The Climate Champion

I started planting trees, at traffic signals i started switching off my bike if the waiting time is more than 60 sec, I almost cried into a wet pillow when heard that copenhagen summit was a failure, my aversion for plastics continued, I tried my level best to become as green as possible then I went to book a train ticket.

Thanks to festivals and holidays, most of the trains are full. I decided to take a ticket where the Waiting List is minimum. Now there are three main trains that connects Chennai and Palakkad, I took 4 reservation forms and wrote the same To (Chennai) and From (Palakkad) columns( 1 more special train)



went near the machine that gives the details and started looking for seat availability. After a while one person came and stood behind me, I continued the execise. After I finished he called me and introduced himself as a railway employee and said in a polite way," Next time when you check seat availability for multiple trains, first write all the trains details in one paper then check". I felt as if I was melting away faster than the Antartic ice. I thanked him and started walking towards the counter.

Daily dosage from the world of books

" He who is absent is always wrong."

A French saying

Daily dosage from the world of books

" I am a good sponge. I absorb ideas and put them to use. Most of my ideas first belonged to people who did not bother to develop them."

Thomas Edison

As we grow old!

When we are young and innocent, we are fine



But as we grow up we end up like a public nuisance

Daily dosage from the world of books

" Answers are often ignorance mistaking itself for knowledge."

Socrates

Adyar Cancer Institute: So many greats involved.Part II

A look at the various Marble slabs gives an idea about the innumerable great people associated with this great organisation.


First President of India







First Prime Minister of India



Central Ministers






Chief Ministers







State ministers





(To be continued..)

Iamge of the week

Chain reaction



Not 1 or 2 or not even 3 but 4 vehicles

Reason: Rash driving

Result: Almost one hour traffic jam and ofcourse financial losses (mental agony also) for the parties involved!

Daily dosage from the world of books

" While growing up, people move from states of innocence to experience, and if they are fortunate to higher innocence."

William Blake

A Grand Weekend Vegetable Shopping!

I read about the "Grand Kerala Shopping festival", "great weekend offers by one of the famous retail outlet, Festival discount sale details and am happy. I go out expecting a great deal, reaching the shop I see this!



You can not find a number less than Rs.20!



I wonder all these discount / mega sales are not applicable here or what?



I took some time to get adjusted to the rates mentioned, I double check with the guy in the counter whether its for half kg or they made any mistake in adding?




He smiles and says everything is perfect. I realise I have come to a place where you get the most expensive if not exclusive items in the town.





Never in my life I have seen rates like Rs.120 per kg




Or Rs.140 per Kg!



Now I think better I get used to these rates so that my heart is in good shape!


Thus I finished my most expensive weekend shopping!

Daily dosage from the world of books

" You don't understand anything until you learn it more than one way."

Marvin Minsky

Image of the week

I tried my level best but I couldn't find any drink or juice as the name board suggest or is it because my annual eye checkup is due?

Daily dosage from the world of books

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy, I awoke and saw that life was service, I acted and behold, service was joy."

Rabindranath Tagore

Adyar Cancer Institute: So many greats involved.Part I

A look at the various Marble slabs gives an idea about the innumerable great people involved with this great organisation.




















(To be continued..)

Daily dosage from the world of books

"Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."

Louis D Brandeis

Saravana ADDS



No harm in adding more 'masala' in ADs but if its a 'D', what you get is this.

Daily dosage from the world of books

"Where people have hope, you have a middle class."

Jerry Yang, Co-founder Yahoo

The behind scene stories of TEDx Chennai: Part II:

Ideas really worth spreading!


The real ‘Fevicol-like-glue-together’ reason for people who got acquainted through facebook was all shared a passion for ‘new ideas’ that was really worth spreading.
Almost all the TEDx Chennai organisers’’ meetups were testimonies of this fact.

Innumerable ideas were discussed, some implemented and a few discarded.
The last meetup stands apart where some really great ideas were not only shared but demonstrated also.

NOV 27, 2009 at Kiruba’s office!
Only two days away from the much awaited event. ‘Spirits ‘were really running high among teammates. Kiruba and myself went out to buy food and ‘idea boosters’ for the team.

On the way back we realized that there was no opener but Kiruba was pretty confident (as always) and had full faith in the team. ‘There will be lots of ideas on how to open a beer bottle without an opener’ he said.
And there were few worth sharing.

Benny demonstrated how to open a beer bottle with door latch.



Kiruba made his office kitchen slab a beer opener.


Now I hear that Benny is preparing a talk for TEDx Chennai 2010. The topic “How to open Beer bottle in 101 different ways”, of course without an opener
That’s really Ideas worth spreading!

Image of the week

When 'R' becomes 'P' and 'N' almost handicapped!



Kind Attn: This has nothing to do with 'Paypal'

The behind scene stories of TEDx Chennai: part-1

Kiruba’s theory on Name tags

Kiruba was always particular about the size of the name tags to be used for TEDx Chennai.His theory was that people should read one’s name and designation from a reasonable distance and length of the tag should be such that one should not bend down and stare at the belly of the person wearing the tag and cause considerable embarrassment.

His TED India tag was a good reference.



So Kaushik, the tag specialist was summoned and instructed to make ‘The Name tag’. Several days passed and two days prior to the tedDx DAY we met at Kiruba’s office for a crucial organisers’ discussion.

Kaushik proudly presented to all the size of the name tag which resulted in riot like situation.


The plastic holder was slightly bigger than the size of a Business card.Kiruba was visibly upset and almost barked at Kaushik.


What more to say? The name tag was ready on Nov28


and Kaushik did a good job for sure


One can imagine Kiruba’s mental state seeing the name tag!

Daily dosage from the world of books

"Science is what you do after you guess well."

Leonhard Euler

A life changing experience!

For the last two months my friends and family were wondering (and to an extent worried also) what I was doing? meeting unknown people at CCD at odd timings,spending hours together discussing strange topics, always in front of net and frantically browsing , sending tons of mails, mentioning names like Kiruba, Benny, and many more

Detailing about the menu at a place named 'Tiffanys'. Believe me it was hard convincing these guys (that includes my wife)

Then I did a smart thing, on 29 NOV 2009 I brought them to TEDx Chennai and I(we) realised that

Corruption is like diabetics, you can only control it, never eliminate.

There are many Everests inside one and the trick is to make one step at a time.

Indian cinema must be content driven.

There is one organisation that takes care of your mental health even if you are not an addict.

All District Collectors are 'super power houses' and they can really changes the lives of millions.

Everyone needs food but farmers are always ignored.

Human spirit can fight and kill cancer.

Male and female King cobras have different colours.

And above all when 20 odd young people come together nothing is impossible!

Image of the week

The vash Basin, thanks to the tape

TEDx Chennai Participants

A glance at the profiles of the participants at TED x Chennai will surely give an idea about how great a day Nov 29 is going to be. You will be meeting some great people who have really done (and continue) to do things differently, remember ‘Think different ‘ ad campaign by Apple Inc?

Meet two of them

Vinod Achanta, The wild Biker

"I grew from a timid guy to a wild biker."says Vinod Achanta

A member of the INDDIETHUMPERS motorcycle club,in 2008 he rode Mumbai - Aurangabad - Lonar - Mumbai and covered 1300kms.



To attend TEDx Chennai conference, he has planned to do what he always wanted and passionate about, to ride all the way down to Chennai from Hyderabad.

"Say no to plastic, ride only a Bullet", his web page says


Swami Pranavananda Brahmendra Avadhuta alias Christian Fabre

A French Hindu monk who is also the CEO of one of the most successful garment sourcing form in India,Christian Fabre Private Limited





Various articles will give you an idea about Swamiji.
BBC article on Swamiji

The Hindu article on ‘Swami and friends’.

So I am just waiting for Nov 29, a day that will surely change my life.

Daily dosage from the world of books

"To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day."

Lao Tzu

The wonderful team behind TEDx Chennai!
As the tag suggest ‘A lot can happen over coffee’ probably the reason why we chose CCD at Ispahani centre as our regular venue for oragnisers’ meet


The Team behind TEDx Chennai is truly diverse. We have a teacher, Management student, freelance photographer, advertising professional, Engg student, IT professional, Social media entrepreneur, Graphic designer to name a few.



Apart from the usual deadlines to meet talks and next strategy to make, the topics for discussions ranges from the market price of latest Cannon SLR camera, who’s who of Chennai.




How to market TEDx Chennai on twitter. The latest rumours circulating about team members in facebook


No wonder The team has so much synergy and its started paying off.
(To be continued..)

Ideas worth spreading! Talks worth listening!

Any idea about the latest trends in Telecommunications and Computer Network Systems fields?

To know more about ‘The curious life of a Herpetologist, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Madras Snake Park ,The Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust , and the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust?

How about listening to Carnatic music accompanied by a Classical Piano?
Meet the director of film Sringaram (Dance of Love) that won three Indian National Film Awards and two Tamilnadu state government awards.

How to run SUKRUPA, A regular school providing a high standard of education that creates various opportunities for the underprivileged slum children?
And more inspiring talks!

Welcome to TEDx Chennai conference at IIT, Chennai on November 29, 2009


(To be continued...)

Daily dosage from the world of books
"The old man's ideal was renunciation. The new man's ideal will be rejoicing."

Osho, Autobiography of a spiritually incorrect mystic