tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87578275304824703992024-03-22T05:41:41.680+05:30And I WroteMy scribble padபூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-74212342791707826082020-12-29T22:16:00.000+05:302020-12-29T22:16:02.316+05:30"Now or never " to Now ,its never " -the Rajini travelogue <p>Muthu released in the early November of 1995 , I was term pregnant and went for the night show few days after the release amidst a full house .By then the Rajni -Jaya feud was much in the open .Most dialogues were direct hits at the then CM .The Ramesh Khanna dialogue that "avaraa vara mattaru naama thaan aethi vidanum " had the crowds roaring .The flag in the Renganayagi song was mooted to be his party flag.His fans left the theatre upbeat and euphoric .Rajni's movies have been field testing political ambitions vigorously ever since.</p><p>Two Rajni movies spoke direct politics -One is Valli supposedly penned and directed by Rajni where a CM character outrageously honest ,efficient et al mimics Rajni in full .The movie did average business .Then came Baba ,after his ?longest hiatus -Rajni was a saint banished to earth and then when its time to go back Rajni asks the people directly if he needs to stay to serve them .People said no and the movie was a disaster .</p><p>So Rajni rested his political ambitions using them selectively and only to market his movies .The actual temptation must have happened after Jayalalitha's death .At the condolence meeting for her he gloated that he had defeated her in 1996 - a statement he never dared to make while she lived .For all those who can remember, the 1991-96 Jaya govt was destined to fall .It was easily one of the most corrupt flamboyant govts ever .Public anger was such that even senior leaders could not enter some places to campaign . He was let to run off with the credit too long.</p><p>I assume with the infighting in the ADMK and a lack of a cohesive head and the BJP sitting over their every move ,ADMK was Rajni's chance of a lifetime .He only needed the party and the two leaves and he would fill in the one popular face vacuum and be CM ,all at one go .</p><p>The actual end to his political ambitions must have come when after a rousing reception after the Thoothukudi massacre Rajni was jolted by a "who are you ?",a question he probably was never asked for more than three to four decades.An ego bruised irritated Rajni lashed out at the media and the people of TN .After playing hide and seek with the BJP and pretending to almost taking the plunge ,Rajni faced another situation he never faced .He was bombarded by documented allegations of financial irregularity (especially @angrybirdu)and his honest man image was beginning to fade .The losses were going to be too many and he was going to end up as an also ran .</p><p>A few pointers that showed maybe Rajni will not enter politics as he announced.His definite statement on he will not be saffron washed .His statements saying that he didnt want to be a minor vote splitter.Kamal's insistence on wait for 31st .His very public enquiry of the posts that were assigned to Tamilaruvi and the other BJP guy .He was just making it public that it was not his decision. </p><p>It is a lie to say that Rajni never wanted to be a politician .He wanted to be one but was too much of a coward to pursue it .</p>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-8657825274105991772014-05-15T22:52:00.000+05:302014-05-15T22:56:50.256+05:30Farewell Mr.Manmohan Singh!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>B</i></b>y the noon of tomorrow ,the 16th day of May as decided by the mighty Election Commission our fate will be known .Though the results seem to be preconcluded ,the counting of votes is an adventure which thrills like none other .<br />
<br />
<i><b>A</b></i>s we usher in the new we need to say goodbye to old friends ..esp our erstwhile Prime Minister the honourable Mr.Manmohan Singh .When Mr.Singh was first announced as Prime Minister ,we rejoiced that an intellect and an academician and a financial wizard has come to head and soon we will be a nation of milk and honey !But alas the only outstanding feature of his office has been the steadfast way in which he has stayed glued onto the chair which he seemingly reluctantly inhabited .<br />
<br />
<i><b>T</b></i>he most errant feature has been his stubborn resistance to be elected by the people's mandate ,an insult to the largest democracy in the world .To the end of his term ,he continues to be member of Rajya Sabha from Assam ,his homestate refusing to own him .<br />
<br />
<i><b>W</b></i>hile we try to choose on what will be his legacy ,we have an abundance of choices .We have the multiple megascams which have come in such unfailing succession with one bettering the other ,the 2G ,the S band ,the CWG ,the mining scam ,the Railways appointment ,et al .Then we have the many decisions that we have had the Supreme Court rapping the PM's knuckles like the CVC,the Cauvery tribunal ,the black money ,BCCI ,etc ,etc .Towards the end it was literally the judiciary which ran the govt amidst the few whimpering noises that Mr.Singh made .We also need to remind ourselves of the many foreign policy debacles from China to Srilanka .<br />
<br />
<i><b>W</b></i>hile the grains rotted in heavily rented ill maintained facilities , millions of this country went hungry .The RTI was repeatedly crippled while many corrupt functionaries were attempted to be exempt .The Govt systematically sought to eliminate subsidies to the deserving poor while doling out tax exemption largesse to the corporates in the name of incentives .The MNC s have been allowed to recklessly loot our natural resources in the name of GDP and economic growth and investment ,a loot that can never be retrieved.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Y</b></i>et Mr.Singh is an honourable man!<br />
<br />
<i><b>He</b></i> has struggled throughout his term to keep his image of Mr.Clean unblemished while lesser mortals bore the brunt .The only time he even attempted to defend are the times when he was directly implicated .We saw an angry Mr.Singh whenever questioned and whenever attempts at dethroning happened .But here is a man who could have done better .With having to bear no responsiblity (that would have gone to the Congress )but all credit for his actions his was a Govt of lost opportunities .This was a Govt decided by the Nira Radias and run by the few corporates who paid her consultancies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>H</b></i>istory will judge him by his incompetencies and his desperate attempts at survival and his absolute denial and negation of Collective responsibility as defined by The Constitution ...<br />
<br />
<i><b>G</b></i>oodbye ,Mr.Manmohan Singh ..we are happy to see you go !</div>
பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-77417276820729186322013-10-23T22:40:00.000+05:302013-10-23T22:40:08.491+05:30"Modi"fying ....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>After</i></b> much dilly dallying and giving the aging Advani undeserved anxieties ,the BJP has finally managed to find its spine and gathered guts enough to announce Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate . Though there was really no doubt regarding the choice the only doubts were about "would they or wouldn't they ".Now that the formalities are over ,the media immediately set out to behave as if the naming day was the eve of his ascending the throne itself .There were pictures of a young Modi,timelines tracing his rise ,his humble beginnings in his teashop ,interviews with his mother ,etc ,etc ..the kind of news that we are actually habituated to getting only on the eve of a new PM or President taking office .<br />
<br />
<i><b>The </b></i>real success story however was not the news itself but the way the media has taken to Modi .A few years the very same media slammed Modi as communal ,autocratic and polarising but now all that they seem to sing is his glory .This is victory indeed for the Gujarat CM ,who unrelentingly withstood the media onslaught against him .<br />
<br />
<b><i>Modi </i></b>obviously <b><i> </i></b>owes most of his recent success to the Media .The positioning of Modi has been very cleverly planned and executed and is easily the most successful marketing that we have seen in recent times.The mediocre mind would have thought that the best way to position Modi would be to make him seem acceptable to all religions or acommunal .But Modi has cleverly chosen to completely sidestep the communal plank and sought to focus on himself as Mr.Clean Mr.Development and Mr. Strong decision maker . .In a country embarassed by a non functioning PM ,suffocated by a thousand scams and disillusioned by rising prices ,the Modi placement is too perfect. To the masses ,a talkative ,thundering Modi against a non talking PM must be a definitive change .<br />
<br />
<i><b>The</b></i> dividends are obvious .Modi of yesterday was a ruthless dictator who was behind the post Godhra massacre but Modi of today is the man the nation wants to lead them .He has all the attributes it takes to make a successful leader .Modi ,the media seems to say will lead us from darkness into light .Everyday we wake up to read yet another analysis of the Modi mantra as a few dissenting noises are lost in the din .Whether Modi makes it to 7 Race Course road or not ,it must definitely soothe his pride that the media of today literally drinks from his lips .<br />
<br />
<i><b>Yet </b></i>another day dawns and Modi has come to be part of our everydays .From the youth of the country to all its well wishing citizens Modi says our media is the answer.As days go the rants will escalate .<br />
And as chants of Modi fill the air ,Modi the Messiah has arrived .....</div>
பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-7965811468410060062013-03-05T23:12:00.000+05:302013-03-05T23:12:12.508+05:30Modi for Prime Minister !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Will or will not Modi be BJP's candidate for Prime Ministership ?<br />
<br />
The question has come back to haunt the BJP and the nation and more important the media , once again .<br />
In a party with no designer modelled heir apparent to don the mantle by virtue of birth like the BJP ,the number of contenders to the above mentioned candidature is astonishing !From Sushma Swaraj ,Arun Jaitley to the immensely popular Gadkari and the young at heart Advani ,all leaders of any notable stature are serious contenders .<br />
<br />
The nation and the media in particular do not mind this in the least and start popping like popcorns once the Gujarat's Chief Minister's name crops up .<br />
<br />
For Modi ,<br />
1.He has proved himself an able administrator and has built a model state or that is what is to be believed from the media reports .<br />
2.He has obviously managed to retain the trust of the people of Gujarat .<br />
3.No court of law has so far been able to prove him guilty in the infamous post Godhra riots .<br />
<br />
Against Modi ,<br />
1.He remains and will remain the most polarising figure in Indian politics.<br />
2.Though no court has sentenced him ,there is no denying that the riots happened under his nose and he let it happen without the least remorse .<br />
<br />
In this pre election scenario the Congress seems to be amassing unpopularity like never before .<br />
This might be the best chance for the BJP to bid for power against a corruption ridden ,inefficient Congress .<br />
Unfortunately the BJP at this critical point of time lacks what the Congress has ,a Prime Minister candidate !<br />
The media while being severely critical of Modi's rather communal posturing ,has also played a very significant though seemingly analytical role of his governance .If most media reports are to believed ,Modi's Gujarat is indeed the Promised Land where honey and milk flow .<br />
<br />
This well orchestrated campaign has played a meaty role in bringing Modi where he is today .All the recent reports seem to establish that Modi has outwitted many opponents to be BJP's PM candidate !<br />
Though this could mean severe polarisation of votes and loss of a few allies like Nitish ,Modi today seems the one man who can place BJP on the centre stage once again .He has most of what it takes to flourish in Indian politics ,rhetoric,posturing ,media support and above all the ability to sweep his past under the carpet !<br />
<br />
By playing the Modi card ,the BJP only stands to gain ..but for Modi it could be a do or die game !<br />
If he wins ,BJP will be back in power ,his past conveniently wished away and his detractors silenced..<br />
If he loses ,the BJP will still remain the major opposition party but Modi's political ambitions can be clipped ..and this will benefit his competitors and also the nation's millions who sincerely believe theirs is a land of Unity in Diversity ......<br />
<br />
</div>
பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-7817346781849691962013-01-29T23:03:00.000+05:302013-01-29T23:03:01.106+05:30Rest in Peace <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/CreativeWork">Upon a time<br />My blood was red<br />And my eyes all stars<br />And my heart of gold<br />Upon that time<br />My mind was mine<br /><br />It dared to think<br />To dream, to wish<br />To seek, to ask<br />To question, to love<br /><br />It glowed in the warmth<br />Of its myriad thoughts<br />It shone in the glaze<br />Of its inner suns<br />It rested in the shadow<br />Of its nested dreams<br /><br />My mind wasn't mine anymore<br />My mind was mutilated <br />It dared not move<br />Stripped of its dreams <br />It stagnated like a puddle<br />On a forsaken street<br /><br />Neglected and denied <br />Wounded and clipped <br />It bore in silence unending pain<br />It held in secret unfinished dreams<br /><br />My mind has died a silent death<br />A silent unmourned unlamented death<br />Rest in peace, my beloved mind <br />Another day, we may arise and live </span><br />
<br />
<span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/CreativeWork">Poongulali </span></div>
பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-10804556022977692802012-06-13T19:30:00.001+05:302012-06-13T19:39:08.779+05:30Run ,Dr.Manmohan Singh !...for President<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The media haven't had it so busy in the past few days ...With the Presidential elections literally heating up ,the media got into action after the MM press conference or the Mulayam sorry Didi ,Mamta ,Mulayam Press conference .Quite a few incredible names have been doing the rounds since the past few months for very humiliating reasons .<br />
<br />
<br />
Pranab Mukherjee ...well because you can't make him the Prime Minister and he maybe doesn't want to be the eternal bridesmaid .Then ,Meirakumar ,for the same reasons that helped her gain the speakership (which ofcourse repeatedly saw her speaking schoolteacherish words like ,Quiet ,Sit down ) and also for the number of foreign tours outdone only by the present President .Amma ,in characteristic flamboyance announced that she would support Sangma and why, because he was from a tribal background .What she actually wanted to was to outdo Mr.Karunanidhi ,who got one up with the First Woman President !Meanwhile , Mr.Sangma maintained that even if he became President his daughter would remain a Union Minister ?And as always Dr.Kalam is in race ..<br />
<br />
The citizenry sipping their evening cups of kaapi and chai were shaken out of their bureaucratic apathy when Didi with Mulayam ,broke onto their television news to name their three nominees ,Mr.Somnath Chatterjee ,Dr.Abdul Kalam and gasp !Dr.Manmohan Singh !!!!!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
I have no objection to all three ,who I am sure cannot be any worse than Ms.Pratibha Patil who I am convinced is the worst President we have seen.Her Presidency just like Mr.Singh's Prime Ministership is the worst insult that the Indian citizen has suffered as yet ...<br />
<br />
<br />
My personal favourite is Dr.Manmohan Singh .I would gladly support his candidature for many reasons.One ,it would remove him from the PMship .An economy in shambles with an econmist as head in humiliating and equally humiliating is the fact that he has refused to contest LokSabha persistently ,in the world's greatest democracy .The PM's chair I believe should be held by politicians who have vote bank considerations (which in some indirect way is accountability )and not by academicians who have no scruples .<br />
<br />
<br />
Two ,it would be a morale boost for the common citizen who perceives him as a puppet PM ,unaccountable ,inaccessible and inefficient and heading the most corrupt cabinet in Indian history .<br />
<br />
<br />
Three ,the Congress can also boast that it has brought in change .If it can make Mr.Rahul Gandhi <br />
the PM ,he will have the advantage of being focussed as the change and also have the added advantage of attributing the failures of the Govt, to Mr.Singh .It will also save the poor Indian from Mr.Gandhi's revelries and intrusions and the pain of having to share their daily kanji with him .<br />
The Congress under his leadership has seldom fared well and that might ring in another good news<br />
during general elections .<br />
<br />
Four ,there cannot be a better post retirement programme for Dr.Singh (though with toddler adamance ,he has insisted that he will complete his term ) .He has already had a lucrative post retirement career, which must be the envy of the Rengarajans and the Ahluwalias.This would be another extra term and consider the offer -sprawling residence ,travels and a heavy pay packet,good media opportunities/exposure ,post post retirement benefits , no work and the honour of being the first PM -President !<br />
<br />
<br />
Time to Run Dr.Manmohan Singh...atleast for President ....<br />
<br /></div>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-61911045581065195502012-03-07T20:11:00.003+05:302012-03-07T20:14:08.791+05:30The Prince and the Paupers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Election time is festival time in the world's largest demo-crazy .While most of the elite stay back and lament the futility of voting and revel in their apathy and the accompanying laziness ,the so called lower classes never fail to impress with their persistent confidence in the constitution and its rights ,which they believe will some day be theirs too.<br />
<br />
<br />
This Assembly elections saw extensive media coverage,one ,because the largest state was going to vote and most importantly this was a battle between two Yuvarajas.These elections were also considered a heralder of the coming General elections due in 2014 or going by the results, any time now .<br />
I would like to congratulate the winners of these elections and also wish the losers better luck and better planning next time .<br />
<br />
<br />
The first important lesson from these elections was the triumph of the election commission .The decision to drape all of Behenji's elephants (and prompt undraping after the polling ) drew flak from many but the Commissioner stuck to his decision and played the game on his own terms .The draping of her many elephants might have been a foreboding of evil for Mayavati .Now that the polling is over ,the numbers in many places has resulted in appreciation of the EC and he has had the last laugh .Well done Mr.Qureshi and team !<br />
<br />
The second important boost is for the BJP .The desperate party has not only done considerably well but also laid the ghost of Modi's indispensability to rest awhile .While much fuss was made in the media about the political rivalries surrounding Modi's campaigning absence ,the advertisement seems to have helped the BJP gain fair ground .Let us sincerely hope that this does not lead to a resurrection of the RamjanmaBhoomi agenda .<br />
<br />
<br />
The most important lesson of all has been taught to our uncrowned Prince of princes ,Rahul Gandhi .As a future Prime ministerial candidate ,he needed to provide a vision for a stronger and definitely lesser corrupt leadership .People looking up to him to see a glimpse of the strength of his grandmother or the charisma of his father were rather disillusioned to see him imitate the populism of too many unmentionable politicians.<br />
<br />
Here was a man who could not do a thing as simple as cleaning his home ,set on a Herculean task of cleaning the country .People must have found this amusing .If he had no plan or power (?) he had no business to behave like a child who found a new toy in the socially oppressed classes .They too must have found him an expensive toy .<br />
<br />
While his many gimmicks drew much attention and Ooh la la in the media, the common man seems to have pressed his lips and pouted like P.V.Narasimha Rao.He needs a thorough rework of his image and his advisers ,if at all any .In a country shamed by the unprecedented corruption in the present government ,all image over- do has to begin from within and from removing the corrupt ,speeding up the investigations and most of all stop telling lame duck coalition compulsion excuses .Without this , food sharing ,breaking the security cordon kind of dramas will lead him only to oblivion .Let's hope, someone ,dares to tell him this .<br />
<br />
<br />
Rahul might have noble intentions (though it seems improbable) but he has no means and he has no methods.And now he has time until 2014 to introspect and to learn from the example of Akhilesh Yadav .<br />
Lets hope he has learnt his lesson and will go beyond accepting the usual moral responsibility .<br />
<br />
Beware the Ides of March !<br />
<br /></div>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-30732317036001111472011-05-14T15:23:00.006+05:302011-05-16T08:20:12.900+05:30The return of Jayalalitha ....AFter a month long wait the election results are in ....Didi effectively tramped out the left in Bengal and the going was neck to neck in nearby Kerala and faraway Assam also voted on largely expected lines .What surprised many ,mostly national observers and psephologists was the results in Tamilnadu .While many had predicted that Amma definitely had the edge against DMK ,nobody could have really guessed the magnitude of this victory .Amma after effectively completing her hibernation in Kodanadu hardly a few months back, woke up in the Chief Minister's seat on Friday the 13th of May .<br /><br />After lying low for months ,she made but few rare appearances in the Assembly ,a few more in public and flew back to Kodanadu ,only visiting Chennai now and then.Some said it was astrology ,some said that was Vastu ,others quoted health reasons but no one was on the know of what she did there all these long years ...Of course we did hear her various statements to the press which appeared with preprogrammed regularity ..(All that they needed to do to fill Jaya TV news was to read these statements .)Even from her Kodanadu estate she gave that one bombshell of an interview which sent the 2G cases accelerating ...which was but one memorable event in these five long years ....<br /><br />These five years sans power, many of her old colleagues have deserted her for more lucrative DMK quarters .Those who chose to remain (how happy they must be now ) were busy carrying out her orders which were passed on mostly through the media .True they kept making quite some noise in the name of protest demonstrations here and there and also kept walking out of the Assembly when they were not forcibly evicted ..AND then the meeting in Kovai happened ...And from there it has been history or should we say HERstory ....<br /><br />And then it was enter the Captain and exit Vaiko and many hiccoughs later the alliance was in place ..She did tour the state (in a campaign vehicle which must be the envy of many a politician ) making rather uninteresting monotonous speeches which might not have excited even her die hard loyalists .The campaign completed ,polling over ,she went back to Kodanadu in complete abandon as only she can .She descended into hot and happening Chennai only a few days back and what a welcome it has been .<br /><br />As I drove to work this morning, all down the road Amma was beaming at me from all the newsmagazine stands and why shoudn't she ?பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-27450724586523216802011-02-17T08:53:00.003+05:302011-02-17T15:38:27.914+05:30The Prime Minister speaks ..Finally , the honourable Prime Minister chose to break his silence .We do not know why this particular timing was chosen , maybe ahead of the budget session in parliament he decided that it might be better that not to add one more charge of silence to the already overloaded charge wagon behind him .Or maybe it was the S band deal that happened right under the PMO's nose (but mind you the PM knew nothing about it ,as with so many other things that have happened around him )?Well the answer to this we might never know .<br /><br /><br /><br />Going to the interview itself ,the Congress claimed that the PM was forthright and upfront ,NDTV said he was OK on some issues like economics (but isn't he a renowned economist ?!) but smarted (ha ha -good one that Prannoy ) other issues ,Times now was going out all guns (with Arnab's histrionic talents in full display ) especially about the way he compared the low price of the spectrum with subsidies -to this Mr.Sitaram Yechury had a nice reply -"to this government whatever concession you give to the poor is subsidy and whatever you give to the rich is incentive ".Besides each channel showed the interview interspersed with shots of their own editors looking or musing pensively .<br /><br /><br /><br />The interview of the PM was much like a boring classroom lecture .He explained even the most controversial issues in such a monotonous voice that you did not want to listen.The only thing that made you watch it was the fact that ,this is the leader, at the helm, in this era of scams ,possibly trying to clear some doubts .But like a good politician he dispersed the blame without actually pointing fingers ,created some more confusion and thereby enabled some more discussions in the media .<br /><br /><br /><br />I asked Raja to address issues ,I said that ,I am not talking to anybody in the backroom ,I am not and so many I ams and I am nots throughout the interview .<br /><br />The crowning moments of the interview were when he declared that he was not a lame duck PM and that he intended to complete his term .Then there was this time when Arnab intervened with a query on the CWG scam and the media advisor to the PM shot it down almost arrogantly that it was not a cross examination of the PM .And why should it not be ?The Prime minister chooses silence over issues almost all of the time and whenever he chooses to speak (which is once in a bluemoon ) he expects the media to sit still like school students and take notes ?<br /><br />The Prime minister apparently believes that he can absolve himself of all responsibility of the not so glamorous happenings that have plagued his government .While handing over the share of blame ,he seems to conveniently forget that as PM ,he is responsible for what the ministers do under the able guidance of their respective bureaucrats .He is totally unmindful of something all Indian citizens are expected to have learnt in school ,something called collective responsibility .<br /><br />If at the end of the day ,the honourable Prime Minister wanted to wipe off the mud on his face ,he only ended up dirtying his sleeves...<br /><br /><strong><em>Poongulali</em></strong>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-77454290599400640742011-02-12T08:27:00.002+05:302011-02-12T08:49:42.778+05:30Shock treatmentYoung woman married to a not so young man ,getting pregnant and then getting tested for HIV during the course of the pregancy is a common scenario in the clinic .Women who test positive for HIV are referred to our prevention of mother to child tranmission programme .They do regularly and sincerely follow the obstetrician's instructions and deliver healthy HIV negative babies .<br /><br />What is intriguing is the fact that the husbands who usually accompany these women (and are infected too ) never bother about their medical care .They play the role of a sincere hubby rather very effectively but when you ask them to see the doctor ,it is always next time .There is not much of a problem until serious illnesses intervene .We had a handful ,who ,when the wife was progressing through the pregnancy progressed to very serious illnesses and death .<br /><br />Then there was this woman ,whose husband was refusing to get any treatment inspite of our repeated counsel .Though we offered all help ,he stubbornly refused to take the necessary tests .We patiently waited for a few weeks and then decided it was time to do something .<br /><br /><br />One fine morning he walked in with his wife ,with the same old story of next time ."Well then ,"I said ,"you seemed to be decided against taking any treatment .In that case ,your health might deteriorate at any point of time .This will affect your wife and the baby who are entirely dependent on you . Who is going to take care of them after you ? I will wait for just one more week ...if you do not report to the hospital for treatment by then ,I will get your wife remarried to more suitable man who can take of her and himself."<br /><br />Surely enough, the husband has come in for treatment .<br /><br /><br /><strong><em>Poongulali</em></strong>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-57324039629455320732010-12-30T08:49:00.005+05:302010-12-30T16:09:01.833+05:30Passing the buck ....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmPWgEOV5cfucRqCRT_3u7HESc9Nb93ElNj3_mXrAXOQUiRY4OOPm3h2oLS697p5dFsKesqKOIpuBX2wzGTa4WS6mtzC4KNkWOtH7zks38S4tewOPUE4CPZpCCVvuy0r82N7QHw1NA3g/s1600/1469958.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556420703646204210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmPWgEOV5cfucRqCRT_3u7HESc9Nb93ElNj3_mXrAXOQUiRY4OOPm3h2oLS697p5dFsKesqKOIpuBX2wzGTa4WS6mtzC4KNkWOtH7zks38S4tewOPUE4CPZpCCVvuy0r82N7QHw1NA3g/s320/1469958.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span><span>In </span>olden days ,movies had separate comedy tracks and comedians ruled the roost .They usually accompanied heroes and the heroines as friends and had their own love tracks ,songs,etc.Then there were also item dancers who did scintillating numbers usually to entertain the villain's den .That was a long time ago ..Now we have heroes doing the comedy themselves and heroines doing what look like item numbers ...That is not what I wanted to write about ..<br /><br /><br />In olden days ,many politicians came to public life to serve,some to be famous and a few to earn money .There were a few corrupt ones at all times .Most might have been arrogant but had clean hands though their noses were up in the air.Look at now ...Politics is the only profession where you can be powerful ,arrogant ,corrupt ,criminal and to top it all get away with it ...<br /><br />Going on to the top rated reality show that is the Central government and its head ,The honourable Prime Minister .. whose only interest is to serve USA (someone must check his nationality ),who tries to paint his image as not being political but who can trigger off the worst horse trading if he needs to survive (hardly apolitical ) ,who seems to aid and assist his ministers as they indulge in themselves but manages to keep himself clean and most dangerously ,a man whom the media does not wish to talk about .....<br /><br /><br />Yet whatever is happening in today's India is what Mr.Manmohan Singh scripted as finance Minister and Prime Minister .Opening up not only the market but also India's vast resources has been his singular achievement .It is he who is responsible for making the Ambanis and the Tatas so very powerful that they run the government de facto .Above all ,he chooses to keep silent when all around him are shamelessly looting the country and its people .And dangerously and surprisingly he keeps himself clean .....<br /><br />The Bhopal tragedy continues to bleed afresh with the throw away compensation ,the PM remains silent.All those accused in the Bofors scam ,get away and the PM aids their escape.The inefficiency and blatant corruption in the Commonwealth administration keeps hitting headlines ,the PM chooses to ignore even till the last moment...The spectrum scam comes along ,he is silent .News about his pet Tharoor and the IPL spills out and he does nothing .He gets him to resign only to reinstate him in a parallel office with equal authority and power.And the list goes on .<br /><br />India's natural resources have been handed out to MNCs on a platter ..the Maoists are striking with local support ....the ministry seems to consist of nobody but criminals ...train after train crashes killing people in hundreds and 2010 has been shown to be the year when the farmer suicides were highest .Yet the Prime Minister continues his foreign trips unabated and his silence unchecked ...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />These are the evils of having a PM who is not a politician and therefore need not face elections .No elections -no need to fear - not even Sonia Almighty ....<br /><br />Poongulali<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-27068967252415652092010-11-13T14:30:00.002+05:302010-11-13T14:35:08.616+05:30Who will bell the cat ?It has been two days since Jayalalitha triggered off a set of frenzied political debate on all the national networks .In astutely timed interview ,she offered support to the Congress led government on the only condition that Raja be dropped .She also philosphied that holding onto the past blocks progress, meaning that the Congress should forget its past experiences with her . But what really set the stage was her claim that she can manoeuvre the support of eighteen MPs if the DMK withdraws support. <br /><br />Immediately the already -in -alliance with ADMK parties like the Left said a grim ,we have made note of this statement .Congress gave a No vacancy announcement and DMK said that Jaya had no moral right to comment on corruption and the Congress had shut the doors to the ADMK (which should have been said by the Congress actually )and the news channels went on overtime .The DMK said that Raja only followed what his predecessors had done ,shifting the blame on the NDA government ,but surely the list of predecessors includes Mr.Dayanidhi Maran ?<br /><br />The Congress spokesperson when asked why the Congress which had asked Mr.Chavan and Mr.Kalmadi to quit, did not ask for Mr.Raja’s resignation answered that it was for "his" party to decide .If this is the command the Prime Minister has on his cabinet ,I think, it is time for him to go too.He has dared to be Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world without facing direct elections even once .Everytime there is a scandal ,the Prime Minister sits snugly behind his Mr.Clean image and watches silently .Even after allegations were made against Mr.Raja he not only let him continue as Telecom Minister but also succumbed to pressures of giving him a second term with the same portfolio .<br /><br />Then there were days, when people in power resigned owning moral responsibility.This seems to have become an outdated vestigial terminology now .Once a scam is exposed ,everybody seems interested only in making as many statements in as many channels as they can and despatch the loot to safer places .If at all asked to regin they can always get back under a different guise .Look at Shashi Tharoor …..<br /><br />Some interesting points were raised in the television channels<br />1.His resignation is not the solution and the money squandered has to be replaced –well if we cannot even get the Minister out …..<br />2.The Prime Minister somebody interestingly said, needs to sort this out before he flies out of the country again .This was immediately shot down by the anchor ..who said that he is here for the next two weeks …?!<br /><br />If there is anybody who needs to take responsibility in this scam ,it is the Prime Minister and it is time somebody takes him to task …<br /><br /><br /><strong>Poongulali</strong>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-66829944327124692532010-10-12T09:25:00.002+05:302010-10-12T15:22:25.195+05:30Enthiran -The RobotI like to watch Rajini movies within the first week of release.The ecstatic crowds ,the noise and the excitement make it an unforgettable experience .I remember watching Baasha ,three days after its release .It was an out of the world experience, truly .I also remember watching Baba ,second or third day with only around twenty more people with me and that was a scary experience .Now Enthiran with all its hype and hoopla ,I wasnt going to miss it .<br /><br />Enthiran did make decent start . Rajini as Chitti the Robot,especially in the negative has given a commendable preformance .The special effects in the last few scenes is very entertaining for the kids .That was that ..<br /><br />Everything seems to have been wrongly decided, beginning with make up .Rajini's beard looks like a toilet brush and Aishwarya Rai's costumes could have been better .The songs are such a let down and the locations unwarranted.Would any scientist who spends a decade finalising his grand research project just hand it over to his lover for keepsake just like that ,even if she is a former Miss.World?If you thought that villains have graduated from negotiating shady deals in deserted places to more sophisticated methods,you are wrong .They still do it the way their ancestors did .<br /><br />Many more things -the home (everybody is in such elaborate make up all the time ,like in a tele serial) ,the labs? ,the scientist who is forever tightening nuts , seem to be out of place in the movie and they jar on you . The only saving grace is Rajini's flamboyant performance as the Villain robot.<br /><br /><strong>Bottomlines </strong><br />This is a movie Rajini might have been more comfortable doing twenty years back. <br />Shankar has to accept that Rajini is aging and stop attempting to make him look like he did twenty to thirty years back.<br />Aishwarya is better suited to pair Abhishek or Hrithik ,she just isn't comfortable with Rajini.<br />And considering the promos and all the hype that has been going on ,surely ,<br />"empty vessels make more noise....."<br /><br /><br /><strong><em>Poongulali </em></strong>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-12027915068076458102010-09-20T16:05:00.003+05:302010-09-21T08:45:17.680+05:30UmaShankar IAS ,the game plays onNo bureaucrat in the history of the Indian Administrative Service has enjoyed public support even remotely related to what Mr.Umashankar does .What he did ,what was done to him and what followed is as we are fond of saying "history"...His reinstatement has been proclaimed as a success of public opinion and the humbling of the power centres under people power .<br /><br />In truth what seems to have happened is a clever cover up.Here was an IAS officer ,known to be honest .When he raises certain embarassing questions ,the govt cleverly in a seemingly malicious move dumps an obvious loop holed case on him and suspends him.The expected trail of events follows . There is outcry amongst few organisations ,there is an outpouring of support in the press and then ,the govt in what is seen as softening ,constitutes a committee to probe the charges .The outcry continues . The govt totally gives up and reinstates him .So far so good .<br /><br />What the govt has done is infact diverted the limelight from the issues he has raised and instead brought it to focus on the issue of his removal and reinstatement only.Now that he has taken charge ,the cries have fallen silent in most parts and the few remaining voices will fade out soon.Why should he have been given charge when the probe was still pending ?Who will follow up the charges that he initially raised ?He himself seems to be busy in answering queries regarding his religious practices .<br /><br />Let us hope that these allegations will not gather the dust of the celebrations of his success ...<br /><br /><strong><em>poongulali </em></strong>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-56782342176699662512010-07-14T15:02:00.002+05:302010-07-14T15:15:32.226+05:30Amma on the groundPuratchi thalaivi .Amma alias Dr.Jayalalitha descended on the ground the second time in a few months .The threat of nearing elections are enough stimulus for even the AIADMK supremo. In a tit for tat style ,she held the rally at Coimbatore ,the venue for the Semmozhi Manaadu that recently concluded. All local and national media carried a reasonably good coverage of this event.<br /><br /><br />The crowd was really breath taking ,and that for a leader whose party second line has virtually abandoned her in lure for greener pastures .Whoever was at the grass root organization level for this rally deserves commendation (which is very unforthcoming in the party .)The crowd was great ,the mood was upbeat and the event was well covered .That is for the better things .<br /><br /><br />What was disappointing was the Jaya’s speech which should have been the highlight of the rally.When people gather in huge numbers ,they expect you will say something remarkable .But as usual nothing or nobody can change the ways of Madam Jaya .She went on in a monotonous tone narrating the various allegations she had already said in the media many times over .It was like listening to a JayaTV news broadcast (though one must concede that the newsreaders do a better job with the reading ) .Nothing except the last few lines which hinted at an alliance and urged the party cadres to get ready for elections stirred the crowd .When she could have easily used the occasion to galvanise the workers and get them going ,she watered down all the good work some loyal functionaries had done on the ground with her dry talk (time to have separate writers for the speeches and the statements ).<br /><br />As for her declaration that, the DMK is on its way out, the ruling party was quick with the retort ,”She is not octopus Paul !”<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em>Poongulali</em></strong>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-39428265157883884872010-07-06T16:21:00.003+05:302010-07-07T08:39:19.702+05:30Brithday ,then and now<span style="font-family:courier new;">Every morning after the school prayer assembly was over ,the teacher leading the assembly for the day would call out , “all the birthday children come forward .”Once they gathered the whole school would go “Happy birthday to you ….”.There was an interesting tail to this when the birthday children had to sing back ,</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">"I thank you I do ,</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I thank you I do ,</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I thank you dear children ,</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I thank you I do”.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">It was, I or we ,depending on the number .The ones who presented themselves for these honours usually belonged to the primary school .Amongst the high school and higher secondary ,coming forward to sing I thank you I do into the mike was rather too embarrassing. Then followed sweet distribution , mostly nutrine and rarely eclairs,to the teachers and all classmates .Back home ,birthdays were more of auspicious occasions marked by a kesari or payasam and a visit to the temple .Some got new clothes, others wore their most recently purchased new dresses on the birthday .Birthday parties were for cinema stars and anybody who got to cut a cake belonged to the rich and the famous .<br /><br /><br />As a college student ,it was the era of greeting cards .Any approaching birthday meant visits to the greeting cards showrooms (which were rather sparse then)or the fancy stores which also stocked few cards for any occasion.Of the exclusive showrooms ,Greetings Gallery in Egmore was a favourite haunt .It was mindblowing to see the range of cards that they had ,you name an occasion and they had the card for it .Greeting cards with sentimental (almost close to the mother sentiment in MGR movies) ,tear jerking write ups were for close friends and they inspite of all the writing were not really complete without a personal touch of art or graffiti .Very rarely some thoughtful friends pooled money to buy a gift .The only birthday treat I remember giving was buying cool drinks to five of my close friends . My bottle was broken and also what was left was that part on which few ants had already partied .The alarmed shopkeeper immediately replaced it with a new one ,unbroken and unshared.<br /><br />Today birthdays are what only family and few close friends care to remember .Some websites remind a few friends and what surprises me is how some shops in which you carelessly scribbled out your birthday ,take care to send cards every year without fail (my brother fractured his leg in school and the orthopaedic centre still sends him cards though it is more than fifteen years now. Remarkable patient follow up that ).<br /><br />My kids birthdays though are never complete without a party .There are upto twenty, below ten kids in my apartment and that means birthday parties every month .Last year when I asked the kids to suggest a game for the birthday party ,one little girl promptly responded , “Aunty,Let’s play guessing what is the return gift game ….!!!!!!”.Return gifts and snacks are the yardsticks of any birthday party today .<br /><br />More alarming than this is the recent trend in schools of children distributing gifts to whole classes on their birthdays .I find my little son returning with anything from pencils, fancy stationery ,stickers and pencil boxes .Last week one kid gave small fancy bags with his name imprinted on it for due remembrance .Assuming that each bag would have cost atleast fifty rupees and the class strength is around forty five ,even my not very mathematically sharp brain calculates it as a purse breaking amount .Time for schools to say NO to this whole sale gifting and restore some equality and childishness ...</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><br /><em><strong>Poongulali</strong></em>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-89754089102128654872010-07-03T16:10:00.002+05:302010-07-03T16:26:11.373+05:30HPV and the doubts ...I recently attended a meeting addressed by an oncologist to clear the doubts regarding the HPV vaccine .The audience was a mixed groups of gynaecologists ,paediatricians,nurses and NGOs .Some points that were discussed and clarified were ,<br /><br />1.The death of the four girls in the now infamous PATH vaccine trial (that was conducted in Gujarat and Khammam ,AP and sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) were in no way related to the vaccine .Two deaths were due to drowning and two due to other causes .<br />2.The trial was trying to test whether the vaccine could be given to even the most backward rural areas (in this case a tribal region ),a so called "feasibility study".The outcome of which could affect public health initiatives .This could enable inclusion of the vaccine in the Universal Immunisation programme with wide ranging benefits.<br />3.Safety trials have been successfully concluded and the vaccine is USFDA approved and in wide use ( even in men in some parts of the world).<br />4.The press which raised a rightful hue and cry over the deaths has been underplaying the investigation report and the clarifications of the health ministry and the ICMR in this regard.<br />5.Even among doctors ,the reports have led to confusions over administering the vaccine and a few doctors said that they had indeed stopped vaccinating their patients and were not aware of the clarifications that have been issued .<br />6.Also ,most importantly ,the vaccine can succeed only when combined with strong screening programmes which unfortunately is severely deficient even among the urban ,literate population .<br /><br />Time to take the call ...<br /><br /><strong><em>Poongulali </em></strong>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-15397259932939299932010-06-02T08:31:00.003+05:302010-06-16T08:59:15.431+05:30Lost and foundThe story goes like this .We took a vacation and travelled to Malaysia and Singapore .After a refreshing tour ,purchases and numerous photographs ,we returned on the Indian Airlines flight . On unpacking I realised that the most precious possession of all, the digital camera had not returned .After a lot of brainstorming ,we decided that the camera must have been left back in the flight itself.<br /><br />We tried calling the airlines number ,tried sending mails but there was no response .So finally we thought it might be better to go in person as our travel agent suggested (nothing other than a personal appearance will work ,he had emphatically said).We were little skeptical about going through all this trouble for something we had definitely lost .Anyway ,thinking of the photographs we decided to give it a try .<br /><br />Lo and behold !on receiving the letter the airlines official said that the camera was indeed there and he needed the boarding pass and proof that the camera was ours to hand it over.We fortunately had the pass and of course the camera had around five hundred photographs of us and that was some kind of proof.After a few formalities the camera was handed over .Finally we got the camera and many sweet memories back thanks to the flight crew..<br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Poongulali</strong></em>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-8711902522284272282010-04-28T08:49:00.003+05:302010-04-29T09:01:01.278+05:30HPV vaccine and the controversyThe HPV vaccine has been a major medical breakthrough in recent times .Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women whereas in India ,Cancer of the uterine cervix is the commonest .This for a disease which can be detected very early by a simple screening test called the PAP smear .Even among the urban population less than 10 % of women get screened for Cancer cervix.<br /><br /><br />The vaccine has been in wide spread use in India for sometime now .The recent deaths in a research trial in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat has understandably created an outcry in the press and the public.Now the Government has gone on record that the deaths were not vaccine related .Whatever may have been the cause of death ,there seem to have been serious lapses in the conduct of the trial .These lapses have led to the interruption of the vaccination and also cast a cloud on its efficacy and side effects .<br /><br />The government should act fast in elucidating the cause of deaths of those vaccinated and also identify and penalise those who have been responsible for the serious lapses in obtaining consent .By and by ,India is becoming a site for research trials for various international organisations .The need of the hour is to set up appropriate monitoring mechanisms for the approval and the conduct of these trials .This will ensure that ,we will stand to get the benefits of worthy trials and trials which are aimed at using our population as guinea bigs will be kept at bay ...<br />Undue delay in the investigation will jeopardise the use and credibility of the vaccine which could render protection to so many women ....<br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Poongulali</strong></em>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-71135271952930355392010-04-15T15:48:00.002+05:302010-04-15T16:06:20.434+05:30leaders to followersYesterday ,I travelled from Mandaveli to Annanagar .To my surprise too many political leaders seemed to be on the prowl yesterday .All along the route from Mandaveli to Nungambakkam it was Amma who towered in the cutouts on either side of the road .There were all kinds of declarations and a huge banner just under the Gemini flyover called her the Muthalvar ?:))))I departed from Amma at Valluvar kottam from where for a short while I was accompanied by Thayanidi Maran.<br /><br />All around the Valluvar Kottam area were huge banners of Thiruma with Kalaignar .Sharing the<br />screen space with them was Baba Saheb Ambedkar whose birthday they were all celebrating .From then on it was Annan Alagiri all the way ..Alagiri ,Mrs.Alagiri ,Thayanidhi Alagiri all waved from the colourful banners and what more in colourful costumes too .Making himself visibly inconspicuous along with Thayanidhi was another youngster, his partner ? in JAK TV I suppose ..<br /><br /><br />While Amma had stepped out to garland Ambedkar's statue ,Thiruma was gearing up to add one more award to the Chief Minister who seems always ready to grab one more .Annan's outing was more of a family occasion where he stepped in to bless his son's business venture.They definitely brightened the Chennai landscape with banners and party flags and pithy quotes ...<br />I was wondering what a drab Chennai life will be without Amma ,Ayya and Annan.....பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-35225274906080984792010-04-01T16:07:00.005+05:302010-04-05T08:51:37.502+05:30Everyday<div>Every morning ,six days a week ,patients walk in and out of my consultation room .They come with all kinds of complaints ,all kinds of stories.They expect that I will not only prescribe but also listen and react to what they say and suggest if possible the single universal remedy for all their worldly troubles and more so without any medicines .Since all my patients are HIV infected ,they always come hoping that I will tell them that a permanent cure is on the horizon .<br /><br />Some , believe all that you have to say ,take any number of medicines that you care to prescribe and trust with all their heart.But there are also the sceptics who after hours of patient explanations go back with the least faith in me and my medicines.These two are better than the third group which chiefly consists of cats on the wall .They come ,they talk ,they get examined and they take away the prescriptions with due respect and regard but when they come back always tell you that they have taken one month of medicines when three were due and half tablets were one was prescribed and come back after one year when they should have returned after three swift months .These are the rebels of the system .They loathe the fact the fact that they should be prevailed upon by a woman wearing a white coat to take what they know is not good for them .They believe ,that modern medicine is a conspiracy against humanity and its natural immunity and it is better to fight from within .It is these people who make the practice of medicine as lively and challenging as it is today .<br /><br />Every patient I believe ,is a walking lesson and it is by proper study of them that my prescriptions can ever get their due recognition and adherence......</div><br /><div></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesI3wsVxIf3r8FN6Dd2tYIkLBj7gaBOvZEl_lsUEfJ5XkNzm5GzZ80z90DlZVNPpA_jaB3zGo1Yan6hUVENRyybEIggC1m0Bk-K7Mx7yPUatJrMH1wtx1yhdDo7ObAi3s9uxX5XM6J6s/s1600/sig.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456487885287938802" style="WIDTH: 122px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 54px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesI3wsVxIf3r8FN6Dd2tYIkLBj7gaBOvZEl_lsUEfJ5XkNzm5GzZ80z90DlZVNPpA_jaB3zGo1Yan6hUVENRyybEIggC1m0Bk-K7Mx7yPUatJrMH1wtx1yhdDo7ObAi3s9uxX5XM6J6s/s320/sig.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC1Dhq4nV3TUjfZmvdsHd_lomuVxQzAj-x6amKYer3sZ3K7l29w8RuFbN1qSIvo99HdrXdi6XNaDxb6KuietBUIIuN6ZiYbtewPUb3qkD7RbpOodGWjuXI1RCD5fAV0r8UgbbLDfO_hE/s1600/signature.bmp"></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC1Dhq4nV3TUjfZmvdsHd_lomuVxQzAj-x6amKYer3sZ3K7l29w8RuFbN1qSIvo99HdrXdi6XNaDxb6KuietBUIIuN6ZiYbtewPUb3qkD7RbpOodGWjuXI1RCD5fAV0r8UgbbLDfO_hE/s1600/signature.bmp"></a></div><br /><div></div>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-42845617395369532292010-03-10T16:03:00.002+05:302010-03-10T16:19:45.172+05:30The Lost SymbolI read this book in the last week ,finally .The style was there ,the historic monuments were there and of course Langdon was there but essentially the plot was not very strong .Still the book made interesting non stop read material.<br /><br />What I found very very fascinating was the fact that Brown has woven the story right into the monuments in Washington ,an unlikely location for a Brownian tale .The author holds you right till the end and even kills Langdon when it is almost over .The little twist about the anti hero is really exciting .Brown goes into so much intricate detail about the Capitol ,that ,if I were to lose my way there I surely would be able to get out on my own .Then there is the Masonic rites in all its details with a good number of the rich and famous tossed in .<br /><br />The details also bore you after a point especially if you have read the previous two books in the series .Brown seems to go on and on about the symbols and their meanings ,it really clogs your mind after a decent while .The masonic rituals are described so elaborately ,you get the impression that it must be boring to be a mason .Then the plot ,rather hairline , with not so strong events to hold it up .The antihero ,excuse me ,really doesn't seem to know what he is upto and naturally like all antiheroes ends his mission disastrously .The climax is big letdown .<br /><br />To say it all ,Dan Brown ,weaves history (or should it be archaeology )with fantasy and ensures that you read through the volume with engrossing narrative and good handful of plotters from the rich,the famous and the powerful .Happy reading folks !பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-21160267020174913752010-03-09T16:04:00.002+05:302010-03-09T16:32:10.242+05:30Indian ParliamentThe Indian parliament really lived up to its name yesterday ..I was rather afraid that they might let the opportunity for a grand ruckus slip through their fingers .They proved me wrong and how!While the earlier commotions on almost all issues were merely a energetic rushing into the well ,yesterday we saw our elected members do us proud by snatching the paper from right under the Chairman's nose .When it comes to guarding our rights ,our MP s are truly aware that they are the rulers and they are the ones who have got the mandate .So who is a chairman to them ..just a man on the chair ....<br /><br />The woman's reservation bill is one ,that I sincerely believe, will never go through parliament .Even if it does, all those who enter through those reservations will be wives , daughters ,grand daughters and daughters- in- law of existing netas.So as party after party shifts blame they all know that the bill will mostly remain what it always was ... just a bill ...So whether the bill was debated or whether they voted is not something I am seriously concerned with .<br /><br />I am ,within my short memory trying to look for a date on which the parliament was allowed to function .As far as I can recall ,nowhere in the recent past has the esteemed house able to function without the hoologanism that has come to characterise its members.Day after day we see members rushing to the well ,shouting slogans and in the chair the Speaker sits and pleads that they let the house function and in an act of final desperation adjourns the house .Business in parliament has become synonymous with no action and all noise.<br /><br />If I am right ,it was in the days of Rajiv Gandhi that the ruling Congress formed an official "shouting brigade ",as it was nicknamed in the press, with the irrepressible Mani Shankar Aiyer at it head .Their only duty was to shout whenever an opposition member spoke low of the Govt .All other parties which have seriously simulated the Congress in factionism and what not have also incorporated into their own systems ,their own shouting brigades .With all parties letting loose their own version of it how can any work go on ?<br /><br />Every newspaper carries articles on how much money is wasted when the house does not function and how politicians are demeaning democracy and so forth .All these unfortunately do not remedy the situation or take us anywhere near the solution .With television channels becoming the new age image makers or breakers ,we cannot blame our netas for not foregoing their chance on primetime .After all there is no business like show business..........பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-27935855391878908482010-03-08T15:39:00.002+05:302010-03-08T16:19:44.745+05:30NithiyanandaEveryday I want to write about this and then everyday I restrain myself.What has been left to say ?I wonder.Has not enough and more been written on the Revered Swami's now very famous video which must be inspiring to scores of his followers and to some I must say disappointingly mundane .<br /><br />Inspiring I guess to know that the Swami is not wholly divine but has ascended to divinity through mortal means and disappointing to those who staunchly believed that he has attained divinity and thence bid goodbye to the more mortal itches .So far so good.I personally think there is nothing more to be learned from this episode than that boys will be boys and girls will be girls ..<br /><br /> The more intriguing answers lie in those to the questions of who did the picturisation and why ..Let us not forget that the Sun is a media meganame and political meganame too .Did it place the highest bid or did it finance the entire sting? operation .On both accounts the question remains WHY ?Did we really need the video to tell us that most Godmen have sex ?Are'nt Godmen in the news for all kinds of reasons stretching from politics ,murder,abuse and rarely Godliness ?<br /><br />Already tales are around about a real estate angle ,sibling rivalry and the yarn runs so forth .I am sure that there is more to this than merely meets the eye and what the mind does not know ,the eyes do not see and so we can rest assured that we might really never get to the bare facts .Until then happy viewing...பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757827530482470399.post-54641295540247535282009-11-12T15:14:00.004+05:302009-11-12T15:33:19.948+05:30My Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv5x6PYRfhTTFpEfh9HlKGNWYYRo8svl2uz819GiC5EEhZHMFTYM-YwheWUHGIYs_GIs7Kp6_6tfhS1RvWStLKR01gvSMA1N8OdPpgw0hVbZyaE_Lv7wacxXcC_mvuQULjLOMSUNGT-A/s1600-h/c+ra.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403155059074625314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 127px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv5x6PYRfhTTFpEfh9HlKGNWYYRo8svl2uz819GiC5EEhZHMFTYM-YwheWUHGIYs_GIs7Kp6_6tfhS1RvWStLKR01gvSMA1N8OdPpgw0hVbZyaE_Lv7wacxXcC_mvuQULjLOMSUNGT-A/s320/c+ra.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span>Let me live my life afresh<br />Let me start in a beautiful dream<br />Let me seek pastures anew -And<br />Let me my life and dreams renew<br /><br /><br />I dream of a beautiful lustrous land<br />Where angels do gaily fly<br />I dream of a magical fairy land<br />Where fairies and elves in leisure lie<br /><br /><br />I also dream of shining rainbows<br />Riding the skies like a glowing band<br />I also see the pots of gold<br />The rainbows bear on either hand<br /><br /><br />Where should I start -And<br />Where should I end<br />Where should I stand-And<br />Where should I mend<br /><br /><br />Speak lovely rainbow<br />Sow light on my way<br />I need to live in a pasture new -And<br />I need to start a life afresh </span></div>பூங்குழலிhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134780614394600440noreply@blogger.com0