I have been suffering from mild to chronic backache for the past one year or so. Now, I have been diagnosed with L5 sacralisation. It’s a structural anomaly which is quite common. And with no treatment options whatsoever. With all this advancement in medical science, what a scam! I’m going regularly to the physiotherapist for a week now for my daily stretching and strengthening exercises. Regular strengthening exercises would suffice for my condition, doctor said. And also, to put some flesh on the bones and develop muscles. That’s the hardest part. What do I do? Everything tastes like mud.
I’m not really convinced by this whole structural anomaly thing. It’s mostly over exposure to Ragha that might have caused this. I dare you to go around on his bike with him. You will wish you could kiss the ground. Another victim who had his share of Ragha’s wild ride. You might be next!

I came across a Times Now exclusive on engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu this morning. They were ripping apart this college for the stupid rules they have in place. I instantly sent text messages to friends. And the college chancellor Mr. Jeppiar, may he live forever torturing unsuspecting engineering students, gave this absurd explanation for not allowing girls and boys to talk to each other.

“This is Tamil culture. This is education and they should concentrate only on that. If we are not strict then at least 40 percent will stray. We allow them to talk during studies, discussions and all that, but not outside the classrooms, at bus stands and other places. We are strict.”

Tamil culture?! What? How? If may I remind Mr. Jeppiar that his late mentor, Mr. M. G. Ramachandran made an acting career out of it, traipsing around trees and orchids with the opposite sex. Why do they even bring Tamil culture in here? It’s in your own warped minds! Leave the culture alone!

Actually, Mr. Jeppiar is an excellent businessman. He obviously cashed in on the fear that grips parents that their daughters are no longer safe in their own houses. This probably should be made the university’s motto. ‘A safe haven for your daughters’ and/or ‘No girl can seduce your son’. Heck, Times Now report just made the institution popular across states, especially across North India. Want to read more on this? Here.

Whenever I log into my Gmail inbox, I always look for the dilbert comic strip that I’ve subscribed to first and then onto other junk mails. Dilbert is more than funny. You can always relate something in the strip to real life like I have.

This reminds me of Ragha meddling with our computers.

Our department HOD in college is such a drone and a PhD holder in the art of quibbling that you can be sure you will never be able to get a straight answer out of her. This one is dedicated to her.

And oh yes, there’s this ridiculous rule in my department, the mother of all stupid rules that you can have in place. You, the student shall never approach the HOD directly if at all you want to have the inconvenience of looking at a woman suffering from severe constipation. You should always approach via a ‘proper channel’ i.e., The Class representative->The Class in-charge->Senior lecturer (HOD sympathizer & messenger)->HOD. She will even ask her attendant to physically shove you out of the room if you barge in on her. This Dilbert comic strip was irresistible.

I’m like that “I said Christmas” kid. A lot of us at college are simply being called to the principal’s office for a ‘hearing’ when we question something. I still can’t believe this happens so many years after school. My freedom of expression is violated. I hate engineering colleges!

I tell you, wearing glasses for the first time makes you feel lousy. I have to carefully step around, something always itches your nose bridge, even wearing a headphone is uncomfortable. As surya points out, these imported ‘precision’ eye test equipments are no good. Or those in-house optometrists are incompetent. I had my eyes tested three times and each time they had a different power.

GKB opticals:

Right eye

SPH - 1.00, CYL - 0.50, AXIS - 120

Left eye

SPH - 0.50, CYL - 0.75, AXIS - 15

Lawrence & Mayo:

Right eye

SPH - 0. 75, CYL - 0.25, AXIS - 140

Left eye

SPH - 0.50, CYL - 0.25, AXIS - 10

I was naturally unconvinced even after one optometrist claimed that it’s not that much of a difference. So, I decided to consult a real deal. I went to Sankara Nethralaya, near Mandaveli. If you are not careful, these guys can turn you into a light fearing Vampire. They dilated my pupils three times! Even when I couldn’t open my eyelids without squinting. Merciless. The optometrist tested me twice and gave this prescription which was again not close to anywhere near to the earlier tests.

Sankara Nethralaya:

Right eye

SPH - 1.25, CYL - Nil, AXIS - Nil

Left eye

SPH - 1.00, CYL - 0.50, AXIS - 180

I hope they are correct this time. They charged me 350 bucks!

A lot of shootout incidents are being reported in the US universities, in some quite reputed universities, for a few months now. Either Indian students are killed or there’s a killing rampage where both US and non US students reportedly die. It’s really sad and creepy at the same time. I totally agree with this guy in this one when he says we are aping the west. Indian school kids apparently take it up quite fast and emulate. ‘If your father isn’t wealthy enough to have a firearm, fire with an air gun‘ seems to be their motto. I feel intrigued by what’s going on in their minds when they act like that. Even when there are counsellers for each university building in the campus in the US, they seem to have gone out of control. Thank goodness, Indian Government does a good job having stringent rules in place that limits arms proliferation. We have enough already. I wonder when this shooting season’s going to end. Does Barack Obama have a policy in mind regarding this?

If you haven’t read The Wheel of Time series, skip this. Now, those who have read it, didn’t you ever think that Rand and Elayne ought to be siblings? Of some kind? Here’s the brief family history of Andor. Taringail Damodred, the Cairhien king’s nephew marries Tigraine, the daughter-heir of Andor. Galadedrid is born out of that marriage. Now, Tigraine runs away to the Aiel waste to become a Maiden of the Spear and marries a clan chief. Rand is born out of this marriage. That makes Galad and Rand, half brothers. Morgase, Tigraine’s cousin, marries Taringail to solidify her claim to the throne and eventually ascends the throne. Elayne and Gawyn are born out of this marriage. Galad is Elayne’s half brother and so that makes Rand her half brother too. Did I go wrong somewhere? They ought to be brother and sister, no?

If this news of going bankrupt is true, probably they will demand hefty donations like this money grubbing college here. It’s unbelievably ridiculous that IITs have no money to pay their staff monthly salary and they are running institutions with money drawn from their corpus fund. Read here. Now, why wouldn’t HRD ministry release their grants? Is it because no credible research is being carried out in these institutions lately?

I was bored. Really bored. I had this small size football that my small nephew forgot to take with him. I remembered playing football. Or if you doubt it, ok, running after the ball some years ago. Since I didn’t want any eyes judging my football skills, I took it to the top of the building. I played for nearly an hour. All right, running after it. I tried some moves but it all fell apart every time with my foot pointing in one direction and the ball rolling in the other. At one last try, I nicked it casually and it neatly flew off the rooftop to land in a mini bird sanctuary next compound. It fell on one of the bird shelters that are like kennels for huge dogs with a loud crash and the exotic birds started flying and chirping in their cages. I had to lose the ball. I couldn’t think of going next door and ask for the ball. It felt good at that time though. All the running around I mean.  My body now aches badly. An hour of outdoor activity leaves me aching all over. Is this what getting old does to you? I want some Ragha Power. I have decided to try jogging small circuits near my place and in the beach if anyone keeps company. Anyone?

I couldn’t believe it! I was thinking the judges would trash this guy’s dance… and they actually let him through! I watched it twice to confirm. Did it look exotic to them?