Tie Tie Phisss!

As in the necktie! That long cloth which hangs from your neck or shoulders, knotted at the throat and then part of which is rested under the shirt’s collar. Ever wondered how it came into being? It’s a descendent of Cravat, a neckband Croatians used in the 17^th century. And now it has become an integral part of the formal wear, at least for men, and in many cases, part of school uniforms for boys and girls alike.

One would wonder if there is only one way to tie a tie. If you’re one of those to think so, it’s time to put some light on that thought! There are in numerous ways to tie a tie and there exist tens of variations of shapes and sizes. An interesting fact, but many are not aware of.
The most commonly used knot is called Four-in-hand, then there are Windsors and half-Windsors, Pratt, diagonal or simple double, Kelvin and the customized ones like Prince Albert and Atlantic.

These different forms of knots are basically country specific knots. Like Four-in-hand is most preferred by the Englishmen, Pratt’s used by the Americans and the Windsor being the Europeans alike, which are usually thicker than rest of the knot types.

Did you know that with a conventional tie, eighty-five knots are possible! A mathematical modelling was conceived by Thomas Fink and Yong Mao of Cambridge in the late 1990’s to come to the discovery.

Many have had issue of safety hazard to wear a traditional tie, but they still have to considering their profession is formal, for example, the pilots. Clip-on ties are specially made to use in such conditions. These are, unlike traditional ties, permanently knotted bow tie or four-in-hand style affixed with a metal clip to the front of the shirt collar. So when they’re in the cockpit and need to be confined inside for the flight duration, they take it off and just before to step out they put it on. I possibly didn’t know this, before my recent trip to Kerala. The co-pilot was a friend’s friend had agreed on to show me the cockpit. So I had waited till the flight was completely empty and then he stepped out, dressing up. And that’s when I realized what the pilots do!

And the other day I happened to see an app on one of the smartphones, on detailed ways to how to tie a tie, the different knots and what each knot is called. Apparently there exists hundreds of website itself to provide people with this information!

Am not a big fan of football but many of my friends are. And I happen to see a lot of football matches all thanks to them. One thing I quite noticed, apart from the match, is that although it’s only the players who are in uniforms, their club managers isn’t far behind to carry the fan image. In their formal attire, they tend to wear their club’s ties. Or even if they do not have their club names printed, they follow it with its colours, like red or blue. So much of a diehard fan for their club!

It sure is impressive! This journey of ties from how it originated to what it is now is surely a fascinating thing to know. Never knew it would really be a vast topic to know, than what it is perceived as. Am out of that illusion, hope you are too, now!

Gadgets and more

A lot has been written about it since the inception of technology and it has caught the chauvinistic attitude that it's a synonym to the male sex, not that the fairer sex .
The time changed, and the products changed. Computers were and still are the core gadget and everything else revolves around it. The initial ones were as big as one big room and since then the size of it has reduced as if they were ramp models. 

I remember, the time when my family got a new computer. It was way back in 1996, which partially worked in Command Prompt mode. And it was around the same time when the multimedia computers have started coming in the market. Am sure people who currently are in their 20’s and above will remember the games like Prince, Lionking, Alladin, Sky, etc. and the default games like Solitaire and Heart. Who knew times will change so drastically that you’ll need high end configured machines to play the games you see in the market!

And to top it all, times have changed to make way for customized gadgets, one for different use! I mean, it’s tough to even come to a conclusion whether one wants an all-in-one gadget or separate one for each work, to increase productivity? That’s the question one in the urban area fears to answer to, how much am I capable to carry around.

Unless you’re one person who’s completely into specialized forms like music or photography, going for something in general is better way to invest your money, plus save on energy. By that, all I meant was, have seen people carrying one gadget to listen to music, one for clicking photo’s, one for using the apps and another one to communicate with the world. My point is, why carry so many of them when you can make-do with one or two max? And the more gadget you carry, have to keep track of charging each of them every time!  

Talking about the cell phones, an interesting observation has noticed in cell phones. The earlier known models, like any other gadget, were big and bulky. Then came the era of having the smallest one, one could get. And now it's the time of big screens and qwerty keypads. That reminds me of this satirical joke. When questioned by a shopkeeper what cell phone he is looking for, prompt comes an answer "I want one which is the smallest and lightest but it should possess big screen as big as I can watch a film with my family." How innovative! Guess, it’s a perfect feedback a cell-phone maker can look for!

Moving to the tablets. Less said the better. All i can say is it’s for those who got extra cash and don’t know where to invest, so bought it. It does the same amount of work that your laptop or a cell phone does. So if you’re bored of it, that’s the new gadget to invest in!

So get a gadget, explore it’s trends and do the donkey work, in digital way!

Anyone listening?

Ya, so is anyone listening or are long lost in the music and dance to bid adieu to the elephant god?

It was 11:30 last night. I was just about to go off to bed. Suddenly right out of nowhere I hear super duper extra loud music startling me. My mom was sleeping and...and imagine her case. She woke up instantly.
We look at the time again. It was 11:31 PM.

I suppose you understood what am gonna talk about now. Ya, I always crib. When people just to show, do things, I crib.

Let me ask you something. Who'll have felt like supporting to the cause of Anna Hazare? I have no problem with him, but with the one's who support him. Check my previous blog on the issue and you'll know what am talking about. Here's the link
http://supraket.blogspot.com/2011/04/corrup-tion-or-corrupt-kaun.html

After you read through that, I suppose you know what am referring to.
Supreme Court in 2005 banned use of loud-speakers and orchestra or use of any musical instrument above certain decibel level (couldn't find the exact details to post here though) between 10 PM - 6 AM anywhere in the country.

The noise (ya I'd like to call it a noise) went on till 12-12:30 something, post which I couldn't hear at least around the vicinity of my earshot. No idea if at other places they were still on.
So, isn't corruption taking place here? Why, in the name of religion, it is not?
I do not have problems if people celebrate festival, but at least be considerate that you do not do it at other's expense, or sleep for that matter.

Again I'll say, fight corruption at grass-root level and it will create an impact at higher level too. Stop pointing fingers and creating events and calling it a revolution. The revolution happens if you believe in it yourself, with that others will adapt.

Guess have said enough. Those who understand, hope will help this world to be a better place to live. Others, I can only hope for the day they will.

A better place to live. That reminds me, few days ago a friend wrote something on the Visarjan. Am glad to share it here, whoever is interested to read about it.
http://miilee.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/visarjan-is-not-religion/

Well, that's about it. Hope you'll are doing fine.
Cheers! :)
...and I hope will have a peaceful night post 10 tonight....

Corrup-tion or Corrupt-kaun?

Disclaimer : The writer has not read much about the Lokpal Bill, for which the whole ‘revolution’ is on. These are just views about what the writer has been wondering past few days, looking at number of invitations he got from different people, either through sms or on facebook.

So yes. It’s been what, some 3-4 days since Anna Hazare has been on every newspaper’s headlines, every news channel’s Breaking News, many’s facebook profile wall and updates, not to forget about sms asking to give a miss call on a particular number to support the cause.

I have no issues with the man who has started his fast, and I suppose it’s still on (am not keeping me updated on this news). The only issue I have is with the kind of people who’re supporting it. I think of going anywhere around VT and then people say it’ll be all jammed ‘coz of the rallies happening, supporting the cause. Last night while cycling at Marine Drive I noticed these youth, bunch of some 50-70 in all, donning the Nehru-topi on their heads with placards in their hands and screaming something, which I failed to understand.

From what little I’ve read in the newspaper, this ‘revolution’ is for the Lokpal Bill, to fight against corruption in the government. Fair enough. Awesome, rather. Someone is fighting for it at least. But the way people have been taking it up, portraying it, giving support to it, this blog is for all them.

You’re supporting the cause to remove corruption in the government. And you’re joining the cause only ‘coz it’s on someone else, the government in this case. I totally agree, we need to do that. But before all this, I want to know who’ll have not been corrupt themselves? My only point is, before you point the finger to someone else; at least make sure you yourself are clean.

I’ll take this example. How many of you have driving licences? Ok, I assume around 80-90% of the people reading this have it. So, how many of you have acquired the licence by giving a driving test? Ah! I see hardly peanuts who said yes to my second question. Why is that so? You got your licence without appearing for driving test? Got it done through an agent? I’ve heard of friends who’ve got done with their licence without being physically present.
Ok, I’ll take another example. You jumped a signal and a traffic cop catches you. How many of you have paid him Rs 50 to put in his pocket, so that he doesn’t register your licence with the offence? I see quite many of you agreeing to have done this. How many of you have given donations to get admission in a college? Quite a few, again.

The point I want to make is, yes, corruption exist in the government. But it does outside as well. That corruption happens between you and me, or between each one of us. Why don’t you fight against this? First have a conscience of not being a corrupt yourself, then try to put the blame on the government, ‘coz if the government has been corrupt it’s because there’ve been people like you and me who’ve always fulfilled their wishes by proving with little favours of money.

Well, that’s the little I wanted to say. Again I’ll say, have not read about the crusade happening around, which I will soon, and also that I have absolutely no issues with what is going on. The critic in me has only come out looking at people who’re supporting it.

That’s all.

When the cheers are loud, the whole world will take note.

...and a lot about it has been written, clicked, said and discussed about. Few small things I too had in my mind and wanted to share with the world. It’s what have noticed around, on two accounts. Something that has been in front of our eyes in the recent past, but without any connections for many.

Next morning had my board exam, but still something crazy caught my head and I was at Marine Drive at 11:30-12. Most of the 3 km stretch had people, from young to old, holding the tricolour in their hand or painted on their face, having the country’s name on their tongue (...and in some cases, the neighbouring country’s name too, for obvious reasons.) It took me around 45 mins to cover the distance which usually happens in 10 mins.

Then it was yesterday again. A chronicle moment. Cheers, jumps, hugs, dance. Ah, and the claps with whistles. Did I forget the fire-crackers? Then yes, that too. Unaware of what to do after the big screen + projector went off, six of us decided to do a dandi-march to Marine Drive, again. And with the quarter of mumbai’s population to be expected there, we were better prepared. Didn’t take any kind of vehicle and walking was the best mode of transport.

The scene wasn’t any different than what had seen few days ago. People from all sorts of background were there. None of them knew the other, or in many cases, everyone was a stranger. But every single soul had one single emotional feeling common with every single stranger over there. And if one known face among the throng of unknown people, then the happiness moment was cherry on top!

We had just about to reach the Air-India building and noticed these few bikers honking. Man! The tune of the honking was the very same thing that was in everyone’s mind. It was like they were providing the background music to our cheers. * people taking part in Polaris’s Junkapella, please make a note! :P * The bikers got a compliment right away from all six of us, and must’ve been by many on the road at that moment.

Once at the Marine Drive, we got busy in observing different people’s creative expressions to make a distinct mark on the happiness among others. A biker carrying huge replica of the cup to people having mad face paints, a sardar uncle in tricolour turban to around ten people sitting on a car’s roof while it’s in motion. It sure was a party with the theme of Light Blue, if the tricolour was not an option. And it was on the road. For the first time vehicles were planning to opt the footpath instead of the roads. They couldn’t help missing all the empty space on the roads. And strangers were talking to each other. Laughing, hugging, cheering, shouting, screaming all in unison. One of those few moments where the internal clashes were the least priority on their mind. The only priority they had was the other person was from the same nation. It is this moment which all the patriotic songs wishes to witness. And also, looking at all this, a close friend KaMa said, “Looking at the atmosphere, I wonder if the amount of tricolour and togetherness among the country people that we’re witnessing now comes to reality on any of other patriotic days!!!”

People were trying to break all possible records. Of the civic sense. A two-wheeler carrying 3 people, and in some cases, 5 or 6, a four-wheeler carrying double their capacity, stuffed in like it’s a pick-up truck. Stopped their vehicle wherever they felt like. Played music at the top of the speakers and all the strangers joined in to dance. Oh, don’t worry, the police were right over there. Right from normal police to traffic police, rapid action force to the commando’s. No one seemed to mind the act, unless it created a huge ruckus. For the first time all the illegal civic sense made some sense to me at that moment. The moment was historic, and temporary too. So as long as it didn’t cause any serious harm to anyone, it wasn’t taken as an illegal act. You had to be there to understand why. Just a passing thought, I shared with my troupe, “If a foreigner lands up here who has no clue of the sport, will wonder if the situation like Libya and Iran has come down to the sub-continent.”

From one who’s who to other who’s who, it really didn’t matter. Everyone over there were waiting for this one bus carrying those 16 fortunate a game’s soldiers, who bled Light Blue on the battle-field, and helped the nation bleed too. Everyone else’s bus passed by. The soldiers on the opposing side’s too. Looking at the situation outside the perimeter of their bus, they didn’t know what emotion to be in, whether to feel the joy around or distress for not able to live upto their countrymen’s expectation. But many of them had smiles on their face, appreciating the host’s efforts. A sportsman spirit. Well appreciated.

Time passed by, and everyone wondered where are the most awaited people’s bus. And none of us was bothered about anything else. That’s when, an interaction with one of the security personnel, we come to know that that one bus which we’ve been wanting to see had taken another route and reached their destination long ago, to avoid the large crowd gathering for a smooth ride. And as soon as we heard this, we realized that it’s way too late in the night (it was 2 o’clock), realized that each one of us had terrible pain in legs, realized haven’t had dinner (or anything else for that matter) the whole night till then and that every situation from now on will be tough. No vehicle to carry us back home, so had to walk with the pain. Everyone had informed to their folks that will have dinner at home once back. So all of us were wondering, the food will be on the dining table, all cold and it’s a terrible point to reheat it and consume it. Thought this case was with me only, but my troupe were in similar situations too!

Somehow crossed all the hurdles and silently welcomed the dream world with only one thing in mind, tomorrow’s morning will definitely be skipped without experiencing it. And once awake, this one word was still replaying in my head...

INDIAAAAA....INDIA!!!

PS: For those who are still in a fix wondering to what context this blog is about, here’s a little update. The chronicle moment was that India won the cricket world cup 2011 tournament against Sri-Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The second one, after 1983. Now read the whole blog again to understand emotionally!

Cheers!

What kind of question is that in the first place???

Hello!

Most of you have already read this post on my facebook notes. Wanted this to appear here in the first place, but coz of some problem with the blog site, couldn't do so. Finally it's back into action and here's the same post, coming on my blog, for the records! For those who've not gone through this, it all goes on from here....

It’s been ages I wrote a blog, and while watching the live telecast of Barack Obama’s interaction with the college students at St. Xaviers College, there’s something which struck me and have been thinking on it for quite sometime.

I’ll come to the point directly. While interaction, a girl by the name Aashi Jain (if am not wrong) from HR College questioned the President as to why Pakistan is not tagged as terrorists country by the US Govt. And basically this blog-post is for this young lady with the specs (as the President called her) and to everyone else who wants to call Pakistan a terrorist state. And so, I’ll be glad if you can help me pass on this blog to the said girl from HR.

Also, before I begin, just a disclaimer, that I was so engrossed in my own thoughts to what to write in this blog the moment heard the question, am sorry didn’t pay attention to what the President replied. And yeah, whatever my views are on the topic, are my own views, few of them personal experiences, and that do not take these as the facts as I maybe right or wrong, they’re my personal views. Everyone out there reading this have all the rights to oppose or support them.

The simple thing to understand is, why do you want to tag a country as terrorist state in the first place? Just ‘coz its Pakistan, the country with whom India has chattis-ka-aakra? There are few people in the political arena over there who wants to cast as many wounds to India, as they can. Reason? Something they heard about India which was hard for them to buy it. Alas! They created few terrorists group which can be used to create punctures in India. I guess, Jihad is what they call to this thrill in them. But it is only by the little, handful of the ruling class. The common man over there is, is as common as you and me here in India. What they know is to wake up in the morning, work the whole day to earn some bread for the family and sleep in the night, soundly. The only opposition comes when there’s India-Pakistan cricket match. Call these simple people terrorists and then imagine what their condition will turn into.

Rather, will just turn the table for a moment. Who are terrorists? A dictionary meaning for the word terrorists describe it like this : A radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities
Get to the two son of the soil political parties residing in the state of Maharashtra. They use violence as a method, to harm innocent individuals from other states of the country. Why ain’t these political parties be tagged as terrorists organization? They fit the bill of a terrorist completely? The idea is, it’s only few ruling people who have political interest to create a fortress out of nothing. The common man here as well, in spite of these odds, wakes up in the morning, works the whole day to earn some bread and sleeps in the night, soundly. And similar to this condition in Maharashtra, am sure there are different versions of the same story in every state. The govt around have lot of corrupt individuals. The recent Adarsh Building scam is one of those countless examples for this statement.
With this thing in our mind, how will you feel when a Pakistani stands up in front of the world as asks, “Why isn’t India called a house of terrorist organizations?”

The point am trying to make here is, you can’t simply blame someone, for something. Let me give you an example which can make my point clearer. Few months ago, I visited the valley. Valley, in general as a word, is a direct point of access to Jammu & Kashmir. I had heard a lot about the valley under constant terrorist threat. It isn’t safe to be in the valley as is constant threat to one’s life. Terrorists inhibit there and blah blah. When you hear such news, what kind of perception do you tend to form for the native of J&K. That everyone over there are suspected terrorists? If yes, I beg to differ. When I visited the valley, I surely got the biggest shock. Have expected them to be rude and arrogant and all that. But in reality, Kashmiris were absolute hospitable, humble in personality. Expected the place to be full of army and police personnel, as the news said, but felt it was like any other Indian city where people throng around the market-place, screaming, enjoying. The only difference was the presence of army people at a distance of every 100 mts. The shopkeepers tried to help us find the perfect souvenir with keen interest to know what is going on outside their state, how do we live, etc. Imagine how do they feel when it is said that terrorists inhabit the state of J&K? But in spite, they were humble.

Am from media background and in our curriculum, in one of the subjects (don’t remember which one duh :P ) there’s a debate on whether Media can shape mass’s perspective. And a lot of votes go for the motion which says it does. The mass believes what the media tells you about. Whether it’s a fact or no is another question. And that is what happened with the case of J&K. I believed it to be completely different than what I saw over there. Also, my opinions can be counter-questioned for the amount of time I spent over there to realize what is reality. Whatever the case may be, I will still think J&K to be something what I’ve seen with my eyes than what I hear from the media.

Coming back to the main topic, whether Pakistan should be tagged as a terrorist state, I feel there’s a lot n lot to ponder about before that.

Again I’ll say whatever said, may not be the fact, but are my personal opinion. Thank You for wasting your precious time behind this blog! I appreciate it.

And also, ponder on what Obama said, and so does our very own Prof. Sudhakar SolomonRaj after every peace talks, “How can you make this world a better place to live?”