From the Microcosm to the Cosmic

Bulding a molecular car atom by atom

2006-06-24T14:17:00.000+04:00

My oh My! Where is this all going to! Looks like the Americans are already trying to master the next level of technological development to keep them ahead 'in'human' race!

California teens use Rice's NanoKids for virtual nanotech training from PhysOrg.com

A team of "virtual" teachers developed by a Rice University nanotechnology researcher are going to help some of California's brightest high school students design, build and test new structures, one atom at a time.
[...]

Info Overload Remedy : A useful RSS tool

2006-06-24T14:04:00.000+04:00

With all the e-newsletters, group postings that I am trying to keep up with, this is a very useful RSS tool that I should try soon:

The problem is that RSS feeds -- which land in customizable Web sites such as My Yahoo or in desktop windows, depending on how you configure things -- can pile up much like e-mail. If you subscribe to a lot of blog posts and news sites, checking out all the feeds can become a time-devouring project.

http://www.physorg.com/news70126790.html

The Ballet Dancer - Pencil Sketch on paper

2005-03-28T13:21:00.000+04:00

2005-03-26T12:53:00.000+04:00

A collage that I had done in early 1998 :

"What we do in LIfe, echoes in Eternity"

2005-03-19T08:37:00.000+04:00

Once again watched Gladiator on Home DVD after many years. It was a DVD that I had bought and didn't have time to unpack. The movie was gripping and heart rending as usual. Ridley Scott had really done it with this film. But the political tone of Black Hawk Down, which came after this movie, let me down. I didn't like it. Maybe Scott had no choice as it was an outright American military production.

One of the more memorable quotes from the movie:

"What we do in life, echoes in eternity" - Maximus to his men when they are about to launch their blitzkrieg on the Germania tribes.

Free Unlimited Health Treatment in Dubai

2005-03-05T14:37:00.000+04:00

A True Gem of a Find

Maybe many of you are already aware of Ceragem, but Bedowin had the
opportunity to experience it first hand at Al Hana Centre, 1st floor in Satwa (roundabout). You can't miss the huge posters and banners on the Ceragem centre windows.

What exactly is Ceragem?

It is a Korean accupressure health treatment, modernised by a motorised
bed with jade rollers that roll up and down your spinal column applying infra-red rays.
The benefits are manifold - it relaxes you, relieves you and cures you of back and neck ailments, the infra-red rays detoxify your blood - vitalises you, your skin starts to shine, lose pimples etc. It is supposed to be very good for diabetes and other ailments.

What exactly happens and what you have to do

Once you reach Hana centre and enter the Ceragem centre on the 1st floor, you can take a token and if there is batch about to begin (they have batches every one hour , starting at 9 am I think, this goes on till 6 PM), you are straightaway ushered into the lecture hall. A Ceragem instructor uses video, models of the spinal cord, slideshows and explains to you how the spinal cord bones and nerves function througout the entire body and what the Ceragem bed device does and what should you do to use it effectively. This takes not more than 15 mins.

You are then ushered into the Treatment area. There are separate halls opposite each other for men and women with male and female instructors respectively. Its good to take 2 blankets and a face towel of your own though some are available at the centre - its good to have your own. You can spread one on the bed and cover your self with the other.

The machine is switched on by the ever helpful Ceragem instructors, once you are a regular, you can operate the machine yourself. The jade rollers go up and down massaging your back. There are 2 handheld devices connected to the bed, these are the infrared applicators, you have to apply them on areas of your body where you need treatment. Its also applied to the face over a handtowel.

After 45 mins, you can turn and lie on your stomach, and the procedure is repeated. If its your first time, the instructors talk to you as you lie on the bed and give you instructions and advice on using the devices effectively.

The best part is the whole thing is free and you can go there as many times as you like. My mom and aunt - both diabetics - are daily visitors. I'll keep you guys updated on their progress.

Ceragem has 2 centres in Dubai, one in Al Hana Centre, Satwa and the other at the Al Mulla Plaza, Ghusais.

The treatment is free because the Korean founder makes most of his money in selling the beds and believes it is ethical as well as good marketing strategy to give free treatment to those who can't afford the bed. More about them at http://www.ceragem.com.

I also found this Gulf News article about them:

http://gulfnews.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=89766

CERAGEM SETS UP MID-EAST OFFICE IN DUBAI
Dubai | By A Staff reporter | 08/06/2003

Ceragem Co, inventors of the world's first personal full body massager,
recently set up its Middle East office in Dubai in order to bring the
highly effective benefits of the Ceragem Master line of personal
massagers to individuals in the Arab World, Russia, CIS, Asia and Africa.

Headed by Kim Biho, Pres-ident, Ceragem World has one vision – to
improve physical, emotional and mental health, and increase the quality
of life of every individual in the UAE and surrounding areas.

Ceragem has received numerous international awards in the personal
massage category. It has also received ISO 9001, ISO 9002 Certification
and UL Mark.

On June 1, 2003 Ceragem World Co appointed it's first regional
distribution Center at Kuwait. To conclude the agreement a signing
ceremony was held at the Ceragem head office in Dubai.

The mission of Ceragem World Co is to establish 1,000 branches in three
years in a region covering all Gulf states, the UAE, Russia, CIS
countries, Africa and parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Ceragem's philosophy is not just business. It also believes in community
service by helping every individual to take advantage of free therapy at
each centre.

Father of Email -"just 200 lines of code"

2005-02-23T08:34:00.000+04:00

Here are a bit of interesting facts posted on Creativegarh that I thought I should blog and preservere:

Did You Know?

E-mail is 30 + years old!

Electronic Mail - E-mail - was 'invented, by an American engineer, Mr. Ray
Tomlinson, and tried out for the first time, in mid-October 1971.

Mr. Tomlinson, then a programmer with a computer company, was working on
what was then rudimentary, two-year-old linkage of computers: ARPANET, the
networking of the of the US Defence Department's Advanced Research Project
Agency. He combined two programmes - an existing mail programme called
'SENDMSG' that worked only within an organization, and a file transfer
programme called 'CPYNET' - to create an e-mailing utility between the 15
computers then on the ARPRA-NET'.

Mr. Tomlinson's inaugural e-mail was a prosaic collection of letters from
the second row of the typewriter key-board: 'QWERTYUIOP'. Yet Mr. Tomlinson
is being belatedly addressed these days as a true pioneer of the Internet
Age and one of the core investors of modem communication technology.

He hit on the '@' symbol to separate the name of the user from that of the
host computer only in 1972. He borrowed the symbol from the character that
means 'at' on the old electromechanical, teletype tele-printer machines.
E-mailing speeds were 200 times slower than is achievable today with a
telephone connection.

A 1974 development - the invention of the TCP/IP Internet protocol by Mr.
Vint Cerf saw another building block of contemporary Internet fall into
place; while hypertext markup language (HTML) the lingua franca of the Net's
web pages had to wait till 1992. After that came the global explosion in the
use of e-mail. No one knows how many e -mails are exchanged every day - the
number is estimated to be in trillions.

Today, the father of e-mail is still with the same company: he is Principal
Engineer at BBN Technologies, acquired last year by the GTE. When contacted,
he dismissed his invention as "just 200 lines of code,"

MOBILE USERS - NUMBER CAN BE DIALED WITHOUT SIM CARD DURING EMERGENCY

2005-01-30T09:43:00.000+04:00

An intersting post by Selva Kumar, a Chennai Copywriter on Creativegarh:

The Emergency Number worldwide for GSM Mobile is 112 and not 999. You can dial 112 even without a Sim Card.

If you find yourself out of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to
establish the emergency number for you.

Do share this important info with others too. Hope you'll never need to use it though! and interestingly .. this number 112 can be dialed even while the keypad is locked.

THE CREATIVITY POOL

2005-01-16T19:49:00.000+04:00

Found this interesting post on Creativegarh by the founder Arun Verma:

http://www.creativitypool.com/

A database full of creative and original ideas. The Creativity Pool is the home of future innovation and tomorrow's most (in)famous inventions. This service is basically free and works like the penny cup next to the cash register. Have a brilliant suggestion or ideas for a new invention? Add it and be rewarded. Looking for inspiration or some great ideas for your business? Just ask. They may already be there.

The Buddhabrot

2005-01-12T08:59:00.000+04:00

One more cool find by Manoj Vijayan on the Creativegarh Yahoogroup. DO chk it out.

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 22:55:22 +0530
From: Manoj Vijayan
Subject: The Buddhabrot

Hi all

If you've ever played with those programs that generate fractals, this is a must see. You don't have to understand the maths to enjoy the beautiful, awe-inspiring imagery here.

"The Buddhabrot Set is a re-visualization of the familiar Mandelbrot Set using a technique invented by Melinda Green. Instead of selecting points on the real-complex plane, initial points are selected at random from the image region. The point is iterated through the function, z = zˆ2 + c, where z has components in both the real and imaginary planes.

If the particle escapes (exits the viewing area with high speed), its path is reiterated, exposing its position onto the image surface with each step. In this fashion, areas of dense particle travel appear bright white. The result is an amazing universe of structure, spirituality, and mathematical intrigue."

http://www.complexification.net/gallery/machines/buddhabrot/

Best
Manoj

Rough seas lash UAE coast

2005-01-12T08:37:00.000+04:00

Rough seas lash UAE coast

Staff Report

Dubai: High waves hit the coasts of the UAE due to a combination of strong winds and high tides.
Dubai Meteorological Office reported very strong winds of 30 knots and the highest tide day of the month. The combination contributed to the high waves and water reaching inland a few meters.

A source from the Met Office said, "The winds picked up offshore from the north-west at around 7.30 am and waves offshore reached 10-14 feet.

Police sources reported that a huge wave off Palm Island carried off five workers, one of whom is still missing.The four others swam to safety. Police are still looking for the missing worker.

Ajman and Sharjah experienced its highest tide at 12.30pm and Port Rashid at 12.20pm." Many worried residents and shops were thinking of evacuating their premises, but civil defence and police said that there was no need to panic.

A SONG DEDICATED TO INDO-PAK PEACE

2005-01-09T13:09:00.000+04:00

Here's a song that I wrote on the Indo-Pak peace process. Just one of my numerous attempts at song-writing. Forgive my hindi but!

CROSS-BORDER LOVERIST (Hip-Hop, Rap style)

OPENING CHORUS 1 (Female - Opera style)

Dil se dil milaya karo
Ye adoori ko paar karo
Nafrath ko haar karo
Insaaniyat mat bhool jao

FIRST VERSE

Do you care
When you hear
All the pain, suffering and crying

Do you know
That with your love
You can stop this world from burning and dying

CHORUS 2

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

SECOND VERSE

Forget the hate
There’s no fate
Destiny is in your hands

So don’t hesitate
Before its too late
Remember United we stand

REPEAT CHORUS 2 (2)

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

CHORUS 1 (Opera style)

Dil se dil mila karo
Ye adoori ko paar karo
Nafrath ko haar karo
Insaaniyat mat bhool jao

THIRD VERSE:

Bombs exploding everywhere
Even day has turned into a nightmare
Life has no value anymore
Is this what we are living for?

Thought Religion was a way to peace
But hate spreads like a disease
Across borders brothers fight face to face
Forgetting that we are all from the Human Race

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

FINAL VERSE:

It’s a crying need
To spread love and peace
Let suspicions decrease and faith increase

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

The time has come
To become
A Cross-border Loverist

MIRACULOUS MESSAGES FROM WATER

2005-01-08T10:09:00.000+04:00

Came across this wonderful article on Creativegarh yahoogroup, posted by my good friend Manoj Vijayan. He has this uncanny knack of finding the most wondrous things on the Internet. Little wonder, he is known as the walking talking search engine on Creativegarh! :-)

Miraculous Messages from Water

How water reflects our consciousness

http://www.wellnessgoods.com/messages.asp

by Stace Sharp

Water has a very important
message for us. Water is telling us
to take a much deeper look at our
selves. When we do look at our
selves through the mirror of water,
the message becomes amazingly,
crystal, clear. We know that human
life is directly connected to the
quality of our water, both within and
all around us.

The photographs and information in
this article reflect the work of
Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher. Mr. Emoto has published an important book, "The Message from
Water," from the findings of his worldwide research If you have any
doubt that your thoughts affect everything in, and around you, the information and photographs that are presented here, taken from the
book of his published results, will change your mind and alter your
beliefs, profoundly.

From Mr. Emotos work we are provided with factual evidence, that
human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over
seventy percent of a mature human body and covers the same amount
of our planet. Water is the very source of all life on this planet, its
quality and integrity are vitally important to all forms of life. The body is very much like a sponge and is composed of trillions of chambers
called cells that hold liquid. The quality of our life is directly connected
to the quality of our water.

Water is a very malleable substance. Its physical shape easily adapts
to whatever environment is present. But its physical appearance is not
the only thing that changes; its molecular shape also changes. The
energy or vibrations of the environment will change the molecular
shape of water. In this sense water not only has the ability to visually
reflect the environment but it also molecularly reflects the environment.

Mr. Emoto has been visually documenting these molecular changes in water by means of his photographic techniques. He freezes droplets of water and then examines them under a dark field microscope that has
photographic capabilities. His work clearly demonstrates the diversity
of the molecular structure of water and the effect of the environment
upon the structure of the water.

Snow has been falling on the earth for more than a few million years.
Each snowflake, as we have been told, has a very unique shape and structure. By freezing water and taking a photograph of the structure, as
Mr. Emoto has done, you get incredible information about the water.

Mr. Emoto has discovered many fascinating differences in the
crystalline structures of water from many different sources and different
conditions around the planet. Water from pristine mountain streams
and springs show the beautifully formed geometric designs in their
crystalline patterns. Polluted and toxic water from industrial and
populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage
dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.

Spring Water of Saijo, Japan

Spring Water of Sanbuichi Yusui, Japan

Antarctic Ice

Fountain in Lourdes, France

Biwako Lake, the largest lake at the center of Japan
and the water pool of the Kinki Region. Pollution is getting worse.

Yodo River, Japan, pours into the Bay of Osaka.
The river passes through most of the major cities in Kasai.

Fujiwara Dam, before offering a prayer

Fujiwara Dam, after offering a prayer

With the recent popularity in music therapy, Mr. Emoto decided to see what effects music has on the structuring of water. He placed distilled water between two speakers for several hours and then photographed the crystals that formed after the water was frozen.

Beethoven's Pastorale

Bach's " Air for the G string "

Tibet Sutra

Kawachi Folk Dance

Heavy Metal Music

After seeing water react to different environmental conditions, pollution and music, Mr. Emoto and colleagues decided to see how thoughts and words affected the formation of untreated, distilled, water crystals, using words typed onto paper by a word processor and taped on glass bottles overnight. The same procedure was performed using the names of deceased persons. The waters were then frozen and photographed.

Untreated Distilled Water

Love and Appreciation

Thank You

You Make Me Sick . I Will Kill You

Adolph Hitler

Mother Teresa

These photographs show the incredible reflections of water, as alive and highly responsive to every one of our emotions and thoughts. It is quite clear that water easily takes on the vibrations and energy of its environment, whether toxic and polluted or naturally pristine.

Masaru Emoto's extraordinary work is an awesome display, and powerful tool, that can change our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in, forever. We now have profound evidence that we can positively heal and transform ourselves and our planet by the thoughts we choose to think and the ways in which we put those thoughts into action.

Photographs in this article are from :
" The Message from Water," by Masaru Emoto.
Photographs are reproduced here by exclusive permission
from the publisher to The Wellness Goods Company Inc.

This article is Copyright Protected by :

Stace Sharp and The Wellness Goods Company Inc.

Please see our Legal Restrictions for further information

TSUNAMI AFTERMATH - Tales of Religious Harmony in South India

2005-01-04T16:47:00.000+04:00

1) TIRUCHENDUR - TEMPLE OF LORD MURUGA

Tiruchendur Lord Murugan Temple is on the sea shore - within 100 metres of the waves. The Temple is a cave with the entrance at the sea level and the cave inside is sliding down to the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Lord Subramaniam ( Murugan ) . When we stand in front of the deity, the sea water level outside is higher than our heads. There is every likely hood that tidal waves and tsunamis can rush in and fill the cave Temple with sea water. In the history of the Temple, it is mentioned that the Wind God ( Lord Varuna ) has promised Lord Murugan that he will not cross the boundary of the Temple.

It seems the Wind God has kept his promise.

While the tsunami on 26/12/04 has lashed the eastern coast of India and inundated all places near the coast deeply, the sea water did not enter the Temple. At 10.00 Hrs on the fated day ( 26/12/04), the sea near the temple receded by a Kilometre - people could see there a big crater with rocks visible - gradually the sea came back to its original level. But sea water has entered Jeeva Nager located opposite Tiruchendur Bus stand at 12.30 Hrs. All other coastal areas near Tiruchendur were affected by the lashing of tsunami.

The Temple area is unaffected as the sea receded there as though to keep the promise given.

- taken from the Tamil vernacular daily "Daily Thanthi" and edited by PP

2) The Santhome miracle: A post between sea and church kept waves at bay

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20050103102527&Page=
T&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=%2D367

Father Lawrence with the post in the background.

CHENNAI: Father Lawrence Raj, the parish priest of the Santhome Cathedral Basilica has been inundated with inquiries about the story of St Thomas’ miraculous post, supposed to have kept the sea away on December 26.

The 450-year-old church, located a few metres from the water, remained unaffected by the tsunamis even though buildings in line with it on either side were ravaged by the waves. The belief, says Father Lawrence, is that when St Thomas planted the post at the top of the steps leading to the cathedral, he said the sea would not pass that point. ‘‘But that is the legend,’’ stresses the father, ‘‘nobody knows whether it is true.’’

The priest sounds wary of declaring it a miracle. Puzzling, considering his job and that he gives visitors what he jokingly calls ‘‘credit cards to heaven’’ - neat little plastic cards laminated with a pinch of soil from St Thomas’ tomb that fit into your wallet. He offers logical explanations, like - perhaps it is because the church is built on a higher level. ‘‘But then,’’ he reasons, ‘‘the lighthouse is on roughly the same plain, and the water reached it.’’

Father Lawrence says that for the people who have faith, it would be a miracle. ‘‘I believe it is’’ he adds. He takes you to the terrace from which he saw the sea in action, as it surged across the road and flooded the huts in front of St Thomas’ post. It is an innocuous looking log of wood, mounted on a cement pedestal. The story goes that a village in the Mylapore area was flooded when a huge tree trunk fell across the river. The local king brought a royal pachyderm to lug it away, but the task seemed impossible. Then St Thomas came along, removed the girdle from his waist and handed it to a bystander and asked him to yank the log with it. He did so and the log was moved easily.

There is a mural illustrating the episode in the cathedral museum. Father Lawrence says the post is believed to be from that same log of wood. Though there is another story that the post comes from the chapel that St Thomas built in 74 AD.

‘‘People have been asking about this story. It has always been around but it is difficult to confirm as fact something that occurred nearly 2,000 years ago. That is why I have been trying to verify the story with other people,’’ says the priest.

Father Lawrence is certainly not alone in believing the story about the safety of his church.

‘‘Till December 31, we had about 2,000 people taking shelter over here. Partly because since it is a church, it is a centre point for distributing relief material. I suppose it is also because people feel safe here.''

Watch out for these spurious products in Dubai!

2005-01-03T11:17:00.000+04:00

If you are the owner of a HP Inkjet printer or a laserjet, you would know of the high cost of the ink toners and cartridges. But these days you get replacement cartridges of a different make at lower cost that can be used in your HP printer. But beware!

One of my friends, an entrepreneur had this experience.

He had received a fax from a computer company in Dubai offering HP cartridges refilling and replaceables from Canada. He asked his assistant to call up the company and enquire the cost for a replacement cartridge for the HP1010 Laserjet printer, which the assistant did.

What happened was, the computer company seemed only too ready to dispose off its products and immediately sent over the cartridge with a bill for Dhs.125 uunasked for.

The replacement cartridge came neatly sealed in a box carrying the computer company's name with the seal "Country of Origin - Canada". On opening the box, a black plastic cover was found inside (as any other normal ink cartridge cover). But this black cover seemed to peel open easily which is not the case for any well packed ink-cartridge.

Inside the black plastic cover, there was an ink cartridge alright. It was exactly the same shape and make as the original HP cartridge. The only thing amiss or too close to the original was that this cartridge too had the "hp Q2162A" blue sticker running along the entire length of the cartridge as the original had. It even had the same "Made in Japan" markings as the original.

And therein lay the conflict.

The outer box had a different name whereas the cartridge inside looked exactly like a HP cartridge with the same stickers etc. For all you know, it could even have been a refilled HP cartridge.

My friend's assistant called up the computer company again asking for an explanation. The company tried to cover up by stating that its a HP compatible cartridge and hence the sticker.

The company was charging only Dh.75/- to refill old HP laserjet cartridges. Their fax claimed that replacement cartridges are Dhs. 100/-. They had sent my friend a cartridge with a bill for Dhs. 125/-. A clear case of hoodwinking. They were working under the assumption that people would not be too tech savvy and would oversee the HP sticker on the catridge.

Dubaians, if you are ever in the cost-saving business of buying replacement HP cartridges for your HP Laser printers, then watch out for such fly-by-night operators.

I recommend IMAGEPLUS cartridges for HP Inkjet printers. Imageplus has a showroom in the AL Ain Centre in Bur Dubai. Their cartridges are HP compatible and cost 40% less than originals and yet provide the same quality.

PING PONG

2004-12-28T15:07:00.000+04:00

Here is a crazy song that I wrote in 1999 for an online crazy band competition. Stevie and me were supposed to record it. But we never got down to it. I had used a lot of internet terms and web lingo in the lyrics.

PING PONG

Loggin' in Loggin' out
Feels as though
My brains'll burst out
Every day every hour
I wanna be your cyber lover

I never dared
She never cared
To fall in love
I must have been mad

But my heart goes…

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

I seek you here, I seek you there
To live without you
I'd rather face the electric chair

I never dared
She never cared
To fall in love
I must have been mad

But my heart goes…

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

She calls me a jerk
She calls me a nerd
To her a geek
Is rather absurd
But my heart never fails to miss a beat
When I see her chatting on IRC street

I never dared
She never cared
To fall in love
I must have been mad

But my heart goes…

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

As I surf down Cyber Town
Feeling all alone
Hoping to find her clone
I know that some day
Love is a Crime
That will definitely pay

I never dared
She never cared
To fall in love
I must have been mad

But my heart goes…

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

Ping Pong Ping Pong on the Net
I can't forget the day we met

Transmigration of the Soul

2004-12-21T13:57:00.000+04:00

The whole of life is a journey towards death
A way to escape from this cold universe

With the map of the galaxy in my hand
I was running a cosmic errand
I seem to have lost my way
Dear passengers, there is a slight delay
We are experiencing a Star dust storm
This is not ususally the norm
Definitely we are in for better weather
At Andromeda, a little bit down further

Chorus:
Soul elevation
Transmigration
Planes of Existence
Beyond Thought and Mind

I invested in Virtue Bonds at the Karma Bank
My account seems to have lost its balance
Somebody has been playing a prank
I can hear Lord Yama dancing to the Buffalo Stance

Chorus:
Soul elevation
Transmigration
Planes of Existence
Beyond Thought and Mind

(LP single - Soul Transmigration, sung by the Bards of Sirius B. Now playing on Radio Alpha Centauri)

Musicings on 10th August

2004-08-10T11:38:00.000+04:00

Its a warm Dubai Summer night
The parking lot has got no lights
Suddenly I see two eyes burning bright
Its a Cat on the Car
So I go
Kitty Kitty on the Car
How I wonder why you are
On the car rooftoop not so high
With your eyes burning like stars in the sky
The Cat goes
You Little Jack No-Brainer
You get to sit in a Cooler
Yet you think so Dumb
Not caring how the ground boils in the sun
And then think why where the hell am I!

Yup! you got it folks....straight from the cat's mouth, the riddle answered as to why you find many alley cats sitting on car roofs in the evenings in the parking lots in Dubai. The ground releases heat during early evening....maybe the cats find it cooler on the car roofs!

P.S. Please forgive my pathetic attempts at humour!

THE GAY BRIGADE

2004-06-23T08:29:00.000+04:00

THE GAY BRIGADE – WHO’S LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK?

“…we were so gay, you know…”, said our eleventh standard biology teacher and at once muffled laughter and giggling erupted from various corners of the classroom. The teacher, obviously oblivious to contemporary lingo, stood bewildered. He is not the only one to be caught ignorant, most of us, from a more traditional background, are not aware of the connotations of the word ‘gay’. But ask any urban english high-school or college student and you are sure to get an affirmative reply. This is the Great Divide that exists in the Indian society today where topics like homosexuality are still taboo to many.

But thanks to satellite television, novels, Internet and easily accessible porn material, the Indian youth is coming of age much faster and earlier than previous generations. With statistics showing that about half of India’s population is below 35 years, products and services are being targeted and marketed at this prone and vulnerable segment of our society. The film industry too has naturally followed suit, and you have a spate of college romances and skin fests movies targeted at adolescents.

Since the pathbreaking Dil Chahta Hai, recent Bollywood films have unconventional treatments of themes such as love, adultery which had usually been handled in strictly traditional ways.

One such controversial movie that has been in the news lately is ‘Girlfriend’. It is a triangular love story of the dark kind where the villain and central character is a lesbian played by the famous Item number girl Isha Koppikar. Amrita Arora plays her heterosexual love interest for whom Isha will even kill. A la the movie Darr gone sour plus steamy scenes, the film is a sure quick money spinner, though the director Karan Razdan claims that he wanted to start a debate on homosexuality and has made a film on a 'socially relevant issue’.

Counsellor Neeti Joshi, at the lesbian helpline Aanchal differs. “Some research should be done before making films like these” she says. “Sexual preferences have nothing to do with the individual’s circumstances." She pointed out that films like Girlfriend actually do a disservice to the cause.

The only other lesbian Bollywood film, that had caused such a controversy was Fire, a film by Deepa Mehta. It also drew flak from Hindu hardliners in 1998 because it featured a relationship between two women. Screenings were later halted.

Similarly, Girlfriend has also evoked strong reactions from the Shiv Sena, who tore posters and stopped the screening of the film in some theatres.

Sena activist and leader, Yashwant Killedar, said that the party decided to protest after it received complaints from several parents concerned about the "adverse effect" the movie would have on their children. "In fact, when we visited Premiere (theatre in Mumbai), 80 per cent of the crowd was college students," he said. “A film on lesbians is contrary to Indian culture. It has been accepted in other societies, but it will not be accepted here," he declared.

Online readers of the various news sites like Times of India and Rediff, had posted divided opinions in the ‘Comments’ section on news relating to the movie:

One reader had commented “Bollywood must deal with themes like homosexuality and lesbianism with sensitivity and compassion. Movies like Girlfriend will only increase prejudice and hatred among people -- and we certainly do not want that. In this connection, we could take a tip from the score of Hollywood movies that treated the subject of AIDS and its victims in family and court-room dramas with such sensitivity and compassion, that the prejudice against AIDs victims was definitely contained and even substantially reduced.”

Another had this to say, “I just don’t understand why people are making such an issue of the theme on which the movie is based. I completely agree with the fact that the way the homosexual character in the movie is projected is not right, but as far as the theme of the movie goes, I find it perfectly fine. Homosexuality is something which prevails in society naturally and has to be accepted by one and all. If the Shiv Sainiks feel that what is done in the bathroom and bedroom is not to be projected in movies they should have been there when movies like Hawas and Murder were screened too. Why is an issue being made simply over lesbianism? I think its their male ego and chauvinist attitude which is coming in the way more than anything else. Besides who is asking them to watch the movie anyway? But I think if anymore movies are to be made on this subject they should be made after proper research instead of portraying homosexuals as freaks and eunuchs (as in some other movies where a gay character is the villain's sidekick).”

Some readers had strong objections like this one who commented “Girlfriend should be banned.
I don't understand what the censor board is doing at the first place. How can they allow a movie with such a cheap and vulgar theme to be picturised. Movies are meant to educate and entertain the masses, which include youngsters too. This is what the maker of the movie wants to imbibe in the minds of the future generation. Shame on you... If this is modernisation, I think it is better we be where we were few decades ago.”

The movie’s main protagonists, Isha Kopikkar and Amrita Arora seem to represent the bold and daring face of Bollywood today. For all the controversy that the film has created, these two come across as individuals who know what they are doing

. Says Isha about her role, “You know, playing a lesbian wasn't easy. I had to do a lot of homework. I had no reservations about accepting the role. I'd be a fool to turn down an author-backed heroine-oriented role. But I had reservations about how I'd play the part. It isn't every day that heroines get a part like this."

Amrita Arora too was very vocal and supportive about the theme of Girlfriend.

“With the satellite television boom, people are more exposed to what is happening in the world. People are becoming progressive. Lesbians and homosexuals do exist in our society. The film revolves around characters that are true-to-life and not those who live a fairytale existence. The audience has come of age and the time is just right for a film like Girlfriend.
If you go to London, for example, you will see people of the same sex in pubs holding hands and sharing their love. No one points fingers at them. It is accepted. No one goes, "Oh my God, look at that! Homosexuals and lesbians are not from another planet or era. They are human beings like you and me, and should be treated with dignity and grace.”

With all the various reactions and opinions and views aired about the movie, one thing that comes out clearly is the freedom of expression possible and accommodation of views in Indian society. And even though there are radical and violent opponents to views, ultimately all that ends well, ends well. Karan Razdan too can get away with it like Kaizad Gustad (Boom) and Shashi Nair (Ek Choti Si Love Story) did, though for all the flutter they caused in the media, they are not seen as mainstream.

As a Scottish Bollywood watcher put it ““There are only 3 types of Bollywood movies, ‘lost-at -childhood brothers meeting up with their mother’, ‘triangular love stories’ and the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ kind of love stories. There was one recently about lesbianism, obviously that didn’t do too well!”

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPAM AND THE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE PROCESS

2004-06-20T11:47:00.000+04:00

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPAM AND THE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE PROCESS

"They are released in the million, and only one makes it.

What am I talking about? It's Spam STUPID! :-)

Yup...i am definitely sick and tired of all that spam mails hitting my mail box. Spam is sent out in the millions and though I dont have the exact figures on whether they are profitable and how many exactly click i.e whether people buy what spam advertises, I would compare Spam with

our human reproductive process. The similarity or analogy is too obvious to ignore. Spam is released too in the millions into the womb of the World Wide Web (the feminine side of the Internet) and like our fertilization process, one in a million hits the egg. We are like the waiting eggs bombarded day in and day out by millions of Spam and maybe one in a million does make a connection.

Sifting through the mail in my Inbox is like rummaging through a garbage bin. The following are some of the Subject Lines that hit me everyday, you will find my frustrations vented in the brackets...maybe what I would have said if these mails were sales people:

- Our last pick went up over 300% - or money in the bank at 2%
(hello, what the hell are you talking about!!?)

- Hit Her G Spot Harder
(Thank you very much...the last thing on my mind is that and we are quite happy hitting each other the way we are doing right now)

- Can You Payoff Your Home in Three to Five Yrs
(I live in Dubai you moron! We dont own homes here. Why dont you check where you send your rotten spam to!!!)

- Powerful weightloss now available where you are.
(Yawn! I dont need any weight loss program mister....your mails do it for me you know .)

- shee wiiill saaaay it's too haaaard
(Oh my! Am I impressed. Now why dont you just...............;-)

- \N, eBay is a Goldmine!
(Yeah..Yeah....and my house is Fort Knox...buzz off you bummer!)

- VERY URGENT ( MR. JOHNSON KING )
(Dear Mr. Johnson King.....you are the 5601st mail that I have received seemingly from Africa and that too from Princes, diplomats, officers, widows, sons and daughters of Presidents and Ambassadors with seemingly gazillions of dollars waiting to be transferred Out of Africa. If there was so much money in Africa waiting to be transferred to the rest of the world then seeing the amount of emails that you guys send, anyone and everyone with an email address would have been a millionaire by now.)

- SEXUALLY-EXPLICIT: dirty, wild, nasty fun
(Yeah Baby....now if I was only 15 years old....)

- Finally, a smart sp@m control solution you can trust tuna
(This takes the cake...O God..the Irony of it all...hahahahaha...eeeeeee...oooooo....

POSTSCRIPT
This is Mikrosmin, Cosmician's assistant signing off and finishing his last piece of writing. Obviously the last spam mail that Cosmician had received was too much to bear and well...let's just say that he won't be writing for a while.

THE MANCHINE - Intelligence of the Future

2004-06-09T14:01:00.000+04:00

THE MANCHINE SAT MOTIONLESS

Silence reigned

It was as if Time had stopped flowing

This was the Intelligence of the Future

The Neutronic Brain

Waves of Thought had subsided

The Scene looked familiar to the World of Remorse

Harmonic strains of melodious sounds started to waft through

It was the Beginning of the End

And the sign of a New Beginning

- From the Tronix Tantra, Layer 10001100

The Big Blog...oops Bang!

2004-06-05T14:14:00.000+04:00

Well folks, right from this moment, the Universe unfolds from one more viewpoint - the Cosmician's Blog!

This is my first ever blog...hope to give you an insight into my life through this blog.

If it wasn't for my friend Stevie, this wouldn't have been possible..so I thank him from the bottom of my heart (much respects to you brother!).

Over and Out