God and Science - an old post

Man throws an apple up in the air;
When it comes down, he says;
"All that goes up has to come down" - Newton's Law of gravitation.
God sits up there and smiles; "All that has gone down has to come up one day"

Science is correct only as long as the assumptions made are true.
Religion is true only as long as its beliefs are true.
God is true as long as there is doubt.

If you have no doubts about anything , then you are either arrogant or totally ignorant. And only then you can be a non-believer of the obvious.
The obvious is His existence.

You call Him whatever.
You pray to Him however.
If you believe He is there
Then He is really there.
Thats all you should care;
that he cares.
Leave the rest to Him;
and rest in Him.
For all you can control is very little,
being a mere puppet
and strings with Him.

Sheila Teacher - Part 1

Mrs. Sheila, the Physics teacher enters the class with a duster on one hand and a long register on the other hand folded to her waist to ensure that it doesn't fall down. Coupled in her fingers are a few chalk pieces. Yesterday, the school principal had decided that the teachers should bring the duster and chalk pieces with them to every class rather than leave it in the classroom- a measure to cut cost and thanks to the duster fight between Balaji and Subbu last week.

Good Morning ma'm !!! we all greet her in the most uncoherent tone. As we sit down and take our seats, Mrs. Sheila, walks to the center and frees her hands by placing everything she carried, on her table.
"Stand up, all of you" she turns; "Did I ask you to sit" she quips.
We all raise ourselves as slowly as possible. Saravanan, who hardly fits into the desk makes a huge sound as he lifts his body, adding fuel to her fury.

"Did you all compete the assignment", she queries looking at everyone in the eye to catch her prey for the day.
"Now, those who haven't completed it, remain standing and other can sit and pass the notebook to the front desk", she says.

Arun and I, both of us, haven't done the work. We look at each other, puzzled. After a brief stare, as the rest of the class settles down, I choose to sit but Arun didn't want to take a chance.
Not that he wants to be honest. He sits next to this girl Ramya who will surely tell Mrs. Sheila that he is lying. But today he is not alone, four other students (3 boys and 1 girl) are standing too. I have already started thinking if I made a mistake by choosing to lie on a day when four others have defaulted.
"Kavitha, you haven't completed the homework? I didn't expect this from you.", Mrs. Sheila asks surprisingly.
"No ma'm, yesterday..." Kavitha starts to reply.
"You wait..." she abruptly stops Kavitha and turns to the boys.
Kishore is already trembling. Mrs. Sheila has a natural ability to pick her prey and was quick to spot him. She zeroes in on him and reaches out to her ear, dragging him out of his desk.
"Ma'm, Ma'm please maaa...", he begs in pain trying to explain.
"Tell me your usual stories. Did someone in your family die, yesterday. Tell me why you didn't mm?" she demands
Kishore goes blank. Actually that was his plan. He is clearly in void, unable to think on his feet. He goes "No ma'm, no ma'm"; totally in shock.
We all laugh as she drags him to the front of the class towards her desk demanding an explanation all the way. Kishore is still to recover from the shock and yet to regain his reflex thinking. He suddenly replies "Sorry ma'm, I forgot" and slowly looks up. Mrs. Sheila is enraged as the class bursts in laughter. I have already forgotten that I have taken a huge chance, today. Everyone including Arun, Kavitha, Siva and Muthu are enjoying.
"Keep quiet, all of you", she orders.
Turning to Arun, Siva and Muthu, she invites them to join Kishore and asks Kavitha to sit down. Mrs. Sheila slaps the other two and ask all of them to get out of the class.
"Unfair", we all breathe. Just as if she heard us say it, Mrs Sheila says, "Kavitha, I am excusing you because this is the first time you have not done the homework. Don't repeat it and I want you to finish it and show it to me tomorrow." . Mrs. Sheila, having come clear of the suspicion of all the students, goes to her chair. She calls Prem, the class monitor, and asks him to bring all the submitted notebooks to her table.
As he sets out to fulfil her orders, Mrs. Sheila tells us to study for the exams quietly while she corrects the notebooks. She asks Prem to arrange the notebooks according to the "Roll Number" so that she can conduct the viva-voce while she returns the notebook.
I never thought about that. All of a sudden, fear started to seep into me. I didn't know that she was going to conduct the vivas today. "Grave mistake", I think restlessly. Its only 10 minutes into the hour. Usually, she takes atleast 25 minutes to finish up with the punishments.
"I have made a big mistake. Total mis-calculation. I am going to get caught. ", I curse myself.
In the meantime the guys outside have gotten over their stint with Mrs. Sheila and have started having fun silently outside, looking at the younger kids playing in the ground.
"Man, I should have also stood up", I worry from within, watching the time every second, which seems to move ever slowly.
My thoughts are wandering. I console myself saying "I will be lucky. I will escape. The bell will ring". But the very next second, I am in fear. "The games hour seems to finish very fast", I think.
"Excuse me, madam", a voice from outside breaks the silence in the classroom.
Its Pichaiah, our attender. He has brought a circular from the Principal's office.
Come in Pitchaiah, what is the matter? asks the teacher.
Dressed in white and white, Pitchaiah seems like an angel sent by God to me.
Will this save me?
I quicly look at my watch and realise that it is 20 minutes into the hour. I do a quick calculation, only two students have completed the viva-voce. I am 18th in the order. But Jaikumar and Gayathri are absent. Still, I figure out that my chances are high to get through clean.

Stay Tuned to find out...

Chinna Thirai SOAPS - A toll on health, performance and the state of mind

Typically, after yet another tired day at work - writing emails, chatting with friends at the pantry, browsing and a couple of hours of real work... - believe me it gets really tiring, I go back home to relax . I switch on the television, expecting to view some shows that would lighten me up; before going to bed so that I can rejuvenate myself for the evening and have a good night's sleep. I thought - that is what entertainment was all about.

In an attempt to be closely-associated with India - especially Chennai and what's happening there, I watch SUNTV. My typical evening starts with the News at 8:00 and ends with Manaivi at 11:00. While enjoy I keeping up-to-date with the current affairs of TN, its getting harder and harder to digest the thick sentiments of family feud in the SOAPS that follow. Kolangal to Selvi to Manaivi, the drama is too heavy for me to go to bed with a relaxed mind. However, I must admit that I am addicted to watch these programmes - not so much for the quality as much for the satisfaction of living in extended Chennai that I miss a lot.

Recently I have resorted to keeping up late and switch to the American Channels to lighten my mind after the two-and-a-half hour trauma ride. I watch "Everybody loves Raymond" followed by "Friends" followed by "Will and Grace" and end it up with "Fraiser" or at times even beyond that with some late night comedy. It takes that much to get out of the sorrow my mind goes through while watching "Abhi" of Kolangal fight her way through the difficulties or the challenges that "Selvi" has to encounter.
Honestly, it is taking a toll on me and it is showing. I end up late to work the next day. Mr. Maran, how about some genuine comedy during the "prime time"?
Excuse me; not the likes of "Chinna Paapa..." or "Vikramadityaa" ... something genuine. I would prefer your drama to that kind of comedy. How about a serial where the story moves? Even if it means a remake of the English SOAPS mentioned above. Indianised version - i mean. Like "Priyamaana Raman" for "Everybody Loves Raymond". Are we not capable. Our movies have good comedy, why not bring them to Chinna Thirai.
I have been thinking of that for sometime now.

Dodo-ed products

Within the last ten years, several things have been replaced or eliminated from the market in front of our very eyes. Some of them were very popular in the 90's. Some of them were very dear to me. We would never have imagined that these would be outdated ever. From kuchi Ice trolleys in the streets to TVS 50's and Maruthi Omnis in the showroom, the whole dynamics has changed.
I no longer wear a wrist-watch. Afterall every gadget displays time today. I am sure next generation kids will struggle to tell the time from a hand-clock (non digital).
I see no TVS 50s on the Indian roads.
Film rolls are getting replaced.
Audio tapes and walkman? IPod is becoming outdated.
VCR. I still own it. I don't know why.
Dial-up internet? You must be in the deeps of Africa.
TV antenna.
I miss those stray dogs that chase me especially when I want to sneak into the house silently in the nights.
Paneer Soda. Man I loved it.
Kamarkattu.
The big HERO cycle. My friends thatha stills owns from the 1930s.
And finally my YOUTH. Oh! My god I turned 30 this month. I am old... really old... I see some grey hair. I am old..

The Test team- Testing time for the selectors

It would be interesting to see what the selectors have in mind when they sit down tomorrow for naming the squad for the Test rubber against Srilanka. When it came to the One day series they had the world cup as an excuse for leaving out Saurav, Kumble, and Laxman. The fact that we do not have a world cup for tests, will they cook up something creative.
My take on the team:
Assured Slots
1. Sehwag
2. Gambhir
3. Laxman
4. Sachin
5. Dravid (C)
Wicket Keeper
6. Dinesh Karthik or Dhoni (hard to rule him out)
Seventh spot dilemna
7. Saurav or Kaif or Venugopal Rao or Yuvraj or bowler (unlikely)
Bowlers (Option in pace with two definite spinners in 15)
8. Irfan
9. Agarkar
10. Zaheer
11. Harbajan
12. Murali Karthik
13.R. P Singh

Out of the seventeen named, Yuvraj and Venugopal have slim chances.
Laxman may lose out to Saurav due to lobbying which may prove lucky for Kaif as well. Greg Chappel really seems to like Kaif.
Dinesh Karthik should be given a fair chance inspite of Dhoni's success in the one dayers.
Don't know if Zaheer is fit.
Balaji will not even be in the minds of the selectors. He has to be content playing for Jolly Rovers and Tamilnadu unless he pulls something special in the next Ranji season.
Kumble's drawbacks are age and athleticism. He will not be in the picture as well. But a sad end to a champion career.
Saurav might even eye the opening slot threatening Gambhir. But my mind says Gambhir will win his way.
Eagerly waiting!!!

South Indian Stars

Response to Amrit Hallan of the Writing Cave
It may be true that we have a few veteran actorss who won't give up, but South Indian industry is not short of youth. Hailing from Tamilnadu, my mind immediately thinks of Vijay, Vikram, Surya, Jayam Ravi, Dhanush for a few who have been pretty successsful in tinseltown in the recent past.
The success of these youngsters have pushed veterans like Sarath Kumar, Vijaykanth, Prabhu and Karthik to the back bench. These are ordinary heroes.

Now if you are talking about Kamal, Rajini, Chirru Mohanlal or Mammooty, I would well advise you to remove any contact details in your blog that would lead to you. Yes we want them around.

As a heterosexual male, I don't care for the looks of the pot-bellied heroes as much as I would for the north Indian slimmies who are cast in the same movies, merely for filling that gap. In all, our movies are complete and therefore our heroes turn eternal.
Bollywood will face the same in 5-10 years when Sharukh , Salman and Aamir shed their youth, if you feel they have not already.
Then, you will find that its better to watch Vijaykanth perform than the hexagon-faced Hrithik Roshan dance. After all while watching Vijaykanth in action, my living room TV shakes.

The biggest difference is that South Indian heroes are made over several movies and hence have a niche while Bollywood heroes are judged movie by movie. This doesn't mean we are sentimental idiots. It takes a lot for a hero to get to that status. Afterall, projects and rates in celluloid industry are purely based on the success of the previous project.

Smokies shot from last year

My favourite picture of recent years. Balaji and I at the Smokies

American Siblings of Indian cities

Recently I came across an article which mentioned about "sister Cities". Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between U.S. and international communities in an effort to increase global cooperation at the municipal level, to promote cultural understanding and to stimulate economic development.

Here is the list for the Indian cities

Community - Sister City

Bangalore - Cleveland, Ohio

Baroda - Edison, New Jersey

Calcutta - Long Beach, California

Chennai,Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Denver, Colorado

Delhi - Chicago, Illinois

Hyderabad - Riverside, California

Jaipur - Fremont, California

Mumbai, Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Los Angeles, California

Mumbai, Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Honolulu City and County, Hawaii

Pune - San Jose, California

Shimla - Carbondale, Illinois

Trivandrum - Galveston, Texas

Vijayawada - Modesto, California

More Indian away than when at home

For long, Indians have been constantly migrating to foreign lands in search of oppurtunites ranging from higher education to improving the social and financial status. But such oppurtunites, in the past, were restricted to either the elite or the daily-wage labourers who took up low-end labours. It is only since the early 90's that the migration of the middle class professionals began. Thanks to IT, faster means of transportation and cheaper communication .

While the elites and the poor labourers, who migrated earlier were keen to merge with the society and culture of their new homeland and shed their original identity; the middle class emmigrants seem to have chosen to carry thier Indian identity along with them. I see a lot of desis, here in Dallas, who would never visit a temple at the street corner of their homes in India, drive a long distance every week to a small temple. The sense of longing and belonging for and to India respectively is growing and growing fast among Indians. This is evident when you walk through easily identifiable Indian communities throughout US. This has made living in the United States better than for example, living in Gujarat for a South Indian and vice-versa. This has made it easier for new immigrants to settle down.

On the dark side, Indians have started restricting to socializing within their group without really opening up to the real America. This is sure to rebound on them when their kids grow up as normal Americans. Well, its better to start preparing for that cultural shock now. For, the first batch of American desi kids of middle-class emmigrants are about to graduate high school.

Professor Prime Minister

Today our PM supposedly snubbed Shipping Minister Mr T. R. balu when the latter tried to point outat the meeting that the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu was not cooperating in the relief operations. Manmohan Singh replied bluntly ""They are in distress and we have to help them instead of finding faults". It seems like a teacher who pomptly disciplines a student(bully) when he tries to deviate the class from the topic, by asking some unnecessary questions.
This brought out the professor in MMS. But the irony is that he is in al all-bully classroom.