Last Sunday

Well, what a lazy bundle of bones I am!
Last Sunday was extraordinary - a mix of Physics, Art, and Biology.
Professor Asokamani's lectures on basic Physics has become a routine - sort of a Sunday mass - for I never miss that nowadays.
Once it was over, Saravanan, my friend, took me to the museum.
It was a fittingly older building - living to its promises of antiquity - as if some medieval traveler has dropped a treasure as he passed by - only to the beholder to judge the elegance - with dropped jaws.



One thing I can never forget is the magnificent view of the portraits of the Governor Generals of pre-independent days.


Portrait of Stanley, after whom the Stanley Government Hospital has been named.
Then there were the so realistically and emotionally seducing paintings by the famous Raja Ravi Varma. I had never imagined that I'll be viewing them from a touching distance. Masterpieces!

'Lady with the Mirror' by Raja Ravi Varma


You ought to fall in love -either with the art, or with the artist.

There were a number of sculptures, some strangely missing their head, or arms - was it the looters' mark, or mishandling while transportation, or negligence - I wondered.

The Zoology section had lot in store - the sharks, the whales, the crabs, the turtles, the giant eagles, the elephant - all displaying their skeletons - and I guess most of them will be reserved to be found in museums, rather than their natural habitat, or the zoo.

And you shouldn't visit a museum empty-stomached. Result: You are likely to end your quest for specimen in a restaurant. We started our search, and with the circuitous traffic arrangements, we decided we have lunch at home. Well, the day is worth writing about. But I still missed the Connemara library (Picture below).

Sharing What I Learned

Though I'm not a proponent of the idea of sharing what one learns, I thought it's worthwhile to share a few things before they evade my volatile memory.

Multiferroics: Imagine a magnetic material displays multiple electronic, magnetic, and structural behaviors like ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and ferroelastic (sounds like T.Rajendar's movies where he does everything - Story, screenplay, direction, production, acting(?), singing, and more than all, do all the talking?). But such materials do exist and they are known as multiferroic materials. These materials have been identified by Science magazine as one of the areas to watch this year for breakthroughs in research. If successful, it will lead to advanced chips that combine logical and memory functions, bringing electronics and spintronics together. (Get ready to coin a new term - Electrospinnics? uh.

Spin more of it at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5858/1848
http://shell.cas.usf.edu/fml/multiferroic.html

ROI: Ever wondered what it expands as? I'd been thinking it's the Rate of Interest. Geek. No! It is the Returns on Investment. It's one of the hotwords in IT and other businesses now. ROI is a measure of how effectively your business uses the capital and generates profit. So. to sound more IT and techie, use such words as ROI. You'll be respected, or at least listened to, nerd!


And there is even a formula to calculate the ROI. As a rule of thumb, 3 years is taken as the minimum period to assess ROI. Perhaps the pundits thought it's not at all a business if it can't survive three years. OK. The formula is:

net benefit year 1 / (1+discount rate) + net benefit year 2 / (1+discount rate) + net benefit year 3 / (1+discount rate)) / initial cost

To dig deeper, click http://whatis.techtarget.com/wsearchResults/1,290214,sid9,00.html?query=ROI

Tonometer? Remember the peculiar instrument the American doctor in our movies, who comes just when the hero's mom or sis has to have an eye surgery uses to test the eye? Yea, you got it right! It's the tonometer, which is used to measure the interocular pressure IOP in the eye. This instrument is extremely useful in the diagnosis of glaucoma - a condition resulting due to increased interocular pressure.

Apply some more pressure on ur eye to check this out: http://healthguide.howstuffworks.com/tonometry-dictionary.htm


Heard of 'Chewing gum effect'? Even after a lot of googling, I found it difficult and at last, I got the answer from the thread of a forum on the same topic. It's the way people strain their tounge and mouth to pronounce words - rather like talking while chewing a bubble gum! Think about our access-conscious aunties twisting their tongues and rolling their eyes while uttering Americanized slangs.

Chew more of it @ http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t9616-15.htm

And a little bit of research about the much-hyped, and much-feared-in-India Wal-Mart: http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t9616-15.htm

OK. Hope that was a useful post. Read it with a chewing gum effect, not having to use a tonometer. Definitely, your knowledge ROI should have improved. I think mine has.

Remembering Hillary

Sorry about making this rather an obituary column. But Hillary is no more. No, not Hillary Clinton, even though she is in the process of ascension to the summit. I'm talking about one Sir Edmund Percival Hillary. Voila! The very man who, along with Norgay the Sherpa, conquered Mt. Everest on 29th May (that's my birthday!), not in 1981 but in 1953.

Sir Edmund Hillary with Tenzing Norgay

What do people achieve by setting their feet on top of a barren mountain? One may ask. But there is a sense of achievement - born out of a child's curiousity, an adventurer's perseverance, and a human being's tryst. I have the experience of climbing half a mountain, with my childhood friends, only to discover that the path ahead requires extreme physical and mental toughness. But there was a sense of childish pride - in seeing my home village and the green fields all over in a Lilliputian scale. We ate the mangoes we stole from a grove on the way to the hill. Then we dipped ourselves in a cool stream, and headed back home - with lots and lots of thorns and weeds and twigs making their mark on our bodies. Yet, we were proud. So think of Hillary's pride. He has conquered the world!

And the great man is no more. Sir Edmund Hillary died of a Heart Attack on 11 January 2008 at the age of 88. Everest will be weeping by now.

Jaipur Legs

I remember seeing, as a kid, a neighbor of mine having a funny-looking leg. It took time for me to identify it was fake. He used to ride his moped, walk in a funny-looking manner, and lead a life just like any other funny-looking guy.

Only at a later stage did I understand things like artificial legs, prosthetics and so on. And yesterday, I read the sad news about the death of the inventor of the so-called 'Jaipur Legs'. P.K. Sethi is his name. He had applied his innovation so that people who can't afford to the seemingly easier tasks that people like you and me can do can also walk proudly and do things we guys usually take for granted.

His innovation led to the realization of millions of dreams. To reduce the weight of the artificial legs that were in use, he came up with the idea of using vulcanized rubber which is more flexible and less massive. It is claimed that one can even climb up trees with these legs fitted.

When India is successfully implementing the Polio Eradication program, Sethi's contribution to the upliftment of disabled persons ought to be remembered.

Nadal in Chennai

Well, what a new year! For the first time in my life, I watched a tennis match 'live'. No. Why do people always want to watch something LIVE on television? My friend took me in his bike to the stadium of Sports Development Authority of Tamilnadu, Nungambakkam, Chennai. Never ask me how I managed to get the ticket for the match. I'm not going to tell that anyway. One thing is sure - I have to improve my bargaining skills yet. OK. Back to Tennis.

We - my friend and I - were given the 'Brown' seat o'er the top. But I assure you that it is from where the best view you can have in a tennis match. The stadium is a colorful one - forget the footprints on the chairs and the left-overs of that overrated pizza box - it IS a good stadium with all the basic facilities intact. I didn't check out the fire exit though. And who cares - even if you don't like tennis, you can at least admire the glittering cheerleaders.

I saw Vijay Amirtraj and Charu Sharma from a distance people call a stone throw away. The first match started exactly 6 minutes behind schedule. Robin Hasse (Netherlands) outwitted Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) in straight sets. The second seeded Marcos would not have imagined his new year will start the way it eventually did. Nevermind. The next match was what I and almost everyone came for - the brutally strong and powerful Rafael Nadal's match.



Nadal was clinical in his demolition act, save that dragged match point when his opponent - Mathew Montcourt of France, showed some resilience and earned a break point - only to face the brunt of facing Nadal for some more time. Though not the quickest in serve, this lad from Spain has that trademark backhand stuffed with power. You can try bullfighting instead of facing him in a tennis court. I wonder how brutal Federer could be despite his innocent smile.

The matches were worth the money, and we had a tremendous new year day. No bargain this time.

Bargain/Gain

About what I did this Christmas...my cousin and I wanted to explore the recently launched 'flying train' from Velacherry to Beach Station. That's not a good way to start though! Our plan was to get to Moor complex (though this has nothing to do with Moore's law!), hone our bargaining skills, hunt for Robin Cook novels, and then back by the 'flying' (Real flying trains and maglev train operators please forgive me!) train.

Bargain first. We had selected the perfect bad business day to explore the otherwise busy Moor Market. Hardly half a dozen of the bookshops were open apart from a few aquarium stalls (Well.. what do you call a shop that sells fish to grow in your home?). So throngs of people who normally make this place a buzzing mess hadn't turned up. Without the people fishing for books and booking for fish, the sellers had a rather dull day, waiting for any slightly prospective buyer, and to catch him or her h(b)ook, line, and sinker. I'm not that good in bargaining and my brother nudges me to ask about the price of the pirated Godfather book he just found out of the heap. The seller hardly knew Tamil, but that didn't matter at all. Here you only speak Business. After our stints and stunts with him for a while, he called us back and finally offered to give Godfather and Critical (by my favorite Robin Cook)for 140 rupees. That means 80 for Godfather and 60 for Critical. We purchased the books and headed towards the train terminus. Curiosity, that often kills the cats, made us enquire about the cost of the same books in a stall a few yards ahead. The man in-charge told: 60+60, meaning you can easily settle for something between 100 and 120. Staring at each other, we reassured ourselves telling that the copy we had bought was better. At least we could bargain with ourselves.



Back to the train station, we came to know that the flying train arrives at another station called Park Town. The newly constructed subway and the terminus looked sinister. Ironically, there was no light at the end of what seemed to be a deadly tunnel. I was wondering how life would be behind that ticket counter, in a strange station like that. Twice I asked on which platform the train would arrive. Only on the second attempt, the man responded, gesturing towards a hand-written signboard, declaring it to be on the second platform. The man should have been terribly fed up, as people unfailingly asked the same question, despite the signboard just staring straight at them when they were asking. He should have been screaming "I'm not a tourist guide. I'm a ticket-issuer. Well, that's another issue.

At least 50% of the commuters were new to the place, or they didn't know about the timings or the route. Maybe familiarity breeds knowledge. There were plenty of seats, as many think that it's a cumbersome process to get the train. It took 40 minutes from Park station to Velacherry. Some of the stations were waiting to be painted, and some even to be baptised by any minister. After a few twists and turns, the train reached the destination. And it's not yet over. We have to walk a tiring one-and-a-half kilometer through the misleadinly named 100-feet road. And we had yet another task at hand - Cooking!

We the Burners and Scrubbers were up in arms to avenge each other, scrolling through the home-made recipe for the best form of attack.

The Writer's Block!

Well, it has been a long long time since my last post, and thanks to the zero readership I've managed to maintain and entertain, I was not at all in a mood to write anything here. And there is an escape word for this literal hibernation - voila, it's the writer's block. Seems I should write an 'How to...' series on keeping yourself entertained when the only thing you like is writing but you couldn't! Alright. I'll come to that later. Let's talk about Christmas folks!

This Christmas, I had no Chrisma or Chrischild whatsoever, since I've been busy shifting to my new workplace. So I missed out on this year's Christmas events. And Christmas and Candles remind of so many things - which I can't remember right now. But one thing that touched me, or moved me (or made me sit still, thinking) was the strange protest of a man named Art Conrad from Bremerton against the commercialization of Christmas. He crucified a likeness of Santa as a token of his anger and frustration towards Christmas commercialism.


Well...commercialism of Christmas, or whatever the event may be, is a thing to be debated. There will be pundits brandishing their swords or words for and against the commercialization. Let's leave it to them. But practically, it's you and me who should be deciding on whether so much of marketing (read it hype) and fuss about this is really required. I could hear somebuddy muttering 'It's a competitive world, mate!' OK. Let's face it. After all everything needs advertisement. Soon we might have 'Sponsored Santas' sporting carefully designed logos, making it a point that you buy what they endorse. Get ready to grab your gift!

The Streetlamp Has Died

The streetlamp has died.

Died of what?
Of old age?
Of boredom?
Or of love?

Nobody knows.
The streetlamp has died.

The bugging insects have fled
That sucked the essence of light
From the generous streetlamp
Like prodigal sons of a millionaire.

Perhaps the lamp
Died of insignificance.
Guiding drunkards and stray dogs
Both urinating underneath.

There was no mourning
As there was no soul.

While dying...
The streetlamp might have remembered
The day it was hoisted
On the top of the world.

How proud she was!

Losing all its glory
Burying its pride in darkness
The filament hanging out of shame
The streetlamp has died.

Switch off the Fossil Beasts!

Mexico City has come up with the long-awaited suggestion of switching off the car engines and getting to office in bicycles once in a month. People will at least get to know the otherwise invisible impact they and their cars have on the roads. Sidney made history when most of the lights in the Australian city were put off for a while.

Back home, we find even youngsters kick starting their bikes to reach their offices, which, in most cases, is within 2 km. When we talk about the power of youth and the thinking generation, we are nowhere in terms of environment consciousness quotient.

To my dismay, I find so many young people filling their mouth with 'paan' and spitting it willfully all over the way they walk. 8 out of 10 cinemas in India will have paan stained walls and chairs. (I wonder why people don't behave so in multiplexes!)

Drunkards litter pavements and public places as if everything under the sun is their restroom. Smokers paint and taint the by-passers with the white threads of tobacco. Men urinate on walls and nobody walks on the platforms. Slum-dwellers do their 'morning job' alongside the roads. Buses come with stains of smoke as well as sweat, as the ratio seems to be one bus per 150 persons.

What took half an hour to travel 50 years ago takes one and a half hour today, and still we talk about improvements in transportation. Bumper-to-bumper traffic is a common site, with vehicles involved in a war for every square inch available. Bikers add to the woes by snaking through what is locally called the 'cycle gap'.

Where are we heading to?

Let's bend the twig

It's more than proved that 30 year olds will be living in their second world, very unlike the one which used to be while they were born, thanks to the changing weather patterns and climatic conditions. It's high time we drive the point effectively and make the newer generation aware of the world that is waiting for them. Bend the twig, bend the tree, someone has said.

The renowned authors have a task at their hands. It's their moral duty to incorporate ideas that would make the child know how their parents and grandparents spoiled their world, at the same time preventing them from developing hatred towards their previous generations.

Harry potter can do something for the welfare of some endangered species by using his magical powers. Superman, Spiderman and all the supernatural men can save this world from the dangers of global warming by some way or the other(Let's leave it to the imagination of the authors).

Fancy stuff that are easily liked by children can carry messages with a true concern for the environment. We can encourage children to buy things that are certified by a competent authority as manufactured in an eco-friendly manner.

Let's think green.

Let the Zebras cross the road

Our envirnomental consciousness quotient seems to be searing to new heights. This week has been a great time for the environ-enthus, as Taiwan closes a stretch of a Highway to leave way for migrating butterflies. Taking this issue back home, I could see herds of buffaloes being driven across the Velacherry road twice everyday. One thing I like about these animals is that they are never afraid of the traffic. They take their own time to cross the road, not even fearing the dreaded Municipal truck. On the contrary, the spotted deers at the Guindy park have been helpless, falling prey to road accidents. It's heartening that no such accident took place in recent times. However, spotted deers are sighted on roads now and then. Something has to be done. Needless to say, dogs are the most neglected species when it comes to road safety. And roads seem to be the open air grounds to dispose dead animals. I'm not joking. I took extreme care not to step over a couple of cute kittens killed and thrown on the road. It was a bit tough, but I made sure that my shoe didn't lose its shine of polish.

Ringtones with a message

Conservationists can now make the message ring in the ears of those at the other end. Ringtones imitating the sounds of endangered species have been introduced recently, in a desperate attempt to create awareness about the dwindling number of these species which are in utmost danger. Imagine yourself listening to an African elephant or a Golden Lion Tamarin reminding you of its endangered status. Won't that be a wake up call?

Breaking News

People have started swearing about switching off the last bulb that keeps glowing. Should Edison be proud or humiliated, had he been living, is a question by itself. Energy-saving measures have taken a new dimension by striving to eliminate the incandescent light bulbs. The result anticipated is a less than 1 % cut in the amount of greenhouse gas contribution by the year 2012. Will the little drops ever make an ocean? Time will answer.

The Earth seems to be ripping apart, courtesy the deep fractures in the junction of the African and the Arabian tectonic plates, politically in Ethiopia. 60 m wide chasms are no small things.

And people have started celebrating green Valentine's day with a resolution of not using anything that caused global warming. What a sweet way to show your love to your beloved and mother Earth, at once!

Researchers made our faces twist by the revelation that the desk, computer, and drawers contain 400 times more bacteria and bugs than the average toilet seat. http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/

Perhaps it's time we outsourced our sanity.
And the world goes on.

The Valentine's Hype

'What's special about Valentine's day?', I was wondering. I could see couples on bike much closer to each other than on any other day. 'I love you' cards were selling like hot cakes. Television and radio stations screamed “Love... Love... Love...” throughout the day. Seems flowers bloom as bouquets! Beaches were filled with sands of lovers. As people say, there was love in the air! Well, didn't people love each other all these days? What makes this day so special and lovely? Will St. Valentine be happy to see all these? To be frank, I don't know. But a little bit of thinking reveals that this day may be the one for the loved ones to get together. Stories of miraculous revival of relationships would suggest this. Can't it be on any other day? As Shakespeare puts it,

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet."

Everyday is Valentine's.
Keep loving!

Memories of Glittering Moments

"A perfect way to start the New Year, man!", Naveen remarked. I believed that I'd make it to the top ten in the writing task, but the second spot was a sweet shock. I was wondering why the English tutors literally 'boycotted' the activity. Anyway, my sincere thanks to them.

"You're the only person I know in the entire list of winners. So I'm not going without you", joked Rethna Ganesh. Once again I displayed my wretched punctuality. In my hurry, I spoiled the curry my cousin was trying to spoil. Thanks to Rethan for consuming it. He has always been a good friend of mine.

Getting down at Thiruvanmiyur, we searched for Naveen, only to find that he was not there. We recognized Mr. Abdur Rehman, who we have been torturing with our doubts during the training, and Kalai mam with her daughter. One more member was Shabana. Soon, Naveen joined us. Our journey started in an autorikshaw. The one who enjoyed the ride the most was the driver himself, as he could be seen nodding his head in tune with the rusty song of Rajinikanth. We were one of the groups that thronged the Dizzie World quite earlier. They tied a band which read 'VIP'. I thought it was a compliment for being early birds. Then I found out that everyone was wearing one around the wrist. Good start!

Time for confession. I've never been in a giant wheel or a roller coaster. I never revealed it to anyone. I occupied my place in the giant wheel ride and safely latched it and ... and...o my God! The giant wheel started rolling slowly. My stomach felt a dizzy feeling, not while going up but while coming down. I remembered how Dr. Ferguson, in the Jules Verne classic, "Five Weeks In a Balloon", helped Kennedy get rid of his fever by taking his balloon higher and higher where clean air could be breathed. I frantically swallowed some samples of air with the hope of getting rejuvenated.

The next ride was another merry-go-round, which took you around seated in an oblique position. I felt crazy when it seemed I was floating without any support. I managed a smile when the coach approached our friends who were watching me from the ground. I could realize why Rethan was seen with his lips locked so tightly and arms firmly holding the side bar. God! Who has the brake for this ride?

I never showed that I was a bit scared and felt dizzy, especially to Shabana, who seemed to be enjoying every moment. The next one was the Crazy Chairs where some fuzzy logic was at work. Intelligently, they had placed a wash basin to refresh yourself near the Crazy Chairs. I ran up to the wash basin and the rest is history.

All this time, Shabana and Naveen were harping on the adventure available in the roller coaster and something called Ranger. "Let's see!", I told Rethan. Mutual understanding? Roller Coaster was the first choice. They locked us with a seat belt. Mysteriously, the lock was in the rear, and you can't get yourself out even if you want to. I screamed when the roller coaster took me upside down. For the first time in life, I felt what 'shiver down your spine' is. For strange reasons, we wanted to have another trip. No wonder they call it the Dizzy World.

Shabana's favorite "The Ranger" was the one I really wanted to check out. This time the security was more sophisticated. We were literally locked in a rectangular cage. The operator was extremely calm. I wanted to shout at him, asking what the hell is scary in this worthless cage. The Ranger started swinging. People down were giving an impression like sending us off to an eternal journey. Who knows? We could even be in tomorrow's headlines! Each time the Ranger took us to the peak, I anxiously waited for it to get down. Who on earth would like to be left hanging upside down a hundred feet above the ground? When I wanted to pull the door up, get out and run screaming "I'd never get into that again!", something happened. Well, nothing happened. Everything came to a standstill. "Could it be a power-cut?", I asked Rethan. He was double scared. No words came from him. None would have come even if he had wished. They had stopped it for half a minute, leaving us hanging in an awkward position. At last, it seemed we understood what life is all about, but not exactly what it is.

We had a lunch, with laughter, partly thinking how fun it was, and partly due to a sort of relief. We went to the water sport area, and spent three good hours there. The only embarassment was the presence of some guys with their girlfriends. When we were out of water, Shabana gave us a shock asking "Shall we go for a ride in the ranger once again?" In particular, she wanted me to accompany her. When I was pretending to be searching for the trash, Rethan announced:"I'll come with you". They told us this time it was more scary, as the Ranger kept them hanging for a longer time.

Then we played some quick games, which none of us won. There was a stage on which anyone can dance. Naveen was the chief choreographer. Without our own knowledge, we had become the showmasters, and received occasional applause too! We had our money's worth, and something more than that. Well, what else can you expect in a day? Thank you TWWI!

Pitfalls and Potholes

Who would have expected a deep drainage pit showing its ugly mouth wide open in the middle of a city road? And who would have dreamed of dropping into one of such bunkers on a rainy day when we sail on water roads? Boasting of a metro city status and a booming economical hub, our city is not supposed to keep graves ready for the innocent biker. I've seen a couple of incidents that turned out to be accidents. Once a man on a two-wheeler first skidded, then jumped out of his seat, and finally came to rest after an unintended somersault, only to find himself lying inside a drainage opening! Accompanied with a couple of my friends, all I could do is to reassure him and advising him to be careful while riding. The second incident happened rather behind me when I was on my way to office, but the exact place where the first one happened. Hearing a THUD, I saw an elder person struggling to get up after falling victim to the same pothole. This time there were a lot of people to help him. All roads lead to hell? Gross negligence.

A somewhat decent-looking road

I may be talking a lot of civics, but I tell you the truth. To have a live demo of the scenario, choose a raining day, get into a rickety MTC bus, and travel through the pitfalls and potholes. I want to scream at the authorities, if they deserve any authority at all, "GO TO HELL".

Honey, I killed the Cockroach!

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals should answer some of my questions. What will you do if you find a family of cockroaches reside with yours? Will you live and let them live, or catch hold of them and safely relocate them to some other location, or move yourself away from them since they have been around the place before you had actually come to the place? OK. That's a tough question, for which I had been breaking my head to find an answer, at least until one of the arthropods casually crossed over my legs with remarkable 'cockiness'.

The solution was a well known brand of insecticide. Though I didn't like the very idea, there was no other way, though! I just bathed the cockroach with a fine spray of the poison. Alas! The poor thing eccentrically exhibited a Brownian motion of sorts before falling on its back, only to give up, unable to withstand the torturing stings of the spray. All was over in minutes. Similar fate was meted to her kith and kin and it was just a day's work for me.

Now the spray can lies idle, there on the shelf, as if grinning, with a sense of false pride that it can kill as it likes, when someone presses taps its head. Still, I feel a vicious cycle of having cockroaches 'walking' over my legs, before dying of suffocation. I might be hallucinating. But the ghosts still keep haunting.

Why I hate Grammar Class

A perfect grammatist's view of a beautifully written article.

It is not that I don't like grammar class. I hate it. One doesn't need poetic skills to admire a beautiful girl. A passion for beauty will do. If that is the case, why does one need to know all the intricacies of grammar? It is the world that a linguist may find priceless treasures in. For a casual traveler, comfort and convenience are the priorities. A little bit of geography would be an advantage, but not the minute topographic details. When a person has read so much of noted authors, and has written good language for quite some time, what is the real need for him or her to dig deeper into the ever stretching cave of linguistic algorithms?

A sentence, they say, is a group of words that give a meaning. When the writer is able to communicate effectively with the reader, what is the point in stressing on the knowledge of grammatical jargons? How will the mere knowing of the terms like antecedent disagreement, dangling modifiers, contractions and comma splices help the effectiveness of communication? The grammar teacher says that the right usage of components of grammar depends on the context. It makes me wonder whether the context lead to grammar or vice versa.

Grammar is a composition of widely accepted sets of rules for effective and universal communication of the language. If the ultimate purpose is fulfilled, why go for a hard and fast affliction towards this quaint chord of inflexibility? Grammar is supposed to make the use of language easier. If grammar itself becomes tougher, there is no other go. I quit the class.

My Dear Pluto!

My Dear Pluto,
It's paining to hear that the scientific community has thrown its axe of scrutiny right on your head. Knowing that they can't change your dimensions, they have changed their definitions. Losing an universal status you were enjoying for over 7 decades is not a triviality. You have always amused us with your so called eccentric orbit that often come within that of the Neptune, your mysterious composition, and hitherto unexplored surface. I don't know what others might think. But Venetia Burney Phair, who as a 11 year old schoolgirl suggested this name to you after the Roman God of wealth, might be looking for the proper reasons. What might William Tombaugh, who showed you to the world, have in his mind? Maybe, as his wife Patricia puts it, he is a scientist, and he knows why you have lost your elite membership of the planetary system in the solar family. Michael Brown, the discoverer of 2003UB313 (personally named 'Xena' by him), says: "I may go down in history as the guy who killed Pluto." I may have to change my favorite mnemonic that my teacher taught me, and which I teach my students, "My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets". So what, my dear Pluto? Once again, you are in an elite group, this time as the leader. Yes! You're going to lead the group to be rightly known as 'Plutons'. You have always been the symbol of coolness. When the world bids tearful adieu to you, I wish you a happy journey through the realms of Space. We the earthlings will be happy to find you there from the 'New Horizons', in 2015.

New Horizons is the spacecraft NASA has sent this January to study Pluto. This vehicle would reach Pluto by the year 2015.

Matrimonial Melodies

Marriage is an institution that has always been a controversial topic ever since it was invented. I still wonder what might have put man in need of such a complicated organization. Nobody knows for sure when the first ever marriage was performed. For centuries, we've been debating and displaying the pros and cons of this institution. Courtrooms witness moments of despair mingled with relief in the form of divorce cases. Is marriage one of the by-products of civilization? Or is it a systematic method approved with an eugenic approach? Why are brothers not allowed to marry their own sisters (In most parts of the world save some tribal areas)? Why do men marry women younger than themselves? What makes marriage so special and indispensable? A vast horizon of questions emerge as we contemplate.

We often come across couples complaining about difficulties in continuing as life partners. Most of the marriages end up being disasters, though the couples physically live together. Several hurdles prevail in the path of marriage. In a multi-faceted society like ours, we have all sorts of monsters such as caste, dowry, male chauvinism, and so on. Western culture is no safer than ours. Marriage is no more sacred for them. It's just a kind of mutual agreement. Once you get into a quarrel with your spouse, the very root of the marriage is shaken, and you are out of it! No wonder children use the initials of their mothers. After all, one can change his or her father, but not the mother.

It's surprising that we haven't invented something like 'spouse management' yet. In most of the families, marriage exists only because of the patience and sacrifice of either of the couple. Still, they get together when a problem arises. There is a mutual understanding between the two. Good children are brought up by good parents. When you compare the life history of a criminal to that of a genius, the difference becomes apparent. Good parents bring up good children; good marriage makes good parents. Thus, it entirely depends on being together.

But how does this make us different from animals? Lions stay together in prides. Sheep stay together in herds. Birds stay together in flocks. The difference between them and us is that we have emotions, logical thinking, and understanding. Marriage is all about sacrifice. Modern day marriages have taken a new dimension. People fight for the right to perform gay marriage. There are states that have approved it. There are laws that approve it. Marriage doesn't need a man and a woman anymore. Gone are those days. It is no more the same old one-way journey. In the world of metrosexual celebrities, marriage is not an essential aspect of life. Yet, whenever I see the old couple walking every evening, hand in hand, I realize the real meaning of marriage. I feel like visiting the sanctum sanctorum of a sacred institution.