tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137126272024-03-13T20:29:36.683+05:30Prabhu's LiteratureEvery man's memory is his private literature.
~Aldous HuxleyPrabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-91680732804291642472013-03-07T13:26:00.000+05:302013-03-07T13:29:19.718+05:30Inactive Code Yet Active <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have read that there is a comment preceding the
task-switching code in UNIX as –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">/*</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not expected to understand this</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*/</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Humorous side of the programmer aside
the comment does indicate that there are beasts out there which are difficult
to exorcise, isn't?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, the reason I recalled the
above is due to the fact that I spent sometime of the day dumbstruck reading some
code. I was lead to believe I am not supposed to understand one particular huge
function. I was wondering how the code execution path can be in such way the
reading informed me while the actual testing showed otherwise. It was bizarre. I was telling myself that this
cannot happen but the code seemed shouting loud that it was possible. But hey! Everything,
even if not explainable at the outset should have some explanations and I stuck
in to figure it out. Alas, it was my
ignorance of some fact, simple fact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The function that I was debugging had the following:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
#if 0<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
}<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
//some statements<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
#endif<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wasn't aware that the brace
seen above gets accounted for by the editor (vim and source-insight). The
editor didn't discount the ‘}’ inside the inactive code and hence when I
navigated the conditions and loops I was taken for a ride. An ‘else’ was
getting matched with unrelated ‘if’ that had me perplexed. I had to stare at code and jump the loops and
conditionals one by one to understand what the reason for my frustration was. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some learning there!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-62098045725286310152013-03-03T12:12:00.000+05:302013-03-03T12:16:00.034+05:30A Mathematician’s Apology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Reading
G.H.Hardy's 'A Mathematician's Apology', I couldn't help myself feel a little
unworthy (will elucidate later). Hardy puts forth fitting arguments for mathematics
and exalts the act of pursuing mathematics for the sake of mathematics and
without being worried about its implications. The treatise was written when he
was past his prime. For Hardy, mathematics is a young man’s game and he must
have been prodded to write about mathematics for he was believer in doing
things and not talk about it. His words might sound condescending but we get to
get his mind as he expounds his reasons in the writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The function of a mathematician is to do
something, to prove new theorems, to add to mathematics, and not to talk about
what he or other mathematicians have done. Statesmen despise publicists,
painters despise art-critics, and physiologists, physicists, or mathematicians
have usually similar feelings: there is no scorn more profound, or on the whole
more justifiable, than that of the men who make for the men who explain.
Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">He
alludes to the fact the mathematics in its purest form is nothing short of or
even better than poetic lines of great depth. And his confidence in his own
craft is telling and I couldn't help nodding positively reading the following
lines –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I should say at once that my defense of
mathematics will be a defense of myself, and that my apology is bound to be to
some extent egotistical. I should not think it worthwhile to apologize for my
subject if I regarded myself as one of its failures.</span> <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Some egotism of this sort is inevitable,
and I do not feel that it really needs justification. Good work is no done by
‘humble’ men.<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Just
like how a master poet playing with words brings forth great lines, mathematicians
are makers of patterns made of ideas, patterns that are beautiful. He asserts
that the patterns <i>must</i> be beautiful
and if they aren't they are not worth pursuing. As examples of ideas that are
simple yet profound and possessing inherent beauty Hardy describes Euclid’s
proof of the existence of infinite primes and Pythagoras proof of
irrationality. One cannot disagree. Even a person with no practice in mathematics
can <i>see</i> the beauty of the proofs. I
liked the lines that Hardy uses why <i>reductio
ad absurdum </i>is so appealing for Mathematicians –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
proof is by reductio ad absurdum, and reductio ad absurdum, which Euclid loved
so much, is one of a mathematician’s finest weapons. It is a far finer gambit
than any chess gambit: a chess player may offer the sacrifice of a pawn or even
a piece, but a mathematician offers <i>the</i>
<i>game</i><o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
other aspect that Hardy argues and argues he does with rigor is the difference
between pure mathematics and applied mathematics. Hardy rates pure mathematics
highly and takes comfort with the fact that his and other <i>real</i> mathematician’s work finds no place in utility for mankind. It
is useless in making life better, yes, he argues, but at the same time it does
play no role in war as does the applied mathematics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">There is one purpose at any rate which
the real mathematics may serve in war. When the world is mad, a mathematician
may find in mathematics an incomparable anodyne. For mathematics is, of all the
arts and sciences, the most austere and the most remote, and a mathematician
should be of all men the one who can most easily take refuge where, as Bertrand
Russell says, ‘one at least of our nobler impulses can best escape from the
dreary exile of the actual world.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> Hardy must be forgiven for having not much
foresight! His favourite line of mathematics – Number Theory –plays a crucial
role in cryptography and other applications that do practical good as well as
evil. Hardy belabours to get the distinction between pure and applied mathematics
through and I found it at some places difficult to grasp the gist. Some
chapters are pending further reading for better understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Hardy
ends the essays with one chapter which in substance touches the life he lived
as a mathematician. He considers his collaboration with Littlewood and
Ramanujan as his best works and his craft being bound with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">All my best work since then has been bound
up with theirs, and it is obvious that my association with them was the
decisive event of my life. I still say to myself when I am depressed, and find
myself forced to listen to pompous and tiresome people, ‘Well, I have done one
the thing you could never have done, and that is to have collaborated with both
Littlewood and Ramanujan on something like equal terms.’</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">He
makes a case for himself and rightly so by acknowledging that he added
something to knowledge (even if <i>useless</i>)
and helped others do the same. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Reading
Hardy’s defense for mathematics and its craftsmen I rued how wrong was it on my
part for not taking mathematics seriously. Yes, I knew that mathematics is an
art. I could appreciate its beauty (I despised shortening the subject to and calling it 'Max').
But still didn't excel and pursue it. Unlike other art forms like poetry or
painting many of us have formal education for mathematics for many years.
Still, I failed in mastering the art thus wasting an opportunity. But one can
defend that software writing - </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">beautiful</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
software at that and debugging software also to be an art though Hardy would
not put anything on par with mathematics! So, I at least have an opportunity by
means of my profession to ace in some form of art. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-16236401187081160932012-10-01T22:51:00.000+05:302012-10-01T22:51:32.666+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Statesmen despise publicists, painters despise art-critics, and physiologists, physicists, or mathematicians have usually similar feelings: there is no scorn more profound, or on the whole more justifiable, than that of the men who make for the men who explain. Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds. </span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rereading G.H Hardy's 'A Mathematician’s Apology'</span><br />
</div>
Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-6390070306349476362011-05-18T12:09:00.001+05:302011-05-18T12:21:45.423+05:30Following Fish – Delightful Travelogue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pCMisxGoc_pqBcTzyOFskTlDZNRxDxzeBleTx-lFTjjmBCagROUWbNL4iBDV_LkeNCWehhc2Kq_CjePJ5khgRQoGf3my4E_DyAazsBsaFzfBFUYKdjIG0yow42mtl3bXlb2j/s1600/Following+Fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pCMisxGoc_pqBcTzyOFskTlDZNRxDxzeBleTx-lFTjjmBCagROUWbNL4iBDV_LkeNCWehhc2Kq_CjePJ5khgRQoGf3my4E_DyAazsBsaFzfBFUYKdjIG0yow42mtl3bXlb2j/s320/Following+Fish.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Samanth Subramanian’s debut work, Following Fish, is a collection of essays which captures the essence of coastal India that is in some way or the other intertwined with fish. The author begins following fish cuisine from Kolkata in search of Bengal’s favorite hilsa fish and along the east coast eventually ending in Mangrol a town in Gujarat on the west coast. The people of Mangrol, even today survive by building boats for fishermen. The author traces the path of fish used in Hyderabad’s famous ‘fish treatment’, does interesting anthropology in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, which has a vibrant, largely Christian fishing community, gets high on toddy and karimeen in Kerala, tries hunting for the best fish curry in Mangalore, explores Goans’ fondness for fishing and how the beaches and art of fishing is being lost to overdose of tourism and tries finding the real Mumbaikars — the ‘Kolis’.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How did I, a vegetarian, and one who finds even the smell of fish repulsive get hold of this book which, at the outset, appears to be all about fish cuisine? I read excerpts from the book in the Lounge magazine. The writing about the Kerala toddy shops was lucid and made me realize that the book was not just about the fishes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What I found interesting was that the book wasn’t just about fish and the delicious cuisine, but also about the people, the places, and their history. All this written in a very elegant manner yet with simplicity. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The most vibrant of all the essays to me was the one on the fishing community in Tuticorin. This essay is a good study of the anthropology of the fishing community which is largely Christian, thanks to Portuguese who set foot here in the sixteenth century and helped the paravas (a caste of fishermen) to overcome their rivals, the kayalar who followed the Islamic faith, thanks to Arabs who arrived in Tuticorin earlier. It was interesting to find overlapping aspects between the Christian faith as is currently followed by the community and the Hindus. Church rituals include the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aradhana</i>, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">valakappu</i> ceremony for pregnant women, prostration before the church altar and even to the point of referring to the church as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kovil</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I learnt a new word from this essay– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">syncretism — the </i>fusion of two different belief systems. In a very delightful way the author renders the life of the community as they live now and the disintegration of hierarchy which was prevalent till the previous generation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The author’s experiences trying to get good toddy and tasty Karimeen in shops that dot Kerala’s highways made for a humorous read. The author’s auto-rickshaw rides reminded me of my own observations that auto -rickshaw drivers can be very forthcoming in lively conversations if you are willing to listen. The author comes across interesting characters who help him hunt the best toddy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another essay that I liked was that of the hunt for the best fish curry in Mangalore. I had visited Mangalore myself and felt that it celebrated a kind of laid back attitude which I liked the most. The shutters of most shops were down at noon and the roads were bereft of traffic. My thoughts on Mangalore were reaffirmed when Samanth Subramanian described the same attitude in Mangalore. He notes that there was a restaurant which had its shutters down indefinitely on the pretext of ongoing roadwork although the restaurant’s door was easily accessible. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Other essays also made for an interesting read, particularly the one on Mumbai and its Koli fishing community. It was interesting to know the origin of the name Mumbai (from Mumba Devi, the patron goddess of the Koli community). The essay on the dying art of fishing in Goa, thanks to excessive fishing and overdoing of activities to increase the influx of tourists has taken a toll on the ecology and the culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall, this is a delightful little travel book which was written the way I wanted and not a how-to travel guide but one in which people and places speak for themselves.</span><o:p></o:p></div></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-9455998884140729802011-03-13T21:26:00.000+05:302011-03-13T21:26:44.419+05:30Japan's Tragedy And Triumph<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Reading <a href="http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2011/03/12/engineers-save-millions-of-lives-in-japan/">this</a> post of John Cook where he points out how sensible engineering has saved hundreds of lives in Japan despite massive earth quake I recall reading about such negligence of things which are invisible in Nassim Taleb's book <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory">'Black Swan'</a>. In the midst of of great tragedy we often neglect things which aren't visible. Appreciating the great engineering work doesn't come to mind. Taleb refers to that invisible aspects that we ignore as 'Silent Evidence'. He uses following story to drive home the point:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<blockquote><i>Diagoras, a nonbeliever in the gods, was shown painted tablets bearing the portraits of some worshippers who prayed, then survived a subsequent shipwreck. The implication was that praying protects you from drowning.<br />
<br />
Diagoras asked, “Where are the pictures of those who prayed, then drowned?”</i></blockquote></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
As we regret the tragic loss of life in Japan, it gives solace to the fact that man has been able to thwart nature's fury, at least to some extent.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
</div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-90762161883754925362010-09-08T05:36:00.000+05:302010-09-08T05:36:30.151+05:30Synesthesia. Majjige and Mosaru<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In one of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2003/lectures.shtml">Reith Lectures</a> the noted neuroscientist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilayanur_S._Ramachandran">Vilayanur S. Ramachandran</a> talks about a phenomenon called 'Synesthesia'. When people with ‘Synesthesia’ see numerals they tend to associate them with a particular colour. In some cases sound can give raise to sense of smell. Ramachandran , in the lecture also suggested that we are all Synethetes' in a way. If we were to name a shattered pieces of glass and a round egg with names 'Abubba' and 'Kiki', most of us would name the pieces of glass as Kiki and round egg as Abuba. The shapes get associated with the inflections of the sound of words.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, this particular piece of information gets reminded to me many times in an interesting manner. In Kannada 'majjige' refers to buttermilk and 'mosaru' refers to curd. But I often get confused and use the word 'majjige' while referring to curd and vice versa! In Tamil the relation is more in line with Synesthesia. The word 'more' refers to buttermilk and 'thayir' refers to curd.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-255634277616000992010-05-19T17:33:00.001+05:302010-05-20T19:34:57.091+05:30Math Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3XLkrqr0DOm4Hi1-HGQKL5lcnWM2ODASg_OYCq6oDLPQGNXY2ea5y5KBgNoYWcDZUjHA1unjjzPcvxcjkQby3Qbk4AM1Ru1QSrh9yUwZI3NNjJODJHhVvPFJjo_XvE4itguJ/s1600/4602014839_05387b5fcf_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3XLkrqr0DOm4Hi1-HGQKL5lcnWM2ODASg_OYCq6oDLPQGNXY2ea5y5KBgNoYWcDZUjHA1unjjzPcvxcjkQby3Qbk4AM1Ru1QSrh9yUwZI3NNjJODJHhVvPFJjo_XvE4itguJ/s320/4602014839_05387b5fcf_o.png" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From : http://www.futilitycloset.com</span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-91417746420446492402010-01-24T08:47:00.006+05:302010-01-24T08:50:17.793+05:303 Idiots<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Carried away by the praises for <i>3 Idiots </i>on TV, magazines, newspapers, blogs and people around me I ventured to watch the movie. It turned out to be foolish. The movie couldn’t have been made worse. Masking the movie as a feel good one, intented at questioning the education system what the director dishes out is crap like any other that these days gets dismissed by ‘highbrow’ muliplex audience as low quality and meant for the so called ‘B’ and ‘C’ centers. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I am told that it touches at how the education system is defective and needs a overhaul. But I found nothing convinsing and nothing new other than few scenes here and there that Aamir mouths on how things really should be. Otherwise its just a package of unrefined jokes and jokes we have known from god knows when. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">What irks me more than the stupid movie is the fact that people are hailing it as masterpiece and good thing to have happened. Its all the Aamir and the Raju Hirani effect. Everybody would want others to believe that they belong to the exclusive circle of intellectual cinema patrons. Saying anything against the ‘perfectionist’ Aamir’s film would be scorned. I am dying to read a review which trashes <i>3 Idiots</i> for what it actual is without having to say crap like <i>“..despite its few flaws, 3 Idiots is fun and sets you thinking. Go for it!”</i>. Well, I might not find it anywhere. Infact that’s the reason for this blog post. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-24512524371524159162009-09-17T22:11:00.002+05:302009-09-17T22:15:29.412+05:30Thenkachi ko Swaminathan<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Thenkachi ko Swaminathan is no more. I quite vividly remember listening to his 'Indru oru Thagaval' on All India Radio. The messages and humor said in his inimitable style was thoughtful and mornings were never complete without hearing him. I am sure his demise has come as a shocker to all his followers</span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-86432925395440747832009-09-15T14:26:00.003+05:302009-09-15T14:37:31.222+05:30<div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">PBS voice is perfect. Rajkumar's performance measured. Good Lyrics. Everything in place. Song on par with 'Malarndhum Malaradha' song from the movie Pasamalar.</span><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4zHKr1s_4rU&hl=" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" fs="1&rel=" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-43604064667016147492009-08-13T19:25:00.003+05:302009-08-13T19:33:25.914+05:30Flowers At lalbagh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwzJDwk1QBqOdocYra8GTUkRTBbvopbAZDg6BThJvcVHeoVesdDViFrPQuQ1aiSqWNaryna30QyQrR0x46kELSddLubpJj5-xKk-QAd9Cfi_1gB3jFjqAvI8Zc2CL1s5W5_AA/s1600-h/IMG_1209+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369447976678714130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 326px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwzJDwk1QBqOdocYra8GTUkRTBbvopbAZDg6BThJvcVHeoVesdDViFrPQuQ1aiSqWNaryna30QyQrR0x46kELSddLubpJj5-xKk-QAd9Cfi_1gB3jFjqAvI8Zc2CL1s5W5_AA/s400/IMG_1209+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8VKueQ3S-oUEb5sL694GqBEC-5ZgfFoSZrKSxKo5_KpBgrPe8weK46giz8XBDAl26PnIgHwgsfvtzY2ijprXij05bK9ujFr81SUW-OLRZVzPL98nIeKuJBPEE8jbgl2SaqYj/s1600-h/IMG_1622+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369447048209071010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8VKueQ3S-oUEb5sL694GqBEC-5ZgfFoSZrKSxKo5_KpBgrPe8weK46giz8XBDAl26PnIgHwgsfvtzY2ijprXij05bK9ujFr81SUW-OLRZVzPL98nIeKuJBPEE8jbgl2SaqYj/s400/IMG_1622+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div> </div><div></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-15715779286484249542009-08-12T13:05:00.001+05:302009-08-12T13:08:06.134+05:30Dawkins' Next!<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Richard Dawkins is one of my favorite authors. The passion with which he writes on evolution and defends it against any religious body deriding its significance cannot be missed. It is not just Richard’s writing that is fascinating and enlightening but his lectures and talks too are equally interesting. I am now eagerly awaiting his next book <em><a href="http://richarddawkins.net/thegreatestshowonearth">The Greatest Show on Earth</a></em>. I expect it to be better than his masterpiece, <em>The Selfish Gene</em>. I am confident it would be.</span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-66002760468528440292009-07-17T20:10:00.002+05:302009-07-17T20:13:15.749+05:30Tube Curse<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I have always observed that when browsing the channels on TV, at times I would come across a particularly interesting piece of program. However what I would get to see with disappointment is the program in its conclusion phase. Recently I experienced such a frustration. I landed on a channel in which a western classical concert was in progress. Listening to the music was pure bliss. But it lasted just few minutes. The loss was more painful, just to wonder what had been missed, to see the audience give the composer standing ovation, with ceaseless applause.<br /><br />The Rakhi Sawant Swayamwar ‘reality’ show on <em>NDTV Imagine</em>. Totally inane.</span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-3295973840685212212009-06-24T20:41:00.003+05:302009-06-24T20:43:24.630+05:30How True!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAfCrAqHPqwhSWO7yTRkU5E8o3lW0Fb734iomLtv0oQxW5ZzrptWyNCf-MviBdhD1dkHIAlww4S5X6cQbkZUbRjXhT-HxC1xBDnSbd4QNhrtM4_jm_B1PF3xRAo5PpRqOG2Di/s1600-h/game_theory+(1).png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350912055762634754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAfCrAqHPqwhSWO7yTRkU5E8o3lW0Fb734iomLtv0oQxW5ZzrptWyNCf-MviBdhD1dkHIAlww4S5X6cQbkZUbRjXhT-HxC1xBDnSbd4QNhrtM4_jm_B1PF3xRAo5PpRqOG2Di/s400/game_theory+(1).png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;">source : http://xkcd.com/</span>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-40234782044395386942009-06-24T19:56:00.009+05:302009-06-24T20:44:39.893+05:30This and That<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Baaski is one of my favorite humorist. Sample the following from VPL which had me in splits: (non Tamil readers please excuse. Translation won't help)</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></p></span><blockquote><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">On the topic of traffic woes:</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">நேயர் : இனிமேல் எங்கேயும் நடந்துதான்<br />போகணும் சார் ! </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">பாஸ்கி : நடக்குற கதையா பேசுங்க<br />சார்!</span></p></blockquote><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">G.V Prakash seems to have drawn a lot of ‘inspiration’ from various sources for creating <em>Ayirathil Oruvan</em>. Its lack of originality has made me become tired of it!</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I am keen to watch <em>Pasanga</em>. Of what ever I have seen of it on TV it appears to be promising.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">As much as I love listening to Ilayaraaja's masterpieces, I try not listening to him speak in interviews and events. Most of the time its nonsense. Recent case was in the audio release of <em>Valmiki</em>.</span></p><p align="justify"><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/keith_barry_does_brain_magic.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Keith Barry does brain magic at TED</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. Watch it and be astonished!</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I am currently reading <em>The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture and Coolness.</em> My black iPod appears much cooler now!</span></p>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-55046295524169248172009-05-30T15:10:00.006+05:302009-05-30T15:20:27.244+05:30Guns, Germs and Steel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIOALhROumKm0X7vIloRJu_Z70apb2cVDbRo0ntESjCFCoCVBQj314WPNUHk2gUWrACxGKXaY5FsPdtZQsa30GCrORlJtzw6hhSAxThf3qwVCvPBOIsUMZNUN_VrXB_N6JyFb/s1600-h/guns2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341550608036615586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 262px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIOALhROumKm0X7vIloRJu_Z70apb2cVDbRo0ntESjCFCoCVBQj314WPNUHk2gUWrACxGKXaY5FsPdtZQsa30GCrORlJtzw6hhSAxThf3qwVCvPBOIsUMZNUN_VrXB_N6JyFb/s400/guns2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>Guns, Germs and Steel</em> by Jared Diamond tries to answer a fundamental question: Why did history unfold differently on different continents. In dismissing any racial superiority of humans of one region over the other the author takes up the challenge of explaining the root cause of the difference that we find today. Since the end of the last ice age about 13,000 years ago different parts of the world have evolved in a very contrasting ways. From being hunter gatherers humans in some parts of the world evolved to non literate farming societies and in some other parts progressed into literate industrialized communities with metal tools. Some remained hunter gatherers. The book tackles in very engaging way the question of why and how peoples of Eurasia had the head start in the race of human progress and went on to conquer and dominate regions like Africa, Americas and Aboriginal Australia.<br /><br />The book which has the subtitle, “a short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years”, tries to seek by means of rigorous analysis the ultimate factors that gave rise to proximate causes which in turn affected the course of history. It establishes that the environmental differences were the ultimate factor responsible for the diversification of the continents. The geography of Eurasia was such that it aided plant and animal domestication and farming. A community which starts food production rapidly evolves into a community of large, dense, sedentary, stratified societies. Owing to east/west orientation of continental axis of Eurasia the developments spread easier and rapidly as environmental conditions are more or less the same across the continent. Contrasting this with north/south orientation of Americas and Africa we find that variation in the geography hinders the spread of species and skills developed in one region to spread to other easily. Large population has the advantages that it can develop technology like guns and steel much more easily than distributed and isolated societies. Political organization and writing is the later logical outcome of it. There is also the other factor of germs having evolved from domesticated animals in Eurasia and its population over the years gaining immunity to those. And hence Eurasians armed with their guns, germs and steel went on to conquer other less blessed continents. Guns were no match to stone and primitive tools, germs carried by Eurasians unleashed epidemic of great proportions which resulted in disappearance of native communities in other continents in a limited time span. Steel and technology enabled Eurasians to establish their rule in new world in quick time and oppress the disadvantaged easily.<br /><br />In the above paragraph, I have taken the liberty to put things in very broad terms what the author has painstakingly explained in the book with scientific rigour. I request that one should read the book to find out how and why various factors had affected the human history.<br /><br />I found the book very engaging. The book which had me riveted with its initial chapter progresses with lot of intricate details which at times was difficult to read through. However this isn’t a novel and I appreciate the author for his efforts in narrating the history of a long timescale effectively. If you find the title and the subtitle inviting then I say, please indulge. You will not be disappointed. </span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-57687104028928808892009-05-29T19:06:00.002+05:302009-05-29T19:11:55.269+05:30Being Free.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8JNU4sBM3YcsNglqC897TqtG9_sliIqNsYn-9o_utPzUDFzBO3zsepDaYnlewwp65gMtiVgEcvZnIDpVHu4NmfuiV2C-wWWDcqVPTcuyUGbqRr-qPjODkK0uOVP6xZCdyLLW/s1600-h/graffiti.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341240107489824786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 272px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8JNU4sBM3YcsNglqC897TqtG9_sliIqNsYn-9o_utPzUDFzBO3zsepDaYnlewwp65gMtiVgEcvZnIDpVHu4NmfuiV2C-wWWDcqVPTcuyUGbqRr-qPjODkK0uOVP6xZCdyLLW/s400/graffiti.jpg" border="0" /></a>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-65565074272482183412009-04-27T12:37:00.007+05:302009-04-27T12:45:45.610+05:30Numbers in Life<p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">My friend </span><a href="http://thesongoflife.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Swathi</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> tagged me to write on the significance of numbers in my life. After much thought I have figured out how some numbers have had importance.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It was fun, Swathi. Thanks!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">1: No of subjects I failed in my engineering examinations. It was Analog Communications! I had secured 23 :( </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2: No of books I was gifted by friends cum colleagues on my farewell day in my previous company. Those were </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">"Guns, Germs, and Steel”</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. I am reading the latter and its brilliant!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">3: No of languages with which I am quiet comfortable reading and writing; Tamil, Kannada and English. Also I stood third in the only essay competition that I ever participated. The essay's title was "Art for Art Sake"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">4: My favorite movie of all time is comprised of four names! - "Michael Madana Kama Rajan"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">5: No of my team mates at office currently!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">6: My birth date! 6th of April</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">7: In my current company I am a grade 7 engineer!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">8: No of my fans on Orkut!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">9: It was in standard 9 that I was caught red-handed for indulging in examination malpractice. No, I did not try to clear the exam through short cuts but I passed on my answer sheets to my friend to help him out. That was the first and last time that I did such a thing!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">10: No of unique badges that I have earned in </span><a href="http://stackoverflow.com/users/44111/prabhu-s"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Stackoverflow</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, my favourite Q&A site out there in web.</span></p>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-68497092352739999952009-03-29T09:59:00.012+05:302009-03-29T10:30:26.568+05:30Black Is Ugly<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I heard the following conversation on a TV show in which the host of the show discusses with college students regarding all things about their institution. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span></span></span></p><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Host: Oh! Why do you call that dog ‘ugly’?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Student: You see, the dog is black in colour, so we call it ugly...</span></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span">I might not have reproduced the conversation verbatim but the gist is intact. I don’t know if anyone found the response insensitive, but I felt it was nauseating to say the least. </span></o:p></span></p>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-51131362066791726612009-03-25T19:09:00.002+05:302009-03-25T19:18:08.758+05:30Need For Arch-Enemy<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jeff Atwood reasons the need for an enemy : </span><a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001246.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Who's Your Arch-Enemy?</span></a></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-79399397240534128432009-02-28T23:17:00.006+05:302009-02-28T23:27:49.696+05:30Delhi 6<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I was interested in catching up with <em>Delhi 6</em> for two reasons; A. R Rehman’s score and the book <em>The Last Mughal</em> by William Dalrymple. I was mighty impressed with OST of <em>Delhi 6</em>. And the book had ignited in me an interest in Old Delhi. An </span><a href="http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20090302&fname=Delhi6+(F)&sid=1"><span style="font-family:georgia;">article</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> in Outlook magazine which said that the film is a tribute to Old Delhi and that it leaves a strong impression by getting under viewers skin further kindled my interest. But what I experienced was in contrast to what I had expected. <em>Delhi 6</em> is driven by a spineless script and weak characterization. The movie is not an ode to Old Delhi as embraced by the article in Outlook. Watching the movie was a trying experience and the ordeal ended with a finish which unintentionally is comical. Interestingly I felt that the music lacked luster when heard in conjunction with viewing the film. I didn’t find absolutely anything in <em>Delhi 6</em> to recommend it and I am baffled on reading some rave reviews.<br /><br /></span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-58696856757765762072009-02-02T19:38:00.006+05:302009-02-02T20:41:00.043+05:30A. R Rahman's Delhi 6<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">It has been quite some time that I am overwhelmed by an entire sound track of a movie. A. R. Rahman's <em>Delhi 6</em> is right up there with any piece of music that is considered classic. In the same way that I get letdown when ever I hear new works of Raaja (<em>Naan Kadavul</em> is good ,but again, I cannot help but do the mistake of comparing it with his own lofty standards), I was dissatisfied with Rahman, with his efforts in past couple of years. I just wondered when will I get to hear another OST like <em>Duet</em>. <em>Delhi 6</em> quenched my thirst! My pick of the album is 'Rehna Tu' sung by the man himself.</span> </div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-18597800304766983782009-02-01T10:38:00.002+05:302009-02-01T10:46:08.860+05:30R.I.P., Nagesh<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The legend is no more. Nagesh's performance in <em>Kathalikka Nermillai</em> is just one of the many that stands testimony to the fact that he is one of the greatest actors to have graced Indian cinema.</span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-61324486916803086992009-01-15T09:53:00.002+05:302009-01-15T09:59:48.219+05:30Ghajini<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Watching <i><a href="http://www.google.co.in/movies/reviews?cid=b557bba28092d1a1&hl=en&fq=Ghajini&sa=X&oi=showtimes&ct=reviews&cd=1">Ghajini</a></i>, the Tamil version on TV, I was left wondering what was in it that made it a block buster. More baffling is how the Hindi version is being touted as being a good thriller. Is it because it is Amir Khan’s flick the critics do not want to trash it and lap it up despite it being mediocre. I am pretty sure that if Murugadoss had not cast Amir in the lead role, his movie would have gone down with out a trace.<em><span style="font-family:Georgia;"> </span></em></span></p><p></p>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13712627.post-43732877347028434102008-09-13T13:15:00.002+05:302008-09-13T13:27:44.712+05:30Rock On!!<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">‘Rock On!!’ is all gloss but no substance. It is about a four men rock band which having a strong passion for rock music and aspiring to make it big stray away and try reuniting after a decade or so to realize its dream again. The problem is that neither the passion for music nor the struggle is said in a telling manner. Instead what we see is a very loosely connected sequences from the past to present that leaves one guessing whether the guys were really willing to make it big in music. (The lead vocalist quite literally becomes deaf to the sound of music for ten long years and when reunion happens brings up the same level of sophistication that he had in the past!). The soundtrack of the movie is the only saving grace in an otherwise nondescript movie, which could have been better if the screenplay had packed more punch by making music central to the narration than the individuals. In the end what I felt was that the film pretends to be an honest and realistic movie but actually is far from it.</span></div>Prabhu Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700064872549658343noreply@blogger.com0