Dude.. Its the System!!!

"India must be the only country in the world where people fight to be called backward". A quote that I read somewhere and sighed, 'How true'. One line summing up the mentality of an entire nation!

The preamble of the Constitution of India reads..

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC....

I pulled out the meaning of certain keywords featuring in our preamble from Wikipedia.

Social equality in this context means the absence of discrimination on the grounds of caste, colour, creed, sex, religion, language, etc. Under social equality, everyone has equal status and opportunities.

There is also a mention of abolition of Zamindari system to ensure equal distribution of wealth among the different sections of the Indian populace. A commendable act. No denying it. But today social equality has donned several roles. Some say upliftment of the deprived; others describe it as reservation for the under-privileged; some others refer to social equality as the logical step to help the impoverished.

The bottom line is : THE SO-CALLED FORWARD CASTE ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FORWARD.

In fact, it would not be surprising to see the forward community plea for reservation in the years to come.

The fundamental flaw in the ongoing reservation hassle is the simple fact that reservation based on caste is more of a political tool to garner the votes of the 36% of OBC's in the Indian populace and not directed towards the sections of society that actually are in need of support.

But then one may cite the 93rd Constitutional Amendment that allows the government to make special provisions for "advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens", including their admission in aided or unaided private educational institutions. One might also say that the preamble cannot be enforced in the court of law.

Now, why am I bothered? Because I belong to the Forward Community and though I have not yet been affected by the evils of reservation(probably i wud have got a seat in a better college. But EOD, it does not make any difference which college you study unless in an IIT. Another remarkable feature of our 'system').

I'm no big fan of the so-called Iyers either, who make up a sizable portion of the FC populace and a section of them under the illusion that they are Gods own creations; a sense of belonging to a superior race. This, despite the fact that I myself am an Iyer.

The people who really need support are those in the video below.

gapten in Dharmapuri

The most awaited movie of the year has just hit the screens(actually its been running to packed houses for around a month). 'Gapten' Vijayakanth's latest avatar is actually that of God himself. He's emulated(maybe even surpassed)George Emery Goodfellow's invention of the bullet-proof vest.

Ladies n Gentlemen..presenting the latest in war technology; the ultimate defensive gadget... The 'Archanai Thattu' [applause]

An interesting article about Web 2.0

I stumbled upon a link from o'reilly concerning web 2.0.(Now don't ask me wat i've got to do reg web2.0) Its one amazing article and an interesting read. for all ya ppl killing time , i recommend this article. U can find it at http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html?page=
1

A snippet from the article....

Netscape vs. Google

If Netscape was the standard bearer for Web 1.0, Google is most certainly the standard bearer for Web 2.0, if only because their respective IPOs were defining events for each era. So let's start with a comparison of these two companies and their positioning.

Netscape framed "the web as platform" in terms of the old software paradigm: their flagship product was the web browser, a desktop application, and their strategy was to use their dominance in the browser market to establish a market for high-priced server products. Control over standards for displaying content and applications in the browser would, in theory, give Netscape the kind of market power enjoyed by Microsoft in the PC market. Much like the "horseless carriage" framed the automobile as an extension of the familiar, Netscape promoted a "webtop" to replace the desktop, and planned to populate that webtop with information updates and applets pushed to the webtop by information providers who would purchase Netscape servers.

In the end, both web browsers and web servers turned out to be commodities, and value moved "up the stack" to services delivered over the web platform.

Google, by contrast, began its life as a native web application, never sold or packaged, but delivered as a service, with customers paying, directly or indirectly, for the use of that service. None of the trappings of the old software industry are present. No scheduled software releases, just continuous improvement. No licensing or sale, just usage. No porting to different platforms so that customers can run the software on their own equipment, just a massively scalable collection of commodity PCs running open source operating systems plus homegrown applications and utilities that no one outside the company ever gets to see.

At bottom, Google requires a competency that Netscape never needed: database management. Google isn't just a collection of software tools, it's a specialized database. Without the data, the tools are useless; without the software, the data is unmanageable. Software licensing and control over APIs--the lever of power in the previous era--is irrelevant because the software never need be distributed but only performed, and also because without the ability to collect and manage the data, the software is of little use. In fact, the value of the software is proportional to the scale and dynamism of the data it helps to manage.

Google's service is not a server--though it is delivered by a massive collection of internet servers--nor a browser--though it is experienced by the user within the browser. Nor does its flagship search service even host the content that it enables users to find. Much like a phone call, which happens not just on the phones at either end of the call, but on the network in between, Google happens in the space between browser and search engine and destination content server, as an enabler or middleman between the user and his or her online experience.

Guru Audio Review

The audio release of Guru might have had its share of glitz, glamour and panache with the likes of the Big B, Abishek, Ash and Vidya Balan gracing the occasion. But given the lacklustre sales of the audio of Yuva, one might wonder what Mani and Rahman have to offer in Guru.

Doubters raised questions over Rahman's waning popularity and his ability to emulate the success of Roja and the

likes. If Boys reminded the world that he still had'nt lost his touch, Rang De Basanti announced the arrival of a rejuvenated Rahman.

Guru would be a welcome relief to many sore ears wounded by the nasal 'OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH's and blaring remixes revealing more skin than soul. The audio of Guru is soothing, sensuous, meaningful, and it rocks!!!

picture courtesy: www.indiatarget.com

'Barso Re', rendered by Shreya Ghosal, is one number that impresses the listener from the very beginning. This is a rarity as Rahman's tunes generally grows on you as you listen. Opening with a soft 'Na Re Na Re' supported beautifully by Naveen's Flute, the tempo rises rapidly with the percussions supporting the lilting voice of Shreya Ghosal. Definitely one of the best tracks of the album.()

'Ay Hairathe' captureing the Hindustani overtures of Hariharan and the warmth of Alka Yagnik's voice, makes it the best track of the album. This is yet another song which Rahman has played safe and has refrained from experimenting. And there is no need to experiment, thanks to the enchanting tune and the tabla woven seamlessly through the entire song. A must for all melody lovers.()

Bappi lahiri's voice helps 'Ek Lo Ek Muft' sound different. But it is one of the average tracks of the album which fails to create an impression depite hearing it a number of times. Easily the most average track of the album. Probably might sound better when viewed on screen.()

'Jaage hain' is testimony to rahman's love for orchestration. With hardly any percussion, the song has a soothing effect which haunts the listener. Starting slowly with the voice of Chitra, Rahman and some brilliant orchestration work in the latter stages of the song heightens the beauty of the track.()

'Mayya Mayya' might be one of those songs that will feature in every countdown, request show and the likes. Not because of Rahman; not because of Mani; not because of Abhishek or Aishwarya but because it features Mallika Sherawat. It has a feel similar to 'Chori Pe Chori'. Maryem Toller's voice lends freshness to the song. The harmony is another notable aspect of Mayya. But there are some elements that reminds of earlier rahman compositions.()

Rahman's films, especially his hindi albums, are incomplete without Udit Narayan rendering a song. In fact, i don't remember a single hindi movie for which Rahman composed that does not have Udit Narayan sharing the singers credits. 'Baazi Lagaa' is a typical Udit Narayan number and the charm he exudes throughout the song is something we are accustomed to. Madhushree and Swetha Bargavee have done a commendable job. One of the few peppy numbers of the album. But not the song that urges you to rewind and play again.()

Rahman signs off in style with 'Tere Bina', a soulful number that showcases Rahman's vocal talents perfectly. Probably the best song of the album, it is perfect in every sense of the word. Be it Rahman's mellifluous voice, Chinmayees's rendition, the accompaniment; it is one of those rare songs where all the elemnts fit on aptly. A fitting tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan()

Overall, Guru( which I read is supposedly based on the life of the Late Dhirubai Ambani), has scored brilliantly in the music department. Again, the songs might not appeal to the rock loving, hip-hop frenzied youth. The music is soulful; the calming influence it exerts on the listener is unmistakable. More on the lines of Swades, Guru's audio would be the perfect foil for Mani's latest offering.