BILLA 2....

" மத்தவங்க பயம்தான், நம்ம பலம்",

" தீவிரவாதிக்கும், போராளிக்கும் ஒரே வித்தியாசம் வெற்றி தான்.. கடைசில ஜெயிச்சுட்டா போராளி..இல்லன்னா தீவிரவாதி"

"எத்தனை எதிரிங்கள வேணும்னாலும் விட்டு வைக்கலாம் …. ஆனா ஒரு துரோகிய விடவே கூடாது...

" நாங்க அகதிங்க தான்..ஆனா அனாதைங்க இல்ல"

"எனக்கு நண்பனா இருக்க எந்த தகுதியும் வேண்டாம்.....எதிரியா இருக்க தகுதி வேணும்"

'என் வாழ்க்கையில ஒவ்வொரு நாளும்...... ஒவ்வொரு நிமிடமும், ஒவ்வொரு வினாடியும்....." (இதுக்கு மேல முடியல.... மூச்சு முட்டுதுடா சாமி.................)

இப்படி யார் யாருக்கோ மெசேஜ் சொல்லிச் சொல்லியே நமக்கு ஜன்னியக் கிளப்பும் ஹீரோ அஜித்.

கூடகுறுக்கும் மறுக்குமா நடக்க கோட் போட்ட ஆண்கள்...

டிரஸ் கொடுத்தா "அழுதிடுவோமுன்னு "சொல்லும் பெண்கள்....

பேசி முடிச்ச உடனே பக்கத்திலே யாரவது இருந்தா டுமீல்.....டுமீல்.....

இவர் சுட்டா பக்கத்திலே இருக்க கைத்தடி சும்மாவா இருப்பான்..... அவன் பங்குக்கு அவனும் டுமீல்....டுமீல்....

எங்கே சுட்டானுங்க......எதுக்காக சுட்டானுங்க......புரியிறதை விட நம்ம சுடாம விடணுமேன்னு ஒருஇனம் புரியாத பயம்....

டீ, காபியை விட துப்பாக்கி இவனுங்களுக்கு ஈசியா கிடைக்குது......

கார், பஸ், விமானம், ரயில், கப்பல், படகு, விதம் விதம்மா துப்பாக்கி .... சொந்தமா இவனுங்ககிட்டேஇல்லாதது மூளை மட்டும் தானோன்னு ஒரு பிரம்மை.

துப்பாக்கி வாகாக் கிடைக்கலேன்னா இருக்கவே இருக்கு கத்தி, கம்பி..... எதை எதையெல்லாம் வெச்சுஉயிர் எடுக்கலாம் என்பதற்கு இந்தப் படம் ஒரு பாடம்.

கழுத்தை அறுத்து எத்தனை கொலை, சுட்டு எத்தனை கொலை, கையால அடித்தே எத்தனை கொலைஅப்படின்னு தனித்தனியா ஒரு போட்டி வெச்சு ஜெயிச்சவங்களுக்கு ஆளுக்கு ஒரு பாட்டில் ரத்தம்கொடுக்கலாம்.

சில படங்கள் பார்த்துட்டு வெளியே வரும் போது ஒரு குழப்பம் வரும்...... வாய் கசக்கும்...... மனசுலவெறுப்பு தங்கும்..........படத்துல எல்லோரையும் சுடுற மாதிரி நம்மையும் சுட்டிருக்கக் கூடாதான்னு, நாமயாரையும் சுட்டுற மாட்டோமான்னு தோணும்,....படம் பார்க்க உள்ள போக நிக்கும் எல்லோரையும்பார்த்தா பாவமா இருக்கும்..... எதையாவது செஞ்சு, சொல்லி அவங்களை எல்லாம் காப்பாத்தீறமாட்டோமான்னு மனசு

அலை பாயும்..

சுருக்கமா சொன்னா மண்டைக்குள்ள ஏதோ குடையாய் குடையும்.........

பில்லா 2 பார்த்தா இதுவும், இதுக்கு மேலயும் கட்டாய கியாரண்டி.............

ஷார்ப்பா, brightஆ படம், முடிஞ்சா அளவுக்குக் குறைச்சலா துணியோட பெண்கள், அப்பப்போ வெளி நாடு,கொஞ்சம் ஆங்கிலம், புரியாத தமிழ், கோட் சூட், கறுப்புக் கண்ணாடி (இதெல்லாம் கேட்டா - ஸ்டைல் ??) தமிழே தெரியாத ஆட்கள் பாடி,பாட்டுங்கற பேர்ல இரைச்சல், ஊரு முழுக்க போஸ்டர், வேலையத்ததொலைகாட்சியிலே எல்லாம்

ஒரு முன்னோட்டம் (அதுல அவர் குடையை அவரே பிடிப்பாரு, அவருதண்ணிய அவரே குடிப்பாரு, மத்தவங்க ஒவ்வொரு ஆளுக்கும் சீன் வைக்க சொல்வாருன்னு “சும்மா இருக்க ஆளை சொரண்டி விடும் ” பில்ட் - அப்) இதெல்லாம் கலந்தது மட்டுமே தற்கால சினிமா.....

இப்போதெல்லாம் ஒருநல்ல, பார்க்க முடியும் படம் பார்க்கணும்னா சுமார் ஒரு 10-15 கர்மங்களை சகிச்சுக்க வேண்டியிருக்கு.

எழவு வேறு எந்தப் பொழுதுபோக்கும் - படிப்பதோ, சொல்லிக் கொடுப்பதோ, உடற்பயிற்சி செய்வதோ,தொண்டூழியம் செய்வதோ - இப்படி ஒண்ணுமே தெரியாம, அறியாம வளர்ந்து விட்ட நமக்கு தமிழ் சினிமாவைத் தவிர என்னதான் விமோசனம்.

அதற்காக எத்தனை நாளுக்குத்தான் இப்படி மனக் கஷ்டத்தோட அசிங்கப் படுறது.....

கொஞ்சம் யோசிச்சு பார்த்தா…. நம்ம குடும்பத்திலே இருக்கவங்க பிறந்த நாள் கூட தெரிஞ்சிக்க, ஞாபகம்வச்சுக்க முடியாம, தலைவர்கள் கட்-அவுட்டுக்கு பாலாபிஷேகம் பண்ணும் நம்மளப் போன்ற கேடுகெட்டவங்களுக்கு இதுவும் வேணும் இன்னமும் வேணுங்கற விஷயம் தெள்ளத் தெளிவாகும்.

ஒண்ணு நிச்சயம் - இது மாதிரி ஒரு 10-15படங்கள் தொடர்ந்து வந்தா நல்லதோன்னு

தோணுது.... ….

தமிழ்சினிமா அதுவாக மெல்லச் சாகும்ல !!!

காதில் விழுந்த கொசுறு கமெண்ட் - இதுக்கு ‘ஒஸ்தி’ எவ்வளவோ மேல்.....

KADHALIL SOTHAPPUVATHU EPPADI - Refreshing and enjoyable ROMCOM.

KSE is the "big screen" version of a gr8 short film that caught the attention of many

and became an online rage.....

(One of those which could have inspired the recent WHY THIS KOLAVERIDI promotional tactics!)

Some would have watched it - for those of you who have not or who would like to watch it again - here we go.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRSi-j7z8Wk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTICvWq1p3I&feature=related

The screenplay has just been tastefully and thoughtfully expanded to a 2 hour + movie format.

Siddharth and Amala Paul fit the roles to a tee. They make an awesome pair.

Siddarth - has been seen in similar roles before - especially in Telugu. Effortless portrayal -maybe because of his familiarity with the requirements.

Amala P - her recent outing in movies like Vettai to me looks like a waste of time and effort for a "talent" like this. But then,as they say, in cinema you need to play all kinds of roles to become and be acknowledged as a well rounded pro.

What makes her performance extra catchy is probably also Deepa Venkat's voice.

Lot of real "supporting" characters.

Crisp, real-life and mostly sensible dialogues.

Fantastic camera work. (It may also be really helpful if the guy behind the camera happens to be a co-producer - Nirav Shah, in this instance !!)

The whole movie is on a narrational format.

Heard the movie picked up slowly - mostly from word-of mouth references.

Would suggest a watch.

It is definitely a blast!!

NANBAN - My take....

Remaking an iconic movie like 3 Idiots requires a special kind of guts.

Maybe only possible for a Director like Shankar. He has become such a master of his craft that he has created another unbelievable product. (His rationale behind Rs 100+ crores for an ENTHIRAN is a separate matter for debate though.)

And casting an actor like Vijay in the lead role is a peculiar challenge – a ‘two dimensional’ one.

For the director it is the ability to visualize the actor in that role and being convinced he can extract what he wants without messing up the end product.

For the actor, who is mostly used to evading flying bullets and high octane action set pieces, doing such a role is a challenge - of unrealistic proportions. Imagine the effort that should have gone into just changing the body language and being conscious of it throughout.

Both have come off with flying colors.

Personally, my first and biggest relief was the fact that they have not ‘screwed’ up, in remaking a great original.

3I whether you knew Hindi or not was a stunning movie to watch. A refreshing masterpiece of epic proportions, particularly in the art of screen presentation. You got hooked on, within the first 10 minutes and you stayed hooked, forever.

Nanban is in fact a ‘faithful’ remake of 3I but this does not stop the movie from having its own distinct identity.

Nanban is also a bit closer to my heart because of my lack of fluency in Hindi, watching the original (Simultaneously watching a movie and reading the sub titles is ‘our’ challenge!!)

Under the guise of “TAMILIZING” the original, Shankar has not ended up putting his “skills” to use and thereby killing the basic spirit and soul of the creation. Which would have most likely been the case if someone like P.Vasu or KS Ravikumar had attempted the remake.

Making a 3 hour+ movie immensely watchable is another credit for Shankar. The respect for the original, the underlying tinge of humor, restrained but earthy performances, the twin ‘chemistry’ – between the main trio and between the lead pair – all make the movie a treat to watch.

Ileana D’Cruz – the Goan belle - known for her dancing prowess makes a great pair for Vijay. Her grace - especially in the ‘Olli Olli’ portions of 'Irukkaanaa' is something one has to watch to believe. (Is it Shruti Hassan’s voice that makes her performance extra catchy or is it hew own voice?!)

Jeeva and Srikanth (did he really have this kind of performing capabilities??!!) are yet another proof of Shankar’s casting skills. Sathyan - in most parts - is a revelation. Sathyaraj - this can be a great beginning for him to evolve into probably an 'Amithab as he is now' mould.

The ‘feel good’ feeling that lingers when you walk out after the show is a clear indication that this is a sensible and enjoyable movie.

For people who have not watched 3I - this will be an amazing piece of relevant entertainment.

For those who have - they will still be amazed - that a great original can be remade so well!

From REDIFF - India facing leadership crisis: C K Prahalad

Asserting that the country was facing a leadership crisis, management guru C K Prahalad has called for decisive action to build a new India.

"There is no one who is willing to articulate a view of India and Indianness with clarity and force so that the country can come together and make the sacrifices needed to build a new India that the framers of the Constitution imagined," Prahalad said at the seventh Nani A Palkhivala Memorial Lecture in Mumbai.

"India has more people waiting to be led than any other place on earth," he said adding, "It is time to act, and act decisively."

Voicing his views on the topic, 'From Sampurna Swaraj to Sampurna Azadi: The Unfinished Agenda', Prahalad said that instead of focussing on the 'masses', India should focus on individuals, their capabilities and their empowerment in order to achieve more goals and attain better economic growth.

"When we focus on individual rights and meritocracy, we are better able to achieve collective goals. When we try to focus on groups, we are essentially accountable to no one," he said, adding that after fifty years of focus on group rights, India's gains have been 'too modest and too slow'.

"I think the first step is to stop thinking and speaking about the masses. I dare say that we may find ourselves better able to cope with whatever challenges we face when we can articulate a course of action for individuals to take," Prahalad said.

He said individuals who are educated and given the right training have made a disproportionate impact on economic growth and have created opportunities where governments alone could not. These individuals have also given all Indians a sense of pride in their identity and increased the respect with which India is viewed internationally, he said.

The universal ID, the focus on literacy and skill development, e-governance, and local management with national standards are all building blocks of a society that focuses on improving individuals and as a result contributes to the collective progress, the management guru said.

"It is all about empowering individuals, providing them capabilities and allowing them to exercise their choices. I expect this trend to grow dramatically with the proliferation of the cell phone and connectivity," Prahalad said.

Referring to the Telengana issue, he said that it is likely to trigger another difficult debate. "This debate is likely to consume significant national attention and may herald the next phase of the evolving Federal-State relationships," he said.

Double treat - AR RAHMAN

It was the most memorable moment and the pinnacle of absolute joy for all AR Rahman fans.

In a matter of about 10 minutes - winning his first OSCAR for Best Original Soundtrack, performing O SAYA and JAI HO live, going on to win the second OSCAR for Best Original Song with Gulzar and then finishing it all off with that emotional " I chose love and I am here" speech and rushing away from the stage.

Guess that is where the enormity of the situation struck him. (Even if you are ARR - it is bound to happen!!!!!!!!)

And in the process, changing the landscape of Indian Cinema forever.

That the most popular yet unassuming person we are all so fond of, who started off as A.S. DILIPKUMAR accepted the first award saying எல்லா புகழும் இறைவனுக்கே in his acceptance speech made millions of Tamils like me speechless.

I am sure most of us are still dazed. Imagine what it will be for ARR. But knowing him (from whatever we read and hear about him) I am sure it would have been taken with the same degree of humility and realism.

Slumdog Millionnaire's gripping rags to riches story in all won 8 Oscars - with a shared OSCAR for our own Resul Pookutty making it all the more special.

Though India cannot rightfully stake a claim in the prizes for the movie, it is without doubt special and significant.

Anyway, who is complaining ???!!!!!!!

What makes ARR's OSCARS special is the fact that he has endeared himself to so many of us with his simple and humble demeanor - since he came on the scene.

There are these very special instances in life when someone wins an award, you feel you have won it yourself. This is one of those rare instances. It only happens when one feels the right person has won.

More so in the case of ARR. It has now become a habit whenever he has won something, we have always assumed it as our win and celebrated it to the hilt. These OSCARS are yet another addition to what has always been this long and endless list........

The ARR one knew and read of, from those heady Roja days, still is said to be the same person. People who are close to him will vouch for this. No wonder such strength of character leads to amazement.

Never one to be over excited. Never one to jump in joy. In fact one wishes he did a bit of all that, atleast on and off!!!!

Always the gracious and elegant one - to take all the accolades and awards and what not, in his stride and keep moving on to the next level.

State recognition to National recognition to International recognition ( the real variety not just perception or " put-on"/"made-up" ) - IT IS REAL SPECIAL and ADMIRABLE that ARR has been able to keep himself sane and sensible.

ARR's personality is only possible with the way he has been brought up, his personal beliefs and his overall outlook towards life. Plus that very special level of consistency, that always seems to run in him, just below the surface.

Personally to me - what was attractive of all ARR's qualities - was his willingness to give opportunities to so many music talents.

Most among the endless list of present day playback singers in Indian cinema owe a lot to ARR personally and the trend he set off - opening doors to talent, without any reservation.

The door he opened let in so many talents. Other composers had little choice but to follow the same. Indian film music has never been the same again.

The virtue is only possible to somebody who has that level of clarity, sense of purpose, real talent and genuine love for people around. Somebody who takes pride in others' talents and achievements as much as in his won.

AR Rahman is one who we all can be justifiably proud of.

He is a person who can and should rightfully be a 'role model' for all our youth.
Someone who can be idolized - in the real sense of the term.

Here's wishing him many many more years of music and tons & tons of achievements.

JAI HO!

நினைவலைகள் - சுஜாதா......
Sujatha......An era comes to an end......

வாரந்தோறும் வெள்ளிக்கிழமைக்கு காத்திருந்து விகடன் வந்தவுடன் பிறருக்கு தெரியாமல் அதை லவட்டி, பள்ளிக்கோ கல்லூரிக்கோ போகுமுன் சுஜாதா கதையை படித்தால்தான்( சில சமயம் அந்த 20 – 30 நிமிடங்களுக்குள் 2- 3 முறை படித்ததும் உண்டு) உயிர் இருக்கும் என்றிருந்த காலம் அது.

கணேஷ், வசந்த் தான் அன்றைய நேரத்து ஹீரோக்கள்!

அந்த கணங்களில் அந்த வார்த்தைகள் தந்த அந்த சுகம் என்றும் மறக்க முடியாது.

அவருக்கு 45- 50 வயதான நேரத்தில்தான் அவர் உச்சத்தில் இருந்திருக்க வேண்டும். என்றாலும் என்ன ஒரு இளமை அவரது எழுத்தில்.

என்ன ஒரு வேகம். என்ன ஒரு துடிப்பு. என்ன ஒரு குறும்பு. எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் மேலாக என்ன ஒரு freshness.

அதிகம் build-up இல்லாமல், ரொம்பவும் feel விடாமல் மிகவும் இயல்பாக, பேச்சு நடையில் இருந்த அந்த எழுத்துக்கள், தூய இலக்கணத் தமிழ் மட்டுமே என்று அடம் பிடிக்காத சுபாவம் - அன்றைய வாசகர்களை கவர்ந்ததில் எந்த ஒரு வியப்பும் இல்லை. இன்று வரை அதே effect இருப்பதிலும் ஆச்சர்யம் இல்லை.

அந்த படைப்புகள் அனைத்தும் எப்பொழுது எழுதப்பட்டிருந்தாலும், இப்பொழுதும் அதே உணர்வை தருவதுதான் சுஜாதாவின் தனிச்சிறப்பு.

விஞ்ஞானம் புரிய வேண்டுமானால் ஆங்கிலம் தெரிய வேண்டும் என்ற ஒரு நிலைமையை உடைத்தது அவரின் மற்றுமொரு பெரும் சிறப்பு.

விஷயம் தெரிந்தவர்கள், சொல்லும் விதத்தில் சொன்னால் சொல்லும் விஷயம் எதுவாக இருந்தாலும், எந்த மொழியில் இருந்தாலும் யாருக்கும் புரியும் என்று பலருக்கு முதலில் புரிய வைத்தது சுஜாதா.

தமிழ் படிக்க தெரிந்த அனைவரும் வாசித்திருக்க கூடிய மிக சில படைப்பாளர்களில் சுஜாதாவும் ஒருவர் என்பதில் எந்த வித மாற்றுக்கருத்தும் இருக்க முடியாது.

சுஜாதாவின் அந்த ஒரு தனித்துவ எழுத்து நடைதான் இன்று நம்மில் பலரை effectively bi-lingual (proficiency in both Thamizh and English) ஆக ஆக்கியிருப்பதின் ஒரு முக்கிய காரணம் என்றுகூட நினைக்கத் தூண்டுகிறது.

நம்மை போல பல கோடியினரை பற்பல கணங்களில் கவலை எல்லாம் மறந்து சந்தோஷப் படுத்தியது சுஜாதாவின் படைப்புகள்.

அவர் மறைந்து விட்டாலும் நம்மையும், இன்னும் படிக்கபோகும் பல கோடியினரையும் அவர் விட்டுவிட்டு சென்றுள்ள எல்லா படைப்புகளும் - எத்தனை முறை திரும்பத்திரும்ப படித்தாலும் - ஒவ்வொரு முறையும் புதிதாக படிப்பது போன்ற உணர்வோடு
சந்தோஷப்படுத்தும்.....
மெய்சிலிர்க்க வைக்கும்.......
கண் கலங்க வைக்கும்.......
உத்வேகப்படுத்தும்......
ஊக்கப்படுத்தும்..........
என்பது மட்டும் சத்தியம். சாஸ்வதம்.

ஒரு சமகால சகாப்தம் மறைந்து விட்டது....

http://thatstamil.oneindia.in/news/2008/02/28/tn-writer-sujatha-passes-away.html

http://thatstamil.oneindia.in/news/2008/02/28/tn-vairamuthu-condoles-sujathas-death.html

எழுத்தாளர், பொறியியல் வல்லுநர், விஞ்ஞானி சுஜாதா S.Rengarajan (1935-2008) மறைந்து விட்டார்.

For most people like me, in my generation, he was the main reason we can claim to have read literary work in Tamil.

Personally, for someone who started off reading mostly English Fiction very young, his conceptualization skills and fresh writing style were the sole reasons that attracted me to read Tamil fiction and non-fiction.

அவரது எழுத்து திறன் அர்த்தமுள்ளது, புதுமையானது, நிலையானது.

அவரது படைப்புகளை படித்து, வசீகரிக்க படாதவர்கள் கண்டிப்பாக இருக்கவே முடியாது.

என் வயதுடைய தமிழர்களில் வெகு சிலரே சுஜாதாவின் எழுத்துக்களை சுவைத்திருக்க மாட்டார்கள், ஆற்றலை வியந்திருக்க மாட்டார்கள்.

Besides writing, he was truly multi-faceted.

A gifted Engineer - Election Commission of India owes a lot to him. He was the Chief of the Group at BEL that devised the EVM (Electronic Voting Machine)

எனக்கு தெரிந்து உலகில் சிலருக்கு மட்டுமே மாற்று (alternatives) கிடையாது, இருக்க முடியாது - அதில் சுஜாதாவும் ஒருவர்.

This is certainly a huge loss to Tamil and Tamil Nadu, in recent times.

It might take a generation or two to fill up the void.

May his Soul rest in peace.

May he be remembered and read by many many more generations to come....

SN

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Came across a presentation on EI - after a long time.

Suddenly realized how relevant it is to all of us - across age groups - especially now when we are so stressed up.

EI - the simple common sense subject can help everyone of us - if only we have the commitment and good sense to practise it.

emotion refers to a state of feeling. It is explained as a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as a strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body

intelligence refers to the capacity to reason validly available information. It is the capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.

Both are innate in our self and as well as in others.

The ability to harness them towards desired results is EI.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) describes an ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.

It is the innate potential to feel, use, communicate, recognize, remember, describe, identify, learn from, manage, understand and explain emotions.

Put in a "easy to remember" acronym - it is to KUMU your emotions.

Know

Understand

Manage

Use

The first published definition was made by Salovey and Mayer (1990) who defined EI as “the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions”.

This was later revised to "The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions, and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth".

The components are
Perceiving,
Understanding,
Managing and
Using various emotions to achieve intended goals.

DANIEL GOLEMAN is another notable authority on EI.

To him EI is a master aptitude, a capacity that profoundly affects all other abilities, either facilitating or interfering with them.

His model has the following components –

· Self-awareness - the ability to read one's emotions and recognize their impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
· Self-management - involves controlling one's emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
· Social-awareness - the ability to sense, understand, and react to other's emotions while comprehending social networks.
· Relationship Management - the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others while managing conflict.

There are certain core emotional competencies that are necessary to be an expert in these components.

These emotional competencies are not innate talents, but rather learned capabilities that must be worked on and developed to achieve outstanding performance.

Goleman posits that individuals are born with a general emotional intelligence that determines their potential for learning emotional competencies.

Acquiring emotional competencies is possible only by conscious commitment and regular practice.

Goleman attests that the best remedy for battling our emotional shortcomings is EI – the preventive medicine.

In other words, we need to place as much importance on teaching ourselves and our younger generation the essential skills of Emotional Intelligence as we do on more traditional measures like IQ and GPA.

Goleman adds that the same principles can be applied in our work place, our teams and organizations for maximum prosperity and success.

Goleman states that over 80% our success at work depends on our level of EI.

Put in simple terms, in EI – the primary focus is on the following charactersistics and capabilities.....
1. Self-awareness--knowing your emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and discriminating between them
2. Mood management--handling feelings so they're relevant to the current situation and you react appropriately
3. Self-motivation--"gathering up" your feelings and directing yourself towards a goal, despite self-doubt, inertia, and impulsiveness
4. Empathy--recognizing feelings in others and tuning into their verbal and nonverbal cues
5. Managing relationships--handling interpersonal interaction, conflict resolution, and negotiations

WHY EI ?

Researchers have concluded that
- in brain-based learning, emotional health is fundamental to effective learning,
- the most critical element for a student's success in school is an understanding of how to learn,
- a student who learns to learn is much more apt to succeed,
- students who manage their own feelings well and deal effectively with others are more likely to perform better and
- basically - happy people are more apt to retain information and do so more effectively than dissatisfied people.

Building one's Emotional Intelligence has a lifelong impact.

Many parents and educators, alarmed by increasing levels of conflict in young schoolchildren--from low self-esteem to early drug and alcohol use to depression, are rushing to teach students the skills necessary for Emotional Intelligence.

Some easy suggestions to acquire effective emotional competency.....

1. Become emotionally literate.
Label your feelings, rather than labeling people or situations.
"I feel impatient." vs "This is ridiculous.
" I feel hurt and bitter". vs. "You are an insensitive jerk."
"I feel afraid." vs. "You are driving like a idiot."

2. Distinguish between thoughts and feelings.
Thoughts: I feel like...& I feel as if....
Feelings: I feel: (feeling word)

3. Take more responsibility for your feelings.
"I feel jealous." vs. "You are making me jealous."

4. Use your feelings to help them make decisions.
"How will I feel if I do this?"
"How will I feel if I don't ?"

5. Show respect for other people's feelings.
Ask "How will you feel if I do this?" "How will you feel if I don't."

6. Feel energized, not angry.
Use what others call "anger" to help feel energized to take productive action.

7. Validate other people's feelings.
Show empathy, understanding, and acceptance of other people's feelings.

8. Practice getting a positive value from emotions.
Ask yourself: "How do I feel?" and "What would help me feel better?"
Ask others "How do you feel?" and "What would help you feel better?"

9. Don't advise, command, control, criticize, judge or lecture to others.
Instead, try to just listen with empathy and non-judgment.

10. Avoid people who invalidate you.
While this is not always possible, at least try to spend less time with them, or try not to let them have psychological power over you.

MOZHI - A gr8 Celluloid Creation

Happened to watch MOZHI.

Mozhi in one line is a clean entertainer.

Mozhi is worth every bit of time, money and effort spent on getting to watch it.......

While watching the movie - you laugh, you cry, you identify, you empathize, you smile, you enjoy - all in the right proportion.....and you feel elated at the end of it all.......

The 'pleasant' feeling that lingers when you walk out after the movie makes it worth it. Absolutely!

Mozhi is all about
* all round stunning performances (Swarnamalya is the most surprising package...... and looks sensational too!!!),
* sensible screenplay,
* absolutely enjoyable scenes,
* meaningful dialogs (look out for What is Music to Jyotika sequence!!!),
* soothing music,
* excellent visuals,
* eye catching art design (look out for Jyothika's ROOM - what colors/mood !!!!) and
* the omnipresent humor as the undercurrent - the humor is very much our everyday type - not concoted just for the sake of it but simple on the spot type from simple situations (look out for the CBI matter at the Church!!!!!)

Mozhi treads a desirable path while once again disproving the popular and oft repeated myth
"films that are made are what people expect and look for" which is more of a silly justification than a real reflection of what the truth of the matter is.

The fact this path breaking trend has started happening more often now augurs well for the industry and the audience.

On one of the episodes of Kofee with Anu on VijayTV were Prakash Raj and Prithviraj who spoke a lot about Mozhi.

When you watch the movie, you understand why they were so elaborate.

There is every justification in what they said.

If having watched the movie makes people feel so thrilled, imagine what would be producing and performing in it be like.......

Read up the following links and try to watch the movie - if you have not - TILL NOW !!!!!!!
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/review/8226.html
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/feb/26ssmoz.htm

Enjoy MOZHI. Very sure everyone will................

And pray Tamil Cinema grows us and keeps making movies like MOZHI more often..........

WISDOM

* By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest - Confucius

* Wisdom begins in wonder - Socrates

* The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing - Socrates

* A prudent question is one-half of wisdom - Francis Bacon

* Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers - Alfred Lord Tennyson

* The doors of wisdom are never shut - Benjamin Franklin

* Wisdom begins at the end - Daniel Webster

* To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom - Bertrand Russell

* We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future - George Bernard Shaw

HUMOR

* Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.Mark Twain
* Humor is richly rewarding to the person who employs it. It has some value in gaining and holding attention, but it has no persuasive value at all.John Kenneth Galbraith
* Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.Francis Bacon
* Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds.William James
* Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.Peter Ustinov
* Humor is just another defense against the universe.Mel Brooks
* Humor is something that thrives between man's aspirations and his limitations. There is more logic in humor than in anything else. Because, humor is truth.Victor Borge
* A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road.Henry Ward Beecher
* I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it.Frank A. Clark
* Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understanding.Agnes Repplier

IN CASE YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU ALREADY KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING!

* A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
* A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
* A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
* A dragonfly has a life span of 3 ~ 6 months.
* A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
* A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
* A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
* A snail can sleep for three years.
* Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
* Almonds are a member of the peach family.
* An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
* Babies are born without kneecaps.
* They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
* Butterflies taste with their feet.
* Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.
* "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
* February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
* In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
* If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
* It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
* Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
* No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
* On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.
* Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
* Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
* Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
* "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.
* The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
* The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
* The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
* The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.
* The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
* The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
* There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
* There are more chickens than people in the world.
* There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
* There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
* Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
* TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
* Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
* Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
* Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

Now also you may not know everything! Only at least a few more things that you did not already know.

Innum Konjam Vaazhkkai Thaththuvams.....

Suda Suda 2006 Pathippu Ver.2.0 -

* Paaku marathula paaku irukum,
Theaku marathula thaeku irukum,
Aanaa panamarathula panam irukaadhu..!!!!!

* Ennadhan aeroplane mela parandhaalum...
Petrol poda keelathaan varanum.

* Mechanical Engineer Mechanic aagalam....
Aanaa Software Engineer Software aagavey mudiyaathu......

* Tea cupla tea irukkalam....
Aanaa World Cupla world irukka mudiyumaa ?!?!

* Evvalo kaasu kuduthu planela ponaalum,
Jannala thiranthu vaedikkai paarkka mudiyaathu.....

* Key boardla key irrukkum.....
Aanaa Mother boardla mother irruka mudiyaathu.....

* Brush vachu pallu clean pannalam.........
Aanaa palla vachu brush clean pannavey mudiyathu!!!!

* Pant pottu Mutti poda mudiyum....
Aanaa mutti pottu pant podavey mudiyaathu.....!!!!

* Fan-ukkum rekkai irukku.
Paravai-kkum rekkai irukku.
Fan-aala parakka mudiyaathu.
Paravaiyaala sutha mudiyaathu.
Aanaa...
Fan-ai amukkina suththum.
Paravai-yai amukkina kaththum...

* Tool boxla toolsa parka mudiyum...
Aanaa Match boxla match paarkavey mudiyaathu!!!

* Irukkurappa enna daan Complan, Bournvitannu kudichalum
sethathukkappuram ellarukkum paal thaan!!!

* South India-la Narthangai kidaikkum.....
Aanaa North India-la Southangai kidaikaathu?!

* Pache milagaile pache irukkum.....
Aanaa kodemolagale kodey irukkaathu??

* Lunch bagla lunch eduthuttu pogalam.....
Aanaa school bagla school-ai eduthuttu pogavey mudiyaathu!!!

* Nee evvalo periya paruppa irunthalum,
Unga veettu samayalukku paruppu kadaila than vaanganum....

* Meluga vachchu melugu vathi seyyalam.....
Aanaa kosuva vachi kosu vathi seyya mudiyathu..!!!!

* Cyclela poana cycling, Trainla poana training-a?

Mukkiyamaa......
* Kovil maniya naama adicha saththam varum...
Aanaa kovil mani nammala adicha raththam than varum....

LOGIC LESSONS.....

Quite Interesting....

If your father is a poor man,
it is your fate but,
If your father-in-law is a poor man,
it's your stupidity.
.......................................................................
I was born intelligent -
education ruined me
........................................................................
Practice makes perfect.....
But nobody's perfect......
so why practice?
.......................................................................
If it's true that we are here to help others,
then what exactly are the others here for?
.......................................................................
Since light travels faster than sound,
people appear bright until you hear them speak.
........................................................................
How come "abbreviated" is such a long word?
.......................................................................
Money is not everything.
There's Mastercard & Visa.
........................................................................
One should love animals.
They are so tasty.
.......................................................................
Behind every successful man, there is a woman
And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.
.......................................................................
Every man should marry.
After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.
.......................................................................
The wise never marry
and when they marry they become otherwise. ........................................................................
Success is a relative term.
It brings so many relatives.
.......................................................................
Never put off the work till tomorrow
what you can put off today.
.......................................................................
"Your future depends on your dreams"
So go to sleep.
......................................................................
There should be a better way to start a day
Than waking up every morning .
......................................................................
"Hard work never killed anybody"
But why take the risk.
......................................................................
"Work fascinates me"
I can look at it for hours.
......................................................................
God made relatives;
Thank God we can choose our friends.
.......................................................................
The more you learn, the more you know,
The more you know, the more you forget
The more you forget, the less you know
So.. why learn??
........................................................................
A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk, I have a work station....
What more can I say........

DID YOU KNOW......

Here is something that is very interesting, educational, historical, completely true and hysterical - all at the same time.....

The US standard railroad gauge (width between the tworails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedinglyodd number.

Why was that gauge used?

Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US railroads were built by English expatriates.

Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.

Why did _they_ use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons which used that wheel spacing.

Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheelspacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing,the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacingof the wheel ruts.

So who built those old rutted roads? The first long distance roads in Europe (and England) were built by Imperial Rome for their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots first formed the initial ruts, which every one else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for (or by) Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Specifications and bureaucracies live forever.

So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because theImperial Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. Thus, we have the answer to the original question.

Now the twist to the story...

There's an interesting extension to the story about railroad gauges and horses' behinds. When we see a SpaceShuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBsare made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah. The Engineers who designed the SRBs might have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory had to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track is about as wide as two horses' behinds. So, the major design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a Horse's back!

Chinese (ZEN) Fables

* The Frogs

A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he coulduse a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked theman where he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied, "There isa pond near my house that is full of frogs --millions of them. They allcroak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!"

So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmerwould deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for thenext several weeks.

The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurantlooking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. the restaurantowner said, "Well ... where are all the frogs?" The farmer said, "I wasmistaken.There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!"

Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember,it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problemsalways seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at nightworrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a millionfrogs croaking?Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take acloser look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

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* The Turtles

A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. Turtles, being naturally slowabout things, took seven years to prepare for their picnic outing.Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place for their outing.

During the second year of their journey they found a place ideal forthem at last! For about six months they cleaned up the area, unpacked thepicnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discoveredthey had forgotten the salt.

A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After alengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home.Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtlewhined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on onecondition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consentedand the little turtle left.

Three years passed and the little turtle had notreturned. Five years ...six years... then on the seventh year of hisabsence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced thathe was going to and begun to unwrap a sandwich.

At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a treeshouting, "SEE! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt."

Some of us waste our time waiting for people to liveup to our expectations. We are so concerned about what othersare doing that we don't do anything ourselves.

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* The Pretty Lady

Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk weretravelling together. They came to the bank of a river and found theridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty ladywho was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river. Thebig monk offered to carry the pretty lady across the river on his back.

The lady accepted. The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk."How can big disciple brother carry a lady when we are supposed toavoid all intimacy with females," thought the little monk. But he keptquiet.

The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monkfollowed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monklet the lady down and they parted ways with her. All along the way forseveral miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the bigmonk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about the big monk inis head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the bigmonk had no inclination to explain his situation.

Finally, at rest-point many hours later, the little monk could not standit any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk."How can you claimyourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch afemale, especially when she is very pretty. All your teachings to memake you a big hypocrite." The big monk looked surprised andsaid, "I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?"

This very old Chinese zen story reflects the thinking of many people today.We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, theyirritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot ofhurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous. But like the littlemonk, we are not willing to let them go away. We keep on carrying thebaggage of the "pretty lady" with us. We let them keep on coming backto hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. WHY? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the"pretty lady". We should let go of the pretty lady immediately aftercrossing the river, immediately after the unpleasant event is over. Thiswill immediately remove all our agonies. There is no need to be further hurt by the unpleasant event after it is over. It'z just that simple.......

DID YOU KNOW.............?

* People who ride on roller coasters have a higher chance of having a blood clot in the brain.
* On an average, half of all false teeth have some form of radioactivity.
* Despite the hump, a camel's spine is straight.
* Penguins can convert salt water into fresh water.
* A bird 'chews' with its stomach.
* The U.S. motto, 'In God We Trust', was not adopted as the national slogan until 1956.
* Ducks will only lay eggs early in the morning.
* One cubic foot of gold weighs more than 1,200 pounds!
* A killer whale's heart beats 30 times a minute under water, 60 times a minute on the surface.
* Cats cannot taste sweet things.
* Up to the age of six or seven months a child can breathe and swallow at the same time. Adults cannot do this.
* Airports that are at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.
* Turkeys can reproduce without having sex.
* Jimmy Carter is the first U.S. President to have been born in a hospital.
* You are about 1 centimeter taller in the morning than in the evening!
* 25% of your bones are located in your feet.
* Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents.
* When you walk down a steep hill, the pressure on your knees is equal to three times your body weight.
* Males sweat 40% more than females.
* A kangaroo cannot jump if its tail is off the ground.
* Identical twins do not have identical fingerprints.

* THOTS & HUMOR- 2006*
- It is a good rule in life never to apologise.
- The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.
- Technology is the art of arranging the world in such a way that we do not feel the need to experience it.
- In science, the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.
- Drinking when we are not thirsty and making love at all seasons, that is the only difference between humans and animals.
- When you don’t have any money, the problem is food. When you have money, it’s sex. When you have both, it’s health.
- Sleep is good, death is better; but of course, the best thing would be never to have been born at all.
- I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.
- Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life.
- The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans.
- The secret of a good speech is to have a good beginning and a good ending, and having the two as close together as possible.
- Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
- Nowadays, advertisements contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper.
- If you can tell the difference between good advice and bad advice, you don’t need advice.
- The strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.
- The artist does not see things as they are, but as he is.
- Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
- The most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies, for example.
- A book is a success when people who haven’t read it pretend they have.
- The advantage of being clever is that it’s easy to play the fool. The opposite is much more difficult.
- Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone may be looking.
- We enact many laws that manufacture criminals, and then a few that punish them.
- An expert is a man who doesn’t know all the answers, but is sure, that if he is given enough money, he can find them.
- Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.
- The future is the past, returning through another gate.
- Our generation never had a chance. When we were young they taught us to respect our elders, and now that we’re older, they tell us to listen to youth.
- By the time a man realises that may be his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.
- One reason that history repeats itself is that so many people were not listening the first time.
- In a war of ideas, it is people who get killed.
- My life is in the hands of any fool who can make me lose my temper.
- Life is like the Olympics; a few men strain their muscles to carry off a prize; others sell ice cream and souvenirs to the crowd, and some look at the show and see how and why everything is done.
- Love is an ocean of emotions, entirely surrounded by expenses.
- What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind.
- How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you happen to be.
- Only some of us can learn by other people’s mistakes. The rest of us have to be the other people.

***VAAZHKAI THATHTHUVAMS ***

-Suda Suda 2006 Pathippu -

.Poison evvalavu naal aanalum payaasam aaga mudiyadhu....
Aanaa Payaasam patthu naal aana poison aayidum!!!!!

·Adayar Anandha Bhavanoda Branch Neraya edathula irukkum.....
Aanaa Adayar Aala marathoda Branch Adayar la mattum than irukkum!!!

·Carukulla tyre inrunthaa adhu stepney,
Athey tyre nambha maela irunthaa, naama chatni!!!

·Vaayaala naainu solla mudiyum,
Aanaa naayaala vaainu solla mudiyathu:-)

·Train evvalavu vegama ponaalum,
Kadaisi petty kadaisiyathan pogum!!!!

·Arisi kottina vaera arisi vaangalaam,
Paal kotina vaera paal vaangalaam,
aaana thael kottina vaera thael vaanga mudiyadhu…:-):-)

·Cellula balance illana call panna mudiyathu....
Aaana Manushanukku call illana, balance panna mudiyathu!!!!!

·Ennathan karatela black belt vaangi iduppuley kattinaalum,
kazhuthuley brown belt kattina veri nai (mad dog)
thorathina odiththan aaganum !!!!

·Kaakaa evalavu karuppaa irunthalum, vella mutta than podum.
Athey muttai evalavu vellaiya irundalum, karuppu kunjuthan varum !!!!

·Bus poyita bus stand angayae thaan irukkum......
Aana cycle poyita cycle stand koodavae poogum !!!!

·Vaelai kedaikara varaikkum Resume forward pannraanga.
Kedacha apparam Mailaa forward pannraanga !!!!

·Bus la nee yerinalum, unn mela bus yerinalum...
ticket vaanga porathu NEE thaan :-):-):-)

·Olagam theriyaamal vaazhntha avan veguly,
cricket theriyaamal vazhnthaa avan Ganguly:-):-):-)

Mukkiyamaa......

·FILESna OKKANTHU PAARKKANUM,
Aanaa PILESna PAARTHU OKKARANUM:-):-)