Madras by Night !!!

Gold prices in Chennai today dropped considerably after a sharp rally that was observed on wednesday. Yellow metal rates soared to unprecedented levels, breaching the 80,000 mark in the previous session amid the strong festive demand and the ongoing geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East. However, today's decline in prices resulted from a stronger U.S. dollar, which limited the appeal of the precious metal, and a surge in U.S. Treasury yields signaling a shift in investor sentiments. 

Life in a village is far different than the one in a City, in a Metropolis.  Chennai city is admixture of Good, Bad & Ugly and how you see them !  A high % of residents live a secluded life, especially living in apartments / gated-communities.  To them life is all luxury and enjoyment – they go to work, work late hours, return in their own vehicles and close their doors oblivious to anything happening around ! 

There is something more serious to worry than Gold price !!  How often do you venture out especially in the night and are you aware of the offences occurring around ?  

There is a certain drug  - a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational or performance-enhancing drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity.  It has also been researched as a potential treatment for traumatic brain injury.  This substance  was discovered in 1893 and exists as two enantiomers – know what ?  if you are a parent, you may be worried that such things exist closer to your door !! 

A few decades ago, stage dramas ruled the roost.  Cho Ramaswamy’s Viveka Fine Arts was among the premier sabhas and one of their hit drama was ‘Madras By Night’ that portrayed  the comic nocturnal experiences of a young man in the city and the funny situations he finds himself in. 

                   Walter White, a struggling, frustrated high school chemistry teacher from Albuquerque, New Mexico becomes a crime lord in the local methamphetamine drug trade, driven to provide for his family financially after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Initially making only small batches of meth with his former student Jesse Pinkman in a rolling meth lab, Walter and Jesse eventually expand to make larger batches of an extremely pure, blue meth which creates high demand. Walter takes on the name "Heisenberg" to mask his identity. Because of his new business, Walter finds himself at odds with his family, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) through his brother-in-law Hank Schrader, the local gangs and the Mexican drug cartels (including their regional distributors), putting him and his family's lives at risk. The events of the series take place between 2008 and 2010. 

That was the storyline of ‘Breaking Bad’ -  an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, dispirited high-school chemistry teacher struggling with a recent diagnosis of stage-three lung cancer.  From 2008, it ran and concluded in  2013, after five seasons consisting of 62 episodes. 

In an episode straight out of the iconic show 'Breaking Bad', a chemistry student found himself in the role of real-life Walter White, hired to manufacture meth by a drug syndicate in Chennai. The group had set up a secret laboratory in the city to produce the highly addictive drug. However, their plans were foiled when the Chennai police busted their operations leading to the arrest of seven people. Among those arrested are five engineering graduates and a postgraduate student of Chemistry studying at a prestigious college in Chennai. He was also a gold medallist in his Bachelor of Science course at another institution.  

The group of young graduates started drug peddling by selling small quantities of methamphetamine procured from a man   who has an assault case registered against him. Later, the idea of manufacturing the drug themselves struck them and they brought the chemistry student into the picture. They then procured required chemicals for the manufacturing.  

Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It takes the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.  Methamphetamine was developed early in the 20th century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers.  

 

Moving away from all the melee, here is a photo taken in the night time at Marina beach – with TV station in the background.  How is it ?

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
24.10.2024