Night view - photo of Haridwar Hotel

At one’s  hometown, not many venture out!  After a day’s hard work, people return home, be with their family, eat dinner and hit the bed. Cities would look far different in night – no post on nightlife but one on night photography. 

Nighttime photography is   very challenging, roads would be dimly lit and would be dark.  More so in winter time – and for those trying to take photos, it is more difficult to take one without a flash.  There could be multiple  reasons for taking photos without flash mode !! You may not want to get unnecessary attention, or technically, the flash overpowers the image, or your subject may be too far away for the flash to do any good.   

Back in Oct 2019, walking on the dark streets of Haridwar, it was pretty cold @ around 10.25 pm !!  - saw a hotel with lights on all rooms !

 

Experience of an amateur photographer : Nikon d7200 with 18-105 lens; F5; Exp 1/30; ISO 16000 – Manual; no flash. 

Regards – S Sampathkumar 

Namma ooru Madrassu ! namma Chennai – aerial view !!

Madras namma Chennai – aerial view !!  

View of Madras from  MRTS – Chintadripet to Chepauk Station : மெட்ராசை சுத்தி பாக்க போறேன் ! போறேன் !!  

On view :  Mount road, Omandhurar Super Specialty hospital,  Rajaji hall, MLA Hostel, Kalaivanar arangam, Doordarshan Kendra  tower, Paragon complex, Press club,  Chepauk cricket stadium

https://youtu.be/O-_zOoWKU_U

 

22.11.2024

Indian pacers pin down Aussies at Perth !

A Test Series down under is very challenging and honestly, how many of us expected this on day 1 at Perth.  Before you read or comment – what would have happened in Aussie / English media, had they been on tour to India and 17 wickets tumble on day 1 of test 2561.

 

·        Curse the under prepared pitch

·        Criticize Indians for presenting a rank turner

·        State in strongest terms that this will kill Test cricket

·        Claim on top of voice and Team India cannot perform outside !

 

Today at Perth there were debuts -  much spoken of Nathan McSweeney & for India Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy – Jasprit Bumrah leading the Nation for the first time.  Besides the debutants, the immature Indian Team had Devdutt Padikkal (1 test);  Dhruv Jurel (3) & Washington Sundar (6). 

Heard of Sam Jogajski, a Maths teacher from  Hutchins School in Hobart, Tasmania, established in 1846. 

Perth Stadium, currently known as Optus Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Burswood. It was officially opened on 21 January 2018. The stadium's total capacity is 61,266, including standing room, making it the third-largest stadium in Australia (after the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Stadium Australia) 

Remember that Friday, January 13, 2012 – at Perth, not here but at WACA – it  was 8’O clock Indian time as we anxiously watched the start of the Test.  Gambhir was hit on the ribs off the first ball – Indians off to another dreaded start – Virender Sehwag out for a duck and Dravid – the Wall’s defence breached again – bowled once again off a Siddle delivery. 

Perth  is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city.  Perth became to be known worldwide as the "City of Light" when city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American astronautJohn Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth on Friendship 7 in 1962.  The  majority of the metropolitan area of Perth is located on the Swan Coastal Plain, a narrow strip between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp, a low coastal escarpment. Perth was originally founded by Captain James Stirling in 1829 as the administrative centre of the Swan River Colony, and gained city status in 1856. 

By 2012, India had played 3 times at  WACA – Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth known for its pace and bounce.  Indians had lost twice and won the previous time under Anil Kumble.   In Jan 2008, Indians were in a similar 0-2 and in walked Virender Sehwag with Wasim Jaffer.  India scored 330 – Dravid making 93 and Sachin Tendulkar making 71.  Bret Lee took 3 and Michael Johnson 4 – before the match, there was so much hype about Indians likely to get wiped out in a session by the pace of Shaun Tait who was preserved and protected to play at the grassy Perth.  The fate thought different.  He was ineffective bowled 13 overs gave 59 runs without looking like taking a wicket. Andre Symonds and Gilchrist were the ones to fight some fight as Australians folded for 212.  Rudra Pratap Singh taking 4; Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma and Anil Kumble all chipping with two a piece.                                                                                    

In the second essay, Sehwag, Pathan, Laxman (79) made runs  taking the total to 294.  Clarke (4) and Lee (3) sharing the spoils.  Shaun Tait went wicketless again.  Chasing an improbable 413,  Aussie made 340 with some hitting around by tail enders.  

 

Today on day 1, it was more of a dreaded start as Indians kept falling and ended up a total of 150 but what followed was perhaps not according to the script of Aussie Cricket scribes.  The card reads :  Australia 67 for 7 (Carey 19*, Bumrah 4-17, Siraj 2-17) trail India 150 (Reddy 41, Pant 37, Hazlewood 4-29, Marsh 2-12, Starc 2-14) by 83 runs.  

Befitting the rivalry between Australia and India, the latest tussle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy started in eventful fashion with wild momentum swings and a DRS controversy as pace bowlers from both attacks thoroughly dominated in favourable conditions at Optus Stadium.  It was madmax day as   stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah tore through Australia's top-order with spectacular seam bowling. He finished with 4 for 17 from 10 overs today. He claimed debutant Nathan McSweeney for 10 in the third over before dismissing Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith with consecutive balls in the seventh over to turn a fast-moving first Test on its head.

 

Earlier Yashasvi Jaiswal failed open his account. With captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill unavailable, Devdutt Padikkal got an unexpected opportunity at No.3 but failed miserably as he could not open his account after a painful stay of 23 balls. All eyes were on Virat Kohli, who walked to thundering applause but failed. Jurel and Washington Sundar too failed.  India's hopes rested with a counterattacking Rishabh Pant and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy, who combined for 48 runs - the biggest partnership of the innings.

Pant was adventurous, marked by an audacious typical  scoop for six off a full delivery from Cummins, while Reddy mixed orthodox drives with reverse  sweeps to thwart offspinner Nathan Lyon.  If India could polish the tail tomorrow early and have a lead of around 60+, it could mean a lot for the team. 

Sam J Nogajski is the reserve Umpire today, with TV Umpire being Richard Illingworth. Nogajski  had stood as an umpire in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy in India and is a qualified Match teacher. 

Matches were earlier played at WACA Ground in Perth.  WACA has been referred to as Western Australia's "home of cricket" since the early 1890s, with Test cricket played at the ground since the 1970–71 season. The pitch at the WACA had been  regarded as one of the quickest and bounciest in the world. Australian batsman Tony Mann scored 108 against India coming in  as nightwatchman in 1977 series, captained by Bishan Bedi.  On 9 December 1980, ODI  was played at the ground for the first time, between India and New Zealand,  India won by 5 runs

 

Hope tomorrow dawns favourably for Team India
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
22.11.2024
Pic credit : Twitter of BCCI 

Hornbill festival, Nagaland

Our Nation INDIA          is rich in Culture and diversity.  We celebrate so many festivals across the Nation – this is on ‘Hornbill Festival’ ! 

Hornbill Festival is an annual festival celebrated from 1 to 10 of December in the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland.  The festival represents all ethnic groups of Nagaland for which it is also called the Festival of Festivals. Interestingly the festival is named after a bird ‘the hornbill’ !!

 

Hornbills are large and brightly colourful forest birds, displayed in the folklore of most of the state's ethnic groups.  They are  found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia of the family Bucerotidae. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a horny casque on the upper mandible. Hornbills have a two-lobed kidney. They are the only birds in which the first and second neck vertebrae (the atlas and axis respectively) are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill.  The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs. 

                       The state of Nagaland is home to several ethnic groups, which have their own distinct festivals. More than 60% of the population of Nagaland depends on agriculture and therefore most of their festivals revolve around agriculture. The Nagas consider their festivals sacred  -  to encourage inter-ethnic interaction and to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland, the Government of Nagaland organizes the Hornbill Festival every year in the first week of December. Organised by the Department of State Tourism and Department of Art & Culture, the Hornbill Festival showcases a mélange of cultural displays under one roof. This festival usually takes   mainly in Kohima District. 

The main venue of the Hornbill Festival is held at the Kisama Heritage Village located in the Southern Angami region of Kohima District which is about 12 km from Kohima. All the ethnic groups of Nagaland take part in this festival. The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and display its extravaganza and traditions. For visitors it means a closer understanding of the people and culture of Nagaland, and an opportunity to experience the food, songs, dances and customs of Nagaland.  People enjoy  colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures are also on display. Festival highlights include the traditional Naga Morungs exhibition and the sale of arts and crafts, food stalls, herbal medicine stalls, flower shows and sales, cultural medley - songs and dances, fashion shows, the Miss Nagaland beauty contest, traditional archery, Naga wrestling, indigenous games and musical concerts.  

The Hornbill Festival has contributed significantly to enhancing the state's tourism brand.  Pictured here is - Temjen Imna Along, Nagaland’s Minister of Tourism and Higher Education.  Temjen is the State President of   Bharatiya Janata Party , representing assembly from Alongtaki constituency. He is  the Minister of Tourism and Higher Education in the Fifth Neiphiu Rio ministry. He is very active in social media and also very popular due to his sense of humour. He also posts about his state and promotes the culture of Nagaland.

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
22.11.2024

  

Is Life a modern Art ??

 

IS Life a Modern Art ? – in the sense, not only you find it difficult to understand but you wonder whether you are looking at it rightly ?

 

Picasso altered the concept of genres such as painting and sculpture;  Marcel Duchamp transformed the concept of art itself, by questioning taken-for-granted ideologies and the underlying systems of everyday life.

 

The most valuable kind of experience is when, either within an art museum or outside it, you find something that makes you curious, something that speaks to you, and you cherish it.  It is  not important that you understand every single work on display in a museum or everything in life.

 

It is important that  you to find something — even one thing — that you feel relates to a problem in your own life.

 

Life’s lessons !!
 
Regards S.Sampathkumar
21.11.2024

the wings of Crow !! ~ காக்கை சிறகினிலே நந்தலாலா

A great song of Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathiyar –– though used in some other movies  too, this one sung by K Jesudoss was a smashing hit, set to the music of LV !?

Lakshminarayana Vaidyanathan, was an acclaimed musicologist, music director and composer,  trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition. Vaidyanathan was born to V. Lakshminarayana, and Seethalakshmi, both accomplished musicians. He was the elder brother of accomplished violinist duo L. Shankar and L. Subramaniam.  He  was known for his use of rare and unknown instruments, subtly mixing sounds from the mandolin, flute and violin with various folk percussion instruments before the advent of present-day technological advances in sound mixing.  He collaborated with C.Ashwath and composed music for many Kannada movies in the name Ashwath-Vaidi. One catchy and enduring composition of his would be, the Opening and Closing Score 'Thaana na nana' of Shankar Nag's Malgudi Days (TV series).

காக்கை சிறகினிலே நந்தலாலா - நின்றன்

கரிய நிறம் தோன்றுதையே நந்தலாலா  ! 

கேட்கும் ஒலியில் எல்லாம் நந்தலாலா - நின்றன்

கீதம் இசைக்குதடா நந்தலாலா  !!

பாரதி ஒரு பன்முகக் கவிஞர். நாட்டுப் பற்று, மொழி்ப் பற்று, சமயப் பற்று  அனைத்தும் அவர்தம் பாடல்களில் சிறப்புற வெளிப்பட்டன.   பாரதியின் கவிதைகளை வாசிப்பது அற்புதமான அனுபவம்     ”இருளிலிருந்து ஒளிக்கு” இட்டுச்செல்லும் உண்மை உணர்வுகள் அவை.  காக்கையையும் நேசிப்பார் உண்டோ !!  காக்கை சிறகின் நிறம் இருள், குழப்பம், அஞ்ஞானம் போன்றவற்றை குறிப்பிடுகிறது. அங்கிருந்து ஒரு பயணம் துவங்குகிறது. 

Ezhavathu Manithan  co-written and directed by K. Hariharan. Inspired by a real-life incident, the film focusing on environmental pollution and exploitation of industrial workers was released in 1982.  At a time, when it was Kamal Rajini, Vijaykanth and the like – the hero was the tall - Raghuvaran and featured  a host of newcomers playing other prominent roles. The film's soundtrack was made up from an album composed by L. Vaidyanathan with the lyrics of Tamil poet Mahakavi  Subramania Bharatiyar. 

The film was critically acclaimed but not much of a commercial hit – won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. It was screened at the Indian Panorama of the International Film Festival of India, and in the Soviet Union, where it won the Afro–Asian Solidarity Award. At the 13th Moscow International Film Festival in 1983, the film was nominated for the Golden St. George prize.  The year 1982 marked the birth centenary of the great poet.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
20.11.2024 

High Court restrains Music Academy on conferring Sangita Kalanidhi on TM Krishna

Every day Madras High Court hears hundreds of them – each one of them could be different and interesting, some pain for the litigants.  Today Honble  Madras High Court has delivered an interim award, which one feels is very much appreciable.  The Court said – ‘The best way to honour a departed soul is to honour and respect their  wish and not to disrespect them”. 

16th Sept. is associated with a  great legend…. Even those like me who know nothing of the Carnatic music would still have heard with awe regard and great interest the mellifluous voice of the genius known as MS.  Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi, the 'nightingale' of Carnatic music, started her career by singing in temples before becoming one of the best-known artistes in her field during her lifetime, enthralling audiences all over the world, including the Carnegie Hall in London and at the United Nations. Born in Madurai, on September 16, 1916, Subbulakshmi grew up surrounded by music.

 

Fondly known as amma to all music lovers, her formation, development and reaching pinnacle of glory were all due to her hardwork, sincerity, devotion and her commitment in perfecting her diction, understanding the inner meanings of the compositions and more than everything else the divine blessing perhaps to her addiction to devotion.

Every democratic civilization on the planet is built on the foundation of free speech. The freedom to talk freely and obtain information from others is at the heart of free speech. It is considered the primary criterion for autonomy. It is considered the "mother" of all other freedoms and is regarded as one of the most crucial civil freedoms that are protected from state repression or limitation1. Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India guarantees this basic right to free speech and expression.  

The Madras High Court today has restrained The Hindu from presenting the 'Sangita Kalanidhi Award' in the name of M S Subbulakshmi to musician T M Krishna. The Court said that the Sangita Kalanidhi Award and cash prize can be granted to TM Krishna but not in the name of M S Subbulakshmi. Justice G Jayachandran passed the interim order in a suit filed by the grandson of M S Subbulakshmi saying that the conferment of the award was against her wish and mandate. While dismissing an application filed by the Music Academy challenging the suit moved by the grandson, the court also noted that Shrinivasan, Subbulakshmi's grandson had the locus to maintain the suit since he was a beneficiary of Subbulakshmi's will.  

"The best way to honour a departed soul is to honour and respect her wish and not to disrespect her. If any person is really having reverence and regard to MS Subbulakshmi, after knowing her desire and mandate, should not continue to give award in her name," the court remarked.  The Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award was instituted by The Hindu group to honour the Late singer as a yearly accolade and was conferred on the “Sangita Kalanidhi' chosen by The Music Academy every year. This year, the Hindu chose TM Krishna and there were hues and cries.  

Late legendary singer MS Subbulakshmi's grandson  approached the Madras High Court challenging the selection.  V Shrinivasan, Subbulakshmi's grandson contended that Krishna has been making vile, vituperative, and scandalous attacks on Subbulakshmi on social media and has been maligning the reputation of the late singer. He alleged that Krishna has constantly trivialized the late singer's achievements by making it seem as though it was a reward for embracing “Brahmanism”. Thus, he questioned how the Music Academy could honor such a person who had criticized a Matriarch who had always worked for the cause of the Academy.  

Shrinivasan thus argued that conferring the award on Krishna, who had questioned the credibility of the late singer in the world of Carnatic music should not be legally permitted as it would amount to conferring a Bhakti prize on an atheist. He stated that awards and recognitions instituted in the name of a person ought to be conferred on persons who share common values. Shrinivasan added that the present conferment of the award was a mockery and one of the greatest hoaxes of the 20th century in the world of Carnatic music.  

Replying to the petition, the Music Academy, in its counter affidavit submitted that conferring the award of Krishna did not, in any manner dishonour or belittle the memory of the late singer and her contribution to the world of music.  Music Academy   also filed an application to reject the suit claiming that Shrinivasan had no locus to challenge the conferment of the award. The Academy further submitted that the conferment of award was the sole prerogative of the Academy and Shrinivasan could not question the same.  

Today’s interim award vindicates the words of Srinivasan as the Hon’ble Court has not only restrined Hindu/Music Award against conferment of award to TM Krishna – has also confirmed the locus standi of the petitioner.

 
 
Case Title: V Shrinivasan v The Music Academy and Others
Case No: CS No. 194 of 2024
 
Regards  - S Sampathkumar
19.11.2024

  

Niche differentiation ~ co-existence ! - நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன்.

In my terrace, difference species come for eating food grains  and each have a different ideology !  Pigeons come in big cluster, sometimes they are chased away by Crows – a solitary or two Cuckoos too try to peck, again could be attacked by Crows;  Parrots try to sneak in making lot of sound, but would fly away at the slightest disturbance – In the melee half-a-dozen Squirrels run around – they are so fast that sometimes they literally run under the feet of Parrots and Pigeons in a jiffy. 

There could be in-fighting within the species too – yet they co-exist !! 

In ecology, niche differentiation is the  process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist. The competitive exclusion principle holds  that if two species with identical niches (ecological roles) compete, then one will inevitably drive the other to extinction.It need not be ‘survival of the fittest’ – better is ‘co-existence and survival’. !! 

Coexistence theory is a framework to understand how competitor traits can maintain species diversity and stave-off competitive exclusion even among similar species living in ecologically similar environments. Coexistence theory explains the stable coexistence of species as an interaction between two opposing forces: fitness differences between species, which should drive the best-adapted species to exclude others within a particular ecological niche, and stabilizing mechanisms, which maintains diversity via niche differentiation. 

பொன்னை உயர்வைப் புகழை விரும்பிடும்

என்னைக் கவலைகள் தின்னத் தகாதென்று

நின்னைச் சரணடைந்தேன்.

 

மிடிமையும் அச்சமும் மேவி என் நெஞ்சில்

குடிமை புகுந்தன, கொன்று அவை போக்கின

 

மகாகவி சுப்பிரமணிய பாரதியாரின் ‘கண்ணன் பாட்டு’ தொகுதியில் ‘கண்ணம்மா என் குலதெய்வம்’ என்ற தலைப்பில் உள்ள பாட லின் சில வரிகள்.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
19.11.2024 

Hush ! ~ silence is Golden

 

Life teaches; what is begotten can  be cruel.  Never restrain your thoughts but to keep mouth shut is a great virtue.

 

Many a times, unsaid words are more powerful than the ones blabbered.

Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark crowned Miss Universe 2024.

 

What connects Tamil movies – Arasatchi & Ratchagan !! –  do you know details of this - Lumière de l’Infini  ?

 

21-year-old Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark  has been crowned Miss Universe 2024. Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua crowned Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark as her successor at the end of the event. Theilvig's victory marked Denmark's first win in the pageant's history, and their second win in any of the Big Four beauty pageants, following Catharina Svensson in Miss Earth 2001.

 

Contestants from a record 125 countries and territories competed in the pageant, surpassing the previous record of 94 entrants set in 2018. India’s Rhea Singha could not make it to the top 12. The last time an Indian won Miss Universe was in 2021, when Harnaaz Sandhu clinched the crown. 

Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.  Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.  The Miss Universe Organization and its brand, is currently owned by JKN Global Group and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc., an American division of Mexican company Legacy Holding through the joint venture company JKN Legacy Inc 

The title "Miss Universe" was first used by the International Pageant of Pulchritude in 1926. This contest was held annually until 1935, when the Great Depression and other events preceding World War II led to its demise. The current Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 by Pacific Knitting Mills, a California-based clothing company and manufacturer of Catalina Swimwear. The company was the sponsor of the Miss America pageant until 1951, when the winner, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose for publicity pictures wearing one of their swimsuits. In 1952, Pacific Knitting Mills organized the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, co-sponsoring them for decades to follow. 

It is not mere beauty contest – brainy too !!  The Miss Universe question and answer round is one of the most anticipated segments of the beauty pageant !. In this round, the judges and the audience judge the delegates based on their quick and  intelligent thinking.   

The President-elect of the US, Donald Trump, was the owner of Miss World from 1996 to 2015. Trump had a tie-up with NBC, and since 2003, the event was broadcast on that channel.   When JKN Global Group's Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip bought the Miss World organisation and brand, she made history by becoming the first transwoman — and the first woman — to own it. Under her, the pageant allowed mothers and married women to participate from 2023, as reported by BBC. However, in November 2023, JKN Global filed for bankruptcy. Jakrajutatip then posted on Instagram, “No matter what … I always put the Miss Universe Organization as my first priority in life. No matter how joyful or painful it's gonna be...I will sacrifice and do everything for the great success of our Universe!”  After this, half the stakes in Miss Universe were sold to Legacy Holding. 

At 21 years old, Victoria Kjaer, representative of Denmark, is the winner of the 73rd Miss Universe pageant that took place in Mexico, featuring 130 contestants competing for the title of beauty queen. In second place is Nigeria's representative, Cnidimma Adetshina. María Fernanda Beltrán finished in third place in front of her home crowd at Arena Ciudad de México.

 

The jewel at the start is the Crown recently unveiled -  "Lumière de l’Infini" (transl. "The Light of Infinity").  The crown, provided by Jewelmer, is adorned with diamonds and 23 golden south sea pearls.  

To the Q at the start  :  Arasatchi released in2004 had Arjun and Miss Universe winner Lara Dutta in lead role. Ratchagan released in 1997 had Nagarjuna and Miss Universe winner Sushmita Sen on lead .. ..

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
17.11.2024

buying a movie ticket !! ~ lawsuit in USA

16 vayathinile,  Aadu puli aattam,  Aatttukara Alamelu, Agraharathil kazhuthai, Annan oru kovil, Avargal,  Bhuvana oru kelvi kuri, Deepam, Gayathri, Indur pol enrum vaazhga, Kavikuyil, Murugan Adimai, Pattina pravesam, Sila nerangalil sila manihargal, Thalaya Salangaiya, Thunai Iruppal Meenakshi .. .. ..  (pictured here is a theatre in Ponneri for illustration and not connected directly to the post !)

 

Rewinding back – list of some of the movies released in  1977  - MGR Sivaji Ganesan were replaced by Kamal Rajnikanth, there were others too !!  not about Cinema but about people going to movies or rather buying Movie tickets. 

There would be four shows in a days (12 – 4 – 7 – 10) !! Premier Ticket in Devi Paradise would cost Rs.2.90 - - there were two ways – stand in the Queue buy tickets or in the noon go and stand in Advance reservation Q ! [third way – was buying ticket through known persons, some working in theatres!] 

Then there was another too – buying Ticket in Black !  - from touts who would sell 2.90 @ 5 or even 10 depending on the time and demand !!  One of my friends bought a balcony ticket in black in front of a theatre in Aminjikarai and got the shock of life when he learnt that there was no balcony in that theatre !! – and there were people who would buy a black ticket to watch movies like Shivaji, the Boss – having the plot of eradication of black money.    

Read about an interesting case before Delhi Court – in the matter of State Vs   Bankim Chandu Lal   & Ors instituted in 1999 and judgement pronounced in July 2018 – as per chargesheet  in Sept 1997, a   CTC   Squad   of   Indian   Railways conducted a surprise checking in Train No.2472, Swaraj Express, traveling between Jammu and Mumbai, for the purpose of finding out passengers who were traveling by way of  tickets bought from persons who were involved in black marketing of tickets and  also to   find   out   passengers   who   were   traveling   in   the   train   without ticket.  On   checking   they   found   that accused   persons   named   Bankim   Chadu   Lal,   Rajni   and   Atul   Kumar   were   traveling   in   Coach   No.S3   with  tickets  issued   against emergency quota.  During inquiry, it was found that the said tickets were provided on the recommendation of Member of Parliament namely Sh. Raju Bhai Parmar and further enquiry revealed that   the said letter was never issued by him. The accused persons had   told   the   checking   party   that   the   said   tickets   were   arranged through one travel agency   having its office at Chawri Bazar, Hauz Qazi and it was not one authorized by Railways.  

Cricket fans of Chennai know the pain and anguish of trying for IPL match tickets on the official website and designated Pay sites as massive queue of over lakh people would be in waiting.   Have also seen thousands waiting outside Chepauk to get into the queue- and people getting disappointed. Tickets are sold at a very high cost by some people infront of the stadium on the day of the match and surprisingly some buy tickets even after 15 / 18 / 20 overs !!! 

Hundreds of fans of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and other musicians filed a lawsuit accusing Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation of price gouging, alleging both companies have colluded with venues to increase the price of tickets—marking the latest complaint against Ticketmaster following a federal antitrust lawsuit filed earlier this year. 

A lawsuit is a civil legal action by one person or entity (the plaintiff) against another person or entity (the defendant), to be decided in a court. Depending on the remedy sought and the venue where the plaintiff files the lawsuit, the case might be heard by a court of law or a court of equity. 

Kinder Law filed a lawsuit Friday in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County accusing Ticketmaster and Live Nation of breach of contract, fraud, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and antitrust violations.  The latest complaint—representing 365 fans of Swift, Beyoncé, The Cure and others—expands on an earlier case filed by the law firm in December 2022 and alleges Ticketmaster and Live Nation have engaged in a “pattern of racketeering activity” while violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Live Nation and Ticketmaster “exploit” a relationship with stadium venues owned by Live Nation to “achieve the purpose of their enterprise,” which requires fans to use Ticketmaster exclusively for tickets “at prices that exceed what a competitive market would dictate,” the complaint alleges.

Neither Ticketmaster nor Live Nation immediately responded to a request for comment from Forbes. Kinder Law has requested a trial by jury, though it’s not immediately clear whether their claims will be taken to court. The law firm has requested unspecified damages—suggesting each fan suffered a loss in “the amount of thousands of dollars”—in addition to other punitive damages that would be determined at trial. 

Ticketmaster and Live Nation have become the focus of litigation in recent years, including Kinder Law’s lawsuit in 2022. That complaint is similar to their latest filing and accuses both companies of various charges and antitrust violations following Swift’s Eras Tour, during which millions of fans were unable to acquire tickets, the firm alleges. In 2022, Ticketmaster canceled the general sale for the tour after its website crashed during pre-sale, and Live Nation President Joe Berchtold claimed the issue was caused by scalpers amid a “cyberattack.” The Justice Department and 29 attorneys general sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in May, accusing the companies of holding a monopoly that caused fans to pay more in fees for tickets.  

 
Liability suits of such nature are virtually unknown in India.
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
17.11.2024 

Nadaswaram – Gennext ! : konjum salangai

Nadaswaram – Gennext ! – Triplicane Nagaraj, his cute daughter  and Prakash photographed here.

 

Synchronous with Nadaswaram, dance and music was the movie ‘Thillana Mohanambal’;  a few years earlier was released ‘Konjum Salangai’ in 1962,   a musical dance film directed by MV  Raman, starring Gemini Ganesan, Savithri, RS Manohar and Kumari Kamala. 

The film was dubbed into Telugu as Muripinche Muvvalu. This film is the Indian Tamil cinema's one and only Tamil film to be entirely shot and released in Technicolor. Konjum Salangai was the 100^th  film for Savitri.  It was shot in 41 different sets at three studios Newtone Studios and Narasu Studios in Madras, and Raman Studio in Bombay.  It was processed in London ! and was a big budget movie of those times. 

Music was by SM Subbaiah Naidu – there were dozen songs – S Janaki became much acclaimed after this movie Nadaswaram portions for the song was played by Karaikurichi Arunachalam.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
16.11.2024

Haryanvi Anshul Kamboj takes 10 wickets in Ranji innings

 

Mayhem at Johannesburg  - looks like book Cricket – India finishing at 283/1 in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma hit the ball to everywhere in his 4 sixer studded 36 off 18 and then came the 210 partnership between Sanju Samson 109* and Tilak Varma 120*

 

A post on Indian domestic Cricket -  Haryana vs Kerala, Elite Group C  match at  Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak ! and before you proceed can you identify this person – he is Pradeep Sunderam. 

All Cricket followers in India are searching about this person as Anshul Kamboj, Haryana fast bowler bagged 10 for 49 against Kerala, and became the sixth Indian to achieve the feat in first-class cricket.  Today he  achieved this feat when he dismissed Kerala's Shoun Roger at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli, to finish with figures of 30.1-9-49-10 in the first innings. 

Two other bowlers had taken all ten wickets in an innings in the Ranji Trophy previously: Bengal's Premangsu Chatterjee in 1956-57 and Rajasthan's Pradeep Sunderam in 1985-86. Overall, Kamboj is the sixth Indian to achieve this feat in first-class cricket after legspinners Subhash Gupte and Anil Kumble, and Odisha seamer Debasis Mohanty. While there have been 90 instances of bowlers taking all ten wickets in an innings in first-class cricket, Kumble along with England's Jim Laker and New Zealand's Ajaz Patel are the only ones to do it in a Test match. 

Kamboj, 23, comes from Karnal in Haryana, a boxing heartland, and began playing cricket on open fields. In less than a decade, Kamboj has progressed to play for his state team and has also broken into the IPL. The milestone of ten wickets in an innings is yet another achievement for Kamboj over the last 12 months. He took 17 wickets in ten games with an economy of 3.58 in Harayana's run to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title, including a best of 4 for 30 in the semi-final against Tamil Nadu.  Then playing for India C against India B during the Duleep Trophy in September, Kamboj picked up 8 for 69, his best first-class figures until the ten-wicket haul. That performance included the wickets of seasoned domestic batters like Sarfaraz Khan, Rinku Singh and N Jagadeesan. Last month, he was part of the India Emerging squad at the T20 Asia Cup, where he turned in a match-winning performance of 3 for 33 against Pakistan Shaheens. 

Kamboj also got his maiden IPL contract this year with Mumbai Indians and played three games at the back end of a season where they finished in last place. He was a candidate to be an uncapped retention ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, and although that didn't happen his performances this year will make him one of the uncapped Indian players to watch at the auction on November 24 and 25. 

The man at the start - fast bowler by name Pradeep Sunderam.  His father - Gundibail Rama Sunderam played 2 tests against visiting New Zealand in 1955.   In 1957 at Jorhat, Assam were bundled out by Bengal – PK Chatterjee excelled with figures of 19-11-20-10;  in 1985 at Jodhpur, playing for Rajasthan Pradeep Sunderam had figures of 22-5-78-10 and took another 6 wickets in the 2nd innings against Vidarbha.  The man whose bowling action was the logo in 1999 WC, Debashis Mohanty had figures of 19-5-48-10 in a Duleep trophy match in 2001 at Agartala against South Zone.

 

Following all this, fast bowler Anshul Kamboj etched his name in Ranji Trophy history today  becoming the first bowler in 39 years to claim all 10 wickets in an innings.    

Great achievement from this young lad ! – well done Anshul Kamboj

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
15.11.2024  @ 10.30 pm.

Pournami - Full moon - Proud Rebel movie and .. ..நிலவே என்னிடம் நெருங்காதே !

Moon has enamoured mankind since centuries !  - today is Pournami, full moon day.

 

A former Confederate soldier, John Chandler comes  to an Illinois town with his 10-year-old son David to see Dr. Enos Davis. The boy was struck mute after witnessing his mother burned to death when Union soldiers set fire to their homestead, and hasn't spoken a word since. Dr. Davis recommends an operation by a doctor he knows in Minnesota.  .. .. ..

 

The storyline of  1958 American Technicolor Western film directed by Michael Curtiz, with a screenplay by Joseph Petracca and Lillie Hayward that was based on a story by James Edward Grant.  The movie ‘Proud Rebel’.  It is the story of a widowed Confederate veteran and his mute son who struggle to make a new life among sometimes hostile neighbors in the Midwest. The film starred Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger, David Ladd  and Cecil Kellaway. 

To us it is Pournami and Amavasai – to the Western world the phases of moon are far more elaborate.  Today is Full moon and it is described as last super moon of 2024. November ends the four-month supermoon streak that started in August.  NASA had stated that November's full moon will appear bigger and brighter than other full moons, since it reaches peak lunation at the point in its elliptical orbit closest to Earth. 

In our entire solar system, the only object that shines with its own light is the Sun. That light always beams onto Earth and Moon from the direction of the Sun, illuminating half of our planet in its orbit and reflecting off the surface of the Moon to create moonlight. Sometimes the entire face of the Moon glows brightly. Other times we see only a thin crescent of light. Sometimes the Moon seems to disappear. These shifts are called moon phases.  There are eight lunar phases :  new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent. The cycle repeats once a month (every 29.5 days). 

Today, Nov. 15, 2024, the moon is 14 days old and is in the Full Moon phase of its lunar cycle. It is 99% illuminated.  Moon phases reveal the passage of time in the night sky. Some nights when we look up at the moon, it is full and bright; sometimes it is just a sliver of silvery light. These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits Earth, it cycles through eight distinct phases. The four primary phases of the moon (new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter) occur about a week apart, with the full moon its most dazzling stage. 

"This is as close as we come to seeing the sun's illumination of the entire day side of the moon (so, technically, this would be the real half moon)," NASA wrote in its moon guide. "The moon is opposite the sun, as viewed from Earth, revealing the moon's dayside." The full moon actually appears full before it reaches its final phase. It can appear full to the casual observer for a couple of days before and after the actual date. "The full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise," NASA wrote.  The phases of the moon are a consequence of its motion around Earth in relation to the geometry assumed with respect to the sun. 

To better understand how it works, let us, first of all, remember that the moon does not emit its own light but reflects that of the sun and partly that reflected by the Earth–phenomenon of ashen light. Of the moon, we always see a hemisphere and a little more because its rotation is synchronous and blocked by the tide. This means that one lunar rotation on its axis corresponds to the time of revolution around Earth, equal to 29.5 days.

 

Here are couple of photos Moon taken by me – generally it is very difficult to photograph Stars – today saw a shining object in another direction away from moon and in the last photograph you can see a dotted shining object.

 

Wonder the reference to movie ‘Proud Rebel’ at the start – for sure, you know this famous song penned by Kaviyarasu Kannadasan, to the music of MS Viswanathan, sung by PB Sreenivas and P Susheele – from the movie Ramu.  

நிலவே என்னிடம் நெருங்காதே !  நீ நினைக்கும் இடத்தில் நான் இல்லை

 மலரே என்னிடம் மயங்காதே,  நீ மயங்கும் வகையில் நான் இல்லை

கோடையில் ஒருநாள் மழை வரலாம்; என் கோலத்தில் இனிமேல் எழில்வருமோ ?

பாலையில் ஒரு நாள் கொடி வரலாம்;  என் பார்வையில் இனிமேல் சுகம் வருமோ!!

Ramu, directed by AC Tirulokchandar and written by Javar N. Seetharaman hit the screens in 1966. The film starred Gemini Ganeshan, KR Vijaya, Ashokan, Nagesh, V. K. Ramasamy, O. A. K. Thevar and Master Rajkumar—as the title character—in supporting roles.  It was a remake of the Hindi film Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964), it revolved around a boy who loses his speech after witnessing his mother's death, and his father attempts to restore his son's speech. Ramu was produced by Uma Productions, a subsidiary of AVM Productions, and predominantly shot in the village of Kaduvetti, Tamil Nadu.   

Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (Far Away Under the Shadow of the Sky) was directed, produced and written by Kishore Kumar. The movie was an adaptation of the American film The Proud Rebel (1958).

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
15.11.2024