Story of a woman ....

Whenever I listen to "woman empowerment" stuff, I am always disgusted. Mostly because all of that is only pep talk. It is all in our minds. We are showered by the "woman is weak and easily manipulated" shit-talk so much that we actually start to believe in it! But, then you come across someone, who by the strength of her character proves otherwise.
This is her story.

She stays is a small town, about a 6 hour drive from Pune. Happily married to a very respectable and upright husband, she has a daughter and a son. They used to live in a joint family with three brother-in-laws, all of them married. They had a family shop run jointly by all the four brothers.

So, these three brother-in-laws were anything but honest. Embezzlement in the shop business was like a daily affair. But, her husband totally trusted all of them and never even bothered to check or re-check their accounts. Typical story. About 6 years ago, one fine day, this man realises that they are in a debt of Rs. 22 Lakh. And then he gets the picture of whats been happening for the past many years etc etc. So starts a family feud.

They were asked to share the debt (which is obviously outrageous) and they denied. So, they were thrown out of the house. Nowhere to go. Nothing to eat. They didn't even know where they were going to sleep for the night. The husband was badly affected by the turn of events. His hands started trembling and he became too wary of everything. Unable to make decisions and afraid of everyone. He receded in a cacoon. Imagine a woman with 2 kids (11 and 9) and a husband to take care of.

She sent her children over to her mother's place. Somehow, they got a very shabby place to live. It was the backside of a shop. Nothing more than a passage. No cupboard, no rooms, nothing. Even a small gas and a bulb was a luxury. They couldn't even afford the meagre rent.

So, they decided to open up a shop. They had their now-shut-down old shop. But, the other brothers won't let them use it. They did their best to keep them away from it until they bore their part of the debt. Finally fed-up with all this, she decided to take matters in her own hands. She instructed her husband to act as if he had no control on her. Then she inaugrated the shop (with nothing to sell.. even keeping it open was a big deal!). Everytime anyone came to pull down the shutters, she used to go and stand beneath the shutter. The brothers even went to the level of sending some men over to threaten her. But, she won't budge. Finally, they gave up.

On the other side, the situation of her kids was equally bad. Her brother is a bit whimsical. He used to torment her kids. Swearing and expletives were common-place and calling his sister names was no big deal. So, the children had to be taken out of there. She brought them back tp her. Two more heads to support. But, no income.

Now, at the shop, they had another problem. No one would give them goods on credit and they didnt't have any money to buy the goods. So what would they sell at the shop?

By this time some of us got to know about her situation (she didn't even tell us until then!) and help poured in. So, she was able to start a small shop with only rare interferences from the brothers.

Today, 5 years after the drama, she has no debt on anyone. Her shop has goods worth more than 2Lakh. Her husband is doing better. Just a few days ago, she got an order of 12 television sets. Things are coming back to normal.

It would have been impossible without her courage and strength. Hats off to her!
Does she need empowerment? She made her own life!
We have heard thousands of stories of courage, but when you see one from so close, then you realise what it takes to live the story!

Klueless 4

I've just started to solve Kluless 4 (I know I am late :) )
Here's the link:
http://www.iimi-iris.com/iris-2008/klueless/

This one's good and simpler than Klueless 1 (didn't solve 2 and 3 :( )
18th level is fucking amazing !!!!!!!!!

stuck on 19th .... Look out for updates !

Update : 23 !

Update: 26..
25 is a damn amazing level!.. too cool !

Update: Officially done with Klueless
(Switching to Nirvana mode :P ....)

A Wednesday

** Possible spoilers *** 

I apologize for posting two consecutive movie reviews. But, some movies are just too great!.. Truly truly great! And to be coming from bollywood, known for its stupid movies, I was  shocked and  pleasantly surprised!

While I write this piece (lets not call it a review, for it is inappropriate) I don't have Wednesday as a movie in my mind, but a concept. I can't elaborate. Sorry.

Frankly, I didn't know anything about the movie before I decided to watch it (except, ofcourse, that it was a terror flick). I expected another film on the Aamir lines. But, the final few minutes just blew me off. And not only because of the surprise-factor. It is the insignificant part of the movie that impresses me. The little things. Like, there is no crap about "mashab" and "hindu-muslim". NO! Infact, we don't even know to which religion our "common man" belongs to! 

And the last scene is permanently embedded in my mind. The one where Anupam Kher shakes Naseruddin Shah's hands and asks him his name. And the scene stops as Naseruddin Shah says " My name is....." (Well, you have to watch the movie to feel it!!)

Naseruddin Shah is superb! No one could have done it as well as he has!!

I wanted to write a lott... but I am out of words! Guess I'll savour this post-movie feeling for a long time! Also, I feel terrible because I could write such a long post on a terrible movie and not a single good paragraph on a great movie! Anyway, that doesn't matter. What matters is, Wednesday is great! (is that 101st time I am saying that?). Please Please do watch it !!!!!!! 

Kidnap: The classic !!

I thought "Saas, Bahu and Sensex" would be the best ever movie I'd see in the theatres. But, little did I know that in another shady corner of this world, a clique of talented artists (?) were working on a equally breath-taking piece of art : Kidnap !!

Kidnap is a classic!! It has all the ingredients of a classic (The first such "classic" movie was.. Gunda: The Classic)

Let me list them down for the ignorant readers:

1) Amazing dialogues. Let me support the claim with examples

Sanjay Dutt "Mere assisstant se keh do mere dushmanon ki list banake rakhe" (Applauds!!)

Imran Khan "Jail main sirf ek cheez khali rehti hai. Dimakh. To maine computer sikh liya" (WTF?!?!!? ... I get paid and I am even provided with TWO computers and yet I am not yet as genius a hacker as he is.. shame on me!!)

Minnisha Lamba (there are 2 n's in the name) "Maa.. main roj ghar pe rahugi. Mujhe bas birthday pe ek gift chahiye.... Papa!!" (Well, I thought only babies are made...)

Let me not reveal all lest you lose interest in the movie!!

2) Skin show. Minnisha Lamba is effing amazing! She starts off with a bikini on the beach and never looks back. Man! But, our villian, Imran Khan, is also one helluva smart guy. While he has kidnapped Minnisha (Oops! Was that a spoiler?), he always keeps her in amazingly skimpy outfits. May be for entertaining himself?  He takes her to beaches so that she can have a bath and he can bathe in serenity. 

3) Acting. I must say, all the actors in the movie are soo good at hiding their feelings. Spot ONE feeling in the movie and get goodies from me. Too good!

4) Climax. Climax is just too good and mind you, VERY VERY unpredictable. Watch the movie to find out more!!

5) Message. Every Classic movie must have a message. This one has one too. Swimming in a bikini can get you kidnapped. (Oops... another spoiler!.. I hope I havn't revealed the great scheme of the kidnap!!)

It is a must watch movie!... Please book your tickets now lest you miss it!

My rating : Unrateable!

The decision...

He stood at the edge of the cliff.
He stretched his arms and felt the wind pass through his body.
He was ready now. Ready to take the plunge. Decide his fate.

He looked up. The beautiful sky beckoning him. He spread his wings. Conquering the intimidating mountains, he rose. High above everyone else. The world was beautiful.

Then he looked down. The deep trench. Even the quick fall seemed long. A thud. Silence.

Higher the rise, deeper the fall. Thoughts tumbling in his mind. The beckoning skies. The pulling trench. The beautiful world. The long fall. The thud. The silence.

He was afraid. What if his wings fail him?
He had one long look at the sky. Then, he turned back. May be some other day.

The thing about eggs being vegeterian ....

Let me get a couple of issues cleared before I start off.
First. I've been hearing a lot lately about eggs being vegetarian, especially infertile eggs. Obviously, I think it is outrageous and just another excuse to avoid moral scruples.
Second. I, myself, didn't have any facts to back my opinion. So I decided to dig deeper, for myself. Not for anyone else.

Here's the issue: Claims are that infertile eggs are vegetarian as they do not lead to birth of an offspring.

Let me first clarify my definition of non-vegeterain:
According to Jainism, organisms are divided into 5 categories. Having 1,2,3,4 and 5 senses. (skin, tongue, nose, eyes and ears in that order). Also, Jainism gives prime importance to Ahimsa (refrain from violence). Ahimsa is not only about the slaughter of animals but extends to any living thing (including microbes and trees). But, it is impossible to totally abstain from being the reason of death of other organisms because merely our presence kills millions. So, we reduce it as much as possible. We eat only one-sensed organisms (that too not all) that too aganist our will and that too only if necessary. Trees have only one sense.

Lets me start the reasoning by quoting the research by Philip J Scamble.
"Whether the egg is fertile or infertile, life is essentially there; and it has all the symptoms of life, such as respiration, brain, feeding ability, etc. There are 15,000 porous-breathing holes on the shell, the cover of the egg. The egg begins to rot at a temperature of less than 8^ Celsius, 00^ Fahrenheit. When it begins this process, its rotting manifests itself through evaporation of the water content. The egg becomes infected by germs and thus becomes diseased. The progress of the rotting soon reaches the shell of the egg." Clearly, egg has a life. I need not say more. The cynics will find a way out eventually. I don't care about them. As I said, the post is to satisfy me!.. not others....

Secondly. "Hens are given five kinds of violent-generating foods: bone meal, blood-meal, excreta-food, meat-meal and fish-meal." So, even if eggs won't be directly non-vegetarian. We are indirectly promoting violence. It is like endorsing a mass-murder but not actually committing it.

Thirldly. "The hen gives infertile eggs during the absence of the male bird. But it has been observed that she gives an infertile egg before the day of contact with the male bird - and also the next day. In other words, she can give a fertile egg even without contact with a male bird. On the fifth day, again she gives a fertile egg. This means that the semen of the male bird remains lying in her body for a considerable duration. In some cases, this duration has been observed to be as long as even six months" .. Also, there is not much difference between a fertilized and an unfertilized egg. So, it is difficult to say which is which. Would you rather risk eating a fertilised egg which could have produced life !!!!


Lastly, the yolk of the egg contains various microbes having 2 or 3 senses (i.e. skin, toungue and nose). That, according to me, classifies as non-veg.

Also, I will not talk about the beak-cutting and all other miseries of their life because that is a current-day tragedy which can be avoided.

I hope I am clear enough... I feel satisfied!! Also, I hope people stop queiting their consciences by stupid arguments. If you want to eat egg, why find an excuse!
Amen!

Project Looking Glass

Project Looking Glass is a 3D desktop environment. It is java-based and so platform independant (So it can run on Windows/Linux et al). Sponsored by Sun Microsystems.

Personally, I havn't tried this Desktop environment, but it fascinates me. May be some day.

Check it out here
The sad thing is that, I couldn't find a decent screenshot on their site. So here are some screenshots I got through google
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 3

The project is still open for active development, so there might be some opportunities for those desperately-searching-for-prob-def BEs.
enjoy!