Rajkumar

Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar is no more. His death has left millions of his fans devastated.   More than as an actor I liked him as a singer. Rajkumar has sung number of memorable songs one of my favorites being the song 'Halu Jenu'. But the violence that occurred in Bangalore on the day of his funeral was most shocking. I would not accept those who were part of the violence as true fans of the thespian. It was some anti-social elements, which took advantage of the situation and caused trouble to people who cared for the actor. Other wise how can we explain the burning of buses and cars? Is it possible for people who are grief stricken to do such inhuman things? I don't think so. Ultimately it resulted in Rajkumar not receiving the kind of funeral he deserved. It was said that he would be provided a state funeral. But the scenes at his burial place said a different story. There were numerous fans at the funeral but I think he was buried like any other ordinary citizen. I truly felt very sad at the way the whole episode was carried out.
 
The other thing that I didn't like was the English news channels discussing why southern India is so much obsessed with film stars. I really don't appreciate the question. Idolizing someone is a characteristic that exists throughout the world in some form of the other.   It is the Bollywood stars that bring in major revenue to these news and the so-called lifestyle channels.  Salman Khan's arrest was breaking news, why? . While the English channels were covering the mob violence in Bangalore, the Hindi news channels were busy with Salman Khan's possible release from prison.   Were it not for people's interest in Bollywood, Salman Khan would not have occupied the front pages in newspapers and prime slots in electronic media. The difference is just that while the Bollywood stars endear themselves to people representing the elite class the southern stars endear themselves performing roles, which the common man who is not part of the elite can easily identify with. Nothing was more telling than the incident that occurred in a news channel. As the host was discussing the question of southern India's idol worship with a panel the news of Salman Khan reaching his home must have trickled in. The host immediately interrupted saying that Salman Khan has been released and has reached his home. "We bring you the live pictures from his residence…you can see the fans thronging his home."   It was thought that the news of Salman Khan reaching home was hot news and one should not miss it, anything else can wait. Oh, how I hated it!

Thandege Thakka Maga

The new Kannada movie Thandege Thakka Maga starring Ambarish and Upendra is the remake of the Tamil film Devar Magan. Though I haven’t watched the entire movie, going by the few scenes seen on TV, I can assert that the remake falls way short of the original. Devar Magan starring the late Shivaji Ganesan and Kamalahasan was a neat movie. The two versatile actors had given a performance of great élan and Illayaraja very well backed the movie. Ambarish performs Shivaji Ganesan’s role, as that of the patriarch. The latter is peerless no doubt. S.A Rajkumar has rehashed the tunes of Illayaraja in the Devar Magan. Effort has been put to recreate a movie that is considered to have set a benchmark of sorts but not enough to match its quality.

Bird Flu Threat

Bird Flu cases have been reported in few parts of India. There is global concern over the bird flu. New Scientist carries a special report on the bird flu threat in its January’s edition. The reason for the alarm that is being raised globally is based on the fear that the virus H5N1 once inside a human may mutate and become capable of using humans as the carriers. As of now, even though the bird flu kills a third of people, whom it infects, it cannot spread from person to person. A pandemic can occur if humans become the carriers, which would be devastating especially if it is in poorer countries. A vaccine can be developed only after finding the exact strain, which is causing the pandemic. Distributing it to the affected people would be a herculean task. Answering a myth, ‘It’s a 21st century, not dark age and death due to massive plague is not possible’, the article had this to say: “…. even though leaders know death and misery anywhere will have global consequences, we don’t have the capacity to produce antivirals or vaccine fast enough to protect everyone. We have 21st-century technology. But when it comes to getting it to people, we are still in the dark ages”. Very true. Its high time the rich countries get together and go all out in stopping the pandemic from occurring.

Thirukkural

Finance Minister ,P Chidambaram while presenting the Union Budget, quotes Saint Tiruvalluvar . A beautiful kural .

“Karumam Sidhaiyamal Kannoda Vallarku
Urimai Udaithu Iv Ulagu”

“The world is his who does his job
With compassion”

Being a Tamilian , I feel ashamed for not having learnt the Thirukkural. The only kural that I know by heart is that which gets said in every Balachander’s film !

"Agara Muthala Yelluthellam Aadhi
Bhagawan Mudhatre Ullagu"

" 'A' leads letters; the Ancient Lord
Leads and lords the entire world"

Fascinating Read..

Absolutely enjoyed reading the book ,Richard Dawkin's Selfish Gene about which I had a post here. It's a brilliant book and I highly recommend it. Each chapter was a revelation to me. I was impressed with the authors knack of explaining concepts with understandable analogies . Extended Phenotype is another book by Dawkins. I will hunt it down soon for Dawkin considers it to be , more than anything else in his professional life , his pride and joy.

Genes And Survival Machines

I am currently reading Richard Dawkin's The Selfish Gene. The central theme of the book is that genes are the fundamental units of evolution,of natural selection.The altirusm or the selfishness of the individual life forms is the result of the gene and nothing else.Life forms, plants and animals are just the vehicles for them to survive. The author refers to the life forms as the survival machines.Once the survival machine have served their purpose they are cast aside but genes continue to survive through the next generations of the survival machines. Genes are the denizens of the geological time.Like diamonds genes are forever.

The book gets me riveted on it while I travel to my office in bus everyday.A excellent way to escape the traffic snarls in my city. Once I complete the book I hope to blog in detail about the genes, the immortal coils.

Comedy - Then & Now

I watched the classic comedy of the late Thangavelu from the film Kalyana Parisu again. I think that the performance of Thangavelu along with his wife Saroja in Kalyana Parisu should find place in the list of all time great comedy in Tamil Cinema. Other equally brilliant performance should be that of Nagesh in the movie Kadhalika Neramillai. When I see such great comedy in old movies I can’t help but contrast them with the present and feel that the performances of Nagesh and Thangavelu are far more accomplished than those done by present breed of comedians like Vivek, Vadivelu and others.

ID Is Not Science

Should Intellegent Design (ID) be taught in science class as a scientific theory challenging evolutionary theory? No. The arguments put forth by the exponents of the ID are naive. Their argument that it is impossible for a complex organism to evolve just by chance defeats itself cyclically.One who designs the complex organism should be much more complex and demands much more explanation. But ID supporters refute this arguments saying that the Intellegent Designer is simply immune to the normal demands of scientific explanation. In such a case ID should find no place in science class but instead be confined to theology studies.

I studied in a christian school where we had a separate classes taken to preach Bible. I had no issues and did study it for it carried weight in my overall performance in my exams. But I would not tolerate when some one suggests that let the Bible classes be part of my Biology curriculam.

Read here a very good article arguing against ID

Vijay's Political Ambitions ?

The Tamil Film Star Vijay receives the first stamp album of the special postage stamp on ‘Pongal’. After reading the news in the newspaper I was wondering why was Vijay chosen for recieving the stamps . But if rumours are to be believed then what my friend says must be true.My friend who came from his hometown in Tamil Nadu after celebrating Pongal, says that according to news reports in dailies there, Vijay is all set to campaign for DMK for the upcoming elections. Why would Vijay do that ? After recent IT raids in the houses of the cine stars of Kollywood, he is in need of some political support to shield himself from the IT raid squads in future. Though one shouldn't jump to conclusions , the rumour does make some sense to me!

Aaaru - Keep Off

I suggest you might do yourself a favour from avoiding the Tamil film Aaaru. Violence being the main theme the movie fails miserably. Hari did much better in Saami.

PS: There were days during which I used to argue with my friends that commercial Tamil cinema was better than Hindi and kannada( atleast if one considers comedy and music). But now those arguments will fall flat on their face.

IF..

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling


Inspiring , isn't?

Brain Lara, The Enigma II

Mike Marqusee in his Column 'Level Playing Field' in Hindu writes

"Lara's artistry blends the spontaneous and the cultivated, flamboyance and discipline, inspiration and stamina. It is irresistibly seductive. Even fanatical opposition supporters sigh in disappointment when he's out early. They know that a major innings by the walking puzzle we call Brian Lara is one of the glories of modern sport, a privilege to behold, whatever the outcome of the match"

same thoughts I intended to put in my post on Brain Lara , but couldn't put in words as Mike has done.

Maxwell's Equations

God Said Let ..

And There Was Light!

"To anyone who is motivated by anything beyond the most narrowly practical, it is worthwhile to understand Maxwells equations simply for the good of his soul." - J R Pierce

Inspiring statements that helped me in understanding the Maxwell's Equations better while studying Electromagnetics .

Life Membership Expires On..

From New Scientist

"David Lake was given a life membership card for the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia. On it were the words: "Life Member. Expires 30/06/2006". "Should I be worried?" Lake asks."

Shamelessly Biased News Coverage

I can tolerate the endless serials that get aired on TV but not the NEWS on the SUN TV and JAYA TV. Tamil Nadu has been severely affected by the rains and the coverage is shamelessly biased against the parties to which they are loyal. On SUN one just gets to hear the plight of the people and the central ministers visiting the affected places. Not a single mention of the TN state ministers relief efforts; On Jaya it is just the opposite. One hears people hailing the CM for her help, no scenes of despair. The coverage tries to impose on the viewers the feelings of the political parties rather than the affected people.

Brain Lara , The Enigma

Brain Lara does it again. He holds another awesome record. He holds the world record for most test runs, 11,187. He as well holds the record for the highest score in one innings, 400 runs. He broke this record twice!. In his twilight of his career, he remains an enigma to me. Just as I think his magic is over, he bounces back with a spectacular innings time and again.

Illayaraja's BGM Score

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Listen to the BGM score of the movie 'Kadhalakku Mariyadhai', the climax scene. It is compositions of this kind which establishes the fact- There is none on par with Illayaraja when it comes to scoring BGM.

Jal Jal

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Listen to this song sung by S. Janaki. The film is 'Paasam'. This song is one of my favourites of old Tamil film music collection.

Thoo...

Image from 'The Hindu'

Last Sunday, I read this musing in The Hindu. The author writes about the spitting habit that has become the integral habit for most of the people in India. Others doing that can be intolerable if you are travelling in a bus and the person sitting in front of you goes on a spitting spree..Thoo...

Though a frequent traveller in a bus , I hadn't endured the experience which the author of the article had. But yesterday was the day. I was in the bus going home from office. The window besides which I was seated had a glass pane for cover but it was common for two windows. I had my window wide open with the night breeze blowing gently. It was pleasant. Then he started. Gentleman sitting in front chewing his paan spit the first time. Nothing happened, the bus was going bit slow. I thought he wouldn't do that again when the bus catches speed but I was wrong.He did it again , this time I was not spared , his bit of thoo falling on my cheek. My friend seated next to me laughed . I kept silent. There was the third thoo. I could n't bear it . I stood and said something murmering, leaned forward and pulled the glass plane covering his window towards mine. He did not stop though, but I was safe.

Why do some people be so unconcerned about others ?

History of AT & T

Read here a very well written article on AT & T , company which led the revolution in communication . AT&T's history of research and innovation is unparalleled. But now its not into the research and development which was its lifeline .The company is still a telecom giant but more focused on the corporate market.