3. Nobody earmarks what needs to be done on the passageway between the trees & the pavement. Two wheelers have a field day driving between the trees.

4. Then, the trees are seen as traffic blocks - first the branches are all cut - the trunk is left standing like a warrior defeated in a bloody battle.

5. The best joke comes in later : It seems the trunk will be transplanted inside Birla Planetarium campus ..and chennai will become singara green chennai soon :-(

Recently saw this issue being raised in Hindu..some good soul had slapped Right to Information act to get to the bottom of the issue.

will add my photos soon..right now one snap from yet another saddened heart (news today).

Update: Gowthaman had sent me this picture of a tree in sardar patel road. (taken on sun - march 11 2007). Thanks ..Gowthaman for sharing your concern.

Big B, Eklavya, Intellectual

I am yet to see Ekalavya, so no personal comments on the movie..but this interview on IBNLive with Amitabh Bachchan put me off..

When asked to comment upon Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Eklavya getting damp box office response, Bachchan said,

“I don't share that disappointment. I look at Eklavya as a very smart film. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's intelligence and intellectual wherewithal come across in the film. The fact that it's doing so well overseas proves there's a certain intellectual quotient in it. It isn't so evident over here,”

Comeon...this could be the most atrocious statement ever to defend a flop film. From next time onwards..how about releasing 'intellectual' movies for 'intellectual NRIs' alone.

Markets - sea of red

Sensex has lost 2400 points in over two weeks : that sums it all

14,700 on Feb9 -> down to 12,400 on Mar 5!!! :-((

Gopulu - Ananda Vikatan

Got this cute book at Odyssey..
- Gopulu Jokes - (50 bucks)

Gopulu, the renowned artist had a great association with Ananda Vikatan. For many years together, he had enthralled the readers of Ananda Vikatan with his witty cartoons. One astounding fact was , when he had a stroke at 78yrs, his right hand was paralyzed...the artist in him refused to accept the situation...and he started practising with his left hand and he accomplished the mammoth task quite successfully.