Mysore's man of the hour

Manivannan is the best thing that has happened to Mysore in a long time. Whether it was by design or administrative convenience we now have an administrator with a proven track record. And he is open to ideas, public views and opinion...More...

People's radio

Though the state says it is keen to see many thousand radio stations across the country, its processes and policies are discouraging...But people are not giving up. I heard that a body which represents the autorickshaw drivers of Chennai had applied for a radio licence. So did a well known residents' association in Mumbai...More...

More on the caste-driven madhouse

The author, Deyvid Aleksandr Raffo Setti, calls it ‘Structure of the Indian society by castes’. I would have liked to give the caption ‘Indian Social System: Head to foot and below'...More...

The First Touch

They help bring in artists from various forms of art - fine arts, theatre, dance etc and conduct interactive sessions with school kids during weekends and thus stir up the artist in a child...More...

Delhi roads are not for driving

I used to think roads were for driving till I read The Times of India during my recent visit to New Delhi. People there apparently ‘zip on roads’, and the newspaper I used to work for has become more imaginative in giving headlines than in my time...More...

Not about Reverse Transcriptase

I am accused of writing only about my family and the old better half has threatened to rearrange my facial features if I don't find something else to write about, or find something nice to write about her...More...

Vivekananda's lunatic Kerala

"Untouchable" Hindus were required to maintain a prescribed distance from the upper-castes at all times so as not to pollute them. The distance was at least 64 feet from the priestly Brahmin caste and 30 feet from artisans...More...

Madras Matters

Unlike Kerala, there is no system of queuing here (in Chennai). In the jostling and wriggling, strong men get the bottles. The meek wait eternally. I tried a few times to buy drinks personally and gave up – not on the liquor, but getting involved in the melee. Now I depend on the driver...More...

Reading Smith

In a way it was good to read the 4th first, as it sets the pace and mood, also describes the settings without much of a plot. It whets your appetite for the others which are supposedly better. Now I am reading ‘In the company of cheerful ladies’...More...

The Art of Resilience - Hara Estroff Marano

Resilience may be an art, the ultimate art of living, but is has recently been subjected to the scrutiny of science...More...

How I took to sitar

I struck with this not so normal idea of learning sitar after I read about a professional sitarist Manoj Mukherjee in Mysore...More...

Singapore Snapshot-11: The hungry ghosts

The end of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar is upon us now but the entire month had festivities to honor and “entertain” the dead...During the 7th month, it is known by the Chinese that the gates of Hades (or hell) are thrown open to the dead and they come down to the land of the living. They are known as the hungry ghosts...More...

123 Go - By the Book

Where is the 123 (India-US Nuclear) Agreement, or rather the politicians’ handling of it, taking us? I am a reasonably well-educated citizen, read a few newspapers daily and watch TV, but still the drama is confusing...More...

Dad, 2007

Dads are no longer the authoritarian figures they were...A good friend of mine, an advertising guru, wrote in his blog about how parenting stereotypes are changing and how kids are increasingly perceiving themselves to be the equals of their parents...More...

Of teenage bloggers

People who want to write always will, immaterial of whether they are thirteen or thirty...And people need to understand that even that wild creature of a teenager who irritates you with his weird ways and repulsive looks does have a heart...and talent...and the urge to prove himself...More

Blog of the day: That's How It Really Works

A blog about cricket, pet,movies, and current affairs...Read blog...

16 ways to make a difference

There are so many ways in which one can help the underprivileged.You are welcome to add your suggestions to these...More...

My train rides

The diesel engine never had a characteristic whistle, I have always wondered about that, why did it come with a bbrooooobroooah sounding horn instead? Research tells me that the classic steam whistle was made to work with steam, and since steam at that pressure was no longer available in diesel’s they developed the bleating horn...More...

To my teacher, Meera Mam

Meera Mam had strange ways...if you didn’t finish your lunch, she would sit with you, with your spoon in her hand, and feed you the old curd rice your mom had packed!...“You should not waste what your parents send you,” she used to say. Now, if Meera Mam fed you, she would do it in front of the entire class,...Read on...

Flowers that gods and men love

Ixora coccinea (Rubiaceae) is associated with valor. It is said that ancient Tamil literature mentions about soldiers wearing the flowers and leaves of this plant around their necks while going into battle. Ixora flowers are also a symbol of increased sexuality and passion....More...

World’s eldest YouTuber?

Sydney was the British colonial capital of the New South Wales when Ms Riley was born (1899). Describing her as physically frail but mentally alert, Eric informs us that the grand old lady of blogosphere who survived two World Wars, the Great Depression (1930), had seen life as a barmaid, egg-sorter and a station cook...More...

Blog of the day:Prabhu n Ferrari

A Ferrari fan, presumably, this Bangalore-based blogger doesn't go to pubs; do the sights at Brig.Rd/Forum/Garuda malls. No, he doesn't even follow cricket or watch 'Friends' on TV. What the heck does this young man do ?...Look him up at...

Why oldies should blog

Keeping the mind and body active is your passport to good health. Blogging,a great mental exercise, is likely to help prevent/delay Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)...Another point...so much of experience and memories that would be useful and interesting to others...Blogging also enhances one’s self-esteem...More....

Of Shelfari and the Library Thing

Over the coming days and weeks I hope to catologue them online in ‘My Shelf’. And my e-contacts could count on finding in their Inbox a Selfari invite. Hopefully, we could put in place a network to access one another’s book-shelf online...More...

Flag-hoisting at Mylara Krupa

The flag post would be the “madi-koolu” – the 8 foot length of cane used to spread the clothes used for religious purposes. The flag would be tied – yes, tied – not hoisted on top of this pole. Flower petals would be placed inside and the flag folded and now tied with a piece of rope. The pole would now be place in a hole dug in front of the “tulasi katte”....More...

Reliability of neighborhood ATM

I blog this as a warning to others. If you are going on a journey and plan to draw money from ATM en route to the airport or railway station, you could be taking a risk. It is safer to collect cash earlier and keep, to avoid the risk of traveling without enough money on hand...More...

B2B with Kini: Battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

My friend Kini's web silence gives me a guilty feeling. His last post - Journey's End - was in June. But then he has legitimate reason for silence - battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) that brings with it "a new scary set of symptoms" each day. My feeling of guilt has to do with failure to keep alive my end of our blog-line...More...

Blog of the day: Khayals

Anandi of Mumbai took to blogging at 75;nearly a month back,in fact. No stranger to writing, she has done several stories, and novels highlighting Konkini culture, in her mother tongue. Anandi blogs with help from son and daughter-in-law...Read her...

Painting Ravi Varma didn't do

I saw a full size print of this painting at my cousin’s house & it has fascinated me since then. My aunt explained that the original is at the Mysore palace....it was attributed to Ravi Varma...and the subject is supposed to be a lady from the royal family - ammankovil thampuratti. But it is not Varma’s work...More...

Antha: A tribute from his boss

The world didn’t know Antha....the staff of the nearby hospitals knew him because he was...an independent type of patient.The reason given for discharge from his last hospital was disregarding hospital rules...I don’t think he acknowledged anyone else than our family as his boss. In spite of our attempt to pension him, he used to report for work whenever he could....More...