Ridiculous!

Giving government the power to regulate what content goes on sites is madness. If this goes on, soon they will be deciding what we should eat and how much we should shit!

A Battery of Commercials

Commercials have started to freak me out. There was a time when they were a mere irritation, but today they have turned into a real scare. They are everywhere, these commercials. They have hijacked every medium of communication known to mankind, be it the radio, the newspaper, the hoardings, the pamphlets, the snail mail, the television, the Internet...

Some tempt you to buy chocolates, while others goad you into buying toothpaste; some invite you to eat all the junk food you can, while others scare you into buying medical insurance; some sell sugar-free chewing gum, while others sell cholesterol-free cooking oil. So many cellular service-providers advertise so many schemes that you'll have a very hard time deciding on which one to stick with. Ever wonder what would be the result if you tried out all those anti-dandruff products on offer? How would your commode fare if you tried out all those toilet-cleaners being advertised? So many baby-care products are being advertised that your baby should have a grand-baby by the time you try them all out!

Anywhere we look, somebody is trying to sell us something. But they don't shut up even if we buy from them. They buy into our TV time and brainwash us four times in every half hour. They pay well-known celebrities to drive the message home to us; some unknown people have come to be known as celebrities since they started appearing in commercials. They have mastered the use of the Internet as an effective marketing medium...

What scares me the most about all this? The fact that these manufacturers and service-providers can and will go to any extent to sell their ware. The day is not far when they will go beyond the currently accessible media and learn to reach out on a more direct and more personal scale via brain-entrainment, telepathy, mass-hypnosis, dream-infiltration, and para-psychology. What then? We may switch off the television and shut down our computers, but how can we ever switch off our brains?

A New Venture

Finally got started on a blog about chess. The idea is to improve by sharing. That will be possible if I can reach out to more experienced players. A couple of strong players would be a great asset to connect with and to start off. Hoping for the best...

Update: The URL is: http://hungryforchess.blogspot.com

News

Dear readers (or whoever is left of them),

As of today I am taking Chasmic Tales (my short stories and scripts blog) offline. The reason is purely commercial. I have published my first collection of scripts at the Kindle store, and some of the material there overlaps with what I had previously published in Chasmic Tales. I no more wish to give away freebies, so if you would like to read my short stories, please download my work from Kindle stores. I believe they offer print-on-demand services as well.

I shall continue sharing general articles and other stuff on this blog, of course, so you are welcome to keep visiting.

Happy blogging.

Back in Time

Saturday, April 17, 2010 was a very eventful weekend for me. Played the classic variation of "The dog and the bone" with a bunch of 5-year-old kids. They took me 30 years back through my life, and reminded me what "having fun" means. Even if every muscle in my body is aching today, it is worth the experience! 


Thanks, kiddos! :-)

Writer's Appeal

I think writers are, in many ways, like farmers. Some paper or blogs are their land. They need to invest their time and efforts into sowing the seeds of creativity, fertilizing it with their imagination, and nurturing their crops until they are ready for harvest. The only hope is that their produce will be able to secure a share of the market. The market is a very important end, because writers need to sell their ware in order to survive, and to be able to produce more and better.


Though there are several good writers who have successfully captured the market, there are many more who are still struggling toward that end. Are there any publishing houses willing to offer a little help in that direction? Is there anybody else reading this who can also help?


This is my personal appeal. My land has been barren for long. I wish to revive it once again. You may see samples of my produce in my scripts and poetries blogs. I can produce much more and better if I'm supported by a market. If anybody reading this post can help me sell my ware (specially through the print media), please come forward.


Many thanks.

The Amazing Number Nine...

By asking me some question about the number 9 during Navarathri, a dear friend provoked the numerologist in me, and I simply cannot resist sharing some very interesting facts about the number. The speciality of the number 9 can never be exaggerated! You certainly know some facts about 9, even though you may not have given much thought to them. May I enumerate a few outstanding facts below:

0. 9 is the final digit of the decimal system of counting.

1. Add any digit to 9, and the sum of the individual digits of the result will equal the original digit; compare this property with that of zero, which leaves the original digit after addition.

2. Multiply any digit with 9, and the sum of the individual digits of the result will equal 9; compare this property with that of zero, which leaves zero after multiplication.

3. Divide 9 by any digit, and observe the beautiful pattern that emerges out of the result.

4. Astronomically, there are 27 constellations in our galaxy, and each one them has 4 directions, and 27 * 4 = 108, In other words the number 108 covers the whole galaxy.

5. In Pythagorean numerology, 9 is the last of the digits, and thus marks (among several other things) conclusion, end, finalization, judgement, fruition, rhythm, justice, regeneration, spirituality, voyaging, ambition, intellectualism. Also, the words "FORTY FIVE" and "FIFTY FOUR" each sum up to 54 (9x6). Note that 6 is the sum of the factors of 9 (3x3=9, 3+3=6). Also note that 5+4 is also 9. The Gematria of the word "Dan," which means a judge, is 54 (9x6).

6. In one minute, we breathe in approximately 15 times, in 1 hour 900 times, and in 12 hours 10800 times, and in a day 21600 times. The sum of individual digits of either 10800 or 21600 is nine.

7. According to Indian mythology, there are 4 Yugs

         Satyug - consists of 172,800 years (1+7+2+8 = 18 == (1+8 = 9)

         TretaYug consists of 1296000 years (1+2+9+6 = 18 =  (1+8 = 9)

         DwaparYug consists of 864000 years (8+4+6) = 18 = (1+8 = 9)

         Kaliyug   consists of 432000 years (4+3+2) = 9 

8. In Hinduism, Rishi Vyas created 9 Purans, 108 MahaPuran (Upnishads). Mahabharat has 18 chapters, Geeta has 18 chapters, Bhagavat has 108000 verses. The sum of individual digits of each of these numbers is 9.

9. Our festival "Nava Rathri" literally means, and is practically celebrated for, 9 nights, and it signifies the 9 forms of the Goddess.

So much more can be written about the number 9, but I am feeling overwhelmed and saturated at the moment. However, in addition to the above 9 facts, I shall cite certain miscellaneous references that I had come across during my study of the number 9 (please note that I have not personally done any research on the references below):

A. In Roman Catholic Europe, when the Angelus tolls (at morning, noon, and evening), it ring 3+3+3 and then 9 times, in celebration of the Virgin's conception of the Saviour.

B. The Ennead, or nine pointed star, is an ancient and sacred symbol. It comprises three trinities. The Egyptian, Celtic, Greek and Christian myths all have an Ennead of nine gods and goddesses, representing the entire archetypal range of principles.

C. The sum of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet is 4995. Note that the sum of individual digits comes to 9, and also that 4995=5x999. Also, "th orgh mou" (tee orgee mou), my wrath = 999 (Hebrews 3:11)

D. In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are also nine in number:

The word of wisdom, 

The word of knowledge, 

Faith, 

Healing, 

The working of miracles, 

Prophecy, 

Discerning of spirits, 

Divers kinds of tongues, 

The interpretation of tongues.

E. Nine persons "stoned.":

The blasphemer, Leviticus 24:14. 

The Sabbath-breaker, Numbers 15:36. 

Achan, Joshua 7:25. 

Abimelech, Judges 9:53. 

Adoram, 1 Kings 12:18. 

Naboth, 1 Kings 21:10. 

Zechariah, 2Chronicles 24:21. 

Stephen, Acts 7. 

Paul, Acts 14:19. 

F. Nine widows are specially mentioned:

Tamar, Genesis 38:19. 

Woman of Tekoah, 2Samuel 14:5. 

Hiram's mother, 1 Kings 7:14. 

Zeruah, 1 Kings 11:26. 

Woman of Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:9. 

The poor widow, Mark 12:42. 

Anna, Luke 2:37. 

Widow of Nain, Luke 7:12. 

The importunate widow, Luke 18:3. 

G. Nine persons afflicted with blindness:

The men at Lot's door, Genesis 19:11. 

Isaac, Genesis 27:1. 

Jacob, Genesis 48:10. 

Samson, Judges 16:21. 

Eli, 1Samuel 4:15. 

The prophet Ahijah, 1 Kings 14:4. 

The Syrian army, 2 Kings 6:18. 

King Zedekiah, 2 Kings 25:7. 

Elymas, Acts 13:11. 

H. Nine were afflicted with leprosy:

Moses, Exodus 4:6. 

Miriam, Numbers 12:10. 

Naaman, 2 Kings 5:1. 

Gehazi, 2 Kings 5:27. 

5 through 8: The four lepers at Samaria, 2 Kings 7:3. 

Azariah, 2 Kings 15:5

That should do for now... ;)

Cheers!