Category Archives: Current Affairs

Do Facebook B’day wishes mean anything ?

By gautham | Published: June 14, 2011

Ever since, social networking was introduced birthdays became an exciting event. With overflowing scrapbooks, walls and even special greetings Birthdays became an affair where you went through messages from close-friends, the one you don’t see eye to eye and even that long lost girl in 5th grade you had a crush on.

Facebook makes you a better friend

But are all those messages really what they seem. Is a facebook wall post really equal to pat on the back, a smile and a sincere heartwarming moment friend. Obviously, no. So what is a facebook birthday wish mean ?

Consider an average person on Facebook [ as in a 21 year old ] – being in the fb-boom time we normally have around 500+ friends.


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RIP : Lunatic Genius

By gautham | Published: June 9, 2011

M.F. Hussain
India’s Picasso
the Barefoot Artist
the Man who wears pink nail paint
the one who nobody could understand
Traitor, National pride, self-imposed refugee
the True lunatic genius
Goodbye old man, Doubt we will someone like you ever again

Maqbool Fida Hussain
17 September 1915 – 9 June 2011

Permanent link to this post (50 words, 1 image, estimated 12 secs reading time)
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The ‘Saarang’ Perspective

By gautham | Published: February 16, 2011

I recently lead a team to Saarang – the grand celeberation of the IIT-M. We had a smashing time there. Back from Saarang, I was kind of pleasantly surprised [ and secretly relieved :P ] when I got a call as a jury for Quest ’11.

Quest - The inter-school event

Quest was this interschool event that my college conducts every year. I was to judge a particular english elocution competition. I was pleasantly surprised to fing young kids speaking about H.D. Kumaraswamy and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act [Reckon you don't know this one - so go and read about it]. The topics were “Inclusive Growth of Indians” and “My vision of Indian villages”. The students who spoke did so with an vehement intensity – as if they had the power to change the world. The only thing I missed was my bathroom-rehearsed jury speech with the bit about how every participant was very good and I had a real tough time thinking through and selecting only three from such a huge talent pool … bla bla bla.


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Legendary Stuff – A letter

By gautham | Published: September 27, 2010

I didn’t write this. You might have probably read this at a lot of places. But, they all let down the suspense of it. So, here’s my slightly tweaked version. It’s popularly called as: ‘A letter from a girl to JRD Tata in 1974‘

A letter

It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies’ hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science. I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US… I had not thought of taking up a job in India.


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Do we really need to watch kids in dance shows ?

By gautham | Published: June 8, 2010

After a long time, I finally had an opportunity at my grandma’s house to witness the full spectrum of the television channels available these days. Randomly browsing around I enjoyed the fact that I actually had different channels which had equally worthy content. Quite fascinating indeed ! Then I had the family come in and watch a particular dance show called Jodi No.1 Junior.

Jodi No 1 Junior

The kids all seemed to do it with great heart and gutso. And they all seemed to love it. The parents, the “senior” dancers and millions of television viewers who boost their TRP ratings. And the only one who seemed disgusted was me.

Just have a look at this .


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The point of Exams

By gautham | Published: April 7, 2010

This is a letter to the Hon’ble Minister of Human Resources and Development, Mr.Kapil Sibal. There’s around 99.99% probability that he would never hear of this letter, but who knows ;) Anyway, before we start here’s the wise man whom I’m writing this to.

Kapil Sibal

Dear Mr.Kapil Sibal,
I know you have never seen me. But I’ve seen you a lot of times ( in TV, of course :P ). I love a lot of things about our country, but I hate a lot of things too. Now, You … You are doing good sir. Very good to be frank. Perhaps it’s that you are ready to change, not for change’s sake but for progress’s sake that makes me write to you or it’s something else, but I’m not sure.


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The Two Incredibles

By gautham | Published: January 31, 2010

I am finally old enough to comprehend the sheer greatness of two of the greatest sportsmen to grace the world of sports.

His Royal Highness – Roger Federer – the greatest man ever to raise the racquet. He dances with his weapon, produces shots from high aloft with deadly accuracy and he also cries. He is both human and god at different times.

HRH just won his 16th Grand Slam at the Australain Open 2010 pulling off from the elite of the tenis. In fact, an emotional Murray, who was on the best seat in the stadium was close to tears afterwards, saying: “I can cry like Roger, it’s a shame I can’t play like him.”


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Agassi once Again !

By gautham | Published: October 29, 2009

One of my favourite sportstars, Andre Agassi has admitted in his new autobiography that he lied to tennis authorities about his use of crystal methamphetamine to escape a ban. I am not exactly sure if I should be shocked or amused! Why tell now? Why ruin a reputation that he has strived so hard to build? :shock:

Agassi said he wanted to share

“my bad decisions which, in a few instances, nearly ended in catastrophe. I felt my story was one from which many people could learn”


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Does Obama deserve the Nobel ? Now ?

By gautham | Published: October 10, 2009

The 44th President of United States Barack Obama has just recieved the Nobel Prize for Peace for 2009, to quote the comittee’s words

“for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”

Barack Obama

The intention of the Peace Prize as described in Nobel’s will, was to award “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”. :???: Now, has Obama said he will do all that ? Yes. But has he done all that ? NO. So, why did they give it to him ?


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