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In a book by John Grisham called Framed; every story is a tear jerker!
Framed is one of the latest book co written by John Grisham which is his first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man. John teams up with Jim McCloskey who is known as the godfather of the innocence movement

You will be astonished at the blatant injustice done!

You would realize how the stories of how money and power and corrupt and frankly inefficient investigating officers can be found in all the parts of the world!

This is a non fiction and the stories are real stories of wrongful convictions so no spoilers!

The statistics of older years would shock you!
In some year the number of executions for capital offences have been more than a thousand! The shocking part is not the number! But the fact that more than half of them could have been ‘probably’ innocent!

The final story is about a man who was convicted and executed for a crime which never happened! He screamed, begged and pleaded again and again for more than twenty years in death row stating that he was innocent! He was accused of killing his own daughters! By a fire which happened when he was sleeping! He actually rushed into the flames to save them but had to be held by few people! In fact if he had gone into the blaze that day he would have probably died! Even that would have been better that what happened to him later!

By the time he could recover from the shock of the death of his children, he was charged with murder and convicted! In the end he was alone and executed! All because a self proclaimed ‘expert’ on fire with no official degree or experience felt that it was ‘arson’! When it was finally investigated and concluded that the fire was an accident and not ‘arson’; it was too late. He had already been ‘killed’ for years! In fact his final wish of being buried next to his own daughter was not accepted! His parents had to secretly spread his ashes on his daughter’s graves!

If at any point in your life you feel sad or helpless or even victimized; do read this one and get a reality check!

Getting false testimonies is a given! The amazing similarity is of getting jailhouse snitches all over the world! Those who have already been convicted of crimes give supposed ‘vital’ information about the case to get a deal with the DA for some lighter sentence! Now the information they give is true or not only God would know!
The only thing consistent all over the world is that only MONEY works! If you cannot pay you might as well expect the worst unless you are crooked and cunning!

One interesting thing to note is that contrary to popular belief; most men condemned to die do not claim innocence! Many are proud of their crimes and even enjoy bragging about them especially in prison!

Our whole justice system is actually there so that even if a hundred guilty escape the law; no innocent must be punished! Unfortunately power, money and many people who are supposed to protect and upheld law make sure that the prisons all over the world have prisoners who are actually innocent!

Each and every story would make you question the whole justice and legal system and scratch your head in disbelief!

This innocence movement work though has started to make a difference though! Getting all these cases to light and getting some justice done! In fact there have been instances where a judge was punished by prison term for giving false and prejudiced sentences!

Just like how a doctor is penalized for wrong diagnosis, there should be strict penalty and rules in place for Judges and lawmakers who like to think that they can never go wrong and use their human (inhuman actually!) tendencies to make bad prejudiced decisions!

Remember that many inside the prison are innocent while many outside are guilty! Which is why if you are outside and innocent then must thank heavens for being so rich in life! Talking about rich in life and otherwise reminds me of Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy!

Do not read FRAMED in the night though if you want to have a peaceful sleep!

shubh ratri!

During college days money was always in short supply! And that was true even for the richest blokes! One fine day one of our friend who was lets just say normally ‘careful’ about spending his money and like to ‘borrow’ more’ invited all of us to give some ‘sweet’ he had bought from home!

Our anticipation was huge! Maybe he was a little miserly before leading up to this huge gift! All his hidden generosity was a dormant volcano of giving; now ready to burst with gifts galore!

It may have been the expectation which made us sad later though! Since he gave us a couple of pieces of the cheapest biscuit available in the market! Even though we all used to buy it and eat it almost everyday!

He proudly exclaimed in the midst of our groans of disapproval; “This is the most tastiest biscuit in the world!”

Of course we did not agree! Though even now whenever I get a chance, I do grab this one just for old times sake!

Every Indian would have tasted this one at least some time in his or her life! For a person living in a hostel this was gold!

Am sure you would have got it!

The story of its production is coated in nationalism!

The year was 1929. Deeply influenced by the Swadeshi movement Mohanlal Dayal of the Chauhans, a Mumbai-based family of silk traders, bought and refurbished an old factory to manufacture confectionery!

Located between the villages of Irla and Parla, a small factory was set up by the Chauhans! Later the first Indian owned confectionery brand in the country came to be known after its place of birth- Parle.

Parle’s first product was orange candy! Back then, biscuits were mostly imported, expensive and meant for consumption by the elite classes. To counter this trend that Parle Products launched a biscuit as an affordable source of nourishment for India in 1939! Today, the company boasts of astounding sales figures of over a billion packets a month.

Hope you got it now!

Yes, you guessed it right! Our own Parle G is the largest selling biscuit in the world! And one of the best to eat with a cup of chai!
Then again this blog was the best way to beat around the bush! Am sure you would have been wondering ki KEHNA KYA CHAHTE HO!? Which of course reminds me of the epic meme and actor who made this line so memorable! Achyut Potdar, your role in the movie was spot on! You will be missed! But a life lived like Parle G!

Heartfelt condolences

Om Shanthi…

“Think and Grow Rich” (Classic Edition) by Napoleon Hill

Audio Book of running length more than 8 hours or so

Anyone who reads self help books or listens to them would know about this book and this could be called one of the first self help books ever!

Originally published in 1937, it is based on Hill’s study of over 500 wealthy and influential individuals, including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison.

Since I have read innumerable self help books which are too many to count; it was surprising that I did not read this one! It was because of Edison! Growing up we had so much respect for Edison but you become mature when you realize that Edison was a vain egoistic maniac and a big bully!
The book is actually an ode to people like him which I found very difficult to digest!

Then again for all the blue, this one is indigo! There can be no denying the fact that Edison may not be a great inventor or even a good human; he was a great businessman! He was wildly successful and wealthy!

That is actually the core idea of the book! How to become rich!

It was made during the time of the great depression which shook the world and US! In fact a similar situation happened to the world during COVID! Which is when the book becoming relevant again!

So the core idea of the book is that riches begin with a state of mind, and anyone can achieve success by applying certain mental principles. Hill outlines 13 key principles, including:

Desire – A burning desire is the starting point of all achievement.
Faith – Belief in yourself and your goals fuels success.
Autosuggestion – Repeating positive affirmations to influence the subconscious mind.
Specialized Knowledge – Knowledge alone isn’t power—applied knowledge is.
Imagination – Creative ideas lead to wealth.
Organized Planning – Success requires a clear, actionable plan.
Decision – Successful people make decisions quickly and firmly.
Persistence – Never give up, even in the face of failure.
Power of the Master Mind – Surround yourself with a group that supports your goals.
The Mystery of Sex Transmutation – Channel sexual energy into creative and productive efforts-
The Subconscious Mind – Feed it positive thoughts to manifest success.
The Brain – A powerful tool that can be tuned to attract wealth.
The Sixth Sense – Intuition helps guide decisions when all other steps are mastered.

Most of the above have been supplemented with examples of people like Ford, Edison and others which is difficult to digest but true! He elaborates each point in detail and gives a guide on what to do to make money or wealth! The section on sex and lust has been described vividly specifying how your sex drive must be channeled for success!

The best part of the novel though is this meeting which the author has with famous people! Even those who are not only not there but from the past! He has famous and successful people like Edison or Ford ‘suggesting’ him on what to do! In some meetings he even has kings and emperors like Napoleon who ‘give’ him advice and guidance! It is midway between a dream and going cuckoo! Pardon my French but if you think that it is actually just a manifestation of your mind then you will not think it is crazy! In fact many intelligent people and geniuses manifest or ask advice from other brilliant minds like say, Newton or Einstein! Though the whole scene is actually played in mind! Nevertheless it is a great exercise!

Unfortunately though this must have been one of the first self help books to start reading and in my case it has become one of the last! This is because many self help books after this have been heavily ‘inspired’ by this one! Which is why most guidelines and suggestions feel like routine or familiar!

I would suggest you to read this one at the beginning of your self help journey! If you are already done with at least fifty self help books then simply read the summary and you will get it!

In school whenever we used to have some argument many would say that the ‘topper’ of the class said so and normally no one would argue that logic! It went like that even in the college!

In a novel by Arthur Hailey called the Final Diagnosis; one of the diagnosis whether a particular tumor was benign or malignant was tied at both by two leading forensic pathologists! How the final diagnosis was made was life changing then! In practice you cannot depend on quotes and one ‘expert’ however intelligent he or she is!

In the social media however, the quotes have been replaced by Einstein! If you assign the name of Einstein to a quote then very few people would like to argue further on! They would accept and move on! Who would like to argue with Einstein right!?

Take a look at these quotes made by Einstein!

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid!” So profound right! Only Einstein could have thought this!

Then you have the quote by Einstein which is often used by ‘intelligent’ people! “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”

Once in a while you also get a photo of a beautiful bird or blue skies or just green forest! In the backdrop of the clear night sky with the quote by Einstein, “Two things inspire me to awe: the starry heavens and the moral universe within!”

Very inspiring and thought provoking right!?

Well! None of the above were told by Einstein!

And no! It was not Newton or Stephen Hawking either! We like to assign quotes to super intelligent blokes to make them legit or PROFOUND!

Though Einstein when old (er!) had made some quotes, none of the above were those! Normally old people start making quotes when they can!

When you start making quotes then either you are old or you are cold!

Of course the only difference between quotes from an old person and Einstein is that you may stop and listen to the quotes attributed to Einstein!

Now it is almost impossible to pinpoint an exact number, but several quotes are frequently misattributed to Albert Einstein. Some of the most common ones include  the ones stated above!

The quote “The definition of insanity…”: is the one frequently attributed to Einstein or even Benjamin Franklin! But Einstein never said that! And neither did Benjamin Franklin!

This quote is used so frequently especially in various political contexts, because politicians really love this quote. The Ultimate Quotable Einstein traces the quote to Rita Mae Brown’s 1983 book Sudden Death, but it’s almost certainly older than that. Also it would be INSANE to think that it is the definition of insanity!

The “Everyone is a genius…”: quote is also commonly attributed to Einstein, but it’s not something he ever said!

Now there is one quote which was actually told by Einstein; “Imagination is more important than knowledge”! Now this quote is indeed from Einstein, though its interpretation is sometimes debated!

Then the quote of the starry night sky is obviously not by Einstein! It’s actually a version of a quote from Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Practical Reason: “Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and moral law within me.”!

To quote or not to quote is suited only for Shakespeare and not Einstein even the former may not have been quoted by Shaky boy! It is better that Einstein is remembered more for his work on physics than his quotes! Like you must know Sharat Saxena not only for his acting but also his very inspiring exercise routine!

Now am sure you do not need Einstein to tell you to sleep; this Ram will do!

Shubh Ratri!

Years back when we went to this hill station, my Nokia N 97 which was a revolutionary phone at the time lost all the charge at the beginning of the trip! This was because I was watching a movie in the night and just paused the movie and turned off the screen!

Those days the whole process used to go around in the background consuming battery unless you stop the movie and close the window completely! Of course those were some of the reasons why in spite of being so good, the Symbian operating system could not stand up to both Android or the iOS! In fact even my HTC windows phone given to me by my dear brother also had an amazing operating system! Then again it could not stand the test of time or users!

The point here is not mobile operating system though! Since I did not have any phone to shoot photos; I ended up buying the Kodak disposable camera with film! It was a cool experience shooting snaps without knowing what the final result would be! We did not even know how the focus or zoom! Still it was a different experience! I still have those photos which turned out to be ok! 

Now of course you cannot have that luxury at all! You go for a trip and you have an assortment of photos and digital albums! You can send it to the cloud and you can see whenever you want! The memories of FB or Google or One drive or iCloud would show you the photos and you can feel nostalgic all over again!

Then again there was a time when Kodak was the leader of photography! And the main thing to note was that the chief means of its income was the sale of photographic film! 

Like the printers of today where the companies actually make money not from printer sales but the sale of the inks and cartridges! There can be no printer which does not behave like a teenage child with a mind of its own! Most of the time it will work and then suddenly it will sulk and not print anything! Then when it comes out of its slump, it will start to print the same thing over and over again!

Now when Kodak was making so much money with the film and the reels; it went into a rainbow of slump! When you are comfortable you do not want to move! You do not want to innovate and slowly just like Nokia and other major success you will fall! 

Kodak’s middle managers, culture and rigid, bureaucratic structure hindered a fast response to new technology. Kodak’s middle managers were unable to make a transition to think digitally. 

Kodak has now experienced a nearly 80% decline! The interesting thing to note here is that even the idea of digital camera or photography was first in  Kodak by Eastman Kodak engineer Steven Sasson in 1975 and the executives sat on it for ages which made the hapless unappreciated inventor to approach another company and rest as they say is history! 

So as far as life is concerned, status quo is good! But if you want to make a difference then a constant improvement or change should be the norm! This should also have been the mantra of Director Shankar who used to give us amazing movies like I or Anniyan or Muthalvan! Hope he also innovates!

For now some process like sleep do not need any digital modification so be happy and sleep!

Shubh Ratri!

Any visit from anyone from the Middle east relatives is not complete if they do not give you some dry fruits! Dates are a given and specialty of middle east, specially the amazing Kuwait dates, but almonds are generally the norm!

Surprisingly they may not even be from the Middle east and may actually be the Californian almonds!

But (he he!) did you know that a handful of bitter almonds can actually kill you!

Now now! Do not throw those costly almonds yet! Or if you are that group which soaks and eats them, well then hold on!

So let us start with the bitter news first!

The bitterness and toxicity of wild almonds come from a compound called amygdalin. When ingested, this compound breaks down into several chemicals, including benzaldehyde, which tastes bitter, and cyanide! So much so that a handful of bitter almonds can kill a person!

Then again that is only if the almonds are bitter (which is rare and all of them have to be bitter!)

It is rare nowadays to get bitter almonds though some may crop up accidently since it has taken years of evolution like the poisonous mushrooms or the wild dogs to get domesticated!

But more than 12 thousand years ago just like how we domesticate animals, almonds were also domesticated into the sweet and healthy ones we relish today!
Even now you do have bitter poisonous almonds in the wild which are harmful to you! So just like bitter words and people; the best thing to do when you encounter bitter almonds, simply avoid only those almonds!

Then you would think the bitterness may go if you soak them, but that is not true!

Soaking almonds is not strictly necessary, but it can offer some potential benefits and is a matter of personal preference. Soaking can improve digestibility and potentially increase the absorption of certain nutrients. It can also soften the texture and enhance the flavor of the almonds.

Soaking can help break down phytic acid, an anti-nutrient found in the almond skin, which can hinder the absorption of certain minerals like zinc, calcium, and iron.
So by reducing phytic acid, soaking may make it easier for the body to absorb vitamins and minerals from the almonds. The process of soaking can soften the almonds, making them easier to chew and potentially reducing digestive discomfort for some individuals. Soaked almonds tend to have a softer texture, which some people find more appealing. Soaking can also enhance their natural sweetness.

If you have a sensitive stomach or experience digestive issues, soaking may be a good idea. If you prefer the convenience of raw almonds or enjoy their texture, there’s no need to soak them, according to a dietitian. Both soaked and raw almonds offer valuable nutrients.

Soaking in fact may remove bitterness but that is by reducing Tannins and not amygdalin! So if the almonds are bitter to begin with, soaking is not the way to go! Just throw the bitter almonds and have the sweet ones instead! Believe me there are many sweet ones out there! Both almonds and people!

One of the sweetest of them is Bhagwan Shri Krishna! Just the mere mention of his name makes you feel blessed! He is the epitome of love and devotion!

A sketch inspired by my imagination!

Wishing all a very happy Shri Krishna Janmashtami!

Jai Shri Krishna!

Time flies by when you are having fun and this time it was actually a short time in any case! The couple of weeks of holiday and break to get a feel of life was really nice!

Last week in India was an amalgamation of sweet memories and great food and just the feel of India! Even the traffic woes to the narrow roads to the dust and the heavenly rains! Rains which are so beautiful but block the roads though the worst thing is the traffic jam during a rain!

The biggest issue is the fact that the roads get so filled up with water that you would not know how deep is the pit which is filled with water!

Then again you can never get enough of the food! The amount of variety we have is simply mind boggling! Our visit to Italy made us alternate between pasta and pizza! But when you are in India the variety you have would make you feel dizzy with hunger which obviously is the idea!

Starting with the breakfast in one hotel with one speciality to lunch in another house to dinner some where else and no two items would be the same! Even between two houses the sambar or the rasam would have been different! Forget the main food; even the fried fritters or pakodas or bondas would be different from one house to another! So while we had amazing chilly and capsicum bajji from one place; a round of potato and raw banana ones were waiting for us in the other house!

Forget hotel; even the prasadam we used to get in one temple or the other would be so different! But all of them would be so tasty! The fact that you have to stand in a line and then you get a small helping somehow makes it so tasty that you long for more!

If you want to have chats then you just have to start counting the variety! 

If you select rice then the curries and the gravies and the sides would be more than the rice itself! Start with a helping of hot ghee over hot rice and end with some nice thick set curds and you know the plate would be licked clean!

Our final stop was the beautiful Bengaluru airport! Easily one of the best, beautiful and passenger friendly airports in the world! Even the immigration and security is a breeze if you follow the procedure! There are so many counters and the staff were so helpful! In fact now we know how to keep our chargers and laptops and cables out and in a line so that the scanning goes off without a hitch!

Taking a selfie with the backdrop of a screen which says happy independence day or har ghar tiranga made us both sad and happy! Sad to leave this beautiful country and happy that every day was full of amazing variety of beautiful memories! 

The key word is variety! You have amman temple, or the bhagavathy or the meenakshi but they all are forms of devi or shakthi! It is the same with everything in our beautiful Bharat!

An ode to my favorite freedom fighter of India and a tearful farewell to my mother…land!

Happy Independence day dear India and Indian!

Jai Hind!

A movie I saw recently called Mahavatar Narsimha! Apart from the amazing graphics and story telling and of course the mind blowing climax; I was particularly  enthralled by the imagination of the director and the story teller!

Now we all know the story already and of course some creative liberties are allowed, what sets the movie apart is the fact that the level of thought process you need is reallyt magnificent! You need to imagine the grandeur and the power of Bhagwan and show that to the world! 

But then do you know that there are some who cannot do that! Not direct or make an great movie, but not imagine!

Now remember how when sometimes you are told to imagine a picture or an image in your mind and many times you just can’t! There are a group of people who can never do it! 

There are many of course whose sense of imagination is limited and everyone has his or her own limits but then there are some who simply cannot imagine and that condition is called Aphantasia which is the inability to create mental imagery!  

Aphantasia, is derived from the ancient Greek word phantasia which means “imagination”, and the prefix a which means “without”! The phenomenon was first described by Francis Galton in 1880! Now though the word was only discovered in 1880, am sure people would have had this issue, but they could not imagine a word for it!

Technically Aphantasia is a characteristic where individuals are unable to create mental images voluntarily. This means that when prompted to visualize something, like a red apple or a friend’s face, aphantasics don’t experience the mental picture that most people do. 

Now while the initial focus has been on visual imagery, research suggests that aphantasia can extend to other sensory modalities as well. Some individuals with aphantasia report difficulty with imagining sounds, tastes, smells, and even bodily sensations. This broader impact on sensory imagination has led to discussions about using the term “aphantasia” in a wider sense, potentially with specifiers for specific modalities (e.g., “auditory aphantasia”). 

It’s important to understand that aphantasia is not considered a disorder or a disability. Instead, it’s viewed as a variation in how the brain processes information, similar to being left-handed. While it can present some challenges in areas like memory and learning, most individuals with aphantasia lead successful and fulfilling lives when in fact they may not even know that they have this condition!

Individuals with aphantasia often develop ways to manage in a world that often assumes visual thinking. They might rely more on verbal and conceptual processes, develop strong logical reasoning, or succeed in fields like mathematics or coding which don’t depend on mental imagery. External aids like notes, sketches, or photography may also be used to help with memory and creative tasks.

Aphantasia can influence how individuals process emotions and relationships. While emotional connections are possible, the lack of vivid mental imagery may make recalling past events less intense or make it hard to visualize loved ones who have passed away. There are of course therapies to take care of this so do not imagine anything worse!

Though recognized and known from 1880, the phenomenon remained largely unstudied until 2005, when Professor Adam Zeman of the University of Exeter was approached by a man who seemed to have lost the ability to visualize after undergoing minor surgery! 

The phenomenon is now widely studied and researched. But don’t worry, a positive thing is that those with aphantasia were also found to have “significantly elevated” IQ levels! 

Then again artists like P Leela normally have not only a great imagination but also an elevated IQ!

Now don’t imagine too much and sleep!

Shubh ratri!

This is probably one of the worlds first man made flying object!

Now like a rocket if you are planning to hit someone or something with it then you must understand that if it returns then the ‘MISSION’ was unsuccessful!

One of the few things which makes you know that it has failed when it actually makes the trip back to your hands!

No need to rack your brain to much lest it goes for a contra coup injury!

The object is or are Boomerangs! 

The Boomerangs were the first man (or woman!) Made flying objects!

The longest flight of a Boomerang is less than two minutes! Newton might as well have seen a Boomerang when he thought about his third law because well, it comes back!

Then again am sure a Boomerang from its origin in Australia may not have travelled so far as the apple tree that supposedly inspired Newton and knocked an apple!

Now everyone is usually amazed at how the Boomerang comes back to the same place after being thrown! But if it comes back when you are aiming at a bird or a fruit or some other thing and it comes back then it means that the target was missed! You may have got the Boomerang back but the mission is failed!

SO when a Boomerang comes back it means that you have aimed the throw perfectly! But of course it also means that if you are a hunter then you have missed hitting anything! It takes so much practice to get the first part right! Then after you have perfected that, you have to practice much more to get the Boomerang to hit something and not just come back! Now that is a load of work mate!

Then you have  the “Boomerang Effect” which is also not so straight in meaning! The “boomerang” can refer to someone who returns after being initially rejected or ignored and the “boomerang effect” can describe a situation where an action or message intended to have a certain effect ends up producing the opposite!

Then again if you have talents like Kalamandalam Kesavan then you would obviously produce the intended effect and not the Boomerang one!

Now make sure that your sleep does not Boomerang!

Shubh Ratri!

Have you ever wondered how children usually love clowns while many adults are terrified of them! In fact even when the clowns are scary, children like then or feel happy or get amused by them!

But many adults get terrified or get scared or at least get more stressed when they see a clown! They may not feel that it is funny! 

There is a phobia which goes with this when it is extreme!

So now many people are scared of clowns due to the “uncanny valley” effect, where something that is almost human but not quite right can be unsettling. Other factors include negative portrayals in media, unpredictable behavior, and the way their makeup hides their true emotions. 

Conversely, some people enjoy the heightened arousal and adrenaline rush associated with fear, or they may have had positive experiences with clowns and not associate them with negativity. 

This psychological phenomenon suggests that humans feel unease or even revulsion towards things that appear almost, but not quite, human. Clowns, with their exaggerated features and painted faces, can trigger this response, making people feel uncomfortable or scared!

One reason also can be the fact that Clowns often wear heavy makeup that obscures their natural facial expressions, making it difficult to read their emotions. This lack of clarity about their intentions can lead to unease and anxiety. What you do not see is even more scary added to our imagination!

Moreover the playful, sometimes erratic behavior of clowns can be unsettling for some. This unpredictability can make people feel like they are not in control of the situation, increasing their anxiety!

Of course some very popular movies have made them scary! 

Have you heard of Coulrophobia?

Well it’s the  fear of clowns and is a widely acknowledged phenomenon! Studies indicate this fear is present among both adults and children in many different cultures! 

But still you do have those who love clowns!

For some, clowns are associated with positive experiences like childhood birthday parties or family outings. This can create a positive emotional response and a sense of comfort around clowns. They may not have any fear of clowns! Though they may tell you not to clown around so much!

Then again Clowning is a serious business! Serious also is the contribution of Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai  to the space program of Bharat!

Now do not watch ‘IT’ if you do not want to develop Coulrophobia! Watch the movie Mahavatar Narsimha instead! It will be worth it!

Shubh Ratri!