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Contents idle Observer - Nishant boorla
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Interview Director Mani Shankar - Vijay narayan 7 Stay Foolish stay Hungry - Ashish Piplani
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The Actress - Anonymous
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Calvin and Hobbes - Sayonee Ghosh Roy
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Khaana Khazana - Surya Tej Borra
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Part Deux - Vidya Ramamoorthy
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The Empty Seat - Shrishti Rani
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Interview Elevation Dynamics - Revanth C
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Flights of Fantasy - Edocsil
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Standing Still - Revanth Choudhary
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Let Em Die - Sahil Mehta
27
Best Of facebook
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the there, there page
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DISCLAIMER: ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE OF THE RESPECTIVE AUTHORS. LTGTR BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY HURT SENTIMENTS. THE IMAGES USED ARE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
Idle Observer Nishant Boorla in an unknown location - because Prince William has to return to work as a search and rescue pilot next week.” His mission – Search and Rescue his manhood after that incredibly gay wedding!
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“Defiant Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi vowed on Saturday not to quit, but said he was ready for a “ceasefire and negotiations” as NATO bombed a key government complex in Tripoli.” Somebody tell him that’s not how it works! You don’t get to call ceasefire when you’re being attacked you moron! Did Jerry ever run up to Tom and say enough with the death-traps, I’m calling a ceasefire?!
fter a royal wedding that captured the attention the world over and broke internet viewing records, a honeymoon is next for Prince William and his new wife, Catherine Middleton, right? WRONG! Well not “A blonde was invited to the beatification immediately anyway. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have opted to hold off on a ceremony of the late Pope John Paul II.” She honeymoon, instead choosing to have a private promptly packed her make-up kit! weekend to themselves in the United Kingdom “AIEEE question paper was leaked before the exam.” Students however, still struggling to solve the problems!
“Facebook has been declared the most popular social network in India ahead of Orkut and Twitter, with over 25 million users.” Still no match for the Swiss Bank which has over a hundred million Indian users! Now moving over to commerce. Brands leave no stone unturned to accommodate a superstar
for their ad campaigns. They even go so far as changing their marketing slogans, even their entire marketing campaign. Here’s a list of changed ad slogans that would be required to accommodate legitimate superstars. Accenture Previously: Accenture. Performance.Delivered But then they felt they need Tiger Woods back New Slogan: Please Don’t! to boost business. So they signed him with a slight modification to their slogan. New slogan: Accenture. High Performance. M&M’s Delivered. With a happy ending. Previously: Melts in your mouth, not in your hands. Then they decided to follow Accenture and sign Tiger Woods. For unknown reasons, they stuck to the old slogan. Energizer Batteries Previously: Nothing outlasts the Energizer. It keeps going and going and going. Then they also signed Tiger Woods. You get the joke don’t you? Nokia
GEICO
Previously: So easy a caveman can do it. Previously: Connecting People. Now they didn’t change their slogan, but But then they felt a joint deal with BSNL Cell One instead decided to search for a suitable brand would attract more customers. ambassador. They received a call from Lasith New Slogan: Connecting People. Sometimes. Malinga! Nike
Apple
Previously: Just Do It! Previously: Think outside of the box. Then Nike signed 85 year old Hugh Hefner and They signed Paris Hilton. his 25 year old fiancé. New Slogan: Think. Fine, at least try.
Film Director
Mani Shankar
Vijay Narayan
“Indian film producers are like bulls without balls.” Engineer from BITS to award winning director, it’s been a hell of a journey for director Mani Shankar. He’s made some visually thrilling movies and touched on a variety of social issues. And he’s worked with some of the biggest stars in the industry. He talks to Vijay Narayan about life, work and films in general Q- After pursuing an engineering degree, what inspired you to shift to directing movies A- I was bored sick of engineering. Doing the same old dumb thing day after day. In fact most of our batch changed their career profiles and ended up doing something else. Besides the idea of getting stuck in a smelly factory for the rest of my life was unendurable. When I got a chance to shift, I moved into advertising as a copy writer. Never looked back. Q- What kind of requirements does one need to fulfill to pursue a career in film direction? A- Being born in the Raj Kapoor family really helps. Otherwise its a grind all the way. You need a clutch of skills- imagination, narration, eloquence, charm- and loads of luck. Or else you need to know how to kiss a producers ass in a unique way - better than anyone else. Thank God I entered the field as a producer- investing my own money and taking the risk. I could never have made it as a director otherwise.
Q- Any particular genre of movies that you have always wanted to direct? A- I started with crime thrillers, moved on to anti war films, did a mythological sci-fi, then did a realistic gritty genre, then a slick thriller, and now i will do a romantic comedy and also a gritty hard hitter. Any genre that i fancy at the moment i will do. No fixed preferences. Everything is good fun. Q- What kind of difficulties did you face while trying to become a director? A- I knew nothing about direction, so had to learn on the fly while pretending to know it at the same time. It wasnt’ tough, because one thing we learn well in BITS is to bullshit your way through a situation. So i guess that really helped. A director sits on top of the food chain, so to speak. There are always people ready to pull him down, suck up to him, flatter him, slash him, admire him, criticize him, want to sleep with him. You got to learn to be thick skinned and do the right thing always, following your conscience, never stooping, never worrying about consequences. If you succumb to the shit you will eventually drown in it. So beware. Q- Which movie, in your opinion, is your best work till date? A- Knockout.
Q- Which actors/actresses have you enjoyed working with the most? A- Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan, and of course, Irrfan and Kangana- they are real sweetheartsgreat talent, great attitude. Q- What, in your opinion, does Indian cinema really need to make ground breaking movies eg. Inception, Black Swan et al? A- Indian film producers are like bulls without balls. They snort a lot, stamp about and raise dust but are unable to perform- the critical task of actually funding a daring innovative film. They need to take some testosterone injections and graft back their balls if we have to make great films like Inception. Basically its all about courage and conviction- both of which producers lack. Q-How difficult is it to balance a personal life with so much work? A- When you really enjoy what you do, its no longer work- its a part of your personal life. So actually i have been on an extended vacation from the last two and a half decades. Q- What was your first movie making experience like? A- I threw the rule book out. I woke up on the first day of shoot and kicked butt all day long- doing exactly as I liked. And guess what- it was terrfic! I changed the script a few times as we went alongand that was great too Q- There’s been such a lot of talk about Anna Hazare and corruption and how he inspired people....do you think movies could do that too? A - Public issues have a limited value in commercial cinema. The problem with india is not that the leaders are corrupt. It’s that we are corrupt as a race. And we really dont care. So any film purely on a social issue will end in disaster. Ask yourself- would you rather see Katrina rubbing herself on a pole showing off her cleavage or see a ponderous film on corruption? Q. Any last words? A. Follow your heart. You got just one life. Dont fuck it up with greed and overplanning. Kids these days tend to plan too much. The essential quality of life is that it is unpredictable. Flow with the unpredictablity, enjoy the scenery. There isnt any goal as such to life. There is only the journey. Learn to enjoy the journey.
Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish!
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Ashish Piplani
hen they printed it on the back of Whole Earth Catalogue, no one ever imagined that there would be a class of guys, a few decades down in the future who would take this too literally. When it was said, the Web was not yet born and apple was still a fruit. Nothing remains relevant with time (except Da Vinci); same is the case with this phrase. The Hungry It comes as a delight. It soothes you more than an 1875 vintage wine. It makes you feel blessed by one of those Gods of pleasure: Dionysus, Eros or Indra if you go desi. Random people become your best buddies when they say “Let’s go”. This is the magnitude of desire you have for any possible medium of escape from your books which leads to the inevitable relapse. You order, you yap, you gobble, you guzzle. You hold a book that keeps giving you a look, begging “Open me, open me!” (Pseudo) hunger. High five! The Foolish You developed a good taste for music, from Reshammiya to the Rolling stones, from Bollywood to Bob Dylan and the Beatles. You also get to know Brad Paisley isn’t just the name of a random Aussie cricketer and Shooglenifty isn’t a Japanese hero. You start to appreciate the notes of Chopin and his Minute Waltz, the drunk Irish lyrics of Dropkick Murphy’s and THAT whistle from Per
Qualche Dollaro, the elegance of the Corrs, the marks the drastic change in the keywords that rhythm of Jackson, the rhyming of Eminem to Google search witnesses. The transition is just the wit of Weird Al and the baritone of Shaggy. uncanny - from Porn to Procrastination, Sex to And sometimes you think, “Rip that power Shiv Khera, Adult to Attitude and…… don’t even cord off (thanks to D Dell batteries),open that open that gate. The whole affair subsides when goddamn book and concentrate!” Speaking the few leftover patches of the wall are covered of which, your distracted mind conspires with with the hand written quotes. the wondrous web and you end up listening to Tibetan Chants, composed in Himalayas, played on Altec Lansing with some serious recreation of Himalayan serenity (yeah the Ambiencemix versions with birds chirping and flutesqué music of breeze) You feel like a Buddhist monk sitting there in your poorly ventilated room, hoping for some focus, trust me! Sir Tim Berners Lee, you are great.! How can we forget your beloved creation, the Internet and his ruined son, Invention of the Millennium, Mr. YouTube? Oh and if I forgot to mention, your exam ‘preparation’ is officially on. So, coming to that bastard again: it was originally opened with lots of hope and enthusiasm for the online IIT Lectures, to cope up for the classes that never existed in your universe. These YouTube sessions start in great style, with Lectures getting downloaded in the background (on IDM) till in a small corner you see something. “What’s that video with n million HITS?” …and you know the rest. The process continues to infinity and beyond! Unless that over exhausted Shockwave Plugin cries, “Oh Snap! L”. Then comes the motivated avatar. This stint
http://www. pipophany. blogspot.com/
(Irrelevant Note: Even Google’s “Mr. Instant” starts working because everyone around is fast asleep by that time, giving you their share of bandwidth). But you are back to form soon :-P. Movie time! Who can miss them? The ideal time for finishing up Trilogies, Quadralogies or even Pentologies (yeah, Home Alone) for that matter. You acquire all the ‘gyaan’ about eccentricity of Kubrick, style of Ritchie, completeness of Nolan, rawness of Tarantino and grandeur of Cameron. Is the movie over? Yes? Simple, now you end up Wikiing about their lives and wives. So where were we colonel? 3 hours to the exam, sir. You smile hopelessly, pick up your book again only to find that all you have read is: “FOR SALE ONLY IN INDIA, BANGLADESH, PAKISTAN AND NEPAL” in large red letters near the LPE logo. ♫♪♫Riiinnnngggg. ♫♪♫ Birds are chirping, my head’s hurting, but I am too afraid to look out of the window to see the first rays of the Sun, to face the truth. No! No! No! This is not what I wanted. It’s the 7am alarm. 1 hour to go. 4 chapters left (err… the syllabus) Where’s my Calci? What’s that irritation in my stomach? Why are my eyes burning? I take a deep breath, regain my calm. No, not again! I landed up in the same situation yet again. How can one be so consistently idiotic? Found myself exactly in the same scene again with no idea of how I reached there. Out of the blue, I start drawing parallels with the opening scene of Inception and I don’t know how I ended up here again. I look at my lappy, to see a face of a rather frail old man, in his fifties, filling
my screen. I realized it’s a paused video I must have been watching .It is Steve Jobs from that famous Stanford Commencement. I hit Play only to hear him say “Stay hungry, stay foolish”. And suddenly you experience an epiphany that you had acted both hungry and foolish and now there is no coming back, so you rinse your face, go to the LTC, find the exam hall and sleep there to rest the thoughts racing through your mind. EPILOGUE
eve of EVERY exam, that may have cost you 2 extra points in your GPA, there’s a flip side: The gain can be invaluable. Of all the arguments you make, these are times when you discovered your inner self, you imbibed new ideas and you reasoned and as they say, always leave on a positive note. It brought the Gentleman out of the man you are. Did I mention the angry birds? :-P. Pipophany again! Ha ha!
The Optimist But, for the entire time you ‘wasted’ on the
The Actress
Anonymous
S
he was no one. She was everyone. She was the perfect creation of God . She had long ago decided that her feelings, such as they were, were who you wanted her to be. Some people have real lives, and other immaterial. Did the actor who played Othello tell pretend to have one. It hadn’t taken her long the audience what he thought of Shakespeare? to figure out that she definitely belonged to the No, he only told them what Othello felt. He must second category. Her entire life consisted of her become Othello, or he is just another man, not an slipping into various roles, acting out the feelings actor. The only difference was that, if she didn’t and emotions felt by each part. And she did it become whatever part she was playing, she was well, oh yes. She was so good at it that she no not just another woman, she was nobody. longer remembered how not to act, and every time something happened in her life that needed a reaction from her, she had to decide which of her many roles she was going to don. Everyone she met in life was subjected to a sample of the finest acting that was the culmination of twenty years of ceaseless practice. Every artist needed a stage. And she had made the world hers, like an old poet had once suggested. And her audiences were the people she loved, the people she could not live without. The same people, incidentally, who would walk out of the hall at the slightest hint of a boring script. Her greatest fear was playing to an empty hall. She was constantly terrified that the play she was acting was not engrossing enough, that her audience had better things to do, better places to be. And so she was always looking for flaws in herself, for things that she could correct to become
But what terrified her the most was that one day, she would be taken off her stage, that she would be forced to remove the myriad masks and layers of makeup that had kept her safely hidden, and then you would find a colourless, bleached canvas; a still doll. She was nothing if you took her off the stage. And because she could not let that happen, she poured in her life-force into her acting. There were days when she revelled in it, and there were days when every word, every action was a superhuman effort. Yet, she thought, it was all worth it in the end. The applause was addictive, intoxicating. And so she continued playing, in spite of her terror, in spite of all that it cost her. For she was, first and foremost, the consummate actress.
In A Character’s Persona
Calvin And Hobbes
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Sayonee Ghosh Roy
hat can be so appealing about a six year old kid playing make-believe with his stuffed tiger? That he can put the best minds to shame! Calvin & Hobbes may be packaged as a comic strip but it is as good as lessons in heavy-duty philosophy. Bill Watterson, the cartoonist, attempts to portray the realities of life through his wisecracking, motor-mouth yet innocent creation. The backdrop and setup of the characters is incidentally inspired by former American president, Calvin Coolidge, who reportedly kept a tiger as a pet. So Calvin is your quintessential troublesome six year old problem child – troubling his parents, disobeying his teachers, playing pranks on his classmates, but scratch the surface and you’ll find someone whose wisdom is well beyond his years. For Calvin is not the least bit like his peers, concerned only about Saturday morning cartoons (not that he isn’t as well!) or what’s for lunch. The fact that he simulates approval ratings for his Dad’s performance as a parent along the lines of that of the American president,
shows a thorough understanding of the political system. His non-conformist attitude at school is a clear indication that he’s not content with being just another brick in the wall. He’s not an atheist but rather conveniently manipulates the institution of faith in God (and Santa Claus) to suit his needs. The most memorable of characters always come in pairs. There’s no Laurel without Hardy, no Tom without Jerry , no Thomson without Thompson and it goes without saying for Hobbes. He’s Calvin’s confidante, righthand and best buddy but the relationship is symbiotic. Only with Calvin’s vivid imagination does Hobbes come alive. Many a time do you notice Hobbes to be a complete contrast to Calvin – opposing his radical views or reckless acts. This is not split personality, rather Hobbes is a projection of Calvin’s other side, his conscience. It also brings up a rather interesting point of self-existentialism. He knows that he doesn’t toe the line always and he has Hobbes chide him but if he plans to go ahead with it…
well you can’t say he didn’t warn himself. But that doesn’t mean Hobbes is never a partnerin-crime, he’s a quite willing one at that. How hard can it be to change your own mind after all? Coming now to the people who influence his world – his parents, his teacher, his babysitter (Rosalyn) and his love-to-hate friend (Susie) No matter how much of a ruckus he creates, his Mom will still go running to him in the middle of the night when he calls for her and his Dad will always forgive him for his misdoings, instead of dragging him to see a shrink. No matter how much he spaces out in class or protests that answering 2+2 is against his religious beliefs, his teacher doesn’t see the need to give any other punishment except a reprimand and sometimes exasperation. No matter how difficult he makes it for her and even mistreats her, Rosalyn will never say no to baby-sitting him. No matter how much of a misogynist and chauvinist he parades himself to be, no matter how many snowballs he throws at her or tries to freak her out with gross descriptions of his lunch, Susie will never completely sever ties with him. Why? Because they all love him in their own way and recognize that he’s special, consciously or unconsciously. Inspite of his extraordinary intellect, Calvin is still, on some level, just an ordinary kid. Even he has to deal with bullies like Moe or daydreams about being a cool superhero (Spaceman Spiff,
Stupendous Man etc) He’s a representation of all what we endure at different stages of our life, it’s just that he never ages. Everything he does is straight from the gut. This kid’s really a genius one-man act. Giving a stuffed toy a mature personality of its own is beyond the capability and realms of an average Joe, let me tell you that! But he would be bereaved without his furry, feline friend. A common refrain of his is that reality continues to ruin his life and believe me, Calvin and Hobbes will be destroyed the day Calvin wakes up to the reality that Hobbes is nothing more that cloth and bits of fluff.
Khaana Khazana
R
emember the last time you had some really sumptuous food? Your mind rewinds to your Uncle’s daughter’s wedding or the outing to Chutneys or the last reunion at City Gate. Vacations are around the corner and most of us will be going to different parts of our country to complete Practice School-I. LTGTR brings to you the different cuisines from across the country to make your stay there more memorable and enjoyable!
- Surya tej borra Now what is so special about the Indian food which makes it very different from other cuisines around the world? Spices!! The spice and life in the Indian food is something to die for! Spices are inseparable from our cuisine and an indispensable part too! Haldi, Garam Masala, Mirchi, Methi, Adrak….Wow, my mouth is watering already! India is a diverse country with many regional cultures with each region having its own food habits. The differences may arise due to local customs, geographical location and economics. Indian cuisine is also seasonal with priority placed on the use of fresh produce. ANDHRA PRADESH It is an amalgamation of Deccan and Telugu recipes and the coastlines treat you with the best sea food such as Chepala Pulusu (sambar with fish pieces) and Royyala Vepudu (fried fish curry) Andhra Pradesh is known for its usage of chilies and lemon juice in cooking. Pickles such as Avakaya (green mango) and Gongura Pachadi are simply awesome. The breakfast special
includes Pesarattu Upma which is a combination of roasted dosa and upma which is served with ginger chutney and loads of ghee. A large variety of non-vegetarian dishes are also at your service like Natikodi Vepudu (fried chicken, Andhra Style) and Gongura Mutton. You can’t miss the Kebabs and Biryani in Hyderabad. You should taste the Ragi Sankati and Natikodi Pulusu (a main course served along with porridge) if you’re around Rayalaseema. And do not forget to taste the sweets Kakinda Kaaja (a layered sweet of wheat and sugar) and Putharekulu. PONDICHERRY
cuisines. It is considerably influenced by Goan and Mahrashtran food as well. The famous Udipi cuisine here constitutes of Masala Dosa, Mysore Bonda, Maddur Vada ( Papad like vadas) and Rava Idli. The so called ‘bath’ culture is very famous here. Bath refers to a rice dish prepared along with a primary ingredient such as brinjal or tomato, examples being Vangi bath (brinjal), Bisibele bath (rice and sambar together) and Khara bath (rice and mirchi) Sweets include Mysore Pak, Kesari bath, Chiroti and Dharwad Pedha. PUNJAB
Food defines them. Usage of liberal amounts Known for its typical Indo-French style of cooking, Tandoori potato, baked beans, stuffed of cottage cheese, ghee, cream and butter is cabbage and Soya Dosa are some popular recipes common here as it is tailor-made to suit their lifestyle. They toil all day in the fields after all! here. TAMIL NADU Idli, dosa, pongal, idhiyappam (noodles clustered like an idli) primarily form the breakfast menu of people here. The well-known Sambar (:P) adds the much needed ‘da’-flavour to it. And the Madras filter coffee is a perfect complement to it. We may have savoured coffee in Barista and CCD but the Madras Filter Coffee of the “Mamis” is amazing. Don’t forget the Chettinad style of dishes! The Dindigul-Parota and Thalapakattu Biryani comes with a special Kaaraikudi taste which constitutes the nonvegetarian palette here. KERALA Coconut and coconut milk are extensively used in Keralite dishes. Backwaters and a long coastline make Kerala very famous for sea food. Unique delicacies such as Appam, Puttu, Avayal, Payasam, Padumbari and Pathiri are a must taste here. One is very sure of falling in love with coconuts after tasting it here in God’s own land! KARNATAKA It is a mix of Kerala, Tamil and Andhra
Dal Makhani is considered staple food here. There are certain dishes which are special to Punjab such as Mah ki Dal and Sarson da Saag. Tandoor is one of the specialties of Punjabi food. Most of popular Anglo-Indian dishes like pakoras, naan and vegetable dishes with paneer have their origin here. If you are in Punjab, you are assured of a heavenly boarding experience.
MAHARASHTRA Maharastran diet basically consists of rice, wheat, jowar and vegetables. Kokum, a deep purple berry is widely used as an appetizer. The Vidarbha region here is famous for items like puranpoli, batata wada, ukdiche modak and sabudana khichdi (porridge of rice and dal). Coming to the hotspot Mumbai, it has more of a cosmopolitan menu with a huge Western impact. Urban delicacies such as Pav Bhaji, Vadapav, Ragada and Golgappa are an integral part of city lifestyle. GOA A happening place for tourists, Goan delicacies find their vegetarian fare influenced by Konkan recipes and non-vegetarian by Portuguese. Kingfish, Pomfret, mackerel, crabs, tiger prawns and lobsters are just a few names from the exhaustive menu of sea food you get here. After this meal, a cashew fenny or a beer can set things just right. MADHYA PRADESH Gwalior and Indore are known for milk-based dishes while Bhopal is known for meat-based dishes such as bafla, korma, keema (minced meat), biryani and kebabs. Another famous dish originated here in Malwa region - Poha (flattened rice) Laddus have their origin here. HARYANA Food in Haryana is devoid of added artificial flavors and preservatives. Because Haryana is rich in cattle population, milk products are extremely common. Kadhi Pakora, Besan Masala Roti, Bajra Aloo Roti,Churma, Kheer, Bathua Raita, Methi Gajar, Singri ki Sabzi and Tamatar Chutney are favourites here. All throughout Haryana, you will come across a number of Dhabas or roadside food stalls serving this typical fare. Lassi and Sherbat are the popular beverages.
UTTAR PRADESH Uttar Pradesh has been greatly influenced by Mughlai cooking techniques which are famous in India and Pakistan. The Nawabi food in Lucknow is very famous for Dum Biryani, Galouti Kebab (roasted meat pieces) and other mutton dishes. The famous Indian breakfast item Puri, kheer, snacks such as samosa and pakora have their origin here. WEST BENGAL The Bengali babus insist that a tour if India is incomplete without tasting their food which is a true combination of tastes and emotions of Eastern India. With an emphasis on fish and lentils served with rice as a staple diet, Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle flavours, its confectioneries and desserts, and has perhaps the only multi-course tradition from India that is analogous with French and Italian cuisine in structure. All the great sweets such as Rasagollah (small casein balls in sugar syrup), Rasmalai and Sandesh (fragile pieces of cheese kneaded with sugar) have their basIs here. The rest of eastern Indian cuisine is primarily non-vegetarian and has an intense tribal instinct. This is the whole of India calling you to give
it share of calories to make your summer a flavourful and delicious one. Go on, infuse life into your taste buds which lie comatose due to our lousy mess food. And most importantly do not forget to have a nice “PAAN” after your meal. RAJASTHAN Expect a ‘rich’ affair in this princely state as most of the preparations here are made out of ghee and milk. Besan and gram flour are typical in Marwari food. The desert atmosphere here calls for food which can be preserved for long. The Rajasthani platter includes Daal-Baati, Tarfini, Raabdi, Bail-Gatte, Panchkoota, Chaavadi, Laapsi, Kadhi, Boondi and snacks like Bikaneri Bhujia, Mirchi Bada and Pyaaj Kachori. GUJARAT Gujarati cuisine is primarily vegetarian. It is distinctively sweet, salty and spicy at the same time. A special summer dish made of mangoes, Keri Nora, is an integral part of their meal. The steamed dhokla (steamed cubes of wheat), thepla, khakra, jilebi, kachori and undhiyu are some of its signature dishes.
Part Duex Vidya Ramamoorthy
www.vidyatherider.blogspot.com
Second chances. Everybody’s a criminal. Everybody’s a perfectionist. Everybody wants second chances. watching the infamous and typically Indian telly serials-no kidding, the saas bahu serials, where the heroine is always modestly dressed in pastel colors, and the evil mistress always wears shimmery eye shadow and bindis of gargantuan proportions (even to bed). Like my friend V says-”If it’s bad, it’s all bad.” What I’m trying to say is that we have been conditioned to judge people by their appearances, their first lapses, or something as ow many of us have actually lived a life trivial as their choice of entertainment or their devoid of regret? We always hanker favorite color. Ok, scratch that last. after a second chance, a second innings, if you will, where we will play bigger and better. Oh, and woe betide someone who’s in the Bad What’s fishy is that even though we all have book. this hunger for redemption within us, we’re not Even if he proved be a heartwarmingly very keen on granting others second chances. generous fuzz ball later, he’d always be “the Before you Freudians dissect this theory shark that didn’t pay for all of us when we and declare it to be a vote against capital drunk ourselves silly on HIS birthday at the bar. punishment, let me assure you that I am a Imagine.HIS birthday. Tsk. Tsk.) simple twenty year old whose range of thought does not extend beyond my family, my friends, my home and my college; and yet, within this While part of my rant maybe directed at what tiny world I live in, I see so many closed doors in my friends deem a “craven” taste in musicplace of welcoming thresholds. (because I’d pick Buble over Black Sabbath any day of the week and twice on Sunday.), this is about so much more than social isolation and We’re quick to judge and slow to forgive. clique wars. This is about creating an atmosphere I think part of this deep rooted desire to divide so vile that it cripples an individual’s ability to the world into black and white comes from be himself.
H
Spare us the trouble of waiting to see if you to you. can emerge like a phoenix from the ashes, we’d Second chances! rather just sweep the remains and prepare for For sequels are almost always good*. next Sunday’s barbecue. *The almost in the above sentence was inspired by a particularly melancholic afternoon spent A second chance is something you should trying to watch Superman IV. campaign for if any of these things have happened to you Ps-I’d almost decided to write an entry on why - Lost a loved one over an argument -Fallen out with friends because of one people always insist on hanging out at food joints, for this month’s theme of Straight From misunderstanding -Been kicked out of a team because of one the Gut. match you fouled up Why must one always end a fun day out or -Earned a bad name because of that one thing a group outing, with a completely unnecessary you said sojourn to a coffee shop or a la dee dah lounge/ -Been put down, and unfairly so, because of bakery/local chaat wala’s ? that one stand you took I didn’t think the Editor would run it though. - Been asked to go home even before the show began Chances are,all of these things have happened Cheerio!
The Empty Seat Shrishti Rani
A
nd now I walk this unlit lawn, To wonder where the light has gone, The yellowed grass under my feet, l Leads me on to your empty seat. I sit down there, Your thoughts repeat, The tears, the laughter, the petty fights, The jolly cheers in merry lights. This was the place we all did play Till the gales of time blew it away Leaving back the ruins of yesterday, Your memories ripple beyond the shore, I watch from far, I can do no more.
Tears roll down, but I fake a smile, As you wave good bye all the while, Just set to sail; away a hundred mile, If you must go, so long, Know that my soul too goes along, It won’t let go your hand, my friend. I’ll keep coming here, To dream of you, Of the lights all gone, Of the flowers few, To the grass all yellowed ,with lost hue, To this empty seat left behind by you……
Elevation Dynamics
Revanth C.
We first saw these guys perform in our college fest, among bands like Escher’s Knot and Eccentric Pendulum. They were an unknown quantity in the equation, an element we knew little about. Their unique combination of progressive heavy metal rifs with Carnatic and Arabic vocalizing style was something I had never experienced. Motherjane’s vocals have a similar texture but the effect just isn’t the same. A fluid unhindered amalgamation of Indian and western music is what characterizes Elevation Dynamics and sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. A band you must listen to, if you have a love for progressive heavy metal.
Q. HOW’D YOU GUYS COME UP WITH THE NAME ELEVATION DYNAMICS ? A: After the band made a first song, we felt that the song spoke more than what we thought about. Hence Prince suggested the name Dynamics i.e. the science of a particular thing. And then the name elevation was suggested. So basically it means the science of elevating oneself from within. Q. AND THE CURRENT LINE-UP OF THE BAND IS ? A: Aditya Francis - Vocals Jatin Jitendrakumar - Bass Shrinivas Iyer & Vignesh- Guitars Prince John - Percussion Q. HOW LONG HAVE YOU ALL KNOWN EACH OTHER? HOW DID YOU MEET? A: Everyone apart from Vignesh studied in the same college. And ours was a college where metalheads
were rare and easy to spot. Aditya, Jatin and Shri started jamming a few songs. Later Prince was asked to join and Vignesh joined in January (thanks to facebook). Q. WHAT GENRE OF MUSIC DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR MUSICAL EXPRESSION TO BE? WHO ARE YOUR MAJOR INFLUENCES? A: Our genre is Progressive metal with a Carnatic and Arabic music influence. The major influences can be listed as Dreamtheater, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Motherjane, Textures and Tool. And some other bands as well. Q. WHEN DID YOU FORM YOUR BAND? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER? A: The band was formed In November 2009. But the final line up formed in January 2011. The inspiration to make music together is the different influence we have and our love for experimentation and create something extraordinary. The song Repentance Day took 7 months to produce. Q. HOW DOES THE SONG WRITING / COMPOSING PROCESS GO ABOUT IN YOUR BAND? A: Shri, Aditya and Vignesh bring in the riffs. Sometimes Jatin does too. I compose the beats considering every riff. Aditya writes the lyrics (with bad handwriting though). A lot of riffs are rejected in the jam room considering the structure of the songs. So our composition process is usually lengthy but everyone loves the output which comes with so much thinking. Q. WHAT ARE THE MAIN THEMES OR TOPICS FOR MOST OF YOUR SONGS? A: The songs talk about the positive aspects of life and about the wrongs we do against ourselves and the society. We take some stories from the past and relate it to today’s life. Q. HOW DO YOU GUYS REHEARSE AND PRACTICE? A: We make it a point to practice at least once a week and thrice a week when some gigs are near. The jam usually happens at Prince’s Place. He owns a place where he conducts music classes as well.
Q. WHICH SONGS DO YOU PERFORM MOST FREQUENTLY? DO YOU EVER PLAY ANY COVERS? DO YOU HAVE A SET-LIST FOR EACH OF YOUR GIGS? A: The songs we perform frequently are- Repentance Day, Fall of the Pharoah and Final Cry. We started playing a new song called Echoes Within. We have never played covers and we stick to this set list for most of the gigs. Q. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS AN UPCOMING BAND IN INDIA? A: To find the right sound and to infuse the Carnatic style into metal. Also not imitating the west was another challenge as we are bombarded by the music from the west. Q. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE WESTERN MUSIC SCENE IN INDIA ? AND BY TAKE , WE MEAN LITERALLY , TAKE. A: As we said earlier, the western music development in the India is only limited to the genre pop. Rock and metal listeners aren’t growing at the rate at which pop or hip-hop listeners are growing. We believe around 4 years down the line there will be much more rock n metal listeners across the country providing opportunity to a lot of upcoming bands. Q. FINDING ONE’S OWN SOUND IS A LONG GONE-BY THING , IN TODAY’S GENRE-PLAGUED SCENE . DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SOUND ? A: Yes we have found our own sound but it is still evolving. It is easy to spot Elevation Dynamics music out of the 100 bands you listen to. Guaranteed. 15- ANY LAST WORDS? A: Buy our cd’s when we launch it. You will not regret it.
Flights of Fantasy Edocsil
So what is the solution to this problem, you ask? That depends. I would like to chat away to death with Megan Fox, but it really isn’t the same with the stinky feet guy. I would rather stick to myself and sulk away in my corner as far away from the stench as possible (man, diffusion is a bitch! the smell’s gonna get to me all the same!)
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raveling is truly bothersome, and it’s worse if you are heading off to a place which you don’t particularly like (hot, humid, alien place on God’s good three dimensional space i.e.) Anyway, my advice if you are heading off to such a despicable place : just take a flight, saves you the excruciating brooding over your darn fate and trying to find a rational explanation as to why God hates you. Trust me, time flies when you are staring at the clouds and the tin can you are travelling in, is moving at a speed close to the speed of sound (Einstein was so wrong!) Hmmm….so what was I actually planning to blabber about?? Lets see, yes! So the perfect solution to escape the clutches of boredom, is going to sleep. Well, now that isn’t always possible. Assume you have this annoying big mouth with stinky feet sitting next to you that can’t really sleep, well not without poking a fine little needle into your ears! Even after that there is a fairly good chance that you will end up with your nose near his foot (very likely in a train), that isn’t going to be a pretty experience. Though, if you are a weirdo who isn’t bothered by the prospect of a severely damaged olfactory system, all is well.
We seem to have hit upon a major problem, you say - yes, seems to be so does it not? Well my friend, why do you think I’m here?? My absolute jobless existence has enabled me to ponder over this fundamental problem and here is my solution to this fundamental dilemma. Imagination is a powerful thing, it can conjure up an explicit little scenario for yourself. The way in which you choose to wield this powerful tool depends on the way God decided to fix your wiring. If you are a perverted little chimp, then well your libido is going to drive your little fantasy world in a direction that I would rather not get into, though I guess it’s going to be fun. The philosophicalguy is gonna go all beserk….”Look at the sun drift along space for all eternity through the haze of space and time….” Blah blah blah.....just make sure you don’t get any divine revelations during your little philosophical experience, because we already have enough theorems to bother with, adding another one will just earn you a lot more profanity that you otherwise would have earned. Then there are the kiddos - “Mummy, look! The place is flying through a pile of cotton candy!” “Ahhh, he’s so cute!!” goes a girl in the background. Whatever your fantasy is, it’s guaranteed to be a lot more fun than mindless chatter, sloth-like sleeping and staring at crumbling parchments. Experience
Standing Still
Revanth C.
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tanding still , looking above , the sky stares back, Stars they flicker through light, it amazes thy eyes, Its a sad thing though , they might allready be dead.
Standing still , looking at the river flow , it continues undisturbed, My reflection , in the water , not moving , moon and sun’s courtesy, Its a sad thing , the ripples created ,source unknown, will erase them. Standing still , looking at the earth , still gaze offered my eyes, My footprints, embedded in the soil , beautiful pattern , Its a sad thing , the winds of change , will erase them to nothingness. Standing still , looking at the fire , it flares back naturally, Burns my skin , something beneath it , pain is a metaphor , Its a sad thing , the ashes of time , will burn it out , due course. Standing Still , just waiting , time it calls in its voice, Wrinkles they grow , marks of age and wear , same end point , Its a sad Thing , everything tangible and intangible , is temporary. Standing Still , looking inside , true story in the diary, begins - pain , agony , frustration , denial and slowly.. acceptance and the theme for this story , smile , you know the reason for the temporary , a journey.
Euthanasia Let ' e m Die Sahil Mehta Wikipedia: Euthanasia (from the Greek εὐθανασία meaning “good death”: , eu (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of ending a life in a manner which relieves pain and suffering. According to the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, the precise definition of euthanasia is “a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering.”
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concept of taking a life, even your own, will horrify you. But for me it’s really a question of taking rules out of the equation and looking at the humanitarian aspect of it. Consider this case of Ms. Shanbaug. A nurse by profession, she was sexually assaulted in 1973 and has been in a vegetative state since then. Her condition is such that even the law has no clear definition of it. She is neither in a coma nor has full awareness. She can move her eyelids but not see, not recognize, not understand anything or anyone. And 37 long years she has been forced to “live” like this. All so that various groups who have no idea of her suffering can debate on the morality of taking a life and use the law as an excuse. Ridiculous! What even worse is that they call Passive euthanasia entails the withholding themselves humanitarian groups, people who of common treatments, such as antibiotics, are defending human rights. Preposterous! necessary for the continuance of life. I do not say that there aren’t legal and ethical Active euthanasia entails the use of lethal issues involved in allowing a life to be ended; substances or forces to kill and is the most especially when the patient concerned doesn’t controversial means. have the mental capacity to make that decision. If you are a normal person, then the very I can understand the Supreme Court’s concern didn’t know the existence of this word till a couple of years back. The first time I came across word was on the front page on the newspaper. It was some legal case whose details I do not recall. But the word stuck and since then I have been hearing about it with an alarming frequency. At the end of last year Sanjay Leela Bhansali addressed this issue in his film Guzaarish and now the SC judgment in the Aruna Shanbaug case does the same thing. Despite the SC judgment allowing passive euthanasia, the debate remains wide open. FYI euthanasia can be classified into the two categories apart from being classified as voluntary, involuntary or non-voluntary.
that allowing the petition by Mrs. Pinki Virani on behalf of Ms. Shanbaug could encourage other people to do so and not always with the right intention. But this is a clear cut case. The Court rejected the petition on the basis that Mrs. Virani had not taken care of the patient at any point of time, so she had no right to appeal for her death. Apparently the Court believes that you become the property of the people who take care of you. What a message to send out! The question is not about this case. There is a much larger issue involved here. Why is that we do not have the right to end our lives when we choose to? We aren’t given a choice while being born, at least we should have the right to die when we want to. Who gives the constitution, or a bunch of judges who crammed law books to decide that we have to live or die? All this crap about life being beautiful, being a gift etc. is really just that, CRAP! It’s a biological process. Period. If someone decides for whatever reason that he doesn’t want to live, it’s his choice. Whether things will change for the better is not something we can predict, so why force someone to live under a false hope?
I also know that a lot of people think that people who want to or attempt or successfully complete suicide are quitters. There is so much social stigma associated with it, it’s un-frickingbelievable. Last time I checked, the constitution gave me the right to choose how I lived. How hypocritical of it for the same constitution to deny me right to end my life. And it’s none of anyone’s business to judge me or order me. Life is over-rated at times and people die every day because of their choices in some way or the other. Why is it so hard for people to get that? Anyways, back to topic. I think that if we have even an ounce of humanity in us, we should allow people who are suffering incessantly with no hope for recovery, or people whose lives have just become meaningless both physically and mentally to end their lives. Even if we do not have that ounce of humanity, it is no business of ours to interfere in someone else’s life choices. When we find cure for such diseases or conditions, that time you can remove it as a basis for euthanasia. Till then, we need to allow euthanasia. Our fear of death as a society is no reason for someone to continue to suffer for it.
Best o f FB Shubh Chaudhary the biggest thrill of a girl’s life is to see a fatter girl than her =):) :) hahaha Vivek Nanda Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius!!! Raman Sood ACP Ji ke janm divas pr ek PJ.. Once..Rajnikanth taught a child ‘Fleming’s Right Hand Rule’.... These days..the child is called “ACP PRADHYUMAN”.... :P Kartavya Bhola Physics would have been much easier if ‘Tree’ instead of ‘Apple’ had fallen on Newton’s head :)) Madhu Garg I thinks there needs to be a “No Drama Please” button on Facebook. One click would be worth a thousand words :) Yeswanth Devisetty 43.9% of all the statistics are made on the spot !! Varun Potturu osama has done economics !! my career prospects hve broadened!! Abhijeet Chandratre Today’s lesson: Spammers need not be intelligent, they should only know how to exploit the foolishness of a person! x-( Suprabhath Kalahasti That akward moment when Dalglish walks into a pub and see’s the *Above-18* sign ! LOL Sai Praveen Padmanabhuni Husband throwing knives on wifes pic. All were missing the target!!!!! Suddenly he received call from her: “Hi,,wht r u doing?” His honest reply.. MISSING U.. :( Tanmay Zé Shah If all ye A. Raja’s and B. Raju’s are done scamming this country, can we move on with development? Pankaj Chhabra Life was so simple in college, at least you don’t have to buy petrol for Rs 70/litre !!! Kashish Dua Amma(Jayalalitha) has united wid Didi(Mamatha)....... Lets Celebrate !!!! Aaj desh ki Maa-Behen ek ho gayi.. :p Piyush Deshmukh Problem with beautiful girls is everyone is in love with them Leeon Passi Its Shocking : Punjab has more Liquor stores than government schools :/
Everyone has photographic memory; some just don’t have the film.
-There, There