Kalyana Galatta

The title literally means, ‘Marriage Commotion’, which going by all standards is probably one of the most truest statements ever. However, i had used the word ‘galatta’ (commotion), more to associate with noise decibels, than with the panic and crisis mode in which most marriages are executed.

My recent visit to a marriage in Chennai, was provocation to pen this blog. Typical of most marriages these days, the evening reception conducted the day before the actual solemnization is the big event. This particular one was quite a circus, with cotton-candy and popcorn machines and a juice stand, not including the welcoming committee crowding up the entrance. Entering the big hall, we were greeted to loud music. I must retype loud, capitalize Loud, actually make it an all-caps LOUD. It would have been difficult to discern what the person on a small podium on the right was signing, if i didnt know the song already. The troupe consisted of two or three singers, with a motley crew who played instruments. However the main  enthrallment, being the electronic keyboard and the supersized speakers sitting in the forefront.

The marriage hall would not be more than 8000-10000 sqft in size. There is no need for speakers the size of a ‘Godrej cupboard’, not unless they offered superior quality sound. In this case, it appears, the intention is sound quantity. The main intention is to deliver maximum amount of decibels to every square-inch of the room, and numb every eardrum into submission. Resistance is futile, suggestions too. In marriage celebrations where i have some say, i try to indicate to the control person to keep the volume down. They do oblige by pretending to turn the knob, or if they do actually do it, then it lasts about 11 seconds, before it is back to the normal level. Thats basically the 5 seconds it requires for someone to realize the level is down, 5 seconds to communicate, and 1 sec for the knob to be turned back.

Usually dinner is served at a different level or location within the same building. It is not uncommon therefore to see people rush to the food, as soon as the service starts. One can hardly complain, when one get some respite from the torture they call music at these weddings. I guess it does serve some function, this loud music and all; crowd control. It helps in keeping the crowd moving out of the main hall, into the food area, and then prevent people from coming back, leaving exit, the only logical or sensible choice.

‘Marriages are made in heaven’, something that was drilled in my head from the time i could fathom what it all meant. Well not by one person or book, but by everyone, whether they knew what they meant or not. Some, or more, say this in desperation or exasperation, as compared to the ones who say it feeling elated or delight. And attending wedding receptions like the ones described, which is more the norm than the exception, it is not difficult to see the pain, or the attempt to shift the blame, when people say that phrase. Its almost like, ‘things are out of my control’, i am only a pawn in the hands of this whole ‘marriage god’, who arranges the wedding, the couple that tie the knot, the music troupe that creates this cacophony, the food that is served. I,  just pay the bill.

Game, Set and Match

It sure feels like that. I write this, just as the Chennai Open is picking up pace, at the nearby tennis stadium. It must be because i now know how to wield a weapon of mass destruction. It brings immense pleasure in using it and down the not so innocent adversary. With a simple swinging motion of my hand, i can bring down multitude of them at the same time. The slaughter of these diminutive but monstrous beings, crackling and frying, or even if numbed into submission, should ordinarily cause distress, but in this case only bring joy. I almost break into a song and dance, and compare myself to the American fighter pilots as they drop bombs in far-off parts of the globe. I can kill. I can destroy. I can stop this menace from attempting to needle me.

This was not the first attempt to subdue or counter these beings. However, most of them have failed, with limited success during initial stages, before they were effectively countered. This weapon is new, but has been around for sometime. It has now been made available to the common man, unlike before, and seems to be more effective than anything seen so far. It requires quite a bit of work. But like some soul said, ‘if you love what you do, it wont seem like work’. This surely is not. I can personally vouch for it.

A Weapon for Mosquito Destruction

The Diminutive Adversary

The Mosquito Bat or ‘kothu bat’ (malayalam) or ‘kosu bat’ (tamil) has been an extreme favourite of all members of the family. Every evening, starting at about 6pm, the love game starts, with everyone taking wielding the bat and trying to kill all the mosquitoes in the room. It lasts only about 30 minutes to an hour, before the room is populated again. It seems like they have perpetual breeding colony hidden somewhere inside each room. Well, in a strange way, this helps bring peace in our family too, because the next member of the household will be allowed a turn in this love fest. This goes on till we all retire into bed, sufficiently satisfied that these lil fellas also seem to give up at about the same time.

Alls good so far, till the little buggers figure out a way to short-circuit the whole racket.

Avatar – the good, the bad and the ugly

First things first, Avatar is a good movie. I saw the movie in Imax 3D, and i think it was worth the 20 odd dollars, for the movie and soda etc, that it cost me. The director show cases that the story is most important for a movie, and that the CG effects are like icing on the cake. What i liked about the movie, was that it fed into my theory of how civilization has or will evolve. Man, will plunder nature, to make the most economic benefit, immaterial if the cost in the long term is more. There is immense danger to environment and the native inhabitants of the region in question, and to resist is futile (oh ya, the movie does go into a romantic ending, of good over evil, but real life is quite different from reel life). The story could be futuristic or it could easily be a story out of the medieval period. We just need to be replace the ‘blue monkeys’, as the indigenous people are referred by the baddies in the movie, with some appropriate non-english speaking tribe people, who love nature, dress sparsely, use claws or stone-age weapons, live off fruit and roots, waiting to be saved by some good white men.

As the movie unfolds in front of you, you will be enamored by the spectacle, specially the 3d effect which though subtle, is very effective. The story has all the usual drama, and follows a typical hollywood formula. There is no surprise in store on the storyline, only on the characters, the background and ambiance. The glow and flying lizard, the six legged horse, the huge panther, a few dinosaur style creatures, glowing grass, flying dragon that dont breathe fire, hair with nerve endings to upload and download data, all keep you occupied. And then the usual guns and machines versus man and love starts to rock this edifice. But somewhere during this course of events, the racial overtones become obvious. I guess it strikes you in the face, when you see the people and the tribe. The Navi people are so similar to humans, with a few variations, but their clothes or lack of it, hair do, attire etc., could easily double for a mix of american indians african. When see them riding these ‘horses’, using their bow and arrows and rituals, it is difficult not to think native americans.

The white man, woman, the do gooders, without whom this tribe of people would be annihilated from the planet, is simply classic hollywood style. An irish friend of mine used to call these movies – gora feel good. The storyline is meant to absolve the white man of his crime against this society, because the protagonist supports their cause and helps them win the war. If it werent for this pure and white soul, they would have disappeared from the face the planet. This is the evangelistic principle advocated by the church and therefore is an essential part of the white man’s psyche. English is the redeeming language, and only the white man can emancipate poor wretched souls anywhere.

And so a good movie is colored. The subtext is too obvious to be brushed aside. But then why blame this movie alone. Most hollywood productions easily fall into this category. Well, so just ignore the subtext as best as you can, and just enjoy the movie. I did. I only wish that noises about these imperfections will eventually make a difference. Someday!

Planet 0 : People 0

The climate talks in Copenhagen ended with no result. In India, this was looked upon as a cause for celebration, although with some concerns. While India had been forced to take some action in the right direction, these goals were not binding, as per the agreement reached. However i am hopeful that the government would get serious about implementing many of these measures in its right earnest.

This cartoon in The Hindu on Dec 18, clearly expresses sentiments of the many stake holders.

I had been following the run up to this conference, and also keenly reading news from the conference itself. The north south divide as shown above and the basis of the many differences in the conference needs to be addressed, before any viable solution can be found.

A typical family in the US, owns two cars, a couple of TVs, lives in a  heated and cooled multi-level home, and produces the most amount of waste, consumes the highest amount of energy in the world.

A typical family in India, lives in about 700 sqft home, has one TV, one motorbike used primarily by the man to commute and shopping, while the rest of the family uses public transport, have a fan (which doesnt run when needed because of power cuts), sustains on bare necessity in terms of food and is one of the must frugal households in the world.

The basis of the discussions were that these families freeze their lifestyle in this fashion. The family in India, should not and must not progress, even if they have the means to do so. The family in the US will not and shall not give up their lifestyle, even if they could make small but significant changes, to reduce waste and avoid consumption.

Is this not some form of apartheid? How different is this from the theory of segregation and class divide? Do the people in the west recall the clashes in their societies in the 17th, 18th and the 19th century, when people revolted against this form of  lifestyle differences and subjugation? I assume they believe with all their nuclear arsenal and financial weapons they can put off any of these revolts in the future. And that must be why, Mr. Obama flies in and runs around a like a spoilt kid in a class room demanding his unfair share, even if others simply give in out of misplaced fear or confused diffidence.

While the example of India, can be easily interchanged with a family from another 100+ nations, the example of the US family has little parallel. Even most other developed nations, notably Europe are willing to make sacrifices to protect this planet. But i guess it is all a game of numbers, who is stronger, and therefore less willing. Who has possibly the least to loose, because they can use artificial means to stop or protect itself against the harshness of this change.

We are all interconnected. It will catch up on all, one way or the other. Till then the planet suffers and the people suffer.

Telangana – a divided Andhra Pradesh

I am not a telugu and am not from coastal, rayalseema or telangana, in fact i am not from Andra Pradesh. But i am Indian and i think i want to have a say in these matters. This is unfortunate, to start with, and completely shameful, to say the least. The way in which the central government reacted hastily to appease, without providing enough consideration to the ramifications within the state and outside, will seriously dent the image it had been building up since its election. This is not to conclude that the actions of the government on other fronts are above suspicion or fool hardy.

Lets be clear on a few things, there is nothing wrong with dividing up a state. It has been done before, and has not created serious harm to the polity we call India. It does cause a little bit of disturbance and requires a lot of re-education (for kids and others). The above cartoon, is a perfect depiction of the predicament that the congress leadership and the government is in, today. It could have been easily avoided, had they talked and consulted with the appropriate bodies and eased the change. It is difficult to not to think, that this would otherwise have been a masterstroke, but instead turned out to be more like a faux-pas.

The announcement to appease the demand for a separate state for Telangana, has as expected opened flood gates of requests for similar bifurcation of states in other areas/regions. Even if the cause of Telangana was just and required, more thought and process would have helped temper down similar calls from other parts. Now it appears, that a few days of fasting is good enough to demand a separate state. I do hope, that the leadership will call the parties concerned and solve this amicably. And that begs the question, why create a problem to solve a problem, why not solve the problem, the first time?

klueless5 – contd.

After solving about 19 levels, i was hoping i could breeze thru the next 10 soon enough to join the hall of fame. But i would soon learn that 19 was only half way through the journey.

Level 20: There is more to this picture. As the hint say ‘change your perspective’, look beyond the poem. When you figure this out, you will get some numbers. The poem suddenly makes sense. The left-over numbers are important, atleast these numbers think so, ‘they simply are in awe of themselves’.
This was not an easy level to crack. I got to the numbers, but then had to figure out what to do. Search did help. The moment i search them as simple regular numbers, read one line at at time.

Level 21: The most stupidest level yet. A few thinks were clear, gloom, depression, gray, WWI. The source code hint of powerpuff, gave me one word. The poem with its capitalized words made no sense. Finally the most obvious answer of the problem around WWI was the answer.
I hated this level, i still dont know how intuitive or connected this is ?? And so i have to tell people that there are two words, and the first word starts with an ‘e’.

Level 22: This was interesting. Connect the dots. Take a map, and connect the dots. Now step back and see what you have created. Its a sign for something famous. Once you know what to do with, then just do it.

Level 23: Nice. Real Nice. First find the clue. How? Got to the source code. There are places to click. When you read the letter, you will find four more clues. Each will lead you to a door. Once you are able to identify the doors in the correct order, you will get the final clue. Click Click Click Click, and then click again. In the end, you will attain it.
Oh ya, what i found real nice was, the number 7, everything was a set of 7. And by the last one, i still dont know why it was, what it was, but i got it by trying the first three correctly and then trying each door. So in 7 tries i got it. Careful tho, you must reload the page after each try.

Level 24: Tread carefully. Start with the source code. You will need to acquire something first, which will contain a grid of letters and ’start’ position. What to acquire, well read the hint. Cant understand, figure out, how to make it sensible in your language. Now navigate the grid, with the directions provided in the picture (because they are not just words). As you navigate, you must collect your milestones. When have them all, it will be a word you can call, ‘a gift of god’.
I was stuck with the milestones. Meaning i didnt know i had to collect the milestones. I got to the end and saw something illegible. Finally the kluemasters, showed the path.

Level 25. Awesome !! Simply nice. One of the best levels. The colors are a hint. Read out the colors. Do they mean something to you ? They must. These colors are special colors, specially on pages like the one you are reading now. Now do you see the numbers on the cubes, they too mean something, but they need to be arranged together in the correct form, making 6 characters each. You will get a total of 8 of them. Each set will translate to a name relevant in the context of this puzzle. When you get the 8 names, you will be able to find another name, of a similar kind. That’s your answer. However, klueless wants it back in the original form, of 6 characters.

Level 26: Ridiculous level. Really stupid. You will really wonder what it is doing here. It was not taxing the brain, but the steps seemed irrelevant to each other. So you start with the picture. Read the source code. You have your first clue. Find the odd one from the picture. That usually means a location, a number. When you get the number you will need to find similar problematic ones in the poem. Ahem… they are the ones in the same color as the odd box.
Now you need to add these two. How? Well, one is a number, one a letter, how do you think you could add these ? Word you will get, by writing in ink. One that will amaze and make you think. Ok that was a cheesy poem. Well so is the clue.

Level 27: Another nice one. Medley, cacophonous din. Hmm… they must make some sense. Well not now, but later. First connect the dots, i mean the pictures. The winner is missing. When you find the connection, you will find the winner.
I really liked the ‘E’. I got his name, and that was good enough, except, it was not the correct answer required here.

Level 28: To get this result, you will need to find the missing piece. How do you find the differences? Find the missing piece, a big clue is the current picture itself. All we have is a picture, with bunch of stuff, called red.png.
I really dont know what the clue in the source code was all about.

Level 29: Really weird. But look for two things easily recognizable. The title of the album and the clue in the source code. Both of them alone are good enough to lead you to the answer. The preacher is a good connect.

Level 30: Another weird one. It could have been nicer. The poem is a good start. Look at the last line. Dont get lost with the Doc, but the whole reference has a special meaning. I couldnt find anything at first, till i figured that there was something similar in malayalam too. The first line of the poem will soon make sense. You will see the ancient city, and also the queen from the land of ice. The problem now is whats remaining to be connected. That’s your answer, only thing tho’ you will need to talk on the radio in the picture. To get more direction, the source code clues will help, how to express it.
I started with the city. It took a while to figure the last line. I did. And then it was a breeze.

Level 31: Another beautifully crafted level. With wikipedia on your side, you will not fail. Well, there are a lot of indirections and you must be careful. (A quick note here, the wikipedia site has been modified, you should look under history and pick the version that existed about the time klueless5 was launched Nov 5th 2009.) The picture clearly has some flags that need to be identified. Once you do that, you will need to figure what you are trying to research, the source code clearly tells what to search for on wiki.
On wiki, you will clearly see the information you want neatly tabulated, for each of the flags shown. All you have to do is pick corresponding information and arrange them, to solve the puzzle. Dont forget the question in the title. The answer is single word.
The Beatles sang, “Desmond says to Molly girl I like your face”, a small love poem. I would have love to meet Desmond and Molly.

Level 32: Simple one. At this level, something so simple. Well there is a reason. Search using the clues given in the source code, and you should find the person.

Level 33: Screwball version. Well, its related to the previous version to get started. The answer you found previously, embodied a concept. Well if you making statutes of human beings, this could mean gold. If you find the concept you will be able to apply it to the grid in the picture. Darkening each square with the relevant numbers. You will see a sign, a sign that could spell victory for you, but is that what you want? Search wiki to get the correct word for the puzzle.
I got the sign, its clearly visible, if you attempt to read the letters on the grid as meaningful words. Two words merge nicely to form a sentence. But then i could sing a for apple, b for boy….. It just wasnt coming out right. Here is where wiki will help.

Level 34: One more screwball session. If you got the last one. This is still in the same genre. Not exactly. Well what ever. Who is that guy in the picture ? The approximately determined a mathematical ratio, that we all use today. Atleast it was very important in schools. Damn if i use it today. I eat it stuff like that but dont really use it anywhere consciously. If you find him, there is a connection between him and the school(university). No, its not any component he invented or created, but it surely is related to the ratio.
The answer is related but not exactly that, it is expecting an almost famous day in calendar.
Oh bloody hell. The fellow was easy, The letter and day took sometime to find. Then i had to struggle to find the almost famous day.

Level 35: Easy one. When you find the answer, and cant enter it correctly. Look at all the names and how the prim and proper englishmen address themselves. Short, crisp, to the point, almost like the americans do.
Tom, Dick, Harry all have something in common. Thats how i call them.

Level 36: Bloody Mary. This is ridiculous, but fancy. So you have a good setting, and bunch of clues to be discovered. Discover them with a click. The first is that tennis stud, and he looks all happy and funny. Then there is transcript of a conversation.
When you solve the tennis fellow, searching wiki will show the danger ahead. Its obvious that this is connected to the second message. Search for these two together again now. You will soon master the puzzle. Dont be skeptical, you are on the right track. All you need is two words to name the cube on the blackboard.

Level 37: Retrospect, Reverse. Yes, its more perverse. The source code tells you to go back. How? Well wiki will tell you where to go. When you find Tintin on wiki, you will know exactly which level to go back to. Answers from each of these levels are required here. Arrange them, like the source code says. Read it again, and remember the klueless people are also twisting your mind and making you do the abnormal. What you finally need is a four letter word, a letter from each answer from the previous level.
I applied reverse, and then reverse again, and then reverse again. So take caution, find the words and then read source code again to apply them into its placeholders. Only then you will find the correct letters. Never mind, you will find it eventually, its just a matter of trial and error.

Level 38: What game are you playing ? Scrabble, yes, as per the picture. But what about the last 39+ levels. Thats some game too. You will soon see connecting points on a line, forming the lucky day you want. Remember you must also apply the rules of the game (both, well only one has computational rules). This day is your lucky one, because it leads you to the answer, but not lucky for the person who died on this day in history.
I got the date. It was crystal clear on the board. It stands out, i must thank klueless5 that it showed up so easily. But the problem was applying the rules of the game. I just wasnt apply the rules correctly. I finally simply searched on the date. And that helped. I found the famous fellow. And then when i looked at the board more carefully, i saw the rule i missed – not a double whammy, but a triple whammy.

If you were able to crack these, you are a bit of a genius. Well not exactly, this is more like a tutorial for wikipedia and yahoo search (i used yahoo almost exclusively for my searching). There is a bit of lateral thinking, perverse logic, reverse swing, backward motion, missing connection, eye for detail, and big picture vision. It is however fun to waste time on such trivia. This roller coaster will last longer than the ones you would get in a theme park, and it costs nothing too.

Klueless5

Klueless5, is latest version of the mind-boggling or mind-numbing online game, released by the students of IIM Indore. The team puts out a version every year, and i have played them all (or maybe only 2,3 and 4?), but never have i played the game, when it was launched. I played Klueless4, within months or weeks of it launching, but this time, i got the alert ahead of time, and also an alert on the day of its launch. I began the race with many folks, and reached level 5 rather quickly, within hours. Yes, people, some levels could take an hour to clear. But then there was travel, international travel, and work that was more important, that stood in the way of completing this version in meaningful time. Well thats just plainly stupid, because it is difficult to determine meaningful time.

Like i did for Klueless4, i wanted to narrate my journey in solving these puzzles and also provide a set of clues (or thought points) that helped me resolve these levels. For the sake of the game and to keep the fun, and with all respect to the team that created klueless, you will not find direct hints or answers here. Ok, let me start.

Level 1: thinK !! Am sure you know what game you are playing.
I used the source code, and it was easy enough to determine what to do.

Level 2: No answer box. Well, you know what to do. The picture is the address to the next level.
I had to stare closely for sometime, it seemed hazy at first, but soon it was clear.

Level 3: Man, Servant, Maroon, Island. Once you find the connection, the source indicates who is wanted.
I went down the wrong story, before i realized my man was not marooned. I soon got the person i need.

Level 4: Tricky. First solve the image. That’s a start. Then read the source code, connect the two. The encyclopedia of choice for all klueless people is the wikipedia. So once you connect it, you search on Wiki, and soon enough you will find the answer you need. You may need to go back in time, to find the real answer.
A bit of reading, a bit of trial and error. The stupid thing was to assume that image resolved to answer directly.

Level 5: Rolling On The Floor Laughing. I never knew what ROTFL meant !! Anyway, this is a little tricky if you get lost in all the different websites. But each website contains a element.
I got lost, i went to the many locations, recollected them, and didnt get it. One of the klues said, it has something to do with women (a sexist statement to make), but it quickly helped solve this. Dont indulge.

Level 6: Its Greek. And then there is the clue in the source code.
Click, click, click. What a waste of time. Then i read the source. Some searching, some reading on wiki. Its not difficult, but i got sidetracked.

Level 7: Answer the freaking question?
I wasted so much time with the wrong answer. But the best part was, my phone didnt support T9. I had a full qwerty board, and so i had to hunt down friends to get one. Well all that helps if you have the right answer. And if you have the correct answer, you dont even need a T9 phone. Its that simple. This was the beginning of the worst, thinking wrong, no one to blame, and getting frustrated as a result. Consumed a lot of time.

Level 8: Among the easiest one. The source, the items on the pictures, all pointed in direction. The only problem was which one to pick, well there was only two options. So if you get a lil confused, come back to the main picture and clear your head and type the answer in.
I quickly connected all the dots. The answer was simple, but i had to be absolutely correct, so i searched and found the answer again. Then i read the wiki and found the answer again. Can it be that simple? Yes.

Level 9: Funny. The picture gives you the answer, the problem is the answer box is not allowing you to type.
Go figure. I wonder what i would have done, had i been on a flight, and i only had my laptop, with no additional accessories.

Level 10: A lot of verbose, a lot of baloney. But if you read closely again and again, you may notice something. The text and the paragraph is a riddle to trick you, dont get lost there. Its all just pure english. I remember typing ‘the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’, to learn typing. Apparently there was something interesting about this sentence. Well, in that case this paragraph has something interesting too. Just that something is missing.
Ok. This stumped me. I was lost in institutions, avoiding things, and even voiding things. The URL helped me, ‘extra’. After playing klueless so many times, i knew levels were related or connected, or the team repeated some themes etc. So all i had to do was play with it. I later found the connection to the paragraph and the page title.

Level 10B: An interesting case. I knew the missing letter was not a problem and didnt matter. But these days, even a kid will quickly guess the murderer. But the problem is, thats not the full answer. These two levels are related, right. So you need to play by the same rules. Also when you think something does not matter and not required, you know you are wrong.
I found the murderer. But i still hadnt solved the case. I had to go back and forth a few times before i got it.

Level 11: The kid is the key. But the poem helps. The source code has an interesting choice of words. And that helps.
By the way, this klueless team has poetic bend of mind !! Anyway, what i thought first, was the correct approach. Just had to narrow it down to the right name. Again, wasted sometime trying things which were connected but on a tangent. Think straight, the kid will give you all you want.

Level 12: Simple. Search and you will find what these sentences mean. Then you need to fill the blank. I found the answer when i tried to search within a web-page for a similar sentence.
Amazing level. I learnt more than just the answer. And i when i found the answer, it was even more astonishing. The beauty of the adverbial pun is simply magical when you think deeply.

Level 13: The source code is a good place to start. Once you figure that out, then it is simple search and when you land on wiki, you can locate the answer easily.
It real nuts to figure out the exact location to jab.

Level 14: Chat. Yup simply chat.
Simple. I kept chatting in the wrong place. Till i forgot about klueless and simply played chat.

Level 15: Ok. Confusing. Yes. All that yoda talk was misleading. The trail you will follow, will rhyme. Also notice the force wearing dark glasses. I guess it doesnt matter to whom if it is night or day. Decipher the dices, but how, thats the trail forward. Its not common in India, but its pretty common in the US, something like the dice, is used in elevators (lift).
I had to figure out why he was wearing dark glasses. Once i did that, wiki showed me how to decipher the dices. I still had to find out where. Well thats simple, any kid will know the answer.

Level 16: These figures a+b, and there are three sets, are a clue each. Try solving all to figure out the last one. Some clues to help here, jug, bee, etc.
This was lousy, atleast i took a long while to figure it out. Once you figure out the comic they belong to, the answer is easy.

Level 17: A techie level. The color of the foil is simply a distraction but will connect in the end. The word will till what to concentrate on. In the world of Komputers, this klue singly changed how things are going to be done. The person who created or developed it, simply named it so, because it came in sequence.
I got the guy, i typed his name, but then had to play with the name. Only one name was needed. And now i had to type it korrectly.

Level 18: Talk about a game, and freebie computer game, that simply wastes time. The poem is a clue. What could go boom, if you dont properly broom.
The ’sunglasses’ was wasted on me. But the boom, broom etc helped. The pictures, with its tiles in the background helped. No that is not a bathroom tile. Those are the tiles in the game.

Level 19: We just played a computer game. Well this theme is related to the computer you played with. Read the poem now. The poem is a clue to a part that people who travel, dont take with them. No the picture of the compass is to distract you, atleast for now.
When you find the part. You will need to use it. How? The compass will help. The source code and the compass will help you navigate the path. These numbers are important, and when used in conjunction with the title, gives away the name.
Fantastic. Simply fantastic. My problems were figuring out the missing part. But that seemed obvious, but slightly twisted. Then i made a mistake applying the directions. I found the answer when i got the numbers right.

Oh well. This is just half the journey. I have to take a break. No, typing is just killing me. More in the next.

Indira Gandhi – 1917 – 1984

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi - Prime Minister

October 31st, came and went quietly, this year. The paper reminded me about the gruesome assassination that took place exactly 25 years ago. 31st Oct 1984, would have been just another day in history, but for the actions of two body guards, who though sworn to fulfill their duty to protect, chose to kill instead. She had a choice, she was warned, she also knew that there were several who wanted her dead. True to her spirit, or could be considered foolhardy in today’s world, she chose to keep her body guards even though, several followers of the Sikh faith were most unhappy with her decision to bombard the Golden Temple.

I still remember knowing about her death, late in the afternoon. The only television channel and radio service, both of them, then controlled by the government, had not put out any information. But before noon, it was quite clear that she was dead, the BBC radio service available but feeble in parts, were reporting about the assassination. The phones were ringing off the hook at our house, from friends and relatives, rumours and news spreading from far and wide. In far away Madras (now Chennai), reverberation were being felt. I was home, my early morning classes were done by 9, and my classes at the college were only in the evening. I rode my bike to a local market place (aminjikarai) to see if i could get the evening newspaper, with limited luck. By evening official news was being delivered by Doordharshan, about her death. The country was in mourning.

She was liked by thousands, many looked to her as goddess or mother, just as there were many who hated the ground she walked on and wouldnt shed a tear at this loss. She was killed because she chose to act, to cleanse a situation that she had fostered for a long time, but when she chose to do it, she was firm and also brutal. What started as political infighting, now was war, within the nation, and amongst its own people. Irrespective of all her faults, she truly believed that the Indians were unstoppable and helped instill a sense of pride in our minds. She also ruled the country during the most torturous times and many of her decisions good and bad are still having an impact on us today.

I believe there will never be another Indira Gandhi in India for a long time. There never was, even then, a person of this stature, who was able to bring the entire country together. She made stupid mistakes that most politicians make, thinking that power is endless and that people will never realize. But she also knew very clearly that her best rapport were with the same people. She won everytime she stood close to them and helped them, and lost when she moved away and let a coterie intervene.

To me, she remains a great person, the first politician i ever looked upto. The first images and realization of this person started with the 1971 war, but i was too small to associate her and victory. But it was during the period of emergency that she started to build on the impression. I guess all the hatred many people were spewing around, only endeared her closer to me. Defending her and the emergency became a constant part of my day to day life. In Madras, the impact of any emergency was minimal, but the positive effects of it numerous. The fiasco of a coalition, that began in 1977, proved that India at this time needed a strong leader like Indira. She did come back to power, voted in by the same people who rebelled against her, fed up with bickering and infighting at the highest office and seats of government. I mourned her death, unable to think what would happen to the country and its people. Looking back, it seemed we, India and Indians were poised for greater glory, to be build on a foundation laid by Indira Gandhi.

Wikipedia is history

The problem with an open for all encyclopedia, where anyone and everyone can edit is that, everybody else can unedit and revert the changes to what existed before. It is common knowledge that history is written by winners, and then many years later,  the loser picks up courage or manages to live, and writes the other side of the story. Now you have two sides of the story. Everybody believing one side and doubting the other.

Wikipedia - The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit !

I had believed (although it was with appropriate caution), in wikipedia as a medium because like democracy and freedom, this free encyclopedia offered a source of information that is different from the established ones. It still does, but recently it appears that the established sources are slowly creeping into this medium too, diluting the efforts to keep it truly free and open. Before you start to think that this a true critical analysis of wikipedia, let me state frankly that it is not. I am engaged in this diatribe, because i was not able to enforce my edits in wikipedia. This is therefore a biased opinion, but i think still very valid, about a encyclopedia that everyone can edit, but really not.

Recently i was spurred by a story i read from my Amar Chitra Katha comics about Rana Beni Madho, to log on to the internet to know more about a song the british soldiers were quoted as singing in the comic.

Where have you been all day
Beni Madho, O Beni Madho!
Why are you so scared of British pluck
Beni Madho, O Beni Madho!
Because to beat you is not my luck
Beni Madho, O Beni Madho!

I found a couple of sites with reference to the song and lyrics and then landed on wikipedia site regarding the 1857 sepoy mutiny, regarded in India, as the First war of Independence. The empty web page was redirected to a more detailed page called Indian Rebellion of 1857. While there was nothing inappropriate about the title itself the article, however, seemed biased towards the english point of view. I attempted to insert a few statements to correct this perception in the intro, but these edits were quickly undone by someone. I researched the person, and my bias was solidified because of their origins (some where in briton). I was referred to the talk page (the discussion page for article), which had a caution indicating that this page contained information which was ‘controversial’, and required a discussion and consensus before being posted and approved.

In view of many Indians, and today’s updated knowledge base, the 1857 mutiny, was more than just another mutiny or rebellion, it was not the first, and certainly was not the last war against the British soldiers or the East India Company. It is regarded as the First war of Independence, because it was not isolated to a state or a small region. It covered several small principalities across the gangetic plains, north/west India, central India etc. The british army and the company clearly had divided the country and fought the rebellion and war, by using Indian soldiers against other Indians. They however were scared that more of these men will rebel, that many european and white soldiers were brought in to fight the war. The rebels were not simply fighting because of a ‘grease’, but that happened to simply be a catalyst to spark the fire of independence amongst many of these people. Many are led to believe that Indian sub-continent was united only, because the british ruled the whole country. Partly true, but the british were not the first to control such large parts of the country, though they were the last. The pan-indian image and culture predates the arrival of the East India Company and the british governance.

In summary, i still think wikipedia is an important source of information. But it clearly is only ‘another’ source. Controversial topics require confirmation like quotes, speeches, writings, which will come only from established sources. What this means is that, in the anals of history  or atleast for sometime to come on wikipedia, Beni Madho and his exploits will remain a mere myth, compared to the so called recorded truths by british soldiers and company officials. These written statements have more value, only because of the same thorn in the flesh of history, that it is always written by the winner.

A Novel Prize for Obama

The Nobel peace prize awarded last week was a surprise. It should read shocking, but then according to me this is not the first time the Nobel committee that selects person, that it thinks competent to receive this award, has done something weird or egregious. I first thought or understood about this, in 1983, when it chose Lech Walesa, for the peace award. I remember wondering why they would choose a person who was essentially striking against a government employer and the associated system, while another person was in prison and was not found worthy, even though he was fighting a curse to humanity. Could it be that one was white and the other black, could it be that one was fighting socialism, and the other just racism. I am referring to Nelson Mandela.

This was not the only place where i think the Nobel committee erred in judgment. It erred again, in the context of the same Nelson Mandela, according him the peace prize, to be shared jointly with the head of a racist government. Earlier too, Henry Kissinger of the US, was selected for the same prize, because he helped negotiate a cease-fire with Vietnam. Ironically this shared prize was rightfully rejected by Le Duc Tho. An equivalent in history would have been Hitler and Stalin being selected for the peace prize for negotiating a non-aggression pact. A casual glance through the list of all winners till date will raise enough eyebrows. In this context, the award of this year’s prize to Obama, should hardly cause a ripple.

Obama, is undoubtedly a star on his own, given that he was able to convince the people of USA, to elect him as the President. His tag line, ‘Audacity of Hope‘, is a good reflection of his thinking and his perseverance against odds. He deserves commendation for all his efforts big and small, after being sworn into office this January; reaching out to people of middle-east and Islam, message to Iranians on Nowruz, closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, reconciliation with Cuba, his approach and belief in UN, climate change, etc. While he is engineering action and change at home, he has been presenting a different America to the world, and this alone deserves acclamation. For all these, he is held in great esteem by more people outside America, than inside.

Irrespective of all that he has done till date, i dont not think his statements and gestures made for international cooperation and those in particular about reducing nuclear stockpiles, warrant an award. Having said this, i have to conclude that the committee that chooses candidates for these awards have made stranger decisions. It is best for people to realize that this is not an indication of achievement, but more of appeasement by a small group of people. That perception should bring peace to poor souls who fret and fume about these decisions.