Reminiscences of HH Periyaval

1967 - This information was told to me by my mother and confirmed by her relatives. Also confirmed by my father's friend who was a photographer for my parents wedding.

My grandfather had gone to meet Periyaval with my parents wedding invitation. (My parents had very late marriage considering the Tamil Brahmin society in those days). When the invitation was placed formally to Him, He said, "I will come for the wedding". This is not a norm for a Sanyasin. But for those who have seen / known Periyaval, this is an extraordinary statement.

Did He come for the marriage? What happened in the marriage hall ?

Wait for it.... :-)

PS: Disallowing comments as the Web has bunch of intellectuals with tremendous intelligence. 

Training programme for Government Employees - guidelines

Methods to postpone your work (my learnings in the past 4.5 years)

0. Never tell the rules of the game to the person wanting to follow the process.
1. If the person follows the process  tell first that the files have not yet been received.
2. Let the person run around to bring the file to you.
3. If the file is with another person you can tell that they have not sent it to you.
4. Now if you are left with no other choice and the file is available, check for things like comma, fullstop, date etc. If the date is more than a week old, ask questions like why has it taken so long and smile at the person and say "you are not serious".
5. Tell the person "I will look into it".
6. Check for followup from the person. If the person does not land up it is fine. No need to work. Wait until the person comes back again.
7. If the person comes back and is behind you, crib about all your problems to that person.
8. If the person still stays then look into the file.
9. Type a wrong letter based on the request from the person and get the signature from higher officials. This process must take a minimum of 3 days.
10. Do not inform the person that the file is ready. Let him come.
11. If he comes tell him that he can get it tomorrow by 3pm.
12. Next day 3 pm ensure that you go for coffee.
13. If the person still stays till you come back, search for his file.
14. Ask him to come the next day.
15. Now you do not have a choice. Give the wrong letter to him.
16. If he discovers it ask him to write another letter and that he should also explain what he wants to you. Listen to all this and smile at the person.
17. By this time the person becomes tired. He might even shout at you. Do not care, that is his problem.
18. Once all these are done type the correct letter and keep it with you.
19. Get the letter signed after 3 days.
20. Repeat 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Give him the letter.
21. Talk about how much work is pending with you and that you are the only person working in the organization.

Long live work ethics.

PAN Card Address Change

My father applied for PAN Card address change. It has been rejected by our babus for want of

1) proof of my grand father.

My father (80 years old) is planning to tell the "Babu" that there is only one way to get proof:

a) he can take the application form and fall in front of a train. My father mentioned that he will come later to prove .

Now my father is having second thoughts about changing his address in PAN card. The best part is that he is a Retired Asst. Commissioner of Income Tax. 

This country can and never will change.

If anyone has faith please check with Winston Churchill [Commons Sitting of Thursday (India, Government Policy), 6 March 1947; House of Commons Debates, Hansard; Vol. 434, cc. 663-776.]

This can only be explained as the complete adoption of one of Mr. Gandhi's most scatterbrained observations, which I will read to the House. It was made on 24th May, 1942, after the [Cripps] Mission. He said: "Leave India in God's hands, in modern parlance, to anarchy; and that anarchy may lead to internecine warfare for a time, or to unrestricted dacoities. From these a true India will arise in place of the false one we see." There, as far as I can see, is a statement indistinguishable from the policy His Majesty's Government are determined to pursue.

Campaign against Diwali

Off late, I am seeing lots of campaign against celebrating Diwali where we use crackers or fireworks. This is propogated among the so called "intellectuals" whose brain gets drained reading lots of stuff.

Here are some simple arguments why this fireworks MUST continue on Diwali day.

1. As a child I had enjoyed it. It is fun. It gave me so much happiness. That's enough. Even today I relish it. This is needed for my life and existence in this world. Hence I will celebrate with fireworks.

2. It is for 1 day out of 365 days. Why can't I enjoy this day?

The arguments against are
1. Pollution: Please calculate the pollution of all the cars emitting CO2 on all the days. Is it much less than the pollution generated by firecrakers on Diwali?
2. Accidents: Tell me how many people have died due to accidents when compared to accidents on Diwali day.
3. Child labour: Ask the government to handle it.
4. Disease: Please compare with automobile pollution.

If you are so worried about pollution stop fireworks during IPL, during new year celebrations etc.

So please do not fall prey for some idiotic guys who cannot see others be happy say all this nonsense.

Enjoy your Diwali.

Thandavam - Illogical Irritating Film

My first hand experience with Thandavam: If you want to watch an idiotic script with illogical events do not miss this film. It is so funny.

This is another film where the director wakes up every day in the morning, reads a part of the news paper and introduces that idea in the movie. If  the above is not true how else do you expect the audience to understand the following items.

a) What was Nasser a British police officer doing outside the factory shop while  the hero and the villain were fighting and killing each other. (influence of   the news that the world  addicted to angry birds)

b) Nasser talking about Pancha Boothas after the climax (influence of the news  on reading about pancha boothas or watching Matrix)

c) British police more powerful than MI5 (influence of hearing words like  RAW, MI5, FBI etc).

d) Hero loving the ant (influence of Naan EE movie)

e) 3 heroines absolutely doing nothing, not even romancing the hero (influence  of dinamalar sunday edition center page, where it gives information on  actresses without movie chances).

f) Hero escaping the police while stealing the USB drive from a courier center  and then plunging into water AND escaping (influence of James Bond movies). Also if I remember correctly he steals in the night but falls with this car in the morning. Correct me if I am wrong. With so many comedy scenes, I could not remember.

Also it looks like the director had issues with "Call Sheet" of the artists because artists appear for certain scenes and then disappear after ten minutes. So on the days where some actors do not land up the director gets the story going with only the people present.

Finally I do not know why the director is so against Sri lankan Tamils. They have already been beaten to death by our Tamil nadu politicians and now film industry is also killing them. What else do you make out of Nasser who always plays video games, but talks very smartly and during climax only plays video games). Is this not an insult to our beloved Srilankan Tamils? Of course this could be the influence of the SL President visit to India.

Luckily the director has the habit of listening to some melody songs and hence the music is at least bearable in this movie.

Finally pity Vikram. I think he looks old after acting in such a movie. Talent of a nice actor wasted on a pitiable story line. I still have no idea why there were actresses in this movie, just giving them 33% reservation does not mean much for the movie.

On the whole, better buy the songs DVD and listen to it. Do not waste your time going to the theatre.

PS: I enjoyed the comments of some young guys in front of my seat which made this movie thoroughly enjoyable. Otherwise I would been out much before the interval.

My complaint to Airtel - phone numbers edited

Dear Sir/Madam

I had applied for an Airtel 3G connection on 24/10/11 through Laser Valley Telecom
at Bazullah Road, through Ms. Anitha. 3G number xxxxx xxxxx.

Subsequently Airtel had sent a person for address verification (Rajini, probably not the
cinema actor I think).This person met my father and got all the details regarding me.

But now I found that my service has been suspended due to non-availability of the person or
signature does not match.

Here is the list of "LOGICAL" things that he should have been done, unless Mr. Rajini is a Robot
as in the movie.

1. There was no prior intimation of the visit, inspite of the fact that my contact airtel number xxxxx xxxxx
is more than 5 years old. Probably Mr. Rajini thought that a GHOST has met Ms. Anitha and
applied for connection.Please also note that there was NO DEFAULT payment in this number.

2. My father whom your INTELLIGENT verification employee met is my BIOLOGICAL father and it can
be proved in the court of law, therefore this is another evidence that I am not DEAD.

3. Personally I had applied for the connect with Ms. Anitha and this proves that I am not DEAD and I
had signed in all the letters dealing with my application.

Having proven that I am not DEAD, the least your intelligent security verification person could have
done is called me.

As far as the residential address is concerned, it is a purely legal construction and it exists.

I would like Airtel to do two things:

1. Restore my connection.
2. Inform me of what action has been taken against the employee inspite of the fact that I am ALIVE
informed Airtel that it was not a right address where i live.

If I do not get remedial measures for these items I would be force to take legal measures for the
mental strain and torture that as a "PRIVELEGED" airtel customer i have been forced to undergo.

Thanks,
Shankar Raman

Koovum temple

this week's visit to http://www.shivatemples.com/tnaadu/tn14.html -a very serene location - well maintained temple