2006-09-10T12:15:09-05:00

There are a few things that we all have grown up with. Amar Chitra Katha - the comic books that illustrated the Indian History - and Chandamama - which had so many tales including Vikram aur Vetal. So many kids in India grew up on this simple but well meaning staple that the hand in nation building of the creators of these two series in very big! Not many realize it but it does have a big hand. India was just a month away from attaining freedom from the British. It was then that two men, who had participated in the freedom struggle, decided to prepare the young generation for an India that would soon be free. They were the legendary filmmakers B. Nagi Reddi and his friend Chakrapani. Nagi Reddi became the publisher of a magazine called Chandamama that was to be edited by his dear friend, Chakrapani. "If you look at the first edition that came out in July 1947, you will see that their intention was to familiarise the post-Independence generation with Indian tradition, folklore, mythology and history in the form of stories," remembers B. Viswanatha Reddi, Nagi Reddi's son and the current editor and publisher of Chandamama. He was just three years old when the first copy came out. Viswanatha Reddi was made the publisher of Chandamama in 1965 by his father. And, from 1975 onwards, for the last three decades, he has also been the editor. The first Chandamama cover page, 1947 read more Read more

2006-09-10T09:09:58-05:00

Icelandic Sagas version XI Originally uploaded by robbik. The author robbik says the following about the picture: The Icelanders' sagas are a literary phenomenon from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. They are focused on history, especially genealogical and family history. They reflect the struggle and conflict that arose within the societies of the second and third generations of Icelandic settlers. The authors of the Icelanders' sagas are unknown. This book was printed in 1947 and belonged to my grandparents. It contains; Njáls saga, Þorsteins þáttr tjaldstæðings, Orms þáttr Stórólfssonar and Holta-Þóris saga. Read more

2006-09-09T17:35:40-05:00

Even the wretched of the world have a heart. And heart does not know any boundaries or limitations. It just gets to fall in love without much thinking... even the heart of an Adolf Hitler can fall for a young Jewish girl and make him think of committing suicide for her! Adolf Hitler, considered as one of the most cruel men in history, too had love in his heart. But, perhaps the love lasted till he turned 20. According to a newly published book, during his teenage years that the German dictator spent in Austria, he had a crush on a tall, slim and beautiful Jewish girl. The one-sided love continued for around four years, but Hitler could never gather enough courage to express his love to her, and made plans to forcibly kidnap the girl and jointly commit suicide with her. Read more

2006-09-08T04:32:34-05:00

Bill Christison is a former senior official of the CIA with a 28 year career at the agency and a former skeptic of the "alternative" theories for 9-11. He is now convinced that the attacks bore the hallmarks of an "inside job"! Bill was a National Intelligence Officer and the Director of the CIA's Office of Regional and Political Analysis before his retirement in 1979. He believes that the twin towers and building 7 were brought down by controlled demolition charges. Conspiracy theories abound when any such big event happens. From Lincoln to Kennedy assassinations to now 9-11. However, it is rare that academics and professionals - and that too respected ones - go behind it! Read more

2006-09-07T11:25:19-05:00

This is an interesting story from Sambhar Mafia and picture of Indra Nooyi, the new Pepsi CEO who is from India. Her success is extraordinary in its dimension. Here she comes out as any other traditional and goody-goody girl and no one could have predicted that one day she would be at the helm of one of the largest companies in the world! It shouldn't be too difficult to guess as she's all over the news.My Chennai neighbour told me earlier (about 5 years ago) that she joined Mettur Beardsell (remember Igloo hot packs?) from campus and was his colleague at that time. The only thing he could recollect was that she used to bring curd rice for lunch most of the time. Read more

2006-09-07T10:58:27-05:00

Starting today I will try to bring some select news with special emphasis to India that is both interesting and informative. I will be using multiple sources which you can go to for more details by clicking on the links. Hope you like this. Slowdown? All bull. Stocks at 3-month high Stocks in Europe and Asia climbed to three-month highs as investors bet economies and earnings will keep growing even as interest rates rise. India's Baloch dream Read more

2006-09-07T05:02:41-05:00

Two decades ago it was Union Carbide and today it is Pepsi and Coke. Multinationals came to India and made the citizens pay for their greed. That is a good and very true story. But there is another side to the story! Indian laws were either not there to stop these MNCs from doing this or were not implemented. Why? THAT is a question that no one is asking now.. nor did anyone ask at the time of Union Carbide! Everyone is obsessed by banning Coke and Pepsi. Are they the cause or the result? The central, and indeed the foundational question to ask is - Why didn't we have adequate laws and if we had them.. why weren't they implemented?? Read more

2006-09-06T09:18:11-05:00

This is some real cool stuff!! Some one had the thought of actually conducting research on the topic that when we think about a person we actually get a call or an email.. pointing to the interconnectedness of the souls! Rupert Sheldrake, whose research is funded by the respected Trinity College, Cambridge, said on Tuesday he had conducted experiments that proved that such precognition existed for telephone calls and even e-mails. Each person in the trials was asked to give researchers names and phone numbers of four relatives or friends. These were then called at random and told to ring the subject who had to identify the caller before answering the phone. Read more

2006-09-06T09:02:41-05:00

What's the difference between a lawyer and a vampire?A vampire only sucks blood at night. ------- A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically,"Relatives of yours?""Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws." Read more

2006-09-06T08:56:31-05:00

Is the US supporting free Balochistan? It may seem so.. from this article based on a report from a former US Intelligence officer! A recent article in the US Armed Forces Journal has called for a fundamental restructuring of state boundaries in the Middle East and South West Asia, including Pakistan. Amidst mounting American troubles in Afghanistan and Iraq, the idea of redrawing the map of the so-called Greater Middle East appears to have gained some intellectual traction. In that new map, for now a think tank fantasy, Pakistan will be among the biggest losers. Read more

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