Ashwath's Drying clothes equation

This is no troll. This is an accidental discovery by a err.. married man i.e., me. Well, one fine morning after washing my clothes, i headed upstairs to the open-terrace where i put my clothes to dry on the drying rope out there. Happened to count how many clips it took in all. There were 5 clothes and it needed 6 crocodile clips.

Came done and did some scribbling on my newspaper and Eurekka! Thats where the equation came to life. I proudly call it the Ashwath's Drying clothes Equation. ;-) Here it goes.  Let me know your comments.

Variables:

Y = The number of clothes to be dried

L = No. of loops in the cloth drying line

X = No. of crocodile clips needed 

Presumption :

Two cloths are held together at their intersection by a single crocodile clip. And there are no ends left un-clipped.

Equation:

X = Y – (L-1)

Illustration:

Mankatha :My review

The last time I wrote a review was way back in 2007 and that was for Billa. Being a fan of Ajith, I couldn't resist the temptation of watching the movie here in Mumbai. Here goes my review...

First and foremost, congrats to 'Thala' for his milestone of fifty movies. It is indeed a terrific achievement for a self-made man who has inspired many (me included) with his self-confidence and 'never give-up' attitude. Let me try to write this review not just like an Ajith-fan but also a matured movie lover.

Mankatha is all about Ajith. Thala's screen presence is enormous and its just to the likings of his fans all over the globe. But, Venkat Prabhu needs to be credited to cast Ajith in a negative role like this. He has indeed introduced the noir genre to tamil cinema (where every character has grey shades and deals with treachery, paranoia, cynic etc and everything revolves around money, selfishness, violence). This is indeed something new for tamil audiences who have been brought up on a steady diet of a 'good' hero bashing up a baddie and saving the world/his muse. The first-half drags a lot. Screenplay moves very slowly and the movie length definitely needs a trim for sure. Post-interval it gets racy leading to the climax with a nice twist. The fight sequences are one too many and lasts really long and boring at times. There is the thala-signature car chase and bike chase sequence which is hot and racy!

VP has casted most of his famed-team of Prem, Vaibhav, Premji etc. He has blended action with subtle comic-sense in his usual style. Prem's role is flat. Vaibhav and Premji has got good meaty roles and they should be grateful to share much screen-space with a top hero. Premji is a let down and he has become monotonous in all his movies. He fails to evoke laughter sans 2/3 scenes. Trisha's role is small one and she has made most of it. Lakshmi Rai get a wink and look role which doesn't warrants a review on her performance. She adds in the oomph-factor to the movie. Other 2 girls are just a fill in.

The movie scores when you start relating yourself with thala's character. He is devilish at his best. He carries us along the plot which otherwise was let down by a loose screenplay. Arjun needs a special mention and he has done a great work. His cat and mouse game with Ajith is really exciting.

This is definitely a fresh and bold attempt by a front-line hero like Ajith to come out of the usual framework meant for mass-heroes. I am sure this would inspire other peers of his to follow suit.

Mankatha = a win-win gamble for Thala!

I am backkk!!!

Its a strange feeling. Blogging after such a long time. I had almost forgotten I had a blog which i owned. Well, lot of water has flown under the bridge.

I celebrated my 27th B'day last month. No more a kiddo I am. The positive thing to share is that I am a PMP now. i.e., a PMI certified "Project Management Professional". It was long since I wanted to improve my skillsets. Had a feeling that I needed to spruce up myself. I always backed the managerial skills in me and PMP I felt was a correct platform. Now, that I have done it, the confidence levels has gone up. Well, that was a satisfactory result for sure as I had set a personal goal of 1.Becoming a PMP and 2.Putting down on the weight.

The first aspect I have achieved. Now, I need the mental strength to do the 2nd. I want to shed some kilos and look fit and fine. Want to get back to my college days when I was not too lean but also not too fat. Now I am obese and obviously not want to shed some pounds. Moreover, with me getting no younger as days passes, obesity is a killer for sure. I have set a target of November 30th to reduce atleast 10kgs. God, give me the strength to achieve it.

At the home front, mom hunting for a bride. My views are quite neutral on this. I need to buy myself a house before that. Or is that too orthodox a feeling. As far as I concerned now, marriage can wait for the time-being. No hurry for that now.

On a critical project, which is in middle of a storm. I need divine blessings to pull it off. I am sure god is on my side and I am putting my 100%. Towards this, I had been to Oman 3 weeks back and it was my first overseas trip. Though it was high-voltage trip, it was a nice feeling at the end of it. Might have to make another short visit next month. Last week was in Chennai for the same project and i got kinda home-sick. Missed my home and my family bitterly. Was happy to be back in home. But it seems I have to go to Chennai again to co-ordinate better with my team.

Once this project is done with, I intend to go to North India (Delhi, Jaipur and Agra) for a vacation with my family. Its been pending since I donno when but a real long time. Should do atleast 1 vacation in a year; that is what I have planned now. Lets see what happens actually.

Life moves on.

Bhaiyya mind!

Took a rick from Sakinaka to Ghatkopar station yesterday evening. On eavesdropping a bit, realized the driver was a 'Bhaiyya' - A slang used by Mumbaiwallahs to address the UP-Bihar migrants in Mumbai. Actually, Bhaiyya is a tortured soul at the hands of Marathi manoos esp. the Thackerays. Everyone seems to hate them. Mumbai these days is polarized on two things:- Bhaiyya and non-Bhaiyya!

But how Bombayites identify a Bhaiyya?? Well here are some..

• When the person has a nasty oil (probably Chameli ka Tel) applied on his hairs and boards a jam-packed local train. Then the person drops something, bends down to get it and in process rubs off his oily head on our trousers. Believe me no Ariel/Surf Excel can get that stink off your pant. You have for sure encountered a Bhaiyya that day.
• A road-side panipuriwallah who mixed the paani with his left hand (also used frequently by him to scratch his underarms, pick nose etc..). The KantaBens, Geetaben who like their paanipuri extra spicy can be overheard saying to bhaiyya with a puri in their mouth.. "Aur theeka chahiyee"(I want it more spicy). God bless their poor husbands. ;-)
• The pot-bellied panwala who wears a white trouser and a over-sized shirt with all but 2 buttons open flaunting his family pack.
• Scores of channawallah (peanut vendors) who rule the roost in local trains and platforms in Mumbai suburbs. no one can make better cones of paper than them.
• etc..

Well, coming to point, I happened to ask the Bhaiyya his opinion on Raj Thackeray. His curt reply was that he endorses Raj Thackeray Maharashtra Navnirman sena (Manse as ppl call it). I asked him the reason as Bhaiyyas hate him the most for his No-Bhaiyya-in-Bombay agenda. I was pleasantly surprised by his answer.

He said, 'Saab, joh jyada kaanoon thodtha hain, uske haat mein kaanoon sambhalneko deneka. Sudhar jaayenga' (Giving the responsibility to the bully to maintain law who frequently tends to break it)

It made perfect sense. Make the rowdy guy in class as the monitor, He will come in line automatically. Hats off to that Bhaiyya for his thinking.

A brilliant Bhaiyya mind!

A bachelor Iyer's Confusion!

Every guy has to pass through the stage where his parents will tell him indirectly that you are getting old enough to get married. A euphemism meaning you are on crossroads and about to be considered uncle. In medical terms its called Unclophobia. You can say 26-27 is that time or the time before the children in your neighbour start calling you the dreaded word "UNCLE". If you are more than 29-30; only god can help you . You will be labelled an uncle-types by the girls. Then there is no use running around with jaadhagams (horoscopes). Just hope that some same-aged aunty show some pity on you!

As there is Kalyana-talk going on in home, there explodes mangoes (just like that Slice' Ad) in our hearts imagining Aishwarya Rai, Ayesha Takia, Drew Barrymore, Trisha etc.. All in One.. Nalam nalamariyaaval song of Kaadhal Kottai playing in background imagining one like these beauties. A Tam-brahm who has been brought on a steady diet of tayir saadam (curd rice) imagines one of these above mentioned figures wearing a madisaar (12 yard saree).

But he doesn't knows that he is no Sliverster Stallone. Girls esp. iyer girls don't put conditions, but rather commandments. Some of those dreaded ones are:-

• Cmdt#1:- Guy should be well-settled. (Even God has failed to know the exact meaning of well-settledness). Well-settled can be anything from owning a Mercedes car and being a neighbour to Sachin Tendulkar.
• Corollary to Cmdt #1:- well-settledness meaning is subject to change from person to person and vary accordingly without prior notice.
• Cmdt#2:- Guys should be well educated. Well educated means an MBA from IIMs to an M.Tech from IITs. Guys graduating from colleges like Ganpatrao Bapatrao Engg college or BannariAmman Institute of technology are blatantly rejected.
• Cmdt#3:- Boys should work in reputed firms. For a s/w enggr, rejection policy is relative and subject to market conditions. Techie from google Inc. , Microsoft Inc. are preferred than Indian cos. Guys working in banks can apply. H1B or European visa is must.
• Cmdt#4:- boys should earn more than 1 Lakh. guys hoping that's per quarter pls stp reading further. that is per month or per fortnight. As per above Commandment, where the hell does a bank guy earn more than 1L/m????
• Cmdt#5:- Boys should have clean habits. Now clean habits doesn't means not wearing unwashed underwears for many days but no smoking, no drinking, no jolling, no paan, no friend aathula party, no friends oda outings, so late nite Fridays etc.. (the more the list grows the more the guy's fate is bad)
• Corollary to Cmdt #5:- Some of these can be excluded from the list if ponnu herself has some of these nalla habits.
• Cmdt#6:- Boys should reside in city limits. Yes my dear comrades. In mumbai iyer girls have setup limit from dadar to mulund in central lines and goregoan to andheri in western. In short if you are out of city limits you are a villager. And if you really stay in a village better look out for a gramathu-ponnu than these high-cultured high-heeled city ponnus.
• Cmdt#:7- Guys should have own flat in city area. Can someone please let these girls know about real-estate rates. A good house costs anywhere close to 70 Lacs. Now, how do they expect us to own this. All we can do is own a square-feet of land in prime area. That too on a loan.
• Cmdt#8:- Boys should be good looking and should not be 'sottai' (bald) What the ....? City bred Iyer ponnus behave as if they are all Aishwarya Rai's cousin sister. If they all want Salman Khan and Sharkukh Khan, who will put khana for us? Boy should be able to convince the girl that 'Mandailla massuru illainalum, manasu mangalyama irruku' (Have a good heart if not hairs on head)
• Corollary to Cmdt #8:- Boys should have good figures with 6 packs. Yes. definitely. Round is a figure. Ain't it? Single pack (a.k.a Family pack) are not the figures girls are looking out for. So take dumbells straightaway!
• Cmdt#9:- Guys should know to cook well. So start watching all cookery shows on TV including Paravai Muniyamma's Gramathu Virundhu.
• Cmdt#10:- Guys should be god-fearing. Post-marriage guys can fear only 1 thing, that is their better half.
• Cmdt#11:- Guys should have good family values. Now again this is a ambiguous reqt. We are weak in maths.. so lets not discuss values. Yes, but we can discuss figures.
• Cmdt#12:- Guys should be pure veg. Hmmm.. You can watch mokkai movies of Meena but not try to taste Meen Kozhambu
• Cmdt#13:- Boys should have good sense of humor. Cracking Non veg. jokes and saying double/triple meaning dialaak is not considered sense of humor by girls. You should have capability to laugh at the mokkai jokes of the gal and appreciate that. What torture is this Saravana???
• Cmdt#13:- Boy should sing carnatic music well(not cinema songs like apdi podu podu). Sruthi set aagalana, Sruthi sistera try pannalam.

So my poor single iyers, these are some of the confusions through which all of us are going through. I am sure the Commandments list increase exponentially once you tie the dreaded knot. Till then do jalsa and show jilpa... Wokkay?

Friday train accident

Yesterday was a horrible day for most of the commuters who are dependent on Mumbai's only life line 'The local train'. A bridge (the one supporting water pipes) between Thane and Mulund collapsed on a train killing motorman, Ramachandran Iyer (age 43), a fellow resident of Dombivli. He got crushed under the girders that fell on the train.

My heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr.Ramachandran.

His life could have been saved had the rescue operations acted swiftly. His hands and legs had to be amputated to get his body out. ;-( The rescue team came on site after 3 long hours after the incident took place.

Would this lethargy had happened if a Marathi Manoos was battling for his life?????

Had a harrowing time reaching home. Left Sakinaka in car @ 8pm and came to Thane battling hell lot of traffic. Had to coax the driver to take us till Kalyan as the train service had come to a halt. He reluctantly agreed. Else had to cool my a$$ on Thane station. Took the Bhiwandi-Kalyan highway where the traffic refused to move even at snail's pace. 10...11..12...1.. Finally reached Kalyan station at 1.10am. Took a rick from there to dombivli which made me poor by 100 bucks.. ;-( Finally reached home at 1.35am..

total travel time: 5.35 hrs... but realised 'Thank god its Friday'.. oops Saturday..

wonder if life in Blore was better..... ;-(

image courtesy: rediff.com

After a sabbatical...

Well, I am back to write a blog after a sabattical of almost 1 year. A lot has happened in the past 1 year. Have moved out of Bangalore to hunt bigger? dreams and now in Mumbai with my parents. There was no great inspiration for writing a blog. Not that many read my blogs, but there wasn't anything to write. Thought of closing down this too... Anyways, Life moves on...

p.s. Have tagged this blog with pamela anderson, sex, namitha and MNS. ;-) selfish way to increase indexing of this blog. Sorry for those who landed up on this blog thinking of something else.