Yes, we need to support this humble and irascible, actor turned politician who dislikes the word ‘Mercy’ in Tamil. We have to mobilize enough support for him to overthrow the likes of Harrison Ford from defiling his amazing stunt moves in Tamil movies. Harrison Ford, in his new Indiana Jones movie has tried to usurp our Gabtan’s throne. How dare he tries to outdo our Gabtan’s work? Do George Lucas and Steven Spielberg feel threatened so much so they try to pull this cheap trick off?

FAIL! Lucas & Spielberg

Harrison Ford escapes from a frigging nuclear blast in the Indiana Jones movie and even stands and watches the mushroom cloud over the site arrogantly. This is indeed a clear warning to our Gabtan and the Tamil movie industry which has untiringly come up with new gravity defying stunt moves and punch one liners tailored for Gabtan, movie after movie. As a ardent fan of his, I ask of you only this. Do not watch ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ or the Tamil dubbed version ‘Indiana jones’um Crystal Mandai Odin Rajaangam’um’. There is always the Gabtan movie, ‘Arasangam’. Jai Hind!

I have a clear view of the Thiru Vi.Ka Bridge from my roof top. Whenever I needed a quiet evening to myself, I’d hit the roof top and just watching the vehicles plying on that bridge had a soothing effect on you. And the brilliant lights from the hoardings, on either ends of the bridge, glittering on the Adyar river just added the right effect. Now, It looks somewhat dull and lifeless. If you had paying attention to what’s going on in the city for the past few days, you’d know why. I wish I had taken a photograph just to show the contrast then and now. I have nothing against the corporation or the Supreme Court upholding the judgment passed by the High Court, to remove the hoardings. It was unsafe, obstructing sites of historical importance, educational institutions and hospitals. Now, Chennai skylines look like what they used to 8-10 years ago, yes. Some claim accidents might come down, really? I don’t think so. Hoardings light up more than 70% of our main roads and streets (rough estimate, source not so unreliable as our corporation). Besides, it becomes easier for waylayers to attack and you might be hearing several women harassment incidents in the coming days. I can see them in my mind laying out plans to strike at key places, exclaiming how stupid the corporation can get. Pray, it doesn’t come to that and the corporation has enough sense to have the streets properly lit.

And it is that time of the year in colleges where they force you into some Symposium or Technical Conference in the name of ‘Extra Curricular Activity’. They don’t just stop there. They want you to suffer the insufferable, make you attend that two day pathetic event compulsorily, you know, just to fill in the seats in the auditorium and to listen to some inspiring speakers who can put a droning engine to shame. We have a two day national conference on Signal Processing and VLSI. They are amazing topics, but made quite difficult to understand by our dedicated staff. And what happens when you attend that conference? You don’t even want to know. There’s a lot of amusing things that precede such events. People avoiding certain lecturer’s class by requesting OD statuses, people banging their heads off preparing notes for compering sessions or coming up with ridiculously bombastic/flawed/verbose speeches for themselves or prepared for a HOD who pronounces ‘Performance’ as ‘Ferformance’ or ‘Speed’ as ‘Sfeed’. You see, they want to sound sophisticated in front of that gathering. They don’t really admit that they sound pretentious and come off as jackasses.

Apart from boring guest lectures, I can name two things that always irk me. One, singing a Tamil Thai Vazhuthu (a short prayer praising Tamil?) and two, girls asked to look more ridiculous in traditional costumes to wait in the lobby to welcome the dignitaries in. I don’t know why they have to start a technical event with a prayer praising Tamil. It’s all right to be religious but shouldn’t they have a prayer that everyone can understand or one that is less suggestive of linguistic discrimination. Seriously, you’d have to see those non-Tamil students’ faces. Priceless. And is it really necessary for those girls to welcome them dignitaries in the lobby? They just have to stand there and look pretty, waiting impatiently, tugging and smoothing their sarees. And it is a heavily contested job too, I’m told. Isn’t this one of those gender discriminating acts those women groups should consider taking up?

Get a driving license? Why, what for? I mean I already passed the stage of getting a license for myself, don’t you think? Besides, being a friend of Ragha how can I even possibly think of applying for a learner’s license. It’s conformism. Although I’m trying to learn how to drive against the oncoming traffic (blind folded) just like Ragha does, I know I’m a pretty good ‘responsible’ road user. Even if I get pulled up for not having one I wouldn’t say, ‘Ennaku IG ya theriyum’. I would say, ‘Ennaku Raghave theriyum’. If I survive that, it’s more worth it than having a license.

Honestly, getting a license should be made tough. It should make getting a pilot’s license look damp. Every aspiring road user should be tested rigorously and disciplined before he’s given a license. So that only a few of us drive peacefully.

Oops! Ragha did it again. He’s the new Principal of the Patrician college of arts and science. Yes, he has usurped the Principal’s chair in the college. And guess what, he’s become a Father too with all white robes and stuff. High Resolution photo, right Here . Enjoy!

Since a paper newsletter didn’t work, my college is going online. A couple of few weeks ago, two young journalists from Deccan Chronicle came to our college to enroll us in Papyrusclubs.com, a Deccan Chronicle initiative to bring together the newsletters of all schools and colleges. The thing is it’s made for schools. I don’t know why they had to club colleges along with schools. The events to be covered in colleges are very much larger in proportion as compared to schools. They have got 6 sections in the newsletter.

1. Current affairs in college - 3 articles per issue.
2. Achievements section - 1 article.
3. Sports/extracurricular activities - 3 articles.
4. Humour/entertainment section - 1 article.
5. Studio - one 2 minute video.
6. Voice your opinions - 4 articles.

What ticked me off was the ridiculousness to limit the video section to only one 2 minute video. Anyway, there are a couple of good lecturers you like in colleges and you can’t say no to someone who’s really enthusiastic about the whole thing. And I figured I was hopelessly bored in class and I needed some good excuses for ODs. It turned out well until the lecturer asked me to go and interview the additional commissioner of police!! (his son’s studying in our college, by the way). I have to prepare some questions. Uncontroversial ones, you see. That makes it a lot harder. If you have any questions, post them here. I’ll think of a way to present them in such a way that he doesn’t grab me by the scruff and have my kneecaps bruised. They got nasty canes you know and I might end up compromising Ragha’s true identity.

Why is that I feel only thugs celebrate their birthdays? They block arterial roads, divert traffic into already clogged 2 ft roads, dig up new potholes in the name of stage construction, have thousands of wastrels, school dropouts, innocent people harassers a.k.a police, waylayers, rapists, drunkards, and many more anti social elements to wish them on their birthday. And to cover the inconvenience they end up causing, they indulge in free cycle distribution, free marriages to 100 or so already wed/eloped/estranged couples, food distribution that finds its way into the wrong hands and mouths and so on….

When will the people stop acting like a bunch of retards and give these politicians truly what’s due to them?

You know, people will never learn. They want to be fooled. That’s what makes us truly Indians.

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.

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!