AUTOBIOGRAPHICALyb

I am grateful to the Linux, Ubuntu, Gnome, Kubuntu, Debi and Debian Community

2011-10-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

The Linux Community is symbolic of the socialist society which Karl Marx dreamt of.

This community is neither too small or unenthusiastic. I am unable to furnish a complete list because I am incompetent.

I have, hitherto, nursed a pessimistic belief that in this Capitalist world everything including drinking water and air are chargeable to brim. But the Linux, Ubuntu, Gnome, Kubuntu (and other of similar ilk), Debi and Debian etc are all not only free of cost, but also open source. They neither charge nor hide, their intellectual properties which are in no way less than the hyper-publicized talents of microsoft and Adobe.

It is sufficient that just we make use of the Ubuntu Software Center screen and choose from thousands of packages available absolutely free and without any strings. Or else, just sufficient, if we know how to type 'sudo apt-get install packagename'.

I am not writing all these out of some temporary exuberance of initial successes with Linux and Ubuntu. I am writing after using all those packages for one year. I have spent all this one year free of anxieties about viruses, key numbers for installation or worries about booting or not booting. In one sentence: Ubuntu is very stable.

Unfortunately I do not write much with intent to make much money except recovering my internet access costs. I wish I should be able to make slightly more money, so that I can compensate the Linux and Ubuntu community for their self-less efforts.

TEN likeable inanimate objects - starting with the letter 'b'

2011-05-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

A netizen friend has asked : Which is the inanimate object, you like the most.

I, instinctively replied : "Sun-baked earth , just before the first rains of the monsoon".

My mind, nevertheless, started revolving and spiralling, on possible other replies. I could find at least ten likeable inanimate objects for each letter of the English alphabet, with the exception of q and x.

I furnish below a list of ten inanimate likeable objects starting with the letter 'b' occurring to mind. Readers may please, if they enjoy it, add their list of ten likeable similar objects, in the comments section below.

1. bamboo flute.
2. buffalo's tail.
3. butter.
4. black sky (cloudy).
5. blue sky.
6. breeze.
7. broom.
8. blade (shaving).
9. bicycle.
10.biographical book (say of : Benjamin Franklin).

How I view at things as a Marxist?

2011-04-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

How I view at things as a Marxist? - title of this post may appear to be egoistic or egotistic or boasting or bragging.

Other titles I could have used:

--How we view at things as Marxists? -- I shall be attributing my ideas to other Marxists without consulting them. Hence I cannot use.

--How Marxists ought to/should view at things? --This becomes didactic preaching. Hence, I cannot use.

--How people view at things? --I shall be unnecessarily commenting about others, which should not be my predominant occupation, though I could occasionally use this privilege. Hence, I cannot use.

Thus, I have to write somewhat egotistically.

Live Example
We can recall news reports that the citizens of Aurangabad City in Maharashtra State, India, purchased 150 bmw cars on a single day, i.e. the 14th October 2010.

The Entrepreneurs of Aurangabad were reported to have booked 101 bmw cars on the 21st November 2010. Reason they attribute : Attract global attention of the investment prospects of the Aurangabad City.

A BMW costs even at entry level Indian Rupees approx. 2.3 million.

Prime Minister and his adviser, Finance Minister and the Planning Commission Dy. Chairman, would have been the happiest persons to hear that news.

The London School of Economics, The Delhi School of Economics, the Indian Schools of Business and the IIPM wallas would have been the happy lot to learn that India is glowing with great demand for BMW.

Tatas introduced the cheapest car in India, "Nano". We have the popular Maruti 800 or its variants. Maruti shifted from its 800 to higher models. Tatas are unable to push through its Nano in spite of a low price. There was of course, a belief that it is explosion-prone. Tatas seem to have worked hard and rectified its defect. Yet, they are forced to offer Nano only on instament basis.

People should have upgraded themselves from bykes to Nano, if India is really developing on a 'gradual scale'. Buying an entry level car is an indication of financial well-being and not the crazy purchase of BMW cars.

Aurangabad, originally was a poor city, located in an arid hilly terrain. The last noteworthy Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was said to have spent his last days in Aurangabad. He was a frugal Emperor living on wages earned by writing copies of Khuran. Nanded, another small City near Aurangabad had Guru Gobind Singh the last Great Sikh Guru laying down his life. Its nearby tourist Centres Ajanta and Ellora are famous for Buddhist painting and sculpture. Everything around Aurangabad should reflect some austerity. The city on the other hand is going to reverberate with the horns of BMWs and the groans of underpaid chauffeurs of the limousines and the moans of pavement dwellers run over by the drunken sons and daughters of the so called entrepreneurs.

What does this reveal? Only 251 persons are going to decide the demand of Aurangabad City. Aurangabad has a population of 1.5 million as per the 2011 Census. Aggregate Demand from Aurangabad should emerge out of at least .5 million of its Citizens and not just 251 persons!

Demand for food, clothing, shelter, old age security, minimum education and health, should be taken care of before encouraging bykes and Nanos, Altos etc. Where is the place for BMWs in Aurangabad Streets?

TWO GREAT TREATS OF SEVEN letter RHYTHM

2011-04-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

Ms. Nitya Mahadevan sang in the program 'Nada nirajanam' at SVBC TTD channel of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, on 17.04.2011.

The main item performed in the concert was 'Evaruraa ninu vinaa' a composition of Tyagaraja in the Raga Mohana and tala Misra Chapu.

The mood of raaga Mohana (Raag bhoopali in Hindustani music) is worthy of its name, mesmerising and captivating. It was not difficult for the established singer Ms. Nitya Mahadevan to create the mesmerising environment on that evening.

Misra caapu is a seven beat rhythm unlike aadi taal`a which is a 4-8-16 beat rhythm. The Aadi taal`a (called tiin taal in Hindustani music) is the most popular rhythm in both the forms of music.

Less of mis`ra caapu seven-letter (3+2+2 or 2+2+3 combination) beat rhythm, we hear on stage. Hence, this delight.

This delight has been compounded when I heard the mis`ra caapu on the All India Radio, Visakhapatnam, from Ms. Juttu Radhika on the 17th April 2011, Sunday morning session.

This is also a composition of Tyagaraja in the raaga s`ubhapamtuvaraal`i , 'ennallu urake umduvo cuddaamuraa'. The Hindustani rag equivalent of subhapamtuvarali is 'Hindustani todi'.

Subhapamtuvarali appeals the most, when the intention is to depict a mood of melancholy and misery. The Hindustani todi is mostly a morning raga and is not, therefore, popular in evening stage concerts. Subhapamtuvarali is an all-time raga in Carnatic music.

Subhapamtu varali is difficult to sing or play. An accomplished player can take the listeners to great heights. I regard Ms. Radhika as one such singer, based on her rendering of the subhapamtuvarali.

Both the compositions have been addressed to Rama.

INDIAN TRADING METHODS ABOMINABLE OR -NOT ?

2011-04-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I bought an anti-glare screen guard for my laptop lenovo 3000 n100, yesterday.
Purported Brand : Olinvon.

Manufacturer : TJK IMPEX, 105, Hammer Smith Indl., Mahim W, Mumbai 16. This is said to be in collaboration with Messrs. LEA HIN PTE. Ltd., Singapore.

This screen guard is said to be 'The Scratch and Squint Proof Screen Protector" as per the wrapper.

So far, so good.

It has a printed maximum retail price of Indian Rupees 200/-. A good friend of mine fetched it for Rs. 50/-. He has told me that
this is normally sold in shops for Rs. 150/-. There are at least two intermediate markets (wholesale - semi-wholesale) between Mumbai and my place. We can assume that these intermediaries keep a margin of at least Rs. 5/- each, total comes to Rs. 15/-. We have to presume that the manufacturer sells to his first distributor at Rs. 35/-. Thus, Printed maximum retail price is nearly five times more than the manufacturer's first sale price.

It is true that by printing a maximum retail price the manufacturer is complying with some statutory requirement. The statutory requirement may be aiming at protection of consumers.

The situation is quite obvious. The intermediaries are selling the product at a price which is determined by their whims and fancies or the haggling abilities of the buyers, whichever is stronger at that particular market and time.

The manufacturers and traders may have their own problems. But, yet, what makes them to be so slippery?

I would have been filling up promissory notes

2011-04-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

The above is a rough sketch of my first teacher. I drew the sketch using 'journal' a linux-based software. I use Ubuntu.

The yellow color, is the towel worn by him to protect himself from sun's heat and light. He used to suffer from some scalp ailment which compels him to continuously protect himself from sun's light. His house used to face west and in the afternoon, this protection was a must.

Time Adverb : 1955 to 1958.
Place Adverb : A village in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India. 16 degrees N of Equator. 82 degrees East of Greenwich.
Manner Adverb : He used to run his private tuition in his home. There were in all three such schools in my native village.

Subjects taught : 1. Basic Telugu. 2. Basic arithmatic, additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions.

Fees : Nominal. Almost nil, as far as I could recollect.

Class room setting : Under the shade of a neam tree + fig tree. It is a custom in Indian villages to conduct marriages of neam trees with fig (banian) trees. This twin tree was on the south-west side of my teacher's house.

The teacher used to lie down under the shade of the trees, on a country-cot woven with white cotton tape, head facing south, pillow under his head.

My self and his son we used to massage his legs, one each. The ritual included application of castor oil to his feet and ensuring that it is totally absorbed into the feet through the pores in the skins.

Afternoon teaching ritual :
1. Getting 1x1 to 20x20 multiplication tables by rote. One boy shouts. Others repeat in chorus.
2. Repeating currency multiplication tables in chorus.
Currency in those days : 1 Rupee = 16 annas.
1 anna = 2 ardhan`aas.
1 anna = 4 kaani(s).
1 kaani = 3 dammid`is or old paise.
Repetition method = oka kaani = kaani (one kaani equals kaani).
remd`u kaanlu ardhan`a ( two kaanis equal one ardhan`a).
muud`u kaanlu mukkaani ( three kaanis equal triple kaani).
naalukkaanlu anna (four kaanis equal anna).
so on . so forth.
3. Telugu mother tongue : Getting by rote:

a) Sumati Satakam. A collection of 100 telugu verses.
This is a treatise of ethics. Approx. 13th Century A.D.
b) Vemana Satakam. A collection of 100 telugu verses.
This is a treatise of ethics. Approx. 16th Century A.D.

These two texts in Roman script, with English translation, I have placed on the net.
URLs : sumatisatakamyb.blogspot.com
vemanasatakamyb.blogspot.com.

The first standard Telugu Reader was by name 'kottaamdhra vaacakam' (New Andhra Telugu Reader), published by Messrs. Venkatarama & Co., Eluru.

It had, as far as I could recollect, two short stories:

a) The story of a monkey playfully removing a nail inserted by a carpenter in a wooden log, for facilitating sawing. The monkey died as its limbs were caught between the splits when they came together. The moral taught was that we should not interfere into those affairs with which we are not connected.

b) The story of a person giving milk to a snake regularly in spite of advise from his elders. One day the snake bit him and he died. The moral taught was that we should not help wicked persons ignoring the advice of elders.

I am not sure that I am following these moral stories.

What useful things I learnt, other than rubbing castor oil on our master's feet and preparing snuff for my master?

1. Writing Demand Promissory Notes in Telugu language with all the essential details. (Date, amount, purpose of borrowing, interest rate, name and address of the borrower, name and address of the lender).

The proof that a person was educated in those days : Ability to read and write demand promissory notes.

Villagers of my native village were either borrowers or lenders. Nobody was a zero. 90% were illiterate. Hence, there was a great value for those who could read and write D.P. Notes.

I am now 60. I have not visited my native village during the last 40 years. The situation might have changed now. Printed blank Demand Promissory Notes are sold, ubiquitously, in villages, towns and cities.

Andhra Pradesh, our State, ranks first or second, in farmer-suicides, at All India level. My father and grand-father were also broken farmers. Had I lived in my native village, I would have probably eked out my livelihood filling promissory notes and sale deeds. Am I lucky or were the villagers lucky?

Even as a Bank Officer for about 25 years, my ritual included filling-up demand promissory notes on behalf of both educated and illiterate borrowers. The educated borrowers were not interested to fill them as they had other avocations. They used to spoil the forms, when we insisted that they should fill and sign. The illiterate borrowers needed help because they could neither read or write. They only know just signing their name.

India, as per 2011 census boasts of 74% literacy. What type of literacy this may be? Just acquire an ability to sign?

I shall write about the snuff-making , some other time.

ONE OF THE FINE THINGS WHICH MAKE LIFE 'LIVABLE AND LOVABLE'

2011-04-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Very few people in our country might have watched the ' nAda nIrAjanaM ' on SVBC TV Channel today (April 2, 2011, 6.30 p.m.). Our entire Nation is terribly busy praying the 330 million Gods to bless the Indian Cricket Team win the World Cup.

I am one of the delighted few who have watched the SVBC.

Anuradha Venkata Raman's Bharata Natyam performance lifted my mind from a state of depression.

Srivatsa sang the nATa kuraMji, yamuna kalyANi, siMdhu bhairavi, valaji, kuraMji so well, that I am tempted to rank him on par with the legendary Bala Murali Krishna.

Vivek Krishna was great on the flute both on the regular and the bass versions. Heavenly output from these reeds of bamboos.

Ganesh was great on the mridaMgaM. His rhythms matched the steps of Ms. Anuradha Venkata Raman's footwork (or vice versa), so completely that the harmony mesmerised me.

Mr. Pulakesi's naTTuvAMgaM has contributed greatly to the team's performance.

This team deserves greater recognition than what it is getting at present.

Practice of music and dance in Indian styles of both the North Indian and the South Indian, can keep the performers' bodies well-oiled. They get , I believe, larger benefits than FROM the aerobic exercises of the West. This is because, the literary compositions have emotional content. This divine emotional bliss, I found on the facial expressions and in the subtle body movements of Ms. Venkata Raman.

#034 R.K. NARAYAN'S SHORT STORY COLLECTION - MALGUDI

2011-03-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

A few day's back Late R.K. Narayan's short story collction 'Malgudi Days'.

I had, previously a prejudice against Shri Narayan that he was middle-class, pessimist and escapist. This short-story collection has dispelled my notion.

Most of his subjects, particularly the subjects of this short story collection, are persons of the lower strata. He seems to have full sympathies towards them.

Mr. Narayan , in his works, had not expressed any agenda or philosophy or theory or practice, for the have-nots, his characters.

I personally believe that atheism and Marxism can uplift and equate the masses. They bring in a sort of dignity in the hitherto deprived. The Government of India and the State Governments have, unfortunately chosen the route of caste reservations and economic reforms approach. They cannot deliver. Their approach wastes time and resources. This has already been proved by the growing disparities in the income and wealth. Raising economic offenses proves the decay which has set into our country. This is a world phenomenon of course. Globalisation has accelerated and intensified the dirt and the malice.

The mAlguDi Days is worth reading. I have also come to know about a TV serial based on this . I have seen one or two picture-images of the village perceived as the mAlguDi village/town which was in Late R.K.'s mind. But, somehow, my mind revolted to accept the photos of the village street and the home.

#033 QUEST FOR HONEST MONEY

2011-03-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

I do spend a lot of time on language skills, vocabulary, javascript coding and php coding, because I do not want to live like a parasite on a bank's pension. I am trying to create a stream of honest income while working from home. That income may not be notable. Yet, it boosts self-confidence. Besides, I can broadcast my ideas on atheism and Marxism. The purpose of writing articles to Telugu newspapers is also to use it as an outlet for venting emotions. Most humans have emotions. I believe that even animals,pets and plants have emotions and feelings. They cannot withhold them for long. They will breakdown and perish if they constrict the built-in emotions. This is like a pressure cooker's gasket release system.

I do not find anything wrong in this because, substantially large number of Indians spend their time on cricket and films. The world citizens may spend their time on anything. It is a part of individualism and pluralism. I shall not pass any value judgement on whether they are better-utilising their time or worse-utilising their time. Can they comment on how I spend my time?

#032 SHOES FOR INDIANS

2011-02-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

An hour back I was watching ND TV News.

The Channel showed an I.P.S. Officer (designated as her Security Officer), cleaning her shoes in public.

I felt distressed. I felt happy , in a way, that I didn't try for Civil Services Examination.

Why did this particular I.P.S Officer need to stoop so low down?

My mind also started thinking : Does a Chief Minister, (gender or caste immaterial) need shoes? This culture started from the days of the Congress stalwart Chief Ministers of pre-independence days like Govinda Ballabh Pant. Even Swami Vivekananda and his (supposedly mad looking) philosophical Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa wore shoes.

India has a population of 1.1 billion. At least 900 million cannot afford shoes and do not wear them. In fact at least 500 million cannot afford sandals. Why does, then a Chief Minister who poses as a champion fighter for the poor, need to wear shoes? Mayawati sould seriously ponder over this.

Assuming that a la other C.M.s she could wear shoes, do they need public cleaning on the roads? Wouldn't it have been sufficient that she started the day with clean shoes? Was she meeting any foreign diplomat or a top banker?

I am, now , tempted to write something autobiographical:

1. I was too poor to buy and wear rubber sandals from my birth 1950 to 1968. A paternal uncle bought me rubber sandals, seeing my plight while walking in hot summer on molten bitumen roads.

2. I lived on borrowed chappals from my maternal uncle from 1968 to 1970 when I was attending job interviews and doing odd jobs.

3. I could buy good chappals in 1970 for the first time, when I joined a Bank.

4. I married in 1975. I was preparing for a promotion interview. On the combined occasion, my friends advised me to attend the promotion interview wearing shoes. I bought Bata leather shoes, brown color, spending some 300 Rupees approx. $10. I lost the promotion interview. Ankles started aching, like the proverbial Achilles heal. My younger brother started using them.

5. I, later, attended another promotion interview in 1976 , wearing leather chappals. I got selected, of course.

Back to Mayawati, I do not grudge her wearing shoes. I only feel that one morning-polish at home, may be adequate, unless she is going to call on some foreign national, who, I perceive, give great value to dress.

#031 MY COMMENT AT SUBSISTENCEEMPLOYMENT.COM

2011-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

The following is a comment made by me SubsistenceEmployment.Com. I am repeating the Comment here. Reason: It was subject to moderation and approval of the site owners there. I am apprehensive that , it may be available there or not.

I have enough to subsist. What I am searching for: I wish to spread atheism and Marxism globally. To start with India, my own country. I do not want to beg and get donations. My need: $300 per month or $10 a day. I have tried blogger. I got $110 in four years without writing anything unethical. My English vocabulary and grammar blogs gave me these bucks. My blogs on other things failed to attract readers, as was predicted because pro-atheist and pro-Marxist stuff is the least attractive for readers.

Of the above 10 suggestions, I am keen on suggestions about:
Downsizing life : This I have already done. I have never purchased regular clothes during last eight years, except underwear. I live on bare veg. food. I do not smoke or drink. I live in my own house. I didn't consult a doctor during the last eight years. What else should I do , to downsize?

Your suggestion of Offering to do what we can
---------------------------------------------
Physical presence in U.S. or Europe or any other country outside India, is not possible. I have to offer something online. I have no interest in surveys. I have done my PG in English, History. I have done my graduation in Commerce and Law (L.L.B.). Having worked in a Bank for 31 years and retired without blemish, I developed a dislike for finance and insurance jobs. I have written about 100 articles in Editorial pages of newspapers in my mother tongue - both print and electronic editions.

Local people in my city make big money trading in chillies , cotton. liquors and real estate. I do not want to waste my life on these. Practising law, also I do not relish.

I have recently read the novel "Widow for One Year" by John Irving. All the principal characters in the novel are writers of fiction. The protagonist Ruth is a big-time author. Her father Ted was also a big success. Ruth's friend Hannah was a journalist. Ruth's mother Marion was also a novelist. Marion's lover Eddy was another novelist. Ruth's diseased husband was an author and an editor. So many people writing fiction! Is there so much demand for fiction in the English Reading World?

I get occasional Emails of news-letters from one publisher by name Dorrance Publishing. Is there real demand for electronic or printed novels, in this age of free ebooks?
How far is it worthwhile to try writing fiction?
Is there any publisher in the World who will pay $100 for a novel of 100 pages, from a fresher?

The most successful English writer from my country, Late R.K. Narayan, it appears , had some pleasant and unpleasant experiences with British and American publishers. But, that was a bygone era of 1951--2000.

What is in store for English fiction in the era 2001-2050?

I wish to study your esteemed views. Sorry for this lengthy comment, which may be tedious to read.

#030 Started badly and ended pleasantly

2011-01-01T05:18:00.000-08:00

I started 2010 very badly. My father suffered chickun gunya and prostrate enlargement. My mother suffered chikungunya fever and dengue. The resultant financial and physical strain going around hospitals, hurt me badly.

I myself, had chikungunya fever. I persisted, adamently, this time, without consulting a doctor or visiting a hospital. I read an article by Dr. Patibandla Dakshina Murthy in Vaartha Telugu Daily about the important precautions to be taken while suffering from chikungunya. I sincerely thank Dr. Dakshina Murthy for his tangible and useful service.

I used only paracetamol , three times a day. I tried to protect myself from mosquitos. I could revive in ten days . Body pains continued for about two months.

I suddenly realised that my house was getting dilapidated owing to disrepair and lack of care, busy I was translating Bhagavad Gita and Bhartruhari's Subhashita Trisati.

Two ceiling fans got burnt owing to a leaking roof. I felt that this material world is more important than the ethereal or the spiritual or creative or literary spheres.

I dedicated myself to personally apply cement to ceiling and walls and undertake some patch work. I started painting Berger Weathercoat to walls and enamel to metal and wood objects like doors and windows. I used only white color for both, as choice or specific colors were not available in sealed cans. Choosing a single color saved time in shopping.

I have done four to five hours of physical labor everyday from June 2010 to Dec. 2010. Leaking roofs stopped. Fans were got rewound. Electrial fittings were rewired in all the rooms. I spent sometime in using brooms, daily . This improved my skills.

2010, thus ended happily.

#029 JUXTAPPOSING DR. MALAVIKA MITRA WITH KATRINA KAIF

2010-11-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

JUXTAPPOSING DR. MALAVIKA MITRA WITH KATRINA KAIF

Today morning
I have started my today, reading a Telugu language newspaper Andhra Bhoomi. It had a photo of the Bollywood star Katrina Kaif in its Cinema Section. Kaif, in the photo, was quite seductive. Lean. Looked, with her hand on her knickers, as though she was going to show up her private part with its bulging. Or alternatively, as though she was going to hide the protruding mound. This art of ambivalence she seems to have
perfected as an art.

We have a proverb in Telugu : 'Kuut`i koraku koot`i vidyalu'. Rough translation: Ten million arts are for the sake of filling the belly. Kaif would have fulfilled her object of earning enough to fill the belly, in the very first year of her entry into the stardom.

My mind has pondered over her consciousness of the invaluable monetary importance of her private part.

TODAY EVENING

I have, today evening , watched live, on the SVBC TV channel, Dr. Malavika Mitra performing 'Kathak' dance. She has a little stocky figure, apt for her age. She might not have starved herself like Katrina Kaif, to keep her figure extremely slim. Dr. Malavika's tough regimen of training might have kept her figure to the minimum level of stoutness, as can be seen from the agile spontaneous movements she displayed in her dance.

Some of the dance pieces performed by Dr. Malavika : 1. A Mira Bhajan which shows Krishna as coming to the rescue of Draupadi and Prahlada. 2. Depiction of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishn`u (Das`aavataara).

She acted as her own compere with a mellifluous voice, alternating between Hindi and English, while demonstrating the rhythmic taala patterns of syncronisation between Tabla and footwork. Her voice occasionally quivered, probably owing to gasping for breath following fast movements and revolutions.

Dr. Malavika's performance on the stage proved to be superb. She might have owed the excellence of her performance to several hours, days , months and years of hardwork and training with perseverence. It is inimitable for the likes of Katrina. Hence they have to resort to use their hands (like the two hands of the clock) pointing towards their private parts.

I have recalled my experience of the morning, with the photo of Katrina Kaif. A feeling has suddenly struck me that Katrina will get her Doctorate from some University for her stellar appearances. India has hundreds of Universities to bestow honorary doctorates on film stars.

Hail Malavika and Katrina.

#028 BAPATLA CLOCK TOWER

2010-11-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

Bapatla is a small town in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, India. Location : 16 degrees N and 82 degrees E.

November 28, 2010 will remain as a sad day in the history of the Bapatla town.

The Municipal and Revenue Authorities, the Roads and Building Officials, have used two giant proclines, to demolish the second most important historical landmark of the town, a clock tower built in 1948. The Government did the demolition ostensibly as a part of widening of the Guntur-Bapatla-Chirala Highway. The Tower was tough. The machines and 20 laborers took many hours to accomplish their task.

I have been thunderstruck , reading the news in a local newspaper.

I studied in Bapatla from 1959 to 1962 , V Standard to VIII Standard. I learnt keeping time watching at the clocktower, passing beside it, at least twice a day. I learnt the value of time from the magnificent and magnanimous hands of the Tower's Clock. Very few people had watches , alarm time-pieces and clocks in those days, not to speak of mobile phones. The clocktower was , therefore, a great benefactor.

The Tower was at a four-road junction. The Government could have widened the road, on both sides of the tower, allowing it to remain in the Centre.

I mourn the demise of the Clock Tower.

#027 R.K. NARAYAN'S THE PAINTER OF SIGNS

2010-11-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

I have spent the past few days reading the R.K. Narayan's novel "The Painter of Signs".

R.K. Narayan was one of the best Indian English Novelists.

His novels come with subtle humor. Sometimes, this lighter vein gives an impression to the reader, that the author is not serious, about the serious problems he is writing about.

The characters in this short novel (Can I say novelette!):

Protagonist : Raman. Youth. Painter of commercial sign boards. Takes orders from professionals and shopkeepers. Paints at his home, in the backyard shed, on the banks of a river. Falls in love with a girl named "Daisy".

Daisy : Ranks equally or even above Raman. Works in an organisation which spreads family planning. Left home early in life in search of avowed goals, particularly to live with greater freedom and objectivity. She dedicates herself to her task of spreading the message of family planning in remote Indian villages. She breathes family planning.

Raman's aunt : Nurses and nurtures Raman (parentless).

Other characters : Intended to generate humor. They are real-life.

Brief theme : Raman gets an engagement from Daisy to accompany her for writing walls in villages, to write family planning messages. Falls in love with Daisy, during the journeys.

Daisy appears to reciprocate. She loves him and even agrees to marry him, on her own terms. Raman informs his aunt about his proposed marriage to Daisy. His aunt being orthodox, unable to reconcile with a situation of her nephew marrying a Christian, leaves to Varanasi, to die there ultimately. (Hindus cherish the idea of dying on the banks of river Ganga, particularly at Varanasi).

Raman gets the marital home ready. Raman and Daisy agree on the date to marry. Even a premarital sexual intercourse takes place. Raman arranges a taxi to get Daisy to the marital home.

But Daisy decides to proceed ahead on her mission of family planning into the interior villages, leaving a forelorn Raman. Raman makes some noise, but it does not changes her, though she clinches his fist and pities him.

The story raises some important questions on human lives such as 'mission of life', purpose of marriage, impact of mysticism on gullible villagers etc.

Worth reading .
This is probably the best novel from R.K. Narayan. Apparently written in 1972.

I have a strong urge to discuss these and other questions, in this post someday.

#026 LEXICAL DIVIDE

2010-11-22T01:46:00.000-08:00

Period of time : 1955 to 1966.
Place on the globe : 16 degrees N of equator and 82 degrees E of Greenwich.

We come often across the term known as ' digital divide ' . This refers to the gulf between those blessed fortunate sections which have access to computers and internet and those cursed and unfortunate who do not have access to the computers and internet.

My boyhood experienced ' lexical divide ' . I had no access to a dictionary. I could not buy an English dictionary till I entered the XI Standard , owing to abject poverty.
1966:
The first dictionary, I bought was , a 1942 Edition of the Merrium Websters Dictionary. It contained , apart from definitions , synonyms and antonyms. It had an appendix containing the list of the American Cities and their population. I bought the dictionary on a pavement at a throwaway price affordable by me. It was full of termites and what not?

The first thing I did after acquiring the dictionany was to compare the population of the American Cities with the population of comparable Indian cities. E.g. Washington with New Delhi and New York with Bombay.

I, at present, when offline , use the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. I have suggested this dictionary to some of my friends , but they feel that they cannot invest a tidy amount on it. The dictionary is definitely expensive for the lower strata of the Indian society like us .

#025 , MY PERSONAL VIEWS ON ELITIST SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS

2010-11-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

I have a friend. He has applied for admission to Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. They didn't select him for their own reasons and sent him a great tactful regret letter.

MY PERSONAL VIEWS WHICH I DO NOT WISH TO IMPOSE ON OTHERS
I do not regret his non-selection.
I, as a Marxist, believe that ISB is a bourgeoise organisation. It , according to my beliefs , is a fraud on the society.
I, however, respect the freedom of individuals to select their own preferred educational institutions .
We live in a pluralist society.

I wish to add: Edison made a thousand field trials before he could succeed in inventing the electric bulb. One must keep on trying , without losing enthusiasm. Lord Krishna himself said in Gita, that result is not in our hands. A person has, sometimes, to die with unfulfilled desires.

Example: Pranab Mukherjee has to someday die with an unfulfilled desire of becoming a P.M. or the President. This world is full of unfulfilled or semi-filled or fully-filled desires.

The person, who gets his desires fulfilled, will also not be really happy. See Manmohan Singh and Rosaiah. They have become Prime Minister and Chief Ministers quite accidentally. (Should I say by a quirk of fate?). Are they really happy, in spite of their getting boons from the Goddess of Fortune?

Everybody is a bubble in history and human evolution. People forget them in a few decades. Even Mahatma Gandhi would lose his identity and sheen in a few decades.
We need not speak of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh , who died in a crash of his helicopter), if people forget Mahatma Gandhi himself. People may observe birth anniversaries and death anniversaries for some years. That's all.
SUMMARY
One can do anything.

#024 WHAT RITUAL PRIESTS HAVE TO DO WITH 'KOMARAM PULI'?

2010-10-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

I go to news stands everyday , to buy my Telugu newspaper. Telugu is a language spoken by 80 million people.

I use the time to overhear what people say about many things, at the newspaper stall or nearby tea stalls.

What I heard today?

They say that the Guntur District level distributor of the Telugu film 'Komaram Puli' committed suicide , owing to a financial breakdown.

Two ritual priests were talking about the impending collapse of the forthcoming Telugu film 'Khaleja' of Mahesh Babu. The newspaper seller agreed with them. Should I say that they were prophetic?

Or were they just filling their time ? I do not call them time-wasters , because it is very difficult to define 'waste of time'. People have their own ways of spending their time.

Our recent two Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh , made billions after capturing power. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet made billions in their own ways. Should we say that they spent their time wisely ? Should we say that they are spending their time more wisely by dining with billioneers of China and India, ostensibly asking contributions to charity ?

Am I wasting my time writing this blog post?

#023 CHILDHOOD FETISH

2010-09-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Location on earth : Bapatla , Guntur District , Andhra Pradesh , India, approx. 16' N and 82' E.
Time frame: 1959-62.

We were living in Bapatla. I was studying standard VI.

We used fountain pens to write. They leaked quite copiously from the screws, soiling clothes and books, exposing us to the ire of teachers and parents . Fancy detergents with bombastic advertisements were yet to come up. The mode of washing clothes was mostly beating them to a flat stone .

Steam engines crawled along the Calcutta - Chennai Trunk Railway line. Bapatla was on that line.

My class friends, one day , suggested that we should go to railway station and beg the steam engine drivers for a little grease to apply on the fountain pens. Those were days , mostly of single rail track , and trains have to wait for some minutes for a crossing of the train from the opposite direction. The ordeal for goods trains was still longer, often spreading to hours , as they have to give way from behind to faster and priority express trains.

The steam engine drivers , therefore , had ample time , to smoke and loiter.

We used to beseech ( pester ? ) the drivers for a stick or two of grease, some of whom were kind enough to bestow.

We applied the grease to the screws of the fountain pens , after coming home and see if they were still leaking. They leaked. Grease , was probably not a solution for leaking screws, but our little minds did not know.

The steam engines are a passe , now , in our country.

#022 THREE MARKETING TECHNIQUES SUDDENLY DAWNED ON ME

2009-11-08T17:29:00.001-08:00

I went to a hardware shop to buy a hack saw, as I needed it to mend a piece of furniture. The shopkeeper had some hack saws, but the frames and the blades were mismatching. He, in an attempt to satisfy my needs, went to a neighboring shop and tried to get a good saw. That shop also did not have good saws, and he returned unhappy. Seeing his weary face, I offered him to come again in the evening for buying it and requested him to keep at least two saws ready, so that I could select one of them. He knodded his head and said 'Welcome'.

I could not visit the shop that evening owing to other pressing work. I went there yesterday, and to my surprise found that, the same situation is continuing. He did not bring fresh stocks. He did not this time, make an attempt of going to the neighboring shop and procuring it. He asked me, instead: "Why didn't you come all these days?"

I: "I am sorry, I could not come. I was busy on other pressing work. The hack saw is not a daily need, you know."

He asked me to come again, so that he can keep the saws ready.

This experience dawned in me three marketing techniques:

1. Keep your merchandise, whatever it is, in a fully saleable state.

2. Also trade in some daily use goods, so that the customers who frequently visit shops and supermarkets to buy their essential goods, will get reminded about their non-essential needs also. A mix of products of FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) and other non-daily-use goods will increase sales.

3. The profit margins in non-daily-use goods appear to be fairly higher than daily necessities like bread and butter. A judicious mix of both, therefore, optimises profit.

The crux of the autobiographical problem now:

Do I practice what I preach? I run a sort of defunct-dormant-sluggish running Spoken English Institute. I fail to keep my course material ready or properly printed. I do not keep even the preliminary marketing material like brochures.

Two possible excuses can be given:

1. Production and marketing somehow do not go hand in hand. Those who teach do not know how to market themselves. Those who market do not know how to teach. Well educated and talented persons, for this reason only, work at very low wages with Private Engineering and Degree Colleges.

This applies to other professions also. Example: An expert cardiologist or a surgeon may not have the time or aptitude to market himself. He may have to work with Corporate Hospitals where earns less and has sometimes to compromise with his work ethics.

2. Secondary goals and objectives may overtake primary goals and objectives.

#021 WHY DOES NOT YOUR HEART MELT?

2009-11-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

I was practising on flute the compositions of Carnatic Music, from 7 p.m. to 10.05 p.m. this night (Nov. 7, 2009).

DATE DELIMITERS
The phrase 'this night' has two split components: 1. From the sunset to 0.00 hrs. midnight and 2. From 0.00 hrs. midnight to the sunrise, the following day. Our Indian calendars adopt the 'sun rise' as the date delimiter. This distinction between the western practice of delimiting date and the Indian practice of delimiting date, sometimes, results in confusion. People, with a veiw to avoid the chance of missing a function such as a marriage, deliberate on "which night" of "which date" the wedding would take place. They would question, when a wedding invitation shows, at 2.45 hrs. on the 8th Nov. 2009, whether the marriage would be held on the night of the 8th Nov. or the 7th Nov. 2009. Some wedding cards would, therefore, very clearly specify the night, adding a remark like ("meaning, by the sunrise, it will be 8th November).

SWAN SOUNDS
So, yesternight, I was practising Carnatic Music. My mind lingered on the Raga (tune) Hamsadhvani (The sound of a swan), while playing the composition "Vaataapi Gan`apatim bhajeeham (I praise the God Vatapi Ganapati)" of the composer Muttuswami Diikshitar. The composition is very popular among the Indian music listeners. The Raga Hamsadhvani is regarded, by many, as South Indian in origin. The North Indian i.e. Hindustani Music seems to have adopted it in the 20th Century. I hear the Hindustani flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia playing the Raga Hamsadhwani with great gusto.

Back to Vaataapi. The other compositions of Hamsadhvani in Cmusic worth recalling are 1. Raghunaayakaa (Oh the leader Rama!) by Tyagaraja; 2. Sri Raghu kula mandu put`t`i (Having been born in the Raghu clan ... ) by Tyagaraja; 3. Nii manasu karugadeemi (Why doesn't your heart melt?...) by Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer. All the three address to the legendary God Rama. I particularly relish the last composition, as very sweet. The composition, somehow, remained a cinderilla when compared to Vaatapi.

THANKS TO MS. SITA RAJAN
I tuned to the National Program of Music on All India Radio, while grieving a little, about the neglect of "Why does n't your heart melt?". I found, to my great delight, on the All India Radio, Ms. Sita Rajan was singing the "Why does n't your heart melt?" as her opening piece. I missed a part of it, as I was late by a few minutes. Sad. But: I thank her, for reviving the memorable piece.

GENEROSITY IN ITS TRUE SPIRIT
The composition refers to the Emperor "Sibi" as one of the ancestors of Rama. The legendary Emperor Sibi was famous for his generosity of gifting his own flesh as food to a vulture to detract it from chasing a pigeon which took refuge with Sibi. Having been born in such ancestry, why does n't Rama's heart melt? The poet wonders this.

Probable answer:
The Archaeological Survey of India, in Rama Setu case (existence of an architectural construction purported to have been built by Rama, which the geographers now refers to as Adam's Bridge), at the Pak Straits in the Indian Ocean), averred that there was no historical evidence of Ramayana. This doubt about the existence or non-existence of Rama or Krishna does not reduce the sweetness of the compositions of Tyagaraja or Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer.

Sweet music has become an essential part of prayers and worship. This feature can be seen even in Christian choirs. Sweet music strengthens the faith in God. It makes God enjoyable and tolerable.

SWEET NAMES FOR SWEET TUNES
Ms. Sita Rajan, continued her vocal concert, with a composition in Raga Latangi (Latangi = with a slender body like a botanical creeper) by Kotiswara Iyer. The Carnatic musicians, by and large, are NOT linguistically chauvinistic. The musicians, whichever language their mother tongue may be, whichever language the song may be in, do not hesitate to sing a composition as long as it is sweet in tones. The melody and rhythm are the keys. Not the language. It does not mean that they do not bother about language, meaning and the intent of the composer. They harmonise every element. The composition which Ms. Rajan sang was in Tamil. Very sweet and worth remembering.

SOPORIC BUT NOT DULL
She, later, took up, the Raga "Kambhoji (pr: Kaambhooji)" as the main piece, for full delineation, the tune and the song by Mysore Vasudevachary (pr: Vaasudeevaachaari). I was asleep, by the melody.

THOUGHT PROVOKING BUT a QUESTIONABLE IDEA
I get an occasional feeling, though it may not be logical or rational. Almost all the composers of the South Indian Classical Music happen to be near-vegetarians. Their compositions tend to be melancholic. I cannot, though my mind tempts me to, categorically say that ONLY vegetarian composers can create works which evoke compassion.

CORRECTIONS

I shall correct the spellings, diction, grammar, ideas, spellings and typographical errors, in due course.

#020 WOMEN'S TRAVAILS

2009-11-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

My maternal grandmother used to ask me to write her biography. Her life was full of hardships and travails. The episodes in her life can fill not one novel, but ten novels. I did not, unfortunately, had/have the skills to elicit before her death the full details with emotional content. It is my failure.

She was the wife of an Indian freedom fighter who lost everything in his activities, owing to neglect of the traditional occupation of agriculture. They had 60 acres of land, she said. They lost everything. My maternal grand father died before the Indian independence i.e. 1947. My gm was illiterate. She could not produce to the Government authorities evidence of his going to jail, and claim some pension of a freedom-fighter's family.

My gm was left with three daughters and three sons to bring up. She had no alternative but to migrate from the village to a town and eke out a living by working as a domestic cook in the houses of rich. She used to work nearly eighteen hours a day. She and her eldest son, his family used to live in a hut, beside our hut. She, suffering from body pains, used to lie down on 'sides' and ask me to stand on her and stomp on her back (I was 14 at that time), waist, and legs with my feet. This gave her some relief from pain.

Why my grandmother? 90% of Indian women undergo severe hardships in their lives. These sufferings may be the result of the social environment or the acts of husbands and grown up children.

#019 CREAM ON ALL INDIA RADIO

2009-11-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

I had the fortune of listening to the vocal recital of Shri T.M.Krishnan, in the National Program of Music, on All India Radio, Delhi, today at 10.p.m. The main item he sang, was in Rag Begad`a. It was a master-piece. He sang: "Kailaasapatee! Pas`upatee! Umaapatee! Namostutee!". I felt like being in Kailasa (Mount Everest) when he peaked the musical scales.

We have a proverb in Telugu about the raga "Begada". Begad`a is miigad`a (CREAM). Begad`a belongs to the Melakarta (parent group) S`ankaraabharan`am. The parent raaga Sankarabharanam has a straight motion, whereas Begada runs in a twisted motion. The rendering by Krishnan and his teammates Sanjiivi and Subrahmanyam made the CREAM a great feast.

One pertinent question which lingers in my mind is: Is musical talent, a God-given gift? Or a self-acquired skill? Or both?

#018 THE ONLY DAY I WORE A FULL SUIT in my life

2009-10-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

I wore a full suit in 1975 while attending an interview for a promotion. I was just a Bank typist at that time. My colleagues persuaded me that I should wear a full suit in the interview, as everybody else facing the interview wears suits.

My maternal uncle borrowed a suit from his colleague and helped me in wearing it. I am grateful to him for his love to me, that he did everything in his power going to any extent to help me . I attended the interview wearing it. I do not match him in such benevolence.

The interview was held in an Air Conditioned hall. Everybody both the interviewers and the candidates who attended, wore suits. I recall now in 2009 that the suit saved me from chill in the a/c. room. I failed in the interview because I was not prepared for it, in terms of job knowledge, English language usasge and expression and convincing talk. The suit did not help me, obviously. I regreted that I did not prepare well for the 'job knowledge' and 'English expressions', as I was too busy helping my immediate boss in searching for the $880 misplaced in the Bank at that time. Even one hour before the interview, we were searching dust bins, nooks and corners, even incinerators and dumps to trace out the notes, believing that the notes might have accidentally fallen/have been swept away by air. The lesson is that an employee should not perform 100% devoted work, neglecting to do what is required to move up in a career.

I attended another interview in 1976. I went with an open half-sleeved bush shirt, custom stitched by a local tailor. This is my normal dress throughout my life since my boyhood. I went well prepared with the job knowledge, better English language expressions and some confident talk. I got selected, though competition was tougher in 1976.

#017 WAITRESSes too have souls and emotions

2009-10-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

I have seen the 2007 film "WAITRESS" on the Star Movies Channel today. The film, though a little long, is very captivating. The protagonist Keri Russel is bewitching with her smiles. She is caught between a possessive husband and an understanding lover. The lover is her own doctor. The doctor has a doctor wife, who trusts him 100%. The picture depicts clearly how a woman cherishes her freedom and demonstrates that she is not just a sex machine which can be oiled by giving protection and food. The thread which runs throughout the film is Kery's pregnancy, the development of the baby in her womb, and the tests Kery undergoes in her doctor lover's clinic. She prefers her baby to her lover and save for it's crib and toys. Everybody, including her doctor lover and the owner of the Joe's Pie Shop where she works loves her pies. She plans to enter a Pie Contest, win some money and buy her freedom from her possessive husband. At the end: She delivers her baby. Kery makes a decision to divorce her husband and discloses to him. The husband refuses to pay her hospital bill. The Pie Shop owner benevolently helps her by giving her a cheque. The advice given by her employer from time to time while ordering the pies and reading a news paper are pieces of wisdom. Her greatest decision is not to accept his offer to flee away. She didn't want her lover to betray the trust his wife bestows on him. This is a great ethical decision. Kery's friends and colleagues in the Pie Shop are also likeable. There is a comedy love track involving the colleagues. Kery starts her own pie shop "Lulu Pies".

I am fortunate to have the time and luck to see this movie.

#016 MY FIRST CHILDHOOD MEMORY

2009-10-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

I should have written something truly personal, because this is an autobiographical blog.

My first childhood experience drawn from the memory should have been, chronologically, the first post at this blog.

I shall fulfil the need now.

I am born in 1951. My birth year is 1950 as per school records. Space and time both are infinite. Hence, one year will not make any difference.

My first childhood memory relates to 1955. My parents left me at my paternal grand father's home. My grand mother went to a few far off places to attend weddings of relatives. This was for a month. The picture in my memory shows that I was suffering from eczema or some abscesses on both the palms of mine. Our village did not have any electric connection. The whole village used to turn dark soon after sunset particularly during the second fortnight of the lunar month.

There were no doctors of the modern medicine in our village. My grand father resorted to a folk remedy. He used to dress my both hands with datura leaves (thorn apple) and buffalo dung. He used to bind my hands with a long bandage, so as to prevent the dung and the leaves falling from my palms while I was asleep. Sleep became arduous. There were no toilets. There used to be an abandoned land of about one acre in front of our house. The land was used by the villagers as open toilets. Decaying human faecus in the land used to emit foul smell, day and night. I had to wake up my grand father for help using my bandaged hands, tapping him on his back and tilting him, so that he could tell me how I should go to the open land for toilet. I was afraid of snakes. I used to resist my urge to excrete and urinate, but that was very difficult on some days. This lasted for one month, with the daily dressing of datura and the cattle dung. There were no telephones to communicate to grand mother to return early. Postal facilities were also very poor at the places of her visit. There were no post offices or postmen. Consequently, she took her own time to return, believing that everything was going on well.

Finally, how I was cured of the abscesses on my palms, was a mistory.

#015 EVER AFTER- A CINDERELLA STORY

2009-10-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have recently seen the film "Ever After - A Cinderella Story". Drew Barrimore in the protagonist's role of Danielle made such an impression that she was the real Cinderella Princess. The film is memorable for several years to come.

It is a sad thing that she has chosen to become a producer and director. She may lose her money and reputation in the process. Directing a film requires great visualisation skills and experience gained by working in different fields, not only of film industry, but also different sectors of the economy and society. A directorial job, to be properly done needs great efforts on learning. Barrimore's successful performance in Cinderella is owing to her facial features and skills of expression.

#014 FRIENDS SHOULD BE LIKE TWO PEAS IN A POD

2009-10-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

Friends should grow up and be like two peas in a pod. I didnot have such friends during my childhood. Nor do I have now. I am sad for this. What is wrong with me?

Both my sons seem to have such buddies.

#013 BORDER TOWN (2006-2008)

2009-09-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

I saw this film a few days back on HBO Channel. Theme: Suffering of Mexican women in the hands of American Multi-Nationals. The film also shows how a determined reporter can do courageous acts. It also depicts how oppressive, the free trade agreements between nations can turn out to be.

MY OBSERVATIONS
The Director of the film Gregory Nava did a brilliant work. Occasionally the film looked like propaganda stuff. Yet, it is very impressive. The protagonist Jennifer Lopez has shown some good expressions on her face.

The exploitation depicted in the film can take place not only on US-Mexican Border, but also in countries like South Africa, China, India and Brazil. After all, they are all crazy in being invited to join the G-20 countries.

#012 DR. DOLITTLE

2009-09-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

I saw the movie Dr. Dolittle 4 - Tail to the Chief, a few days back on Star Movies Channel.

The film fantasizes about how animals helped a girl and the US President to enter into an agreement with an African Prince to save rain forests.

My OBSERVATIONS (You need not agree with me):
Fantasies are not new to history. The director, Craig Shapiro has used his creative imagination and unrestrained fancy fully creating a hilarious comedy. Hats off to him. Peter Coyote as the American President is also very impressive and charming.

We can say that the first fantasy in Indian literature, probably the world literature is the "Valmiki Ramayana". The epic fantasies:

1. existence of aircrafts which can accommodate infinite number of people. The plane was like a magic carpet. It can land anywhere, even in deep forests without landing strips or helipads.

2. monkeys helping the protagonist Shri Rama in tracing out his wife abducted by a demon. The monkeys also help him in building a bridge of about 1500 kms. across the Indian Ocean between India and Sri Lanka.

3. kites help Rama in searching for his wife. The kite Jatayu also lectures on how the Universe and the humans were created. The lecture includes the process of creating the four caste system which is ubiquitous in Indian society.

#011 "Since you have been gone"

2009-09-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

I saw this film on Star Movies Channel, a few days back. The theme is: Reunion of High School students after ten years. Very entertaining. The reunion-party has about 25 actors and actresses. Most of them pretend. Philip Rayburn Smith as Kevin MacEldowney, a paediatrician is very impressive. He gets beaten and humiliated by his class mate, a pretending homoeopath, Patrick Prince. Kevin makes the mistake of questioning the scientific genuineness of the homoeopathy. The anger of the homoeopath is natural in the sense that whenever people cannot convince with reasoning, tend to attack. Molly, Kevin's wife, fortunately consoles Kevin. A hilarious comedy. Rating: 5 out of 10.

PERSONAL
I remember four or five of my high school friends' names. We do not meet. I am not sure whether they remember me.

One of my neighbours conducts an annual meet of his Class mates. He felicitates their teachers. The friends bring their families. They dine in a hotel. The organiser also gets a few photos and events published in the local press. Very costly affair. Those who are doing well in their lives, they will be overcommunicative, exuberant and some of them donate profusely. Those who lag behind, try to avoid the meetings.

#010 The Journey of the August King

2009-09-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

I had the fortune of seeing the film "The Journey of the August King" (produced in 1995) yesterday on HBO. This film is very inspiring, even on a bleak and depressing day. I got the memories of reading Mark Twain's book "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and Alex Haley's book "Roots". The director John Duisan, the protagonists Jason Patric and Thandie Newton deserve appreciation for their sterling performances. Why didn't it win any Oscars?

#009 BANGER SISTERS

2009-08-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

I have seen the film 'Banger Sisters' at Star Movies today. Some say that the film has vulgar dialogues. Well, opinions may differ.

The following dialog, attracted me, in particular:

"I'd rather fail doing my own thing...
doing what I want to do...
than doing what somebody else wants me to do and succeeding."

My mind has lingered around a Bhagavad Gita (Hindu scripture) saying, while digesting the above dialog:

"3/35: S`reeyaan svadharmoo vigun`a: paradharmaat svanusht`hitaat
svadharmee nidhanam s`reeya: paradharmoo bhayaavaha"

GIST
Once own duty, though performed imperfectly is beneficial than the duty of others performed well. Losing one's life in performing duty is good. Duties of others can cause fear.

BLOGGER'S VIEWS
Suzette's words in the film are better than the Gita prescript. Gita script relates to doing one's own duty as imposed by a person's caste and custom. The performance of such imposed duties do not lead to self-fulfillment or self-actualisation (See: Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs - the highest need is self-actualisation).

Indians can always say that Americans are self-centred and Indians are devoted to the society. Such argument is fake. Americans join armed forces quite voluntarily when America undertakes wars on alien lands, although the purpose of the war may be unconnected to the American cause. If India were to wage a war on alien lands to defend democracies or something else, no Indian will join (I believe). (Exception: India sent its forces to UN for peacekeeping purposes and some soldiers died).

Americans seem to enjoy greater individual freedom, particularly the youth, in deciding their future. Suzette, Hannah and Ginger represent the same spirit of freedom. Only Lavania is shown as faking, that too, quite unwillingly.

I rate the film very high.

#008 GETTING ALONG WITH PEOPLE AND BECOMING SUCCESSFUL

2009-08-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

J.R.D. TATA said: 'if I have any merit, it is getting along with
individuals, according to their ways and characteristics... At times
it involves suppressing yourself. It is painful but necessary... To
be a leader you have got to lead human beings with affection.'

BLOGGER'S VIEWS
I cannot compare myself with Tata. His recipe for a
thunderous success I highly appreciate. But I admit that I am a
failure in this respect. I can treat people with affection. I can
also suppress myself. But I hang around ethics. I do not want the type of success which others have in their minds.

Rocky V

2009-07-30T07:04:00.001-07:00

I have seen Rocky V on STAR MOVIES channel today. The film is very impressive. It dispelled many of my misgivings and prejudices about hollywood movies. I am fortunate.

#006 Stopped writing account of time lost

2009-07-24T03:29:00.001-07:00

Earlier I thought that every human life had some value. Hence the time it spent on various activities had some value. Now I lost that confidence. I now feel that we are just unwinding our time.

#005 HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE VIEW THE SAME THING DIFFERENTLY

2008-11-29T03:50:00.000-08:00

SCRAP SALE AND REWARDING WORKERS

We have recently undertaken repairs to our home. We have demolished a parapet wall and railing of a stair case. We have received some iron scrap from the debris.

My wife asked one of the construction workers to sell the scrap to a recycling scrap buyer, a few days back. The worker sold it and brought Indian Rupees 510 (approx. $10). She took the money and gave him Rs. 10 as an incentive.

She told me about the incident later. I was very much surprised because I was expecting Rs. 100 or so considering the prevailing scrap metal prices, particularly the scrap steel prices. I thought that the worker deserved rewarding for his efficiency and honesty because I was left with a profit of Rs. 400. I invited the two workers who participated in the demolition job and gave them Rs. 100/- as a token of my appreciation.

I have told my wife about reward I gave the workers, later. She has felt that the reward is unnecessary. She viewed that the worker might have sold the scrap for more than Rs. 510/-, and might have already pocketed at least Rs. 100/-. It might have been true.

I have written about this incident because how differently people perceive the things they receive through their senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin etc.). The thinking habits and thought processes in individuals might have developed within them gradually in response to their own personal experiences. I may believe that many workers are honest and deserve rewarding because I have come across in my life more such workers. My wife may believe differently because she might have come across more dishonest workers.

This is the maaya (illusion) of this jagat (world).

#004 HUMAN IS A SLAVE OF HIS ENVIRONMENT

2007-11-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

Blog Gurus discourage writing of autobiographical blogs. "We are, after all, only hoi polloi. We are not the Presidents of US or India. Who will read?" They say.

When I worked in a big Bank, I used to be greatly astonished about the glitter of furniture and fixtures in Board Rooms, General Managers' Chambers etc. and the skyscrapers. I used to wonder (or grumble?) to the astonishment of my colleagues: Is India a poor country? Who says?

After I prematurely retired from my Bank, I got back my peace of mind. Unable to bear the cost of tiffins in hotels where I can sit comfortably eat, I relapsed to my old habit of eating the food served by street carts in the city. (It is common for poor and lower middle class in India to eat at roadside carts). There is nothing to be proud of or ashamed of in this habit.

About hygiene: The dirt if any in the roadside cooking is at least visible. What rot is there in a posh hotel's kitchen, nobody knows. Everybody knows how the Sanitary Authorities function.

About ScepticismWhen I was studying Seventh Standard in 1961, our Science teacher taught us that it was dangerous to buy and eat at roadside stalls. I believed him and followed it letter and spirit for few months. One day I found him (shall not say caught him red handed, after all he was my respectable science teacher)buying sweets at the cart. He was walking to the library, as he did everyday. I closely followed him upto the library, as I was also proceeding to the library. At one particular point on the road, he slowed down. By oversight, I crossed him. Seeing me, he threw away the sweet packet. I could see dissatisfaction in his face. I felt sad. Both walked ahead as if nothing happened. After that incident, whenever a need arose to eat at carts, I did not hesitate or feel unhygienic.

Necessity makes people to do things which they may not do if they have a leeway.

My son works as a software engineer. His work environment will, naturally, be luxurious. At present, he is staying in a Company guest house. Obviously, the environment there will also be quite luxurious. Recently he visited home. Unfortunately, many of the stainless spoons available in our house have lost their edges owing to wear and tear and some chemical action with pickles. This is really a dangerous health hazard. But I never bother. My son pointed out to my wife jovially. Later he left. I forgot the whole thing.

My wife today purchased a set of six high market premium branded spoons costing Rs. 75/- half a dozen. For the same price, we would have got about 35 popular stainless spoons. About wear and tear, I cannot say anything now - unless I see the performance of the premium brand.

SUMMARY: Our actions and reactions will mostly be based on the environment which entangles us.

#003 VIJAYA DASAMI GREETINGS

2007-10-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Today (Oct. 21, 2007) is Vijaya Dasami Festival in India. Other names: Dusshera or Dassera. Durga Puja in Bengal. Navratris (Nine nights).

My best wishes to all my readers on this occasion, whether they celebrate the festival or not. I myself do not celebrate.

This is an autobiographical post. Hence I can flush out from within.

Today morning, my wife complained that she did not have a wink of sleep yesterday night.

I slept well though I was suffering from OCD (OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER), a psychiatric anxiety disorder caused by obsession with blogs.

I enquired from my wife reasons for her lack of sleep. She said:

"The neighbors tied a ram (uncastrated male sheep) to the electric pole in the street corner just adjacent to our compound hall, near our bed room. The ram was wailing all through the night pathetically. I went two or three times to (about ten) neighbors who were sitting on sand in the street, near the ram and requested them to shift it somewhere. Though they promised to do so, they did not oblige. Hence throughout the night I could not sleep."

To console her, I said:
"Why did not you wake me up? I could have gone and requested them again."

She said, "I did not want to disturb you."

I said OK and we went ahead with our routine. Today morning when I went into the street junction, I found the ram slaughtered and they were distributing the mutton among themselves. Its head was lying on a mat, looking quite pitifully at humans.

Though it is a crime in India to sacrifice animals to propitiate Gods and Goddesses, the practice continues.

My obssession with my Vivekananda blog came back and the events of 1901 reverberated in my mind. In Nov. 1901, about nine months before his death, Durga Puja celebrations were held all over at Belur Math. According to the Belur Math website, Vivekananda wanted to sacrifice a goat, but under instructions of Sacred Mother (wife of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa), the sacrifice was not carried out. It appears that they have a practice of offering a banana fruit to Mother Durga.
But according to Vivekananda's letter dated 12th Nov. 1901 to Ms. Christina Greenstidel, a goat was sacrificed and fireworks were displayed. It was a thing of rejoycing.
A link to that blog:

In 100 years, India is still limping.

#002: WHAT WOULD i HAVE BEEN?

2007-09-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Relatives taunt me saying: "Had your father and grandfather not sold the ancestral lands and house in your native village, you would have been working as a 'paid-cowherd, (persons who take buffaloes and cows to the nearby hills for grazing and bring them back in the evening at dusk)' . You are fortunate that they sold out everything. {Owing to fragmentation of land among sons and grandsons, I would have got less than one acre (4,840 sq. yards). Hence invariably for sustenance I would have been forced to work as an agricultural laborer or a cattle-grazer.}

It made you shift to the town and study hard. Instead of working as a bank officer or a lawyer you would have ended up searching for dung. You would not have written blogs or translated Bhagavad Gita and Bhartruhari."

My usual reply: "Instead of playing the Tyagaraja's tunes on the flute, I might have learnt folk tunes in the hills. The buffalos and cows would have heard them. I might have developed my expertise in making buffalo-dung cakes. Tyagaraja got his satisfaction by praising the glories of Rama. I might have got my satisfaction by talking to the buffalos and the cows. I might have lived with the animals, loved them and be loved by them. If you have seen the Bhakta Tukaram film, you will know this. If Tukaram praises and sings the God Vitt`hala, his wife makes buffalo dung cakes with equal gusto. Does she have a bliss and ecstasy of a lesser degree?

Lives have chains of events. Every link would have its consequences on the subsequent link. For example, an unemployed youth who is on a journey to the City for a job interview may be stopped by a strike and rasta roko (road-blockade). He may reach the interview spot ten minutes late and in the process lose his opportunity of getting employed in that particular batch. Later, the Govt. may stop recruitment for many years and he may cross his maximum age eligibility limit by the time of the next batch of recruitment. He may live a lowly paid life for several years. Another person who fails his B.A. three times, and during the last year of his age-eligibility-limit may be accidentally picked up by a would-be father-in-law who arranges and bestows a job and wife for him. Learning to collect bribes, in a few years he may move in a car to a luxury home. Some philosophers may call this "Karma" (Fruits of past birth). Mahabharata may call this "Daiva" (fate).

I do not support "determinism or fatalism (Belief that everything is predetermined). At the same time we have to realise that we are influenced by an environment on which we may not have any control. Our duty is to do our best in the given set of environment. What is predetermined? Growth of pubal hair in teens, Development of male or female reproductive organs, sexual desires, gray hair, gradual degeneration of sexual urges, and ultimate death. These are common for humanity. No exceptions are permitted.

Hence, these if's and but's have little value. If we are able to live with satisfaction in any environment, we can live happily. Buffalo-gatherer or Fund-gatherer. Calf-counter or Cash-counter. Blog-writer or Buggyvalah."

#001 DECISION OF MAKING MONEY AND TO BE WEALTHY

2007-08-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

We find a large number of blogs on the blogspot and on the Net, dealing with decisions to make money and become wealthy. Many of them contain clues and techniques. Some of them provide even links.

I am tempted to write something from my personal experience.

1. I was born in an extremely poor family. My father and paternal grandfather were cultivators and they lost their land as agriculture in India was a gamble with monsoons. My maternal grandfather was a landlord, but he lost his land in freedom struggle.

2. At the age of 12 itself, I realised that there was a need to make money to get two square meals. I am the eldest of five brothers. At that time three brothers were too young to work. Father, mother, myself, my next aged 10 used to work for a living.

3. We had a buffalo. We ran a small tea stall. We made some leaf meals plates everyday and supplied to shops.

There was no conscious decision to make money or be wealthy persons. It was just by force of circumstances that money had to be made. I shall not call it a quirk of fate.