Home Needs Reviewed

Elections

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Lok Sabha Elections are coming up in April-May 2009. This time it is stiff competition between the BJP and Congress. The Advani for Prime Minister Campaign is gaining momentum and the Gandhi family from the Congress is also rapidly gaining a vote base.

Varun Gandhi is being commercialized and becoming famous due to his 'inflammatory' speeches which he gave, which were allegedly 'Hate Speeches'. Manmohan seems to be getting too old to handle it all, and so does Vajpayee.

Lalu-ji is as charismatic as always and may be looking forward to a successful election.

I read somewhere that there are totally 834 MPs in India who are being paid a total of Rs. 855 crores for a term of five years. I say that the best way to handle recession is to fire MPs at will! Just Kidding...

I still haven't applied for my Voter's ID, and I am planning to do so through the Jaago Re movement. Filled up my form but yet to submit it. More updates soon.

Lighten up your Life's Journey with JourneyLite

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:47:00 +0000

In today's world, obesity has been associated with many problems including increased blood pressure, heart attacks, and a variety of social problems. Are you the one who requires a two seater on a bus? Then JourneyLite is the place for you and a lap band surgeon is one of your closest friends.

By undergoing this safe and effective surgery which is completely reversible, you can drastically reduce your weight and abolish the problem of obesity. JourneyLite helps you move on in life feeling light about yourself both physically and mentally.

The surgery is very safe and information about it is very transparent. The surgeons involved are fully dedicated and JourneyLite is specially dedicated to providing this service, and this proves their commitment for the cause of helping people with their obesity problems.

Become light hearted and gain confidence today with JourneyLite. Several people have testified to the fact that this is a wholly effective surgery.

Sunniness in Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:23:00 +0000

Weather is generally the fact about how the environment is- whether it is sunny, rainy, snowy etc. Weather Report is a valuable resource junction for understanding the concepts related to the Weather and Meteorology domain.
Weather information is most essential part of everyday life since understanding weather facts can help us make our lives a lot simpler. Arizona is a desert like state without beaches and is characterized by hot weather. The weather in Arizona is generally sunny and pleasant. Usually the temperature in Bullhead City in Arizona is around 80° F during the day and 49° F at night. Weather is very pleasant and sunny. Pleasant weather automatically drives people to be in a pleasant mood, thereby increasing productivity in the workplace and also promotes good relations at home. So due to all this,Arizona relocation is a very good investment for buying a home or any other real estate interest.

We need to first understand certain weather terminologies to know what Weather means and how does weather really affect us. Atmosphere, Climate, Clouds, Sun, Water Cycle, Temperature Differences, High Tide and Low tides, etc are a few to name.
Atmosphere is one of the main concepts in Weather. Atmosphere is primarily a belt of air surrounding earth that absorbs all the harmful ultraviolet radiation and in effect supports all life forms existing on earth.

An Ancient Architectural Masterpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 03:14:00 +0000

The Kapaleeswar temple, located in the heart of Mylapore is one of the largest temples in the state of Tamilnadu in India. History states that this temple was built by the Kings of the Vijayanagara Dynasty in the 15th-16th centuries.

It is indeed an architectural masterpiece. The layout of the temple is in itself very beautiful. It consists of a huge pond which thrives with life- it is full of fish. Children of all age group and even some adults enjoy feeding these fish puffed rice. Once the rice has been put into the pond, the fish come swarming from all parts of the pond to claim the food.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Kapali, or Shiva, the Destroyer of Hindu Mythology.

The temple follows the general outlay of all Shiva temples- It has a 125 feet tall Rajagopuram, and Also has the sanctums of Dakshinamurthy, the God of all giving. The myriad festivals conducted in the temple are always full of colour and they spread joy to the entire community of people.

It is said that the temple was actually constructed during the 6th century, but the Portugese overran it and converted it into a fort. The truth in this is not seen to this date.

The temple boasts of some of the finest sculpting work- the carving is exquisite and exhibits intricate craftsmanship.

As legend has it, Lord Shiva is purported to have pinched off one of the heads of Brahma so as to arrest his pride. As a form of penance, Brahma installed a Shiva Lingam in this spot to do penance. This Lingam is known as Kapaleeshwarar. In the courtyard of the Kapaleeshwar Temple, you can find a small shrine of Goddess Parvathi in the form of a peacock worshipping her consort Lord Shiva.

During the Arupathu Moovar Vilzha Festival in March - April, thousands of devotees throng the temple to participate in the 10-day festivity in honour of the 63 Nayanmars. The bronze idols are taken in a colourful procession through the streets of Mylapore. This festival has become an integral part of the ethos of the local community.

Social Integrity

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:02:00 +0000

The term social is associated with society.
Society is a number of people knit together by a common factor- Humanity.

Integrity in general is oneness, togetherness, completeness of the
society. Therefore, integrity starts with the human, and moves to
humanity, and then on to society, changing by a large margin at every
stage.

A superficial view of social integrity is the smooth functioning of
society without any barriers.

However, this is an ideal situation and so impossible to achieve
completely. The situation might keep improving, but that's about it.

The barriers which tower over all others, and keep relentlessly
mutilating social integrity are, Religion, which gives rise to
communal hatred.
The caste system, which gives rise to discrimination.

Religion and caste are concepts which can not be altered. They have
been fed into the people much before they could understand anything
else.
To a lot of people, faith and religion are motivating forces, positive
energies which drive them on.
Pillars which support them, and hands to push them forth.

People of the same faith exist in discrete circles, or in sub-societies.
Geographically or occupation-wise, they may vary, but at heart they
are the same. That is why, irrespective of where they live or what
they do, a Hindu is always a Hindu. A Christian is always a Christian
and so on.

Most humans wear the caste mask. Either they do not want to remove it,
or they can not. Either way, they don't.

Why should they remove the mask, which defines them, and places them
aptly in the society? Their fathers, have worn it, and have passed on.
Their fathers' fathers have worn it, and have passed on. Why not them?

Most backward castes or classes are financially downtrodden. Doesn't
their caste indicate their financial status? Yes, they are low. So
what if they are low?
Existing with only the bare necessities of life is saintly, yes, Ascetic.

The I-Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:43:00 +0000

The iPhone is an Internet-enabled multimedia smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It has a multi-touch screen with virtual keyboard and buttons, but a minimal amount of hardware input. The iPhone's functions include those of a camera phone and portable media player (equivalent to the iPod) in addition to text messaging and visual voice mail. It also offers Internet services including e-mail, web browsing, and local Wi-Fi connectivity. The first generation phone hardware was quad-band GSM with EDGE; the second generation also adds UMTS with HSDPA.

Apple announced the iPhone on 9 January 2007. The announcement was preceded by rumors and speculation that circulated for several months. The iPhone was initially introduced in the United States on 29 June 2007 and is in the process of being introduced worldwide. It was named Time magazine's Invention of the Year in 2007. On 11 July 2008, the iPhone 3G was released and supported faster 3G data speeds and Assisted GPS.

iPhone has only one notable disadvantage- It does not support JAR files. That is, any JAR applications such as Dictionary or mobile games cannot be run on the iPhone.

Another notable disadvantage is that it has only a touch screen which is irritating for people who constantly type messages and use the keypad a lot on the conventional phone.

Virtual Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:10:00 +0000

What do you think of when you hear the words virtual reality (VR)? Do you imagine someone wearing a clunky helmet attached to a computer with a thick cable? Do visions of crudely rendered pterodactyls haunt you? Do you think of Neo and Morpheus traipsing about the Matrix? Or do you wince at the term, wishing it would just go away?

If the last applies to you, you're likely a computer scientist or engineer, many of whom now avoid the words virtual reality even while they work on technologies most of us associate with VR. Today, you're more likely to hear someone use the words virtual environment (VE) to refer to what the public knows as virtual reality.

Naming discrepancies aside, the concept remains the same - using computer technology to create a simulated, three-dimensional world that a user can manipulate and explore while feeling as if he were in that world. Scientists, theorists and engineers have designed dozens of devices and applications to achieve this goal. Opinions differ on what exactly constitutes a true VR experience, but in general it should include:

* Three-dimensional images that appear to be life-sized from the perspective of the user
* The ability to track a user's motions, particularly his head and eye movements, and correspondingly adjust the images on the user's display to reflect the change in perspective.

That's it about Virtual Reality in a nutshell, folks.

Terror Grips Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:48:00 +0000

Terrorists struck in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Sunday, probably to emphasize that they were still in charge even as Asif Ali Zardari is settling in as the new President

A massive bomb blast rocked Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan at around 8 p.m. on Sunday evening. The blast seemed to be mocking the words of the President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, who had just hours ago said in an address to the parliament that terrorism should be rooted out.

The blast occurred outside the Hotel Marriott and claimed the lives of 40-60 civilians. more than 150 people were injured in the high intensity blast. The six-wheeled truck, designed to resemble a construction vehicle, was carrying an estimated 600kg of high explosives mixed with incendiary aluminum powder. The blast ignited gas cylinders in the kitchen, setting off a blaze that swept through the 300-room hotel. A security official said some victims leapt to their deaths rather than be burnt alive on the upper floors. The attack appeared to have been timed to inflict maximum casualties, ripping through the hotel when it was packed with families having dinner to break the daily fast in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The military was deployed and things were reportedly under control by Monday morning, when detectives were still searching for clues as to who was responsible for the massacre.

Reportedly, a man had come on to the scene minutes before the blast, had sprung out of his car and yelled that there was going to be a blast, thereby warning some people and making them flee from the scene.

One of the security guards of the hotel had heeded the warning and had vacated the spot.

A van containing the explosive was driven towards the hotel, it has been said by witnesses.

The fact that a man had in fact betrayed his terrorist colleagues and had come to the rescue of some people is encouraging because this means that terrorism is slowly being recognized to be a major problem.

Combatting Disease With Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:40:00 +0000

In today's rapidly advancing world, technology has penetrated all fields including medicine. A report on how expert systems treat various diseases without doctors are being developed.

The concept of Artificial Intelligence is being extensively used to develop intelligent systems which are capable of analyzing and treating diseases.

One of the latest systems to detect polio in Kenya is making a breakthrough in the field of medicine- through a simple yet efficient mobile software called EpiSurveyor. The simple software basically consists of a questionnaire, the results of which have been stunningly accurate in detecting polio.

Expert systems online are becoming increasingly available to the public. These systems interact with the patient just as a doctor would and they analyze simple ailments such as allergies, fevers etc. Charging nothing or close to nothing, these systems are easily accessible and they can be dynamically updated to include various symptoms and cures about the latest ailments across the globe.

Will these systems put doctors out of work? The answer seems to be no because there are certain things which can be handled only by doctors and experts in the field, and there is always the concept of the sixth sense, using which doctors make close decisions.

Take the famous case of 'The Final Diagnosis' by Arthur Hailey: a doctor finds it difficult to give a verdict on a tumor- malignant or not. These decisions can only be taken by humans, and however much we advance technology, it isn't possible for a machine to mimic human sixth sense.

The advantages of expert systems in medicine are obvious- easy access, low costs, on-the-spot results, and no paperwork.

Bottom line-Doctors can work in unison with these expert systems to provide the best results.

The Essence of Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:43:00 +0000

A Web log or blog is a tool which is easily available to everyone who has access to the internet. What can these blogs be used for?

A weblog or blog is a personal space on the web where people can voice their views, unleash built up emotions and also portray their talents. These spaces are simple, easy to create and edit, and they are just a click away from every internet user.

Also, these blogs connect people from various origins and allow better international understanding. A blogger in Chennai can read the content of another blogger in Nigeria, for example and both these bloggers can understand the way of life of the other. Family and friends living miles apart can be connected through blogs- people can put up stories of their lives with pictures, videos etc. and can keep their social circles updated.

Blogs can be used for corporate purposes to advertise products or refer people to relevant sites.

Personal blogs can feature peoples' writing, videos, pictures and many other things. Blogging acquired a new dimension after the advent of XML type templates which introduced the concept of widgets. Widgets are elements which can be embedded into blogs. These widgets provide good entertainment; they involve everything from weather reports to creepy crawly things which move around the screen, keeping your eyes occupied.

The downside of Blogging is that there are people who promote terrorist and fanatic groups. It was for this reason that Blogging was banned in India for a while.

Another use of blogging which is becoming an extremely popular trend is making money. Money making through blogs is a new concept which is catching on really fast among the masses. Students who need extra pocket money, homemakers who want to make the maximum use of free time, and senior citizens who need to keep themselves occupied are making great money through blogging.

People also share their experiences through blogs; these pages are a great forum or platform for people to express themselves. People can write out all their emotions and treat the blog as a digital diary and keep it private. This is a very safe way because people cannot view private blogs.

Podcasts are a new thing in the field of blogging wherein people can record their speech and publish it on their blog. This is catching on in places where youngsters want to exhibit their talents and they upload their songs as podcasts. This is one such sample.

In a nutshell, blogging is the best open source, free-of-cost tool today to do absolutely anything you want- Expressing opinion and thought, making money, putting up pictures, keeping people informed about your life, acting as a platform for your talent and the list goes on...

Pattimandrams

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:01:00 +0000

The trend of having panel discussions about various issues not only educates the public but it also gives an opportunity for the downtrodden to voice their views.

Pattimandram is a term in Tamil language which means a gathering of people who speak about a topic in the presence of a mediator- generally one group of people speak for the topic and the other side against.

These pattimandrams have a wide range of topics. For example, the topic of the above pattimandram was 'Should we save up some wealth for our future generations?' Usually the topics are a little too fierce and people get emotional and start screaming into the microphone, an unpleasant sight for the viewers but a pleasant one for the TV stations who are always looking to portray 'interesting' issues.

The importance of the arbitrator is that he is the one who finally passes judgment. These panel discussions are conducted in various international locations for the Tamil population and these locations include Singapore, Malaysia, Chicago etc.

The advantages of these sessions are manifold- They give an opportunity for the poorest, most underprivileged people to voice their views. It is an effective platform for many specially-abled people to speak out. There are many instances of people from poor backgrounds who have achieved something in life. They find solace in narrating their motivational stories and garnering appreciation from people.

It also brings out the talent of small kids, who are just learning how to talk. There have been many cases of six year olds coming to speak in a pattimandram.

The bad side of these pattimandrams is the drama. Many people tend to get at least three times more emotional in front of a crowd and a camera, so in every session there are people who cry, shout, vent their anger, throw the microphone down in frustration etc.

But overall, these entertaining shows have had a really positive effect on the masses, and this concept will go a long way in empowering the masses who need a platform to express themselves.

The Nuclear Race

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:00:00 +0000

Be it nuclear weapons, fuel or technology, the concept of nuclear energy seems to be one that is always given second, third and even fourth thought before changing hands.

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The Indo-U.S nuclear agreement, the text of which was released in August 2007, more than a year ago, is still in a stalemate position. The deal, which was apparently sealed by Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and U.S President Mr. George W. Bush, has run into unforeseen complications and is struggling to be implemented by both sides. The highlights of the deal as quoted by the Financial Express are these.

Basically the deal states that U.S and India will exchange nuclear material, technology etc. for Civilian purposes. The deal, as can be seen, allows the U.S to withdraw by giving a one year notification, thereby providing reasonable flexibility.

The BBC states the steps left to complete the agreement:

* Approval required from 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group
* US Congress to approve deal before President Bush signs it into law
* All this to happen before Mr Bush's tenure expires in January 2009

One of the major hurdles now is that U.S is laying down a rigid condition that the nuclear deal will become void if India conducts another nuclear weapons test. The communist faction of India does not favor a deal with the U.S, fearing that the nation is submitting to the U.S.

While this may sound unfair, it has to be noted that U.S took the stand of nuclear non-cooperation with India when it performed a nuclear weapon test in 1974.

In today's world, many countries are in possession of nuclear weapons, and even in case of a major world war, it has to be believed that the countries will have sense not to make it nuclear because that would spell the ultimate destruction of the entire world.

Back in 1946, when U.S hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there were just two nuclear weapons. Now there are thousands, and each one hundreds of times more powerful than those weapons.

Therefore, nuclear weapons are just a way of showing the world how powerful the country is, and it is a kind of defense and warning sign against aggressive nations which might plan to attack. Maybe Bush is afraid the deal will end up like this:

But the above scenario, it can easily be said that India will not synthesize weapons of mass destruction; it will use the nuclear fuel and technology only to alleviate the dire energy crisis it is facing today. India is not known to have shown any aggression by attacking any country, or even imposing threats.

The bottom line is that this deal will be mutually beneficial for India- which is in need of resources and technology- and the U.S- to promote healthy relations and also strike an effective business deal with India.

Open Source VS Licensing

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:52:00 +0000

Licensed or Open Source? The debate rages on. While each type of software provides distinct advantages, both have their share of cons as well.

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Before the advent of Google, it was Microsoft which monopolized the market. But once Google came into the picture, it rapidly developed into something which was included in the lives of millions of people around the world.

One of the main reasons for this popularity was because all of Google's products were free, and even the advertising was not swanky and bandwidth hogging like Microsoft's.

This catapulted Open Source Software (OSS) to new heights.

The pros of the OSS were explicit- Software which is free of cost to use and distribute, no agreements or constraints to be accepted by the users, and simple stuff which requires no tutorials to use.

The cons, on the other hand, are that because it was free, there is no obligation for the developers to provide pedigree high class applications. There is no competition and the primary aim is to empower the use of software among the masses. Also, security features maybe minimal or non-existent.

One of the exclusions to the OSS world is Google, which provides users the best services. Best in search, best in mail, best in a lot of things. Simple interfaces cut down on bandwidth usage, interact directly with the user, and provide a comprehensive service totally free of cost.

Licensed Software requires users to sign an agreement that states that the user accepts the terms of service. Often, these terms of service run to many pages, and not many people are comfortable going through lines and lines of complicated English just to use a software.

But companies which provide licensed software make it a point to provide the best value for money. They put in a special effort to make their product fully functional, error free and they give the best and most colorful interfaces. While OSS requires some form of advertising, Licensed products have already been paid for, thereby eliminating the need for displaying any advertisements.

Though each type has its own pros and cons, it has been found that usage is slowly shifting towards OSS. Healthy, free and no obligations. This seems to be the ideal concoction brewing. Google products, spearheading the OSS revolution, are promising to become the most widely used products in the web world today.

www.dwheeler.com quotes some statistics to prove how the market for OSS is growing (Till 2007):

OS Market Share Composition
GNU/Linux 28.5% GNU/Linux
Windows 24.4% All Windows combined (including 95, 98, NT)
Sun 17.7% Sun Solaris or SunOS
BSD 15.0% BSD Family (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, BSDI, ...)
IRIX 5.3% SGI IRIX

Bottom line is that people are not prepared to pay for basic facilities like e-mail and chat, and this is the reason OSS is slowly becoming popular.

The Big Bang Sequel

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:56:00 +0000

The Big Bang simulation experiment is in the pipeline. Will this experiment allow humans to probe deeper into the origin of the universe from chaos?

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Scientists on the Swiss-French border are now working on a mammoth experiment to unravel mysteries such as the detailed anatomy of the atom.

The experiment, which is being hailed as a scientific feat beyond anything else which has been done before, has cost 5 billion pounds so far.

The basic infrastructure is a 27-kilometre long electromagnetic tunnel.

The basic idea behind this experiment is to shoot a beam of protons through the LHC from either end, and at certain points the protons will collide with cataclysmic force, supposedly giving an insight into how things were just moments after the big bang.

Mankind has always been thirsty to acquire more knowledge. Huge experiments such as this will definitely lead us into a new era of science. Change is inevitable, and every step towards scientific advancement brings about a revolution. For instance, by probing further into the contents of radio active elements, we brought about nuclear technology into the world.

For every good thing which happens, there will be supporters and there will be mischief makers. The BBC reported one such mischievous event:

...Engineers found two beer bottles wedged into the beam pipe - a deliberate, one-off act of sabotage.
The culprits - who were drinking a particular brand that advertising once claimed would "refresh the parts other beers cannot reach" - were never found.

Strong security measures need to be taken against such mischief. Security is also needed because this kind of technology in the wrong hands can result in undesirable consequences.

The disheartening thing is the number of people who are afraid of the side effects of the experiment- they are of the opinion that this will bring about a black hole, thereby sucking the Earth into it.

It has to be understood that Black Holes exist in space because of the conditions in space. No air, no matter, nothing.

Inside the LHC, the conditions are controlled by trained scientists and if anything goes out of hand, they can always shut down the entire system, thereby depriving any possible Black Hole of the condition for it to exist.

It has to be understood that innovating and constantly moving ahead is the way of man. For every risk taken, there are lessons learned. Even if this experiment does not yield the expected results, it is sure to lay a foundation for further research and understanding.

Perpetual Warfare

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:54:00 +0000

The war against all humanity which cannot be resolved. In places such as Sri Lanka, the Civilians & Government VS the Terrorists war will go on and on.

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Sri Lanka is a beautiful coastal island just below the Indian subcontinent. It is sad to note that the things which happen on this beautiful island are far from beautiful- they are heinous.

The Tamil minority from India who reside in Lanka want a separate state for themselves, but the government is afraid that this partition will lead to more hostility among the people and will result in lesser opportunities and space for the original inhabitants, the Sinhalese.

The Tamils in the area have formed an organization called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who have been at war with the people of Lanka in general and with the government in particular. They openly denounce the government and attack civilians at random.

Their strongholds are deep within the jungles of Lanka where they have trained themselves to remain hidden, only coming out to attack.

The damage done by them over the past two and a half decades has been unprecedented. So major, in fact, that the people there do not find it surprising to see bombs exploding just a few meters in front of them; nor are they perturbed by people being shot down in broad daylight.

This is a very horrible trend. While the government is trying to protect its civilians and minimize the losses caused by the rampage, the LTTE relentlessly inflict violence and keep demanding a separate state for the Tamils.

However, it has to be said that the government's condescending attitude towards the Tamils only infuriates them further. All talks held with the Tamils have come to a standstill. Military intervention has not been successful in weeding out the LTTE because the spectrum across which they are scattered is very broad, making it difficult to destroy them once and for all. What is more, the LTTE manages to capture the resources of the military and puts them to service.

The LTTE is said to be funded from across international borders.

It is also said that the organization brainwashes children to take up arms. This is an extremely discouraging affair.

The first step has to be taken from the government. 62 years ago, India gave the Muslims Pakistan and Bangladesh. In a similar manner, an allocation of a small state for the Tamils will do a great deal of good to the Sri Lankan society.

Sniffing Their Way to Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:51:00 +0000

Adolescents sniffing their way to addiction. This is a disturbing trend among adolescents who have taken up the consumption of many dangerous substances for pleasure.

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The alarm quotient of psychiatrists has been on the rise ever since youngsters in the age group of 10 to 14 have been sniffing certain substances which lead to addictions. These substances alter the brain patterns and bring about the advent of pleasure inducing sensations. These include compounds like whitener thinning agents, glue, and some kinds of paints.

Doctors say that regular usage of these 'drugs' may lead to sudden death. Due to the fact that these are used by kids of aged 7 to 14, their brain development is slow, their resistance is low and they are generally weak.

It is indeed sad to note that many of these kids do not have support from their families and often indulge in these things to escape the harsh realities of life.

Most stationery shops stock glue or thinning agents; easy access to these substances makes them an easy target for kids and teens who are trying to find a way out of their depression or problems.

This disturbing trend can be curbed by finding a substitute non addictive chemical which can be included in glue.

Secondly, not all types of glue contain these addictive agents and hence traders ought to stock only those forms of glue which are addiction-safe.

General research has found that the chief reason behind this addiction is the failure to orient these kids towards proper goals. The secondary reason is due to being from unorganized families which have frequent fights and quarrels.

It is a dangerous world in which we tread, and we must do our best by discouraging the use of these toxic substances which bore holes in the brains of the bright young pillars of tomorrow.

World's Largest Cricket Stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:48:00 +0000

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association plans to develop the world's largest cricket stadium on the outskirts of Chennai, one of the biggest metros in India.

In India, cricket is religion. People view cricket as much more than just a recreational sport; they view it as a reverent element in their lives. This fact was established when the Indian Premier League (IPL) took place. The IPL was the highest revenue-generating cricket event ever and it also had a budget which ran into millions of dollars.

Investors saw the potential of cricket and went ahead with investing in the IPL and they were not disappointed. Nor were the fans of cricket- IPL was the largest and best sporting event they had ever experienced.

Now the investors are seeking a higher return and also a better business opening- the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) is ready to develop the largest cricket stadium the world has ever seen.

The stadium is to have a seating capacity of 90,000. This was the seating capacity of the Bird's Nest Olympics stadium in Beijing.

The stadium is all set to have state-of-the-art equipment such as a retractable roof which will close when it rains. It will also have facilities like swimming pools, spas, etc. in the manner of all international stadiums.

It is a win-win situation because the fans of cricket will have the greatest experience watching matches in the stadium and the investors are bound to get vast returns on investments.

In a country like India where people are extremely diligent, recreational activity which relieves stress will earn a very warm welcome; so we can be assured that the world's largest cricket stadium will be a grand success after it is erected on 50 acres of land in Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai; this will be right on time for the World Cup 2011.

The Google Story Rewritten

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:46:00 +0000

ubert Chang has released a video on Vimeo claiming to be one of the co-founders of Google. While this might be a tall claim, there might be some amount of truth in it, but it cannot be judged for sure.

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A man named Hubert Chang has released a web video in which he has claimed that he is one of the co-founders of the software giant, Google. It is only natural for things like this to happen to the biggies- Some unacknowledged person instrumental in the success of the organization- but forgotten along the way due to something or the other- stories like this are always being heard. Your hairdresser might claim he was Elvis' personal stylist, the manager of the store down the street might claim that was where Britney Spears bought her supplies when she was a kid.

To believe or not to believe these things is a question of trust because in today's world, evidence can be made from scratch to suit people's needs.

In the video, Chang claims that he helped Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page design the search giant in February 1997.

Chang says:

The design includes the search engine algorithm, the business model (also called AdSense and AdWords), the name of the company, the outline of the system architecture, a corporation culture like a grad school, and Google's growing path

Chang claims that he didn't want to involve himself in Google because he didn't want to be a drop-out from the PhD program like Page and Brin.

This choice of not involving himself was he thought, at that time the correct decision, but now it appears that he is filled with remorse for not getting involved. In today's market, Brin and Page are worth $138 Billion.

Chang says that it was Stanford computer science professor Rajeev Motwani, who first introduced him to Brin and Page.

However, Motwani told InformationWeek that though he may have passed on a few emails but Chang's claims were "completely unfounded in reality".

Chang also claims that he tried to contact Page and Brin after finishing his PhD in 2002 but they ignored him. Chang claims that it may be because they were either busy, did not know how to position him.

On the other hand Google said that Page and Brin had "no recollection" of meeting Chang,
However, given the number of people they've met in the last decade it's impossible to say categorically that they never have.

Google said:
Rajeev Motwani, the Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Stanford, believes he may have shared some emails from Mr Chang with Larry and Sergey in 1997 or 1998. But in any case PageRank had already been developed by that time and was a working prototype.

Now we come to the bottom line. What does this Hubert Chang expect to get by claiming he co-founded Google? What sort of justice does he expect even if what he says is true?

It is apparent that Google cannot give him a job based on the past claims, and Chang cannot claim too much credit because after all, it was his decision to back out of Google; Google became a full fledged giant even though he was not there. So his presence has not been inevitable. What does this man want?

Internment

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:05:00 +0000

The dark skinned squeaking lady began interrogating the unsuspecting pillars of the future.

The pillars of the future, i.e. the students (yes, praise does nurture a ticklish sensation at times) battled to suppress monstrous, uncontrollable muscular spasms of the lower jaw. In short, yawns. Yawns and much less were all the squeaking lady deserved.

The lady, who squeaked and could not speak, was not content with extracting life out of pitiable subscribers of education, in a relentless manner. With her meaningless squeaks and more, she attempted to establish a dictatorial regime, and had to be stopped.

The squeaks sometimes evolved into shrieks of high frequency, thereby disarming any notions of peaceful sleep.

It was torture due to the fact that sleep was so close- eyelids involuntarily shutting off the eyes, the brain closing off to all sound and rational thought.

Kept awake and made to experience pain due to the shrill cacophony, they looked at what kept them alive, their watch hands which moved, oh-so-slowly.

“What do you mean, Roll no. 36, by a Register?”

No response. Roll no. 36 had apparently entered the other dimension, that of dreams and nightmares.

“36!”

No response.

“ROLL NO. 36! VARUN B. KRISHNAN!”

A sudden jerky movement, like someone being suddenly shaken from sweet slumber.

A bearded, bespectacled man stood from the last bench.

“What is a Register!?”

His reply was laced with innocence, and spontaneity it possessed.

“That vile, repulsive entity which records the demon-spawn known as attendance!”

The class seemed to have stirred at last. Murmurs erupted.

“Don’t you act smart, 36!”

“My name is Varun B. Krishnan. Call me by the name, if you wish to address me at all.”

“Answer the question!”

“I already did!”

“That wasn’t the correct answer! I asked, with respect to computer architecture!”

“Well, that still is my answer, and the only one I have.”

The bell rang, finally. The squeaky woman squeaked a few ultrasonic obscenities and scurried away.”

An eye for an eye. After all that torment she had delivered.

Canine Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:01:00 +0000

Varun B. Krishnan threw a dog biscuit up in the air, and it was brilliantly caught and devoured in mid air by neighbour's dog Scot.

This was a frequent ritual - VBK visiting the neighbours, and passing time with their intelligent canine, Scot.

What VBK didnt know, and didn't have the slightest inkling about, was that Kabali, emminent soldier of the Community Of Stray Dogs in Mylapore area (CSDM for short) had been watching the ritual, jealosy flowing in abundance through that bony body of his.

"We are gathered here, ladies and gentlemen, to discuss the course of action to be taken against the individual known as Varun B. Krishnan, who spoils Scot the celebrity with biscuits of low quality. thereby reducing the lustre of his skin." Declared Maari, thalai of the CSDM establishment.

Kabali had reported.

The anti-VBK operation had begun.

7:25 am.

The gate of Mr R.B. Krishnan's house sprang open, and out stepped VBK, a sad expression writ large on his face as he thought of the worthlessness of another day of college.

As he reached the end of the street, there stood Kali, another assassin of the CSDM. Through her brown and perpetually alert eyes, she eyed VBK. Just as VBK rounded the bend, she emitted a low growl, and snapped at him. VBK the man panicked, and started running for his life, with Kali right on his trail.

VBK's run had been powered by the morbid fear of rabied assault and encountering an unbelievably sharp set of canine teeth.

A public execution of a human being by a set of dog teeth on a public road was avoided, thankfully, due to (un)timely arrival of the college bus. The ass driver had overenthusiastically arrived a few minuted early, and like a morning Suprabatham had started mouthing obscenities in telugu. (He's a golt.)

This driver, it has to be said, is a dimwit. An uncountable number of times he has asked the SAME people for their bus passes, an excruciating number of times they have shown it to him, and yet he torments souls by his persistence.

Man, he uses the damn indicator and horn so damn ruthlessly and pointlessly. I mean, if some chap honks at a signal with 50 seconds more to go for green, and if he starts flashing the noisy indicator 0.5 km before he turns, you KNOW he's a nut.

Anyway, coming back to the original thing, VBK was saved on that day by this loser of a driver. Funny how fate does such things.

After another infernal day in college,(Where he was verbally intimidated by teachers for flunking, electrocuted to near death by a 5 Volt power supply in the lab (!!!) and beaten up by his classmates for attempting to explain to them that loafing was the path to salvation), VBK alighted from the college bus, looked around, and spotted him.

A rather sly mutt lurked on the side of the street, amongst the beggars. Yes, unmistakably, he was another assassin of the CSDM, presently involved in the anti-VBK operation.

At a brisk pace, VBK walked towards the assassin, and suddenly steered himself into one of the narrow side streets.

Just when VBK thought that he was being clever, he looked ahead, and to his horror, he saw a few growling, menacing soldiers of the CSDM advancing.

He turned back, only to be faced by the assassin who had blocked the other side. It was an ambush.

VBK the man silently swore, thought what heaven would be like, and pondered over the feasibilities of after life.

Vengeance

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:57:00 +0000

Night crept slowly over the city, which consisted of perpetually habitated streets irrespective of the time of the day.

I detested parties.

The excessively sweet, yet venomous and devious hugs, kisses, and waves.

The drunk creatures, which turn you off with . . . what else but their drunkenness.

The people, whom how much ever you try to shun, keep coming on to you and giving you a taste of what hell might be like.

As I thought ruefully about all this, I realized that I was actually, voluntarily, going to hell. Err. . . Party.

Left to my own devices, I would have probably indulged in some less strenuous, more entertaining pastime like bouncing off the walls, or staring at a spider weaving its web, possibly.

There’s this peculiar, hypocritical quality about people. They don’t seem to notice you when you’re there. Why, sometimes, it gets so terrible they see right through you. Now that’s against some kind of opacity law which I don’t want to be even remotely associated with, so moving right along. When you’re not there, they throw up some fake stuff about missing you, something about how you missed all the fun ( when there was none) and what not.

I had to go. Just so people would remember I still existed on the face of the planet, and so I don’t get any of these Oh-My-God-You-Don’t-Party???!!!! Sort of looks.

So there. Party it was.

People, as of that time,(at the party) were quantized into 4 categories- Those freaks and wimps who sat at home; Those who were too drunk to dance; those who were excessively gyrating to the music; And the people who were involving themselves in . . . Other activities.

Ultimately, I figured I didn’t fit into any of the four categories, so I just sat, and looked at the categorized people with a martini for company.

There, I had the misfortune of spotting him. What was even more unfortunate was the fact that he spotted me.

He was the only sadistic character who I had been dreading to meet, owing to the fact that he was, and still is, I presume, in possession of one of the worst sense of humor I have ever come across. If it can be called a sense of humor, that is.

Name dropping is an infernal thing, and hence I shall refrain from doing so. Let us just call him . . . ‘It’. Not very proper, is it? I shall refer to him as Mr. I, then.

Titus, which happens to be my name, is quite uncommon.

Mr. I somehow managed to stop the music, and cried out, feigned niceness flowing thick in his voice,

“Mr. Titus will now entertain us with his tap dancing prowess!”

I was flabbergasted.

I kept involuntarily gesticulating, trying to throw up the words stuck in my throat.
People kept their eyes glued to the weirdly antic-making me.
Then, after a Herculean effort, I managed to splutter.

“Err . . . Ladies and Gen’men . . . I . . . I . . . I can’t tap dance! I can’t even dance to save a life!”

There was an awkward silence.
Mr. I clapped me on the back, and said, in a sympathetic voice,

“Oh, you poor imbecile. I was referring to Mr. Raj Titus here, dancing pro!”
And up stepped Mr. Raj Titus, smart, impeccable, confident.

Then it started. Ripples of laughter mushroomed out into the hall, all the while people pointing at me, staring at me, laughing at me.
I just wanted to run into the wall and blend with the wallpaper.

Even as I literally ran to the door to leave, Mr. I materialized from nowhere it seemed, with a plate of what looked like crap in his hands.

“No, you don’t have to leave because of that now!! Here, have some pastry.”

“No, I, err . . . Just have to leave, have another engagement.”

“Eat up!”

“No, really, this is ridiculous!”

“Oh. Waa!!! OOPS!”
Only a nanosecond after I saw a plate of pastry flying towards my face, my vision blurred and all I could see was some brown stuff all over the place. “I see brown people.” I muttered.

“Oh my God, my buttery, slippery fingers!” Proclaimed Mr. I, a malicious smirk writ large on his face.

Oh well, obviously the cake had not grown wings and decided to fly into my face, like some weird sci-fi tale. Just . . . gravity, I presume. And the malice of Mr. I, of course.

In that party, I was abused, made a fool of, and tormented. Even a full fledged Nazi torture session seemed a light and a bright prospect compared to this.
That party still remains etched in my mind, like it happened a few milliseconds back, though this was years ago, decades ago, maybe.

Our paths diverged, and thankfully I didn’t encounter any being from the party.

Now as I sit in the park which I have been frequenting for so many damn years and reminisce about that terrible chain of events, I look upon the entity which made me reminisce- Mr. I.Well, an elderly version of him, anyway.

Same malice in the eye, same smirk, same . . . oh, wait. He’s half bald.

I hobbled up to him.

“Beautiful day isn’t it!” I called out cheerily.

“Oh, yes it is!” he said, caught off guard.

“Mr. Rohan Denzil, right?” I said.

“Oh yes, and you are?” he said, alarmed.

I rubbed my hands in satisfaction. This was going to be my day.

Caught like a rat he was, you can be sure. Caught in my net. Trapped in my domain, where I know how to provoke all the crows to drop crap on your head while in mid flight.
Where I know how to provoke all the dogs to run after you, baring their teeth, flashing their incisors and scare you to near death. Of course, I would give Mr. I all these privileges.

Even after so many damn years, vengeance is sweet. It gets sweeter with the years, actually.

Vengeance is mine.

In need of a needle

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:06:00 +0000

Drug rehab.

I look out of the window. I see trees.
I look at the floor. I see a blanket of concrete.

These things suck life out of me and make me suffer by just being the boring things they happen to be.

I do not recollect how long I've been in this torture chamber they say is for drug rehab.

Well, no place will be as bad if I just had my stuff and my needle, because when the stuff seeps through my veins through the needle, my brain speaks.

. . . From the hilltop where I stood, I saw life.

I saw the blunder of nature- mankind.
I saw the blunders of mankind- oh, they’re infinite.
I saw the blunder of . . . infinity. It doesn’t exist, and yet it torments.
I saw an infinite number of things, and my mind comprehended all of these.
As my mind, eye, and mind’s eye traversed all, a small creature played me music. Soft, simple music which intoxicated me as I drank it in.

. . . A dark cave. Bare of all life. I have it to myself. No one shall enter, and none shall leave, as there is none except I.
The music which I play materializes as a cacophonic set of noises, as I do not understand.
I understood nature, and I played music. The integrity was perfect, as nature is complete. I understood the song of the birds, and I played. Again, it was complete. Now, I try to understand man.
And I’m failing . . . The sounds continue meaninglessly, merging with the darkness like they’re meant to.

. . . I’m sitting in a motor boat. The motor sings and the boat slices through the water, the way they’re meant to.
The 3 men who sit with me and banter meaninglessly are not real.
Unreal . . . A hallucination.

SNAP.

Sometimes I wish I had the needle again. It makes my brain speak and see the things which I have described.

But I find myself in drug rehab. No use crying out that I want it all back. There is no getting it back, because I never lost it.

The need for the needle is gone, replaced by an insatiable need to understand the nefarious ways and complexities of the human mind, which was the initial purpose.

I’m going to be a bartender at the most sad-ass, run down bar in town . . .

Hyposcrisy

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:42:00 +0000

No, actually something on a smaller scale, but you do get the point, yes?

Unconnected. Some tag business and all this person has got me into. Seems to be the business which suits loafers such as myself, therefore.

‘Things which you did not know about me’ it seems. (Not 5, but fewer)

The loafers in college are so jobless that they formed this thing called ‘pissing committee’ and yes, yours truly chairs the ‘committee’ with all debonair. The duties of the ‘chairperson’ include escorting committee members to the toilet, advising them faithfully about which toilet is the best, etc.
I am sure you would want to know no more about this queer thing, so moving right along.

I’m superstitious. Not overly superstitious, and I form my own superstitions. For instance, my belief is that I will definitely flunk the exam if I do not spin my pen around my thumb thrice, clockwise and anticlockwise before the exam. (ok, no comments on that one)

I just started this personal project called write-a-thon. Swanky name and all. Every day of the year I’m going to write an article, story, or an anecdote. Maintaining a separate notebook for it.

". . . Money, like manure, starts stinking if piled up. That’s why people are called stinking rich. Have you ever known anyone to be aromatically rich?"

Ripple of laughter met the fraudulent humor which emanated from the bespectacled man with dull eyes.

She was bored stiff. She had heard too many crowd pullers like this one. They were all essentially the same. Their desire to impress overshadowed the point they were trying to put across, if any at all.

And the masses, jobless as they were and thick headed as they were forced to become, laughed when they were expected to. Applauded to what did not deserve to be.

It was not entirely the fault of the people. This was what they were fed, and consuming what is fed to you is much simpler than exploring and finding newer pastures to feed in.

She got up from her seat, and spoke. “Excuse me, for interrupting this session, there is something I would like to say.” The voice was devoid of emotion. Nothing.

Murmurs propagated, heads turned.

“There will be a questions session, young lady . . .” but she had already grabbed the microphone.

“I would like to speak to you about foolishness.”

The voice was flat. There was no proclamation, no glorification. It simply stated a fact.

“You, yes you, are a fool.”

Heads turned to see who she was referring to, but she suddenly screamed and they jumped.

“Don’t you turn your damned heads full of crap! I’m referring to every one of you hypocritical bastards!”

Four people got up. They had decided to interrupt the impudence of this woman who had interrupted a brilliant speech.

“Stop. Please listen to me. Stop, STOP!”

After being manhandled and thrown out of the auditorium, where some bastard had actually felt her up in the process, she walked to the museum. Hypocritical and opportunistic too these people are, she thought sourly.

Reconstructed dinosaur bones, she laughed and passed on.

Fossils on display, she sneered and moved on.

A guide was speaking to a bunch of interested looking people, and she stopped to listen.

They were obviously hypocrites, she thought. The very fact that they came to a museum, acted interested and listened to crap was proof enough. On second thought, they might not all be that way. Some may be fascinated by history; some might be listening to find out to what extent crap existed in the world. She was one such soul, so she walked up and listened.

“. . . The dead speak through history, and we listen. History is the foundation on which we live on, and we are the foundation on which our future generations will exist. Therefore, the roots are our past . . .”

Not bad at all for a guide, she thought. He had a different approach, and he was convincing. But he spoke crap anyway.

“In 1762, . . . ”

Oh dear, he had started crapping again, and it was getting worse and intolerable.

“Excuse me, but why again do we need history?” She barged in.

A few of the hypocrites gave her cold and rude looks. Typical. But she wasn’t looking at them, as she didn’t care. She looked at the guide.

“So that we can learn from the mistakes which have already been made in the past. That’s just one thing.”

“What other things?”

“I’m not here to talk about why we need history. These people here are interested in history, and you don’t seem to be. So we will all appreciate it if you will say nothing.”

“If you’re not here to talk about why we need history, why did you start saying things like the dead speak through history? Why the embellishments?”

A tall, haughty looking woman spoke.

“Go away, you mean woman! We want to listen to this man who is nice enough to take us around and tell us interesting things.”

“Yea, bitch get yer ass outta here before I throw ye out maself.” This man was huge. And intimidating enough to make her pee in her pants, so she made a hasty exit.

She sat at home, and wrote.

“People, initially, are empty. They fill themselves, or are made to fill themselves, with things which they will not benefit from at all. They fill themselves with crap, basically”

The moon shone. But that statement is hypocritical in itself, she thought. The sun shines and the moon reflects. Hypocrisy is all there is. . .

and the moon reflects. Hypocrisy is all there is. . .

Internment

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:33:00 +0000

Grand Theft

noreply@blogger.com (Varun B. Krishnan) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:03:00 +0000

I observed the people who had gathered there.

They positively reeked of false emotion as they proceeded to greet each other overdramatically; hugged themselves for the heck of it; and complimented one another on the fragrance of their perfumes irrespective of the fact that they were not worth being complimented; and as they planted surface grazing kisses sans feeling on each others' cheeks.

How did they choose not to see through false emotion? Probably because they were exhibiting the same themselves and did not want to be seen through.

I observed them till the movie started, Great film.

Habitation on the streets was minimal when I reached the place known as Bawa street. Darkness enveloped it, and it was characterized by sleeping watchmen and menacing looking dogs.

Streetlights gave off yellowish orange photons that bounced off the windshields of a few cars parked on the sides.

This was all I saw as I walked, and unfortunately I did not see more.

The Punnaiagi Mannan tune invited me (forced me, rather) to pick up the phone from my pocket and answer a call from my mom who told me to come back home ASAP, and take an auto if necessary.

Even as I endeavored to lock the keypad and replace the phone in my pocket, a rowdy duo on a shady looking two wheeler approached me at high velocity from behind.

Before I could even comprehend, the pillion rider grabbed the phone from my hand with sudden, savage force.

I went into a sudden state of shock for a few seconds, shaken by the assault from behind.

I attempted to pounce on the bike just a second or two later, but even that was too late.

They had vrooomed off into the distance, and into the intricate areas of TTK road.

As they were speeding away, i ran behind them screaming Wattha Aei! Dai, Dai phone! etcetra which might have sounded intimidating under normal circumstances.

I thought I was being clever by thinking of noting down the number on the license plate of the vehicle, but the rowdy duo had thought of it as well and the pillion rider was blocking my view of the license plate with his palm.

As I sprinted desperately behind them screaming, dogs barked their lungs out and sleeping watchmen slowly stirred and asked me what the hell was happening.

"Phone, phone!" I moaned in frustration.

Dialled home from a booth and mom reprimanded me for not having taken an auto, and threatened me that they would next grab me and take off, and sell me along with the phone. (For how little, I wondered)

What a life. My second phone. Oh well, if I were to get my hands on those two, I would tie them to a chair and play endless repeated tracks of various forms of the wattha aei dance. . .