The Art of War ~ Sun Tzu (23 of 24)

 The Art of War is a book of conflict knowledge and tactics revolving around several key concepts, including:

• Knowing when to fight and when not to fight.
• Knowing how to mislead the enemy.
• Knowing oneself and one's enemy.

Chapter Summaries

The Art of War contains 13 chapters, each detailing specific lines of indirect and direct attack to use in different circumstances of conflict and war.

Chapter 1: Laying Plans

Sun-Tzu explains the importance of being prepared.

He points out five essential elements of war: moral influence, weather, terrain, command, and doctrine.

Chapter 2: Waging War

This chapter includes highly specific details, including how many horses and troops are required for battle.

The author emphasizes the utmost importance of advanced preparation so a soldier can act quickly when the time comes.

Chapter 3: Attack by Stratagem

Sun-Tzu focuses on preventative measures such as subduing the enemy without a fight.

Five situations are given as predictions for victory:

The leader has full awareness of themself, troops, and the opposition.

The leader knows how to use small or large forces. #The leader knows how to unify the ranks with a common purpose.

The leader knows how to be patient while the opposition is impatient.

The leader's authority does not cloud judgment.

Chapter 4: Tactical Dispositions

Victory should never be assumed or taken for granted.

The elements of war are presented and include measurement of space, estimation of quantities, calculations, comparisons, and chances of victory.

Chapter 5: Energy

When dealing with troops, a group of people should be unified into a single force.

The troops should be well-organized according to a chain of command.

Chapter 6: Weak Points and Strong

Look like an easy target to make enemies assume an easy victory.

Use mixed tactics to keep the enemy guessing and vulnerable.

Chapter 7: Maneuvering

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.This does not mean that the enemy is to be allowed to escape. The object, as Tu Mu puts it, is "to make him believe that there is a road to safety, and thus prevent his fighting with the courage of despair." Tu Mu adds pleasantly: "After that, you may crush him."

Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

Chapter 8: Variation in Tactics

Keep Moving

 When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. In desperate position, you must fight. 

What Not To Do

 There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed. 

Handling Troops

 The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops. 

A Student of War

 So, the student of war who is unversed in the art of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use of his men. 

Eliminate Misfortune

 If, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune. 

Always Be Ready

 The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. 

Five Dangerous Faults

 There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: 

(a) Recklessness, which leads to destruction

(b) Cowardice, which leads to capture

(c) A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults

(d) A delicacy of honour which is sensitive to shame

(e) Over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble

Take Advantage of Faults

 When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation. 

Chapter 9: The Army on the March

When traveling, move quickly through mountains and across rivers and keep to valleys. If an enemy crosses a river, wait until it’s halfway across to attack. Any such approach should be made from upriver, lest the opposition manipulate the waters to flood you.

Avoid swamps and marshes, and camp on high, flat ground, with any hills to your rear. Arrange battlefields so that the enemy has difficult terrain to its rear. Observe carefully the enemy’s actions: Lots of dust means troop movements; shouting and threats suggest weakness; chariots arranging themselves on the flanks signal the battle is about to start.Keep alert for signs of trouble among enemy ranks, including knots of men speaking quietly or flags being moved around. If water carriers drink first, this hints at low water supplies; if the men lean on their spears, they’re hungry. Commotion at night suggests nervousness.

Soldiers must be treated kindly at first until they respect their leader, and afterwards they must be punished strictly for any misbehavior. Punishing troops before they’ve bonded to their general will cause unrest. 

Chapter 10: Terrain

Success depends on all aspects of the battle.  The general cannot trust to his men’s strength alone. He must know the enemy’s plans and circumstances as well as he knows his own. Yet he must not assume he knows his own men well—he must also stay on top of his own circumstances. Victory is only assured when the general can perceive and control the whole battlefield. But when he does, he can be certain of victory in every battle he fights.

Chapter 11: The Nine Situations

Enemies fighting on the home turf is scattering ground. Entering enemy land but not deeply is light. Strategic is when either side could gain advantage. Open ground is where both sides can come and go freely. Crossroad ground is where there is an opportunity to defeat multiple states. Heavy ground is where the army is in enemy territory and holds multiple towns. Intractable ground is tough natural terrain. Enclosed ground is narrow and twisting terrain. Death ground is where one must struggle for survival.

Don’t fight on scattering ground, don’t halt on light ground, don’t attack on strategic ground, and don’t block open ground. Form alliances on crossroads. Plunder when on heavy ground. Keeping moving on intractable ground. Focus on strategy on enclosed ground. Fight on death ground.The skillful general divides the enemy army, and stops their men from supporting each other. When they are separated, it is hard to regroup. Move when there is gain, halt when there is none. How should you confront a well-assembled enemy? Take something dear to him and he will do as you command. Speed is key in war. Catch the enemy unaware and unprepared, take a route he doesn’t expect you to.

Do not allow the men to consult omens. Remove all doubts and they will follow you to their deaths. They have no abundance, but prize wealth. They expect to die, but cling to life. When battle orders are given, they lie down and weep, wetting their clothes and cheeks. But put them where they cannot escape and they will fight with historic valor.Reward the men and give orders fairly. Treat the army as one man and do not give explanations. Tell them the opportunity but do not reveal the dangers. Throw them into death ground and they will live—this is how to turn defeat into victory.

Chapter 12: The Attack by fire

When attacking by fire, there are five ways to do it, burning men, supplies, equipment, warehouses, and lines of communication. You must have the means and the material. Certain seasons and days are best for lighting fires. Ideally, strike when it is hot and dry. The best days are when the moon is in Sagittarius, Pegasus, Crater, and Corvus. They are the four constellations of rising wind.

The are five changes to adapt to. If an enemy camp breaks out with fire, attack immediately. If the enemy remains calm, do not attack, but watch how the fire spreads and strike if an opportunity arises. If you can start a fire in the enemy camp, do it when the time is right. Always be upwind when starting a fire. Winds that start in the day last a long time. Night winds die out quickly. Know these changes and be vigilant.

Fire is a massive help in war. Water can be a big help too. It isolates but does not kill entirely. Not following through on an opportunity is a great waste. Thus it is said, good rulers think deeply, good generals follow through. Only move for gain or victory, and fight only in a crisis. Rulers must never mobilize out of anger, and generals must not fight out of spite. Move for gain; halt if there is none.

Anger and spite can subside to joy, but once a nation or men are destroyed, they cannot be rebuilt. Rulers must be prudent and generals cautious. This is the Way to preserve peace and keep men whole.

Chapter 13: The Use of Spies

Having information early allows rulers and generals to advance and triumph. It brings them uncommon success. This type of knowledge cannot be gained from omens. It can only be gained from men who know the enemy. There are five types of spies: local, internal, double, dead, and live. All of these are mysterious. Local spies are from the enemy state. Internal spies are officials in the enemy’s government. Double agents are enemy spies turned to the general’s side. Dead spies pass on false information to the enemy. Live spies come back with information.

No one should be closer to the general than his spies, nor better paid or treated. Wisdom is necessary to managing spies, as are humanity and justice. Without genius and subtlety, the general cannot know their accuracy or truth. Spies have many uses. If the spy tells someone else his information before the general, both spy and listener must be executed.

When attacking a city or killing someone, the general must know the names of the enemy’s general, servants, and staff. The spies must know to collect all this information in detail. Enemy spies in the general’s camp must be turned and paid well for it, to become double agents. From the double agent can be won local and internal spies. He can also send misinformation to the enemy, and shows the general how to best use live spies.

Sun Tzu's Quotes on Discipline

"The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are The Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, The Commander, and Method and Discipline.

"Therefore, soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory. If in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced, the army will be well-disciplined; if not, its discipline will be bad."

"He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared."

The Art of War pinpoints anger and greed as fundamental causes of defeat. According to Sun Tzu, it is the unemotional, reserved, calm, detached wins.

Here are 3 lessons from Master Sun Tzu:

• Only enter battles you know you can win.
• Deceive your competition to make them do what you want.
• Lead your team as if you were leading a single man by the hand.

Know when to fight and when not to fight: avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak. Know how to deceive the enemy: appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. Know your strengths and weaknesses: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

The Parable of the Pipeline ~ Burke Hedges (22 of 24)

 In the parable of the pipeline, Burke Hedges explains the limitations of active income, like a bucket,  emphasising that the job security is an illusion and encourage us to create and embrace passive income. According to him virtually anyone can leverage their time, relationships and money to become a millionaire.  The pipelines of residual income provide the only true security.

Internet will help us achieve it even faster. More the pipelines the better. 

When you divide 72 with the rate of annual interest, the result will give you the no. of years in which your investment will be doubles. Compounding is the 8th wonder of the world. Leverage your time, money and relationship into long term and short term pipelines.  Pay yourself first. 

Your pipelines are your lifelines. Dream big enough,  don't bother about facts. Short term investments will equal long term reward. Keep your eyes on your prize.

We hear a lot about job security these days. But the simple fact is, if you have a job, you have no real security anymore! Today, job security is out. Lean and mean is in. Which means the next job to be downsized could be yours! So how do you create true security for yourself and your family in a hired-today-and-fired-tomorrow workplace? The answer: Create your own security by building pipelines of residual income. In the parable of the pipeline, Burke Hedges explains how virtually anyone can leverage their time, relationships and money to become a millionaire. The parable of the pipeline: why job security is an illusion. And why pipelines of residual income provide the only true security. Why pipelines are the secret behind every million-dollar fortune. Why one pipeline is worth a thousand paychecks. How to build a million-dollar pipeline on less than 4 dollar a day! How average people without a lot of money can leverage their time and relationships to create the ultimate pipeline. How to start living your dreams today by building a 5-year lifestyle pipeline, while planning for the future by building a 50-year retirement pipeline.

Cochin Book Club

 

Am glad to have finally joined this. 

The April meetup of Cochin Book Club was a very special one as it was the 50th meetup of the club as well as its 6thanniversary celebration. So we thought we would do away with the usual book discussion and indulge a bit.

After cutting the anniversary cake, we had fun with some games like literary dumb charades, pitch a book, and crossword puzzle (Crossword courtesy: Kochi Overboard). We also conducted a mystery book swap which many of our book lovers participated in and enjoyed. Beautiful picture postcards with great quotes from famous authors and books were distributed among the participants, a compliment again from Kochi Overboard.

A very special thing for this meetup was celebrating our authors. We displayed around 18 books by 11 authors from the club. The club is glad that we have so many published authors among our members. The number of authors are even more; all of them were not able to display the books at the meetup.

The following were the authors and their respective books that were displayed:

. Nandakishore Varma – 1. Vichedangal, 2. Vigathaksharangal

. J George Pottenkulam – It Rained on a Moonlit Night

. J P Alexander – Decisive Battles, Strategic Leaders

. Hassan Nasir – 1. Arabikkuthira, 2. Marquezinte Aparan, 3. Thoongichathavarude Aathmabhashanangal, 4. Monologues of the Hanged (English version of book no. 3), 5. American Wife, 6. Jo, 7. French Pranayam

. Rosa Juju – 1. Gripping Reality, 2. Arabesque

. Jessica - 1. Women Hold Up Half the Sky, 2. I Am Counting the Days by Minutes (She contributed one story each to these two story collections)

. Ashik Satheesh – The Indian Indie Film

. Aromal Mithra – Rishvin and Jaanvi

. Anjana Varma – Beneath the Devil Tree

. Jinesh – Ennu Swantham (Contributed a letter to this letter collection compiled by Benyamin)

. Harris Ali - Ennu Swantham (Contributed a letter to this letter collection compiled by Benyamin)

The festivities were enjoyed by both old and new members, the community of diverse readers, both in age as well as their choice of genres. For some new faces, it was their first meetup of the Cochin Book Club.

We used the occasion to remember all the members who have joined the club at various times and have attended the club’s meetups over the years. The club has come this long with the support and enthusiasm shown by its members at every step. Hope the spirit will endure and we will see many more happy meetups and many more successful years ahead!

Managing Food Cravings

 

1. Understand Craving
2. Know body-mind connection
3. Practical strategy to regulate. 

What tells you you are hungry - your body or time?

Craving is a powerful desire to eat a specific food and is natural.

It is not a medical condition. 

PICA - Urge to eat something not in the category of food. Like chalk, soil, wood etc. 

Physical cause of cravings :

• Hormonal changes
• Pregnancy
• Sleep deprivation
• Blood sugar level
• Dehydration
• Nutrition deficiency
• Worms/Parasites

Mental causes of cravings: 

• Stress
• Emotional Eating
• Boredom

Vitamin D and B12 - deficiency cause increase in cravings. 

Understand the cause of craving and work on it. 

Fenal after food help reduce food craving and not only reduce the order of the mouth. It helps digestion also. It can be taken by people of all ages. 

Ways to regulate any craving:

• Wait for 10 minutes
• Drink plenty of water
• See if it goes by itself
• Snack smart
• Out of sight, out of mind
• Eat enough proteins
• Chew sugarless gums
• Enjoy a small portion of your craving

Intermittent fasting - easy 12 to 12 hours - 8 am to 8 pm. 

This will help avoid gastric issues, bloatting and fat.

Gradually you can increase to 14, 16 and 18 hours. 

Body types are different. Some need to have frequent small meals. They cannot do intermittent fasting. 

Probiotic meant is better to have before sunset, with meals. 

Cafene intake - reduce quantity slowly and gradually - some might get headache. 

Karuveetil Kudmasangamam

 Finally we had the 3rd family get together at the Cochin Suburban Club and by God's grace all went fine. 

Initially there was confusion and hesitation with regard to the location.  But my sis was insisting it should be a good one. 

Of the 93 members alive - 13 departed, only 40 were present. May be health, distance, and out of location could have been the reasons. 

Hopefully those present enjoyed. 

Started with welcome speech in English and Malayalam by Neil and Sreerag, followed by lighting of the lamp by elders, prayer song by RK and KP - twin sweet hearts, going through the videos of  family, memories and year gone by. 

Then there was the Ponnada - settum mundum given to elders, and three videos compiled by Sreerag displayed - on 'All family members', 'Homage to those not with us' and 'Year gone by'. 

Then there was the tea break, much needed as the homage video had made people emotional. Expected there would be hesitation for people to come forward to participate, but all were full of energy. 

Ammai's Leela Ammai and Lakshmi Ammai rocked with old songs on rolls, and there were dance by Kalyani and Parvathi, recitations, clap traps, dances untill the food was waiting and calling us. 

After yummy food there was the family photo session, followed by games like Anthakshari - where it was literally between daughters and mothers, Tambola - conducted by Neil and Sajeev , dances and songs - ending with DJ - tea and Pazhampori.

The day just got over too soon....with memories to cherish. 

World Book Day

 "Your sacred space is where you find yourself, again and again" ~ Joseph Campbell

You have them indoors and outdoors.  One definitely is here. #Books, #Home, #Office.  #Gratitude. 

'Read your way', the theme for this World Book Day, Today.

The celebration was initially held on Cervantes' birthday, October 7, before being moved to his death date, April 23, 1930. 23 April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This date was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books.

World Book Day was created by UNESCO on 23rd April 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. World Book Day is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.In other countries around the world, World Book Day is celebrated on the 23rd of April, but the UK opted for a different date. The reason for this is because, had the UK kept the original date, the event would have clashed with the Easter school holidays.

World Book Day is about celebrating reading all year round, not just on the day. 

Here are few quotes on books:

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

"Books are a uniquely portable magic." - Stephen King

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

"A book is a dream that you hold in your hand." - Neil Gaiman

"There is no friend as loyal as a book." - Ernest Hemingway

"Books are the mirrors of the soul." - Virginia Woolf

"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." - Jane Austen

"A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors." - Charles Baudelaire

"Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home." - Anna Quindlen

"Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well." - Mark Haddon

"Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled 'This could change your life.'" - Helen Exley

"A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it." - Edward P. Morgan

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." - Charles William Eliot

"The book you don't read won't help." - Jim Rohn

"Books are a refuge, a sort of cloistral refuge, from the vulgarities of the actual world." - Walter Pater

"A house without books is like a room without windows." - Heinrich Mann

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill." - Barbara Tuchman

"A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance." - Lyndon B. Johnson

"Books are the compasses and telescopes and sextants and charts which other men have prepared to help us navigate the dangerous seas of human life." - Jesse Lee Bennett

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." - Joseph Addison

"A book is like a garden carried in the pocket." - Chinese Proverb

"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries." - René Descartes

'That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet'' - Jhumpa Lahiri

''Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world'' - Malala Yousafzai

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me'' - C.S. Lewis

“So many books, so little time.” ― Frank Zappa

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” ― Mark Twain

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” ― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

"There is no Frigate like a Book. To take us Lands away.” – Emily Dickinson, in honor of World Book Day

Peace - Tagore - Sunrise

 Since we just celebrated #NewYear in many parts of India, I wanted to share some lines from #Tagore. He wrote several New Year poems, sharing his thoughts on the occasions of the Bengali New Year as well as the western New Year. This one was written on the last day of the nineteenth century and is titled "The Sunset of the Century."

"Bring your offerings of worship for that sacred sunrise.

Let the first hymn of its welcome sound in your voice and sing

“Come, Peace, thou daughter of god’s own great suffering."

A Life Lived Full Circle

A student who wanted to be a teacher, was soon married off when she was in the 9th standard. Her dreams shattered and unfulfilled. 

Soon after she gave birth to 4 children,  moved from being the youngest of 9 children, to being a responsible DIL , but she was a child. The child within her had never grown up. 

When the youngest son was still a kid, her husband died due to heart attack, when he was returning after his monthly Guruvayur dharashan. 

 By the grace of her extended family , she started raising her children. She ensured that her daughter became the first person to graduate from her extended family, and got her married only after she had a job of her own. Necessity or determination, who can clarify now?

Then her elder son got married and had a son and daughter of his - unfortunately when they were little, he passed away. His wife continued to stay with them, and she raised them like her own. 

Gradually her other two sons also got married - she had her share of illness and also her child like innocence was intact throughout. Her house was an inn for all her relatives. 

With lack of space at home, one son had to move out. Both daughter in law's wanted to. With people visiting and extended family, it was not easy for an outside modern day girl to adjust. 

There were rotations, especially when the younger who was with her, went to London for a brief period of time. The other son and daughter in law moved back with her. 

But when he returned, again the debate who will stay where. There was the family partition, grandchildren started getting married. 

Where it be the royal family from UK, Ambani's or common man, the story of every household is the same. When there are two sons - who will take care of parents/mother? Should it ever be a question? 

She had gangerine - her leg was cut off, she would recite the newspaper heading when Mahatma Gandhi was killed - 'Bharathathinde bhagyadeepam polichu - konathu Nathuram Godse. '

Also about Rabindranath Tagore and Shanthinikethan. She loved songs, cricket, food, travel. Her husband having had a business in Bombay - Colaba then, and  daughter being married off to mumbai, she had made countless visits. 

Unfortunately Corona took her daughter, nobody can say for sure if she was aware of it or not. She too presumably had corona attack. But before that her fingers were cut off due to Gangrene attack.   

After a years stay in one sons house, he and his children took her to another sons house. He was adament that she would die in his home and will not go from there. So did it happen. Over the years, she had stayed with three daughter in laws. 

Elder unwell, astamatic and having lost her husband early and with her son and daughter married and out of state most of the time, had to take care of her grandchildren. 

The other two had their children and family to treed to and when it came to MIL it was Tu Tu Main Main. Will anyone do that to their own mothers? One sending to the other persons home, the other going to visit her daughter out of country, and she having to come and stay here and MIL having the last drop of water from her at the age of 93. Who is right, who is wrong - Every story has four sides - Your story, my story, what is seen to the outside world, and the truth. 

Wishing and praying for peace and truth to prevail. 

She had become just like a child, toothless, curled, with a smile, unaware of the time and events happening around, doing potti in diaper, eating when given, no questions asked. Bedridded for years. 

As her funeral rituals are over, here comes a shining star in the sky. 

With her is her daughter's MIL a self made women. Similar yet different. 

Patna Shukla

Directed by Vivek Budakoti, produced by Arash Khan, and written by Vivek Budakoti, Farid Khan, and Sameer Arora, and with a runtime of two and a half hours, Raveena Tandon’s performance as lawyer Tanvi Shukla from Patna in ‘Patna Shukla’ is a good watch.

The story revolves around a small-time lawyer and housewife who fights a case against the education mafia. Her family's safety comes under threat while she leads her battle against corruption.

Tanvi being the perfect wife, mother, and lady, BEFORE she gets to her workplace, and wahaan bhi the first thing she does is offer everyone homemade laddoos, She isn’t exceptionally good at her job either, just about average. And through her, the film is asking its audience, just HOW perfect do you expect women to be, to give them the same amount of respect you give men automatically?

She doesn’t have lofty ambitions, but she has dignity, and her own ways of questioning when she’s not treated with the respect she knows she deserves. Tanvi is always ready with the perfect dialogue, put together in the face of adversity, talking emphatically to her son like she’s his favorite aunt meeting him after a month.

Tanvi’s husband Mr. Shukla, played by Manav Vij quietly realizes the error of his ways, and quietly goes about fixing both the relationship and his contribution to systems that perpetuate inequality, in a way you rarely see actualized in cinema. When the oppression isn’t always loud, course correction can be subtle too. A husband who unlearns and learns on his own is as rare as a film in present-day bollywood calling out social evils like “bulldozer justice” as a nefarious power movie.

‘Patna Shuklla’ dives into the education scam of roll numbers that affect the lives of thousands of earnest students in India.The case at hand is that of a college girl, joh convinced hai uske exam sheet ke saath dhokha hua hai, and despite recounting, she wants to press charges against the university. What seems like a simple scenario of error in assessing her paper properly, turns out to be a larger conspiracy, a scam even, involving a prominent politician, poised to win the next elections.

Anushka Kaushik, plays Rinki Kumari, the student who brings the case against her university, is an absolutely stellar performer and I dare say, if it weren’t for her, and the absolute fire charisma of Chandan Roy Sanyal, each time he appears on screen, this film would have fallen apart quite spectacularly. Satish Kaushik, in another posthumous performance, is every bit the entertainer he always was, here as the judge presiding over the case. You drown out the BGM and ignore everything else in the frame that yells “basic”, each time Satish Kaushik takes the stage, whether he’s picking a gavel from his bag, or buying tamatar at the sabzi mandi. Another male character who learns and unlearns in his own time, without laying the blame on women, or their need to have agency.

Patna Shukla reads like a larger commentary on how rules of law are prone to hijacking by those with any amount of power, in all levels of society, highlighting the importance of an unbiased judiciary is, to ensure we don’t further devolve into chaos. Ending was obvious, but they way they reached there was quite unexpected. 

Good watch!

Death Process

 It’s normal to wonder what will happen when you die. From a physical standpoint, death is when the body's vital functions stop, including breathing (respiration), heartbeats, and, brain activity.

The actual moment of death is part of the process of dying during which all these functions shut down. Sometimes, it happens gradually and sometimes it happens very quickly.

After death, the body starts to undergo changes as its temperature drops. The skin color and texture look and feel different, and the muscles relax, stiffen, and then relax again.

What Happens at the Moment of Death?

By definition, death is when blood (circulatory) and breathing (respiratory) stop and cannot be brought back, or brain death (when the brain/brain stem stops working) occurs.

The determination of death must be made according to accepted medical standards.

The moment of death is not necessarily painful. While people with certain medical conditions may feel pain at the end of life, others die without any pain. 

Often, people with terminal conditions like cancer get pain medication so they are comfortable during the dying process. 

The moment of death is often thought of as the moment when the heartbeat and breathing stop. However, research is showing that death may not be that immediate. 

The brain is thought to keep “working” for 10 minutes or so after death, meaning that a person’s mind may have some kind of awareness of dying.

In a hospital, there are a few criteria that healthcare providers use to declare death including:

• No pulse 
• No breathing
• No reflexes
• No reaction from pupils to bright light 

In a setting like an ER or ambulance, paramedics look for the five signs of irreversible death to determine if resuscitation, or revival, would be possible or not. 

What Happens One Hour After Death?

At the moment of death, all of the muscles in the body relax (primary flaccidity). The eyelids lose their tension, the pupils dilate, the jaw may fall open, and the joints and limbs are flexible.

With the loss of tension in the muscles, the skin will sag, which can cause prominent joints and bones in the body, such as the jaw or hips, to stick out more. 

What Happens One Hour After Death?

At the moment of death, all of the muscles in the body relax (primary flaccidity). The eyelids lose their tension, the pupils dilate, the jaw may fall open, and the joints and limbs are flexible.

With the loss of tension in the muscles, the skin will sag, which can cause prominent joints and bones in the body, such as the jaw or hips, to stick out more. 

As muscles relax, sphincters release and allow urine and feces to pass.

Within minutes of the heart stopping, the body will get pale as the blood drains from the smaller veins in the skin (pallor mortis). This process can be more visible in people with light skin compared to darker skin.

The body starts to cool from its normal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit until it reaches the air temperature around it. 

The “death chill” (algor mortis) is when the body temperature falls at a steady rate of 1.5 degrees F per hour.

The expected decrease in body temperature during algor mortis can help forensic scientists get the approximate time of death, assuming the body has not completely cooled or been exposed to extreme environmental temperatures.4

What Happens 2 to 6 Hours After Death?

Since the heart no longer pumps blood, gravity begins to pull it to the areas of the body closest to the ground (pooling), a process called livor mortis.4

If the body is not disturbed for several hours, the parts of the body that are nearest the ground can develop a reddish-purple discoloration that looks like a bruise. It’s caused by the accumulation of blood.5 Embalmers sometimes call it the "postmortem stain."

From 2 to 6 hours after death, chemical changes in the body's cells cause all muscles to stiffen (rigor mortis). The first muscles affected are the eyelids, jaw, and neck.6

Over the next several hours, rigor mortis spreads to the face and down the chest, abdomen, arms, and legs until it finally reaches the fingers and toes.

Interestingly, the old custom of placing coins on the eyelids of the deceased might have originated from the desire to keep the eyes shut, since rigor mortis affects them first.

When infants and young children die, it is not unusual for their bodies to not display rigor mortis, possibly because of their smaller muscle mass.

What Happens 7 to 12 Hours After Death?

Maximum muscle stiffness from rigor mortis in the body occurs after about 12 hours. However, this timeline will be affected by a person's age, physical condition, sex, air temperature, and other factors.

At this point, the deceased's limbs are hard to move. The knees and elbows will be slightly flexed, and the fingers and toes can look unusually crooked.

What Happens 12 Hours After Death?

After reaching a state of maximum rigor mortis, the muscles start to loosen because of the continued chemical changes in the cells and internal tissue decay.

The process (secondary flaccidity) takes place over one to three days and is affected by external conditions such as temperature (for example, cold slows the process).7

During secondary flaccidity, the skin shrinks and creates the illusion that the deceased’s hair and nails are growing. Rigor mortis starts to disappear going in the opposite direction—from the fingers and toes to the face—over 48 hours.

Once secondary flaccidity is done, the body's muscles will relax again.

Summary

The process of dying is natural and follows several steps. You might be curious about what will happen to your body after you die or you might prefer not to think about it. Whether you want to learn about what physically happens to the body after death is up to you.

Here is a brief summary of the changes that happen in the body in the hours and days after death:

One hour: Relaxation of muscles (primary flaccidity) starts right away, followed by the skin becoming pale

Two to six hours: Muscles begin to stiffen (rigor mortis)

Seven to 12 hours: Muscle stiffness peaks (rigor mortis is complete)

12 hours: The muscles start to relax again (secondary flaccidity) and the process will take 1 to 3 days

What part of your body dies first?

At the end of life, organs shut down at different rates. For instance, the lungs typically cease working before the heart stops completely.

In some people, the brainstem stops functioning before other organs. This is known as brain death. However, research suggests some brain functions may continue up to 10 minutes after death

How long does a body stay warm after death?

The body begins to get colder immediately, but body temperature drops slowly, at 1.5 degrees F per hour.

 What is the last part of the body to die?

The brain and nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen and will die within a few minutes, once you stop breathing. The next to go will be the heart, followed by the liver, then the kidneys and pancreas, which can last for about an hour. Skin, tendons, heart valves and corneas will still be alive after a day.

For the first few minutes of the postmortem period, brain cells may survive. The heart can keep beating without its blood supply. A healthy liver continues breaking down alcohol. And if a technician strikes your thigh above the kneecap, your leg likely kicks, just as it did at your last reflex test with a physician.

As the blood pools, patches appear on the skin within 30 minutes of death. About two to four hours postmortem, these patches join up, creating large dark purplish areas towards the bottom of the body and lightening the skin elsewhere. This may be less apparent on darker skin. This process is called livor mortis.

Once your brain stops functioning, it is of course impossible to hear things. However, if your heart stops first your brain may still be able to function for a brief period of time before running out of oxygen. During this period you could most likely still hear.

What happens 2 minutes before death?

Facial muscles may relax and the jaw can drop. Skin can become very pale. Breathing can alternate between loud rasping breaths and quiet breathing. Towards the end, dying people will often only breathe periodically, with an intake of breath followed by no breath for several seconds.

------------------------

Note the eyes fails to detect light soon after death, but the Corona would be alive for almost a day. 

Name these Famous Books

 

 1The Oldman and the sea

 2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

 3. The scarlet letter

4. As I lay dying

5 The Grapes of Wrath

6 War and Peace?

7. Gone with the wind?

8 The Prince of Tides

9. Great Expectations

10. Pride and Prejudice

11 Catcher in the Rye

12. To kill a mockingbird

 13 A Farewell to Arms

14 1984

15.Crime and Punishment

 16 The Sound and the Fury

17. For whom the Bell tolls

18 Lord of the Flies

19. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

20 Brave New World

21  Treasure Island

22. Tale of two cities

23 Of Mice and Men

24 The Red Badge of Courage

25 The Sun Also Rises

Happy World Idli Day!

 Indeed interesting and was surprised when I got this message today morning:

🙏🌹30-03-2024.. ലോക ഇഡലി ദിനം 🌹🙏

Today is world Idli day. The celebration of the day started a few years ago when a passionate idli lover dedicated a day to this South Indian staple food. It was started in 2015 by M. Eniyavan, an idli caterer from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The first mention of idli was seen in a 10th-century Kannada writing, followed by several mentions textbooks and encyclopedia over the next few centuries. At the time, the dish was called 'iddalige' or 'iddariga' and was made with a recipe quite different from what we follow today.

It was made using a batter of black gram flour, buttermilk, and spices. The one we make now — fermented black lentils (de-husked) and rice — originated in Indonesia. Long story short, Indians managed to get their hands on the recipe and Tamils made ...

Food historian K T Achaya believes the idli probably arrived in India from present-day Indonesia around 800-1200 CE. From the 7th to the 12th century, many Hindu kings ruled Indonesia and when they used to come to India to meet their relatives during holidays or find brides for themselves, they also used to bring their royal chefs with them. This is how the Indonesian recipe of Kedlis came to India and got adapted as Idlis.

It does not really matter where it originated, but I can have in when I am sick and when I am fine. In the morning, evening and at night. Inside  and Outside.  

Happy World Idli Day!

https://youtube.com/shorts/_DUuVs3KYuU?si=NJ8Pii9H8HgrkJz3

Premalu

 Again from Sreeram Sundaram 

Gireesh A D (Thanneermathan Dinangal, Super Sharanya) has directed "Premalu" which is running to packed houses all across Kerala for more than a month now. Gireesh made his debut with the blockbuster "Thanneermathan Dinangal" that did not work for me and hence, I stayed away from his next - "Super Sharanya" - which did fairly well at the BO. With "Premalu", the director has achieved some kind of a cult status if the feedback on the movie and the kind of money it is making is anything to go by. 

"Premalu" is the story of Sachin (Naslen K Gafoor at his charming, endearing best) who has managed to complete his engineering from a college in Salem. His classmate, who he had a crush on, rejects him outright. His parents do not speak with each other and his older sister is lost in her own world. He tries to get into a university in the UK but his visa application is rejected due to lack of funds. At the peak of his frustration, he bumps into his school friend Amal Davis (Sangeeth Pratap is a complete natural) who is planning to move to Hyderabad to attend GATE coaching and asks Sachin to tag along. There he bumps into Reenu (Mamitha Baiju is confidence personified) and her friend Karthika (Akhila Bhargavan, impressive) who work with an IT company and are part of Aadi's (Shyam Mohan, hilariously irritating) team. Aadi is a control freak and has set his eyes on Reenu but the girls fall for the good humored duo, much to Aadi's irritation. 

Reenu takes a liking for the confused Sachin and helps him out at every juncture as a good friend but Sachin has already fallen head over heels in love with her. Amal understands his friend and tries to help him express his feelings for Reenu directly to her. How that happens, how she reacts and what happens next is what the rest of the narrative is all about. 

There is nothing new by way of plotline here but what Gireesh and his cowriter Kiran get right are the characterization of the handful of lead and supporting characters who are today's kids and speak today's lingo. They are clear about what they want from a relationship, do not look at age-old gender defined roles and are willing to accept people for what they are. Their conflicts and confusion may sound trivial to pre-millennials like yours faithfully, but there is no denying the fact that they have a mind of their own and they do what they think is right. This filterless capture of the attitude of today's kids coupled with the freshness of the cast and the location (Hyderabad has not been explored much as a location in Malayalam cinema) keep you invested in the proceedings to a large extent (though I did yawn a few times in the first half). The pre-climax sequence at the party thrown by Karthika and her fiancée is a complete hoot and the climax sequence is also smartly (and cheekily) conceived and directed. 

The bright color tone (Ajmal Sabu), even pacing (Akash Joseph Varghese) and a good background score (Vishnu Vijay) add to the quality of the narrative and Dhanya Balakrishnan does a very good job with the costumes. 

There were times when I wondered about the silliness of what is unfolding on screen but the loud laughter and applause in the theater made me realize that the movie is working with its target audience. I was not really bored through the duration of the movie but this is not a movie that will stay with you for long after you leave the theater. 

Naslen and Mamitha have a great future in Malayalam cinema and Mathew Thomas was presented differently in his brief cameo. For the sheer energy of the makers and the cast, I go with 3.5 stars out of 5.

Happy Birthday to Me

 

[31/03, 01:18] Sreerag Potta 2021: Happy Birthday, Meera ammayi! 🎉 You're not just ammayi, you're a supercool, May your day be as fabulous and age-defying as you are. Remember, age is just a number... but cake? Cake is real and delicious! 🎂😄 Cheers to another year of awesomeness! 🥳

Promotion 

[31/03, 01:20] Sreerag Potta 2021: yes from valiammayi to muthamayi

[31/03, 01:20] Sreerag Potta 2021: wait till my marriage😅

[31/03, 01:24] Sreerag Potta 2021: Remember, with great power comes... a bigger birthday cake

[31/03, 01:31] Sreerag Potta 2021: **Happy Birthday to Meera**

In the world of words, she weaves her tale,

Meera, the author, whose stories never fail.

With every page turned and every line read,

Her literary magic, widely spread.

A traveler at heart, she roams the earth,

Discovering new lands, proving her worth.

From mountains high to valleys deep,

In every journey, memories she'll keep.

A foodie's delight, she savors each bite,

Tasting flavors from morning to night.

Her cheerful spirit lights up the room,

Dispelling all gloom, chasing away the gloom.

She finds joy in sleep, peaceful and deep,

Dreaming of adventures, secrets she'll keep.

As a keeper of memories, photos she stores,

Capturing moments, cherishing them evermore.

Family bonds, she holds them so dear,

Spreading love and joy, year after year.

A reader, a traveler, a foodie so fine,

On this special day, let your light shine.

Happy Birthday, dear Meera, with love so true,

May your day be as wonderful as you!

‐------

Great day meeting friends. Calls

Ex colleagues,  Saro, Divine park, Lulu with Rajesh full day, movie.

Ozler & Anweshippin Kandethum

 #MalayalamMovies

(For those not in the know, these are movies in my native tongue of Malayalam, a language spoken in the South Indian state of Kerala).

I usually don’t pit movies against each other or even write about movies that don’t move me in an exceptional way. This means that I watch many good, even great movies, but that’s not enough to make me write about them. However, I am making an exception here. One movie is what I thought was great (not exceptional) and the other was just boring.

But these two films could be a good case study (for students of cinema) in what makes a movie great versus boring, especially since both belong to the same genre: crime and police procedurals.

Note: Art is very subjective so my opinion need not match with yours.

I was struck by the contrast in my experience because for one movie, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the screen. I didn’t move until it got over. The other made me scroll through my phone even while watching it! Both have movie stars that are well-loved by the Malayalam audience, one more senior than the other.

“Anweshippin Kandethum” on Netflix (India):

The name is a reference to the Bible phrase “seek and ye shall find”.

This movie is in the “great” category. I can’t believe it’s the directorial debut of Darwin Kuriakose. It stars the handsome and fit Tovino Thomas (very convincing as a cop) who has a sharp mind and sincere heart but gets into some bad luck in his first murder investigation. He is then handed a three-year-old cold case to redeem himself.

Both these cases have a twist at the end that you wouldn’t see coming. Definitely a must watch. I also loved the very creative way the title of the movie was shown on the screen. Excellent title track too. The ensemble cast is just flawless, all so natural.

A special mention has to be made for the production/art design team because even without any date given on screen (as usually shown) you will know exactly which year this story takes place, especially if you are a Malayali and lived in Kerala during that time period. Everything from the houses to the vehicles, hairstyles, costumes, even the way men groomed their moustaches, is a dead giveaway and will evoke some nostalgia. The attention to detail is commendable because it really brings to life that specific time and place in Kerala. 

“Abraham Ozler” on Disney Hotstar (India):

Veteran star Jayaram plays the titular character, a cop who faced an unimaginable personal tragedy, who’s now investigating a serial murder case. 

Again Courtesy Sreeram Sundaram

Midhun Manuel Thomas has directed the Malayalam medical crime thriller "Abraham Ozler" with the down-on-luck Jayaram playing the titular character. The movie starts with Ozler taking a family vacation to a hill town in Kerala and on receiving a phone call from the nearby police station, he gets out. Half way through, he realizes that the call was fake and goes back to realize that his wife and daughter have been kidnapped and murdered by a high on drugs Vineeth (Arjun Ashokan) who had an axe to grind against Ozler. 

The shock drives Ozler to being an insomniac and repeated visits to his doctor (Saikumar) does not seem to help. A murder in the city stirs him up and with couple more murders following, he realizes that a serial killer is out in the city. Aided by his subordinates (Senthil Krishna and Arya Salim), he sets out to nab the serial killer. What happens next is what the 144 minute movie is all about. 

Midhun's last directorial was the hugely successful "5aam Pathira" that resulted in a spate of thrillers being made in Malayalam, most of which were substandard. Coming from Midhun himself, expectations were very high for Ozler. The movie does not meet all expectations but thankfully does not significantly fall short either. 

The basic plot is interesting and for the most part, the filmmaker manages to keep the audience engaged. However, too much time is spent in establishing the hero's plight, there are logical loopholes at multiple places, too much of medical jargons are used and one scene does not seamlessly blend into the next in more instances than one. It also does not help that Jayaram maintains a sluggish body language which seems to blend into the pace of storytelling. Once the big reveal is made and Megastar Mammootty comes into the picture, we have the culprit explaining the backstory to the cops rather than the cops finding it out - it definitely is a different take but makes the cops in the movie look like fools especially with the climatic twist. 

To be fair to the makers, the flashback sequences involving a bunch of newcomers (and the flavor of the season - Anaswara Rajan) have been executed well and generates enough sympathy in the minds of the viewers for the affected party. Technically, the film passes muster in all departments and Theni Eshwar (whose last work in Malayalam was Nanpagal Nerathu Mayakkam) works his magic with the camera once again and proves that he is equally at home across multiple genres and milieu. 

Except for the mass introduction scene, Mammootty does not have much to do making you wonder why he accepted this role in the first place. Jayaram manages to maintain the graph of his character but he is relegated to the background once Mammotty enters the scene. Among the rest of the ensemble cast, Jagadeesh makes a mark as he has been with every single release of his in recent times. 

"Abraham Ozler" has had a remarkable run in theaters and is considered Jayaram's biggest grosser till date. Though I was not bored, there were no "edge of the seat" moments like 5aam Pathira which was far superior by all .

Sevi. Forensic department. Benyamin - 

Book writing, vulture. Born residue the key.

Sequels?