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Monday, October 31, 2022

flying white birds - Herons or Egrets ! - ஓடுமீன் ஓட உறுமீன் வருமளவும்

Yesterday night it rained and there was some water clogging .. .. this morning saw  many of these white birds flying over  – for people of limited knowledge (euphemism for ignorance) – all black birds are Crows; brown Pigeons; green Parrots and White ones are – Cranes (கொக்கு)  .. .. the ones photographed here, flew at great heights in the sky and was not easy to capture ! 



நாம் நன்று அறிந்த மூதுரை பாடல் ஒன்று இங்கே :   மூதுரை, ஔவையார் இயற்றிய ஒரு தமிழ் நீதி நூல்.  மூதுரையின் - 'வாக்குண்டாம் நல்ல மனம் உண்டாம் மாமலராள் நோக்கு உண்டாம்'  என்ற கடவுள் வாழ்த்தில் விநாயகக் கடவுள் போற்றப்பட்டுள்ளார்.  

அடக்கம் உடையார் அறிவிலர்என் றெண்ணிக்

கடக்கக் கருதவும் வேண்டா – மடைத்தலையில்

ஓடுமீன் ஓட உறுமீன் வருமளவும்

வாடி இருக்குமாம் கொக்கு.  

அறிவும் ஆற்றலும் உடைய பெரியவர்கள் எப்போதும் அடக்கமாய் இருப்பார்கள்; ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் செய்ய மாட்டார்கள்.  ஓடையில் கொக்கு ஒற்றைக் காலில் பேசாமல் நின்று கொண்டிருப்பதைப் பார்த்திருப்பீர்கள்! அது பேசாமல் நிற்பது கண்டு சின்னச் சின்ன மீன்கள் அதைச் சுற்றி இப்படியும் அப்படியும் ஓடிக் கொண்டிருக்கும். சுற்றி வரும் மீன்களிலே எது பெரியது என்று தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும் வரை கொக்கு பேசாமல் நின்றிருக்கும். ஒரு பெரிய மீன் அருகே வரும் போது –   பாய்ந்து அதன் அலகினால் அதைக் கொத்தி எடுத்துக் கொண்டு பறந்து விடும். எனவே யாரையும் அவரது அடக்கம் கருதி எளிதாக எடை போட்டுவிட வேண்டாம் என்கிறார் ஔவையார்!  



Not a scientific exclamation – these are not cranes – perhaps are Herons.  The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons.   Egrets do not form a biologically distinct group from herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks. The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret,   is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe, recently also spreading to more northern areas of Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water.  

The elegant Great Egret is a dazzling sight in many wetlands. Slightly smaller and more svelte than a Great Blue Heron, these are still large birds with impressive wingspans. They hunt in classic heron fashion, standing immobile or wading through wetlands to capture fish with a deadly jab of their yellow bill. Great Egrets were hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes in the late nineteenth century, sparking conservation movements and some of the first laws to protect birds. The pristinely white Great Egret gets even more dressed up for the breeding season. A patch of skin on its face turns neon green, and long plumes grow from its back. Called aigrettes, those plumes were the bane of egrets in the late nineteenth century, when such adornments were prized for ladies’ hats.

 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
31st Oct 2022. 

Sunday, October 30, 2022

ICC T20 WC - thrilling matches continue !!

Today at Perth, the Umpires were : Richard Kettleborough & Langton Rusere  - read that in 2018  Langton Rusere made  history becoming  the first Zimbabwean umpire to stand in the final of a major global cricket tournament. Rusere was  one of the on-field umpires for the Women's World T20 final between Australia and England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Rusere started umpiring in Zimbabwe's national league club competition in 2006;  umpired outside Zimbabwe for the first time in 2014, officiating in three games during South Africa's provincial three-day and T20 competitions. His first senior international engagement came during India's visit to Zimbabwe the following year, and Rusere joined the ICC's International Panel.

 


Then 2 players who would have felt the highest blood pressure .. .. Mosaddek & Muzarabani. Mosaddek Hossain, who comes from a family of cricketers, snuck up on Bangladesh cricket's consciousness during the 2013 Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, helping Abahani Limited stay afloat in a disastrous campaign. He has had good experience having played 4 tests; 43 One dayers and 31 T20Is.  At the other end was -  Blessing Muzarabani who had played 6 tests; 33 tests and 32 T20Is.    

Zimbabwe naturally were on a high after that brilliant win over Pakistan, which would remain etched in their memory for a lifetime  yet it  lasted barely 60 hours. After that win on Thursday night in Perth, Zimbabwe celebrated, processed their emotions, packed up, made the 4300km journey to Brisbane, trained for and played the early game today. A game they needed to win to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. It required superhuman resilience to cast aside the mental and emotional fatigue, and perform on a sleepy Brisbane afternoon as they had on that electric night in Perth. 

This match too boiled to the last over .. .. Zimbabwe were 135/6 needed 16 off the last 6 deliveries to be bowled by Mosaddek.   What a drama it turned out to be ! 

19.1 – 1lb; 19.2 Brad Evans out! ; 19.3 – 4 leg byes ; 19.4 -  Ngarava hammered over deep fine leg for a Six !! and got out next ball ..  Six needed for a win. Four to force a super over. Muzarabani had the  chance to be a hero for Zimbabwe.  Mosaddek to Muzarabani, swings and misses !  - Bangladesh have won !! the bowler has defended 15 ???  massive celebrations were on !!! then the  third umpire had a look to check if Nurul collected the ball in front of the stumps. It was to be a No ball .. rematch !! – players back in action.  Now Zimbabwe needed 4 to win, 3 to force a super over. Being bigger grounds – an all run 3 too was possible but Muzarabani missed out – a big swing did not connect .. again ecstasy in Bangladesh camp as Zimbabweans sank to the ground. 

Wonder, why all the description about a Zimbabwean Umpire and the last over between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh – well, still the feelings of Indian loss at Perth refuses to sink in .. .. it is a match – India could have won, if they had fielded well, took catches and if they had not missed out such a simple run out ! 

30th Match, at  Perth was a low scoring affair – naturally after SA pacers ripping Indian batsmen out.  KL Rahul started so confidently leaving balls and defending some – giving a maiden over to Parnell.   Match score card reads :  India 133/9;  South Africa (19.4/20 ov, T:134) 137/5 .. .. South Africa won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

 

On a pacy pitch, South Africa's quicks set the tone with hard lengths and plenty of speed. They reduced India to 49 for 5 in the ninth over.  Suryakumar Yadav held the innings together, playing an exceptionally good knowck making his 11th  T20I half-century but he lacked support. He shared a 52-run partnership with Dinesh Karthik, who scored only six of those runs.  On a bouncy Perth pitch where the rest of India's batters combined to score 57 runs off 80 balls, Suryakumar scored 68 off 40.

 


South Africa moved to the top of the group 2 points table and boosted their chances of making the semi-finals after recovering from 24 for 3 to successfully chase 134 against India. Aiden Markram and David Miller were the architects of South Africa's triumph, scoring half-centuries each and sharing a 76-run fourth-wicket stand. 

In the end, it was poor fielding, poor field placements, poor captaincy, dropped catch by Kohli, a simple run out chance messed by Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin having off-day 4-0-43-1 ruined India’s chances.  Rohit Sharma bowled R Ashwin out and used him in the 18th over. By then, Markram was out but Miller was still at the crease and South Africa needed 25 runs from 18 balls. Ashwin's over cost 13 runs and though he dismissed Tristan Stubbs, Miller finished it off for South Africa after a tight penultimate over by Arshdeep Singh. 

It is just another match !!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
30th Oct 2022.

seeing KL Rahul bat in T20Is

 Sunil Gavaskar was technically so sound that he left most balls and even length balls, he presented a straight bat !! but that was in Test Cricket !!

 


KL Rahul looks more cool than MSD in T20i (only our pressure pumps!) – while many teams aim at 70+ in powerplay, India seems to be content with 30+

 
#இந்தியா T 20 அவலங்கள்
30.10.2022

Kantara - 'varaha roopam' - restrained !!

Prescript : I am no Cinemageek and my list of know-nots ashames me !  .. .. I am hearing Rishab Shetty, Ajaneesh Loknath, Keradi .. .. all for the first time.  I have not seen the movie too – but have heard this song many a times and am too impressed with the music, beat, picturisation, words and more !! 

பாடறியேன் படிப்பறியேன் பள்ளிக்கூடந்தான் அறியேன்

ஏடறியேன் எழுத்தறியேன் எழுத்துவகை நானறியேன்  

Keradi is a village in Kundapur Taluk of Udupi district in the southern state of Karnataka.  The village falls in an Eco-Sensitive Zone close to the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary.  

In 1847, a king agrees with Panjurli Daiva/Bhoota (a Hindu deity worshipped in its animist form by the locals of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, which are parts of Karnataka and Kasargod district of Kerala) to give some of his forest land to the local tribes-people in exchange for peace and happiness granted by Daiva. Although the Daiva agrees, the tribes warn the king that the family of the Daiva would follow the deity and any attempt to go back on the word will incur the wrath of Panjurli's companion, the Guliga Daiva. In 1970, the king's successor gets consumed by greed and demands during the Bhoota Kola festival that the tribespeople give the land back and warns them that he will go to court.  .. .. ..  eerie !!  



It is all about the movie ‘Kantara’ now being spoken of as being a film of great order  -  Kantara (Kannada - "Mystical Forest") is a 2022 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film  written and directed by Rishab Shetty, produced by Vijay Kiragandur, under Hombale Films. The film stars Shetty as a Kambala champion who is at loggerheads with an upright DRFO officer.  The film was released on 30.9.2022 and has received high acclaims from many quarters – appreciations for the cast performances, direction, writing, production design, cinematography, proper showcasing of the Bhoota Kola, action sequences, editing, soundtrack, and musical score. The film is stated to be a big success and the second highest-grossing Kannada film of all time.  

Director Rishab Shetty cited the conflict between nature and human beings as the theme of the film, while adding specifically that the strife between forest officers and the inhabitants in his hometown Keradi, Karnataka, in the 1990s, as the source of inspiration for the film. He further added, "It is a film from our land, from our roots, stories that are heard through generations, untapped and deeply rooted to our culture”

Varaha at Khajuraho.

 

This song is really good .. .. 

Varaha Roopam Daiva Varishtam; Varaha Roopam Daiva Varishtam

Varasmitha Vadanam.. Vajra Dantadhara Raksha Kavacham  

Oh  Varaha, the third incarnation of Lord Sriman Narayana,  the supreme among all Gods. It is HE who assumes the form of a wild boar; with teeth as hard as diamond, slays the demons and protects us like a shield.  The song is sung by Sai Vignesh, written  by Shashiraj Kavoor to the music of B Ajaneesh Loknath. Ajaneesh Loknath  received the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Music Director for his work in the film Ulidavaru Kandanthe in 2015.   

The latest news is that the song is mired in some controversy with  Kozhikode Sessions Court having  issued an injunction barring Kantara makers from playing the “Varaha Roopam” song in theatres and other streaming platforms after receiving a plagiarism complaint from Kerala-based music band, Thaikudam Bridge.  On Friday, the Kerala Court issued a preliminary injunction  after a Kerala-based music band named Thaikkudam Bridge filed a complaint alleging that the song was plagiarized from its song named ‘Navarasam’ which was released in the year 2015. 

According to the reports, the Principal District Court at Kozhikode issued the order against Hombale Films, Rishab Shetty, Prithviraj Productions, the producer, director, and Kerala distributor of the film respectively and also barred the music sites from playing the song on their platforms. 

The music band earlier took to social media platforms to announce that they are taking legal action against the makers of Kantara for allegedly plagiarising their song “Navarasam”, which was released in 2015. They claimed that Kantara song “Varaha Roopam” is a plagiarised work based on “Navarasam”.  They stated that in their standpoint the line between ‘Inspired’ and ‘Plagiarized’ is distinct and indisputable.  Thaikkudam Bridge is a Kerala-based multi-genre music band, of Govind Vasantha and Siddharth Menon.  According to sources within the band, the band literally had its inception near Thaikkudam Bridge at Thaikkudam, Kochi, in early 2013.   

Varaha Roopam Daiva Varishtam;  ….hear or see it once, you are likely to be mesmerized ! I am !!

 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
30th Oct 2022. 

Black is beautiful ! கண்டதும் காதல் !!

 In Jan 1962,  a large crowd formed outside Purple Manor, a nightclub in the Harlem neighbourhood of New York City. A fashion show was taking place – an event that proved so popular it had to be held for a second time that same night – which sparked a movement that would change the way black people were represented forever. “black is beautiful” referred to a broad embrace of black culture and identity.

சினிமாவில் பல அபத்தங்கள் உண்டு !  -  ‘ஏம்மா என்னை மட்டும் கறுப்பா பெத்த?’ ஒரு பிரபல படத்தில் வசனம்.     உலகம் முழுவதும், கறுப்பு நிறம்குறித்த எதிர்மறையான கற்பிதங்களும்,  சிவப்பு நிறம் மீதான ஏக்கமும் இருந்துகொண்டுதான் இருக்கிறது. இன்னமும் திரைப்படங்களில் சிவப்பு நிறம் கொண்டவர்களே பெரும்பாலும் கதாநாயகிகளாக நடிக்க முடியும் என்ற எழுதப்படாத விதி உள்ளது.  பூமத்திய ரேகையை ஒட்டியுள்ள பிரதேசங்களில் வெயிலின் தாக்கம் அதிகம் என்பதால் அப்பகுதியில் வசிக்கும் மக்களுக்கு இயல்பாகவே கறுப்பு நிறம் உண்டு. 


கறுப்பே அழகு  !  -  இந்த கறுப்பழகியை கண்டதும் காதல் கொண்டேன் !! 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
30.10.2022

Friday, October 28, 2022

rains at MCG - how Covid affected Wade is treated ??

It has been a drenched 2022 for many parts of the Globe, at times catastrophically so. A year of disastrous flooding perhaps reached its nadir in Pakistan, where a third of the country was inundated by heavy rainfall from June, killing more than 1,000 people. While floods are indeed natural phenomena, a longstanding result of storms, the human-induced climate crisis is amplifying their damage. Rising sea levels, driven by melting glaciers and the thermal expansion of water, are increasingly inundating coastal areas, while warmer temperatures are causing more moisture to accumulate in the atmosphere, which is then released as rain or snow.  As the world heats further, the sort of floods seen this year from Australia to Nigeria will probably become more common. “We have waged war on nature, and nature is striking back, and striking back in a devastating way,” Guterres lamented after visiting Pakistan in September.

 


We are reading about rains – as rains are playing spoilsport to T20WCI games down under.  Afghanistan got their first points of the tournament when their game against New Zealand in Melbourne on Wednesday was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of evening showers. Earlier in the day, at the MCG, England lost to Ireland by five runs after the Duckworth Lewis method was used. On Monday, Zimbabwe and South Africa split points because the match in Hobart was abandoned because of rain.

 A band of high-altitude winds that's surrounding Antarctica, known as the stratospheric polar vortex, is adding to the risk of increased rainfall in Australia's south-east this spring, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). .. .. … the subject matter of the post is not rains but Covid and the way Covid is affecting ! (rather the way it is treated) in this Cricket World Cup.   

2020 and 2021 – most of us were seeing the statistics of Covid 19 daily .. .. perhaps not any longer.  However, India witnessed a huge increase in daily Covid-19 cases on Friday after a continuous decline from the past three days. The country logged 2,208 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, almost double of single-day infections reported yesterday.   On Thursday, India reported 1112 covid cases in the last 24 hours, while on Wednesday, the country logged 830 Covid cases, followed by 826 on previous day, according to the Union Health Ministry data.  

Elsewhere, authorities in Shanghai have started administering an inhalable vaccine against Covid-19, apparently a world first, the Associated Press reported. The vaccine is being offered for free as a booster dose for previously vaccinated people, according to an announcement on an official city social media account, the report said. The vaccine is a mist that is sucked in through the mouth, the AP reported.   

It seems like everyone has an opinion on how COVID-19 came to exist. US Republicans in the House Energy and Commerce Committee have questioned the National Institutes of Health about the alleged “lab leak". But, most scientists agree with the conclusion made in a Science Magazine article published in August that the virus most likely transferred from animal to person at the crowded wet markets in Wuhan, China.  .. . .. to those who said China was as badly effected -  China’s largest city of Shanghai is ordering mass testing Friday on all 1.3 million residents of its downtown Yangpu district and confining them to their homes at least until results are known. The demand is an echo of measures ordered over the summer that led to a two-month lockdown of the entire city of 25 million that devastated the local economy, prompting food shortages and rare confrontations between residents and the authorities. At the start of the lockdown, authorities said they would last just days but then kept extending the deadline.  

Today there are rains again at Melbourne and the 26th match of the ICC T20WCI between arch rivals Australia and England has been delayed.   

Australia are negotiating a second Covid-positive case in three days with wicketkeeper Matthew Wade testing positive just 24 hours out from their vital clash with England today.  Wade did not train at Australia's optional indoor session at the Junction Oval on Thursday afternoon after testing positive. It follows hot on the heels of Adam Zampa missing Australia's clash with Sri Lanka after testing positive. But under tournament rules, Wade is allowed to play and is likely to line up for Australia despite the positive test. His symptoms are minor. Wade will however need to travel to the ground separately to the rest of the squad and will not be able to use the team changeroom prior to or during the game. [sounds ridiculous !!]

 


Australia's selectors do not have the option to replace Wade though, as he is the only specialist wicketkeeper in Australia's 15-man squad, after backup keeper Josh Inglis was withdrawn prior to the tournament due to a severe cut to his hand. Inglis was replaced by allrounder Cameron Green. Australia cannot fly in a backup keeper such as Alex Carey, Josh Philippe, Ben McDermott or Jimmy Peirson to play as Wade would need to be permanently replaced in the squad for the remainder of the tournament. This was the exact scenario Australia had hoped to avoid when replacing Inglis with Green, having gambled that there was a very slim chance that Wade would go down.  

Strange are the ways of people and funny are rules of the game – one is allowed to play when tested positive but will have to travel separately and not use the changeroom of other players .. .. so when he is the keeper, how distant would the first slip stand and if he bats, would not the non-striker go nearer to have a chat ?!?!

 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
28.10.2022 

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Paki Sikandar Raza helps Zimbabwe beat Pakistan

This T20WC has been very very interesting !  - would it culminate with a new winner from the 12 teams in fray, especially a Minnow Nation winning ?? today all searches lead to Zimbabwe. 


Every year since 2019, African leaders have commemorated October 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day to protest against the longstanding restrictions on trade and commerce with Zimbabwe, imposed by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and their allies. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) grouping of 16 regional nations started the trend but the occasion has since been adopted by the wider African Union.  Every year – like clockwork – an obligatory chorus from Africa condemning the sanctions against Zimbabwe grows louder as October nears. In September, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and African Union (AU) chairperson and Senegalese President Macky Sall demanded that the sanctions be lifted. On October 25, SADC chairman and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi accused the West of trying to use sanctions to force a regime change in Zimbabwe. 

On  9th  June 1983,  in their very first one-day international, Zimbabwe announced their arrival with one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, beating Australia by 13 runs at Trent Bridge. Brief scorecard reads :   Zimbabwe 239 for 6 (Fletcher 69*, Butchart 34*) beat Australia 226 for 7 (Wessels 76, Marsh 50*; Fletcher 4-42) by 13 runs.. Zimbabweans had played with ease the renowned Australian pace attack of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson,  Geoff Lawson and Rod Hogg. 

Trent Bridge, 1983; Newlands, 2007;  Harare Sports Club, 2014 and now 27th Oct 2022 – great days for Zimbabwe, their earlier  three international victories over Australia  - to dramatise it,   11,406 days since Zimbabwe's last and only other ODI-win came against Australia. They had beaten Australia in the 1983 World Cup, at Trent Bridge, which was also Zimbabwe's first ODI. Between the two wins, Zimbabwe's win-loss record against them was 27-0. That Newlands win was in T20 WC.   


Mugabe, dominated the country's political scene since it gained independence from the UK in 1980. With tanks on the streets of Zimbabwe and enemies at the gates of his plush mansion, the globe is  witnessed the end of Robert Mugabe’s remarkable and blood-stained rule over Zimbabwe.   After more than 3 and half decades  running the nation, the old despot’s vice-like grip on the shattered ‘breadbasket of Africa’ weakened, the like cause – his  loathed second wife, Grace. In his early days, Mugabe  repeatedly called for violence against white people in Rhodesia, lashing out at them in racist rants as being 'blood-sucking exploiters' and 'sadistic killers'.  The freedom had been possible due to violent insurgency and economic sanctions forcing  the Rhodesian government to the negotiating table. Mugabe took control of one wing in the guerrilla war for independence.  

Today at the prestigious Perth, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first. The player of match was a person born in Sialkot  in the northeast of Pakistan, aspired to become a  fighter pilot. He wrote the exam that got him into Air Force college, was one of 60 to have won a place among 60,000 applicants. But in his third year,  failed an eye test. His dream  shattered he moved out for studies and ended up playing for Zimbabwe. 

T20I no. 1849 - Zimbabwe produced one of the all-time World Cup upsets with a brilliant performance in Perth to beat Pakistan by one run in a match that went down to the very last delivery.  Pakistan needed 11 to win off the final over of a pulsating evening, and that equation came down to three from three with the well-set Mohammad Nawaz at the crease.  25-year-old Brad Evans produced three stunning deliveries right when it mattered. 

After getting tonked for a 3 and a four with fuller balls (the second one a slower), Brad Evans adjusted to hit the hard length for three of the final 4 balls Zimbabweans ended up  screaming their heads off and lying on the ground in joy. The fourth was a rasping seamer that beat the bat. Dot ball. The fifth, another hard length, was weakly shovelled to mid-off by Nawaz, and Mohammad Wasim Jr sunk to the ground. He was not on strike, and probably knew the game was up. It was. The final ball was the surprise fuller one but Shaheen could only hit to mid-on. They ran hard, and there was even a fumble by the wicketkeeper Regis Chakabwa, who had already effected the stumping of the tournament with a quick leg-side work to take out Shan Masood, recovered to do the job. Up he hopped. So did the rest of Zimbabweans. Babar Azam sunk his chin into his palms.      

 


Earlier India beat Netherlands in their group match at Sydney.

 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
27/10/2022 

Black kite .. .. ... பொன்னோவியம்.. கண்டேனம்மா எங்கெங்கும்

 பொன்னோவியம்..  கண்டேனம்மா எங்கெங்கும்

கொண்டேனம்மா பேரின்பம்  ..  அன்பில் ஒன்று சேருங்களே

இன்பம் என்றும் காணுங்களே  !!

 

என்ற பாடல் கேட்டுள்ளீர்களா ? -  இளையராஜா & எஸ்.ஜானகி  பாடிய பாடல் - இசை: இளையராஜா.


 

Race with the Devil  released in  1975 was an  American action horror film directed by Jack Starrett, written by Wes Bishop and Lee Frost,  starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda and Oates would star in together.  Race with the Devil is a hybrid of the horror, action, and car chase genres. 

பருந்து, பறவை வகுப்பைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு ஊனுண்ணி ஆகும். இவற்றிற்கு நீண்ட சிறகுகளும் பலம் குறைந்த கால்களும் அமைந்திருக்கும். இவ்வகுப்பில் உள்ள இனப்பறவைகள் பெரும்பாலும் உயிரற்ற விலங்குகளையே உணவாக்கிக் கொள்கின்றன.  

There are many – Hawks, Vultures, Falcons and more .. .. perhaps this is a black kite which we call as  பருந்து.  The black kite (Milvus migrans) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have experienced dramatic declines or fluctuations.  The black kite was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux in 1770.  

Black Kite is a 2017 Afghan-Canadian drama film directed by Tarique Qayumi. Starring Haji Gul Aser and Leena Alam. The film was shot quickly over a fortnight where they moved locations to avoid being stopped by the Taliban.  The film was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.  

The song at the start is from - Kazhugu (Eagle) directed by SP Muthuraman,  starring Rajinikanth, Rati Agnihotri and Sumalatha, released in 1981.  Upon release, the unconventional story, which revolved around hypnotism and human sacrifice did not go well with the audience and Kazhugu failed in the box office.  It is an adaptation of the 1975 American film Race with the Devil. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
27th Oct 2022.

Oh Butterfly ! Dragonfly !! - Dragon Butterfly !!

You have loved seeing Butterflies and have seen Dragonflies when it is about to rain – have you seen this flying insect – resembling both ? (if yes, please put 3 ! as your comment)

சினிமாக்களில் மிகைப்படுத்தப்பட்ட ஓர் உயிரினம் - வண்ணாத்திப்பூச்சி .. .. மிக அழகாக இருக்கும் - மண்ணில் பறந்து திரியும் வானவில் தான் பட்டாம் பூச்சி. வானில் தோன்றும் வானவில்லில் ஏழு நிறங்கள் மட்டுமே இருக்கும். ஆனால் பட்டாம் பூச்சிகள் பல வண்ணங்களில் பரவசப்படுத்தும். அதற்கேற்றார் போல் அதற்கு வண்ணத்துப்பூச்சி என்று மற்றொரு பெயரும் உண்டு.   மனதில் காதல் வந்தால், உங்கள் தேவதையை பார்த்தவுடன் சுற்றி சுற்றி வண்ணாத்தி பூச்சிகள் பறக்குமாம் !  உங்களுக்கு பறந்ததுண்டா அல்லது எவ்வளவு முறை அவ்வாறு பறந்துள்ளது ?!?

திக்குத் தெரியாத காட்டில்-உன்னைத் தேடித் தேடி இளைத்தேனே..  is one of the many songs of the great Tamil Poet Subrahmanya Barathiyar. ‘Thikku Theriyatha kattil’ (in a forest lost in directions) was also the name of a hit movie released in 1972 starring Muthuraman and Lakshmi … a song ‘பூப்பூவா பறந்து போகும் பட்டுப்பூச்சி அக்கா – நீ பளபளன்னு போட்டிருப்பது யாரு கொடுத்த சொக்கா’ – a child asking the butterfuly as to who gave it such a beautiful shirt ! – was a grand hit of yesteryears. 

In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. The term is closely associated with the work of mathematician and meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz. He noted that the butterfly effect is derived from the metaphorical example of the details of a tornado (the exact time of formation, the exact path taken) being influenced by minor perturbations such as a distant butterfly flapping its wings several weeks earlier. Lorenz originally used a seagull causing a storm but was persuaded to make it more poetic with the use of butterfly and tornado by 1972. 

Insects (from Latin insectum) are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae.  Lepidoptera is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths.   Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. 

Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera.  Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight.   Butterfly fossils date to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago. Butterflies have a four-stage life cycle, as like most insects they undergo complete metamorphosis. Winged adults lay eggs on the food plant on which their larvae, known as caterpillars, will feed.

 


Not as attractive is the one that we see generally when it is cloudy and about to rain – a  dragonfly,  an insect belonging to the order Odonata, having hindwing broader than front wing. Adult dragonflies are characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches and an elongated body. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight.  Have seen blue, green and black dragonflies – and red ones too.   Dragonflies are predators, both in their aquatic larval stage, when they are known as nymphs or naiads, and as adults. Several years of their lives are spent as nymphs living in fresh water; the adults may be on the wing for just a few days or weeks. 

This post is on another one sighted yesterday – was that ‘Butter dragonfly’ or ‘Dragon butterfly’ – not known to me. 

 


This dreamy insect looks like it’s swimming through air. It looks like a creation for Disney’s Fantasia that was bumped last-minute for those weird lady fish with the bedroom eyes. Just wait until you see this thing in motion. Found in South and Southeast Asia,   the dragontail butterfly comes in two forms.   The dragontail butterflies belong to the swallowtail butterfly family (Papilionidae), which contains hundreds of species found all over the world. 

Unlike the orchard swallowtail butterfly, which has no tail whatsoever, despite being a swallowtail, the dragontail butterfly has a luxurious one that, at 4cm long, can rival its wingspan. Its colouring is mostly black and white, but with a bright turquoise or light green band running roughly parallel to its abdomen. That glass-like transparent triangle on each forewing is known as hyaline – a transparent, colourless feature exemplified by the pellucid hawk moth, found in Queensland.

 


Not sure whether the one photographed here is anyone of these – I choose to call it ‘Dragon Butterfly’.   It was indeed a challenge, photographing this flying insect !

Interesting ! 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
27.10.2022

  

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Parrots - Amaradeepam - Random harvest !!

In England, a century ago  in November 1918, "John Smith"  a British officer who was gassed in the trenches during the First World War, having lost his memory, and apparently with no means of identification,  is confined to an asylum as an unidentified inmate. A couple visits him, only to see that he is not their missing son, which disappoints him as much as them. On the day the war ends, the gatekeepers abandon their posts to join the celebration in the nearby Midlands town of Melbridge, and Smith wanders out of the asylum. 

Random Harvest is a 1942 American romantic drama film based on  James Hilton novel of the same title, directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Claudine West, George Froeschel, and Arthur Wimperis adapted the novel for the screen, and received an Academy Award nomination. The novel keeps the true identity of Paula/Margaret a secret until the very end, something that would have been impossible in a film, where characters’ faces must be seen.

 

பச்சைக்கிளி பாடுது பக்கம் வந்தே ஆடுது

இங்கே பாரு உன் துன்பம் பறந்தோடுது

 

அதிகம் கேட்டு இருக்க வாய்ப்பில்லை !!   அமரதீபம் என்ற  1956 ஆம் ஆண்டு வெளிவந்த தமிழ்த் திரைப்பட பாடல் இது.  டி. பிரகாஷ் ராவ் இயக்கத்தில் வெளிவந்த இத்திரைப்படத்தில் சிவாஜி கணேசன், தங்கவேலு, பத்மினி, சாவித்திரி மற்றும் பலரும் நடித்திருந்தனர். 

அமரதீபம் ராண்டம் ஹார்வெஸ்ட் கதையை தழுவி எடுக்கப்பட்டதாம். 

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

life lesson from little sparrow !!

Important lesson from a small sparrow !! 

Life can be likened to a rose. It is beautiful to look at but has thorns that can prick us. Such thorns are like the struggles and difficulties that God destines  to go through. Thorns have their unique purpose—to prevent the rose from being harmed.   

In life, we see many human made / circumstantial impediments – fences that keep us away.  A fence is a structure that encloses an area,   connected by boards, wire, rails. Meshes, thorns, broken bottles  or netting.  We do see iron pricks on the fencing threatening us .. .. they could harm one badly.   Unlike wood fencing, iron fencing will not warp or rot when exposed to moisture, although there is some risk of corrosion. 

An impediment is anything that slows or blocks progress. It can refer to a physical thing, like a fallen tree in the road, or something more intangible, like how your short stature is an impediment to becoming a professional sportsperson.  

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, earlier found in abundance. It is a small bird.   

 


BUT –  the block -  is all in the mind .. .. no doubt prickly iron fencing is dangerous – but for whom ? – may be for a big predator, it cannot pass through – not for a small sparrow.  Many a times, we fear obstacles  - perhaps with calm thinking, one would realize that such obstacle is no impediment at all .. .. it is a stone lying on the road and you have enough space to move forward.  

From Sampspeak to Sampthoughts !!  

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
25.10.2022

  

10 Downing Street's new occupant .. .. and the first Prime Minister of UK ?

No cliché post of how karma is a boomerang and how UK that ruled India is now about to be ruled by an Indian !!  .. .. .. Rishi Sunak took oath as MP from Yorkshire, on the Bhagavad Gita in the Parliament. He was the first UK parliamentarian to do so.  During the campaigning for the PM's post in the summer of 2022, Rishi Sunak faced criticism on various fronts including his lavish house, expensive suits, and shoes.

As a young man, Walpole had bought shares in the South Sea Company, which monopolised trade with Spain, the Caribbean and South America. The speculative market for slaves, rum and mahogany spawned a frenzy that had ramifications throughout Europe when it collapsed. However, Walpole had bought at the bottom and sold at the top, adding greatly to his inherited wealth and allowing him to create Houghton Hall as seen today.

Walpole's political career began in January 1701 when he won a seat in the English general election at Castle Rising in Norfolk.  The South Sea Company (officially The Governor and Company of the merchants of Great Britain, trading to the South Seas and other parts of America, and for the encouragement of the Fishery)  was a British joint-stock company founded in  1711, created as a public-private partnership to consolidate and reduce the cost of the national debt. To generate income, in 1713 the company was granted a monopoly (the Asiento de Negros) to supply African slaves to the islands in the "South Seas" and South America.  When the company was created, Britain was involved in the War of the Spanish Succession and Spain and Portugal controlled most of South America.  The  Company stock rose greatly in value as it expanded its operations dealing in government debt, and peaked in 1720 before suddenly collapsing to little above its original flotation price. The notorious economic bubble thus created, which ruined thousands of investors, became known as the South Sea Bubble.  The Bubble Act 1720 forbade the creation of joint-stock companies without royal charter, was promoted by the South Sea Company itself before its collapse.

Indians are not fit to rule – they are only fit to be ruled – thundered British a few decades ago !  .. .. now it is not London Bridge that is falling down!

                                  Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss the list of Prime Minister from our school days  -  now  Rishi Sunak will be the UK's next prime minister after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest.   No 10 says Sunak will formally take over as PM tomorrow morning after meeting King Charles, and will give a statement at around 11:35.  That'll follow a final cabinet meeting chaired by outgoing PM Liz Truss. 

The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the Principal minister of the crown of His Majesty's Government, and the head of the British Cabinet.   In 1905, the post of prime minister was officially given recognition in the order of precedence.  The first to use the title in an official act was Benjamin Disraeli, who signed the Treaty of Berlin as "Prime Minister of Her Britannic Majesty" in 1878.

Of the many Prime Ministers, Attlee is a name to remember – for he was the PM of UK when India attained freedom from the British.  Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS (1883 –1967) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Minister during the wartime coalition government under Winston Churchill, and served twice as Leader of the Opposition from 1935 to 1940 and from 1951 to 1955.  Attlee was born into an upper-middle-class family, the son of a wealthy London solicitor.  

As the European front of WWII reached its conclusion, the war cabinet headed by Churchill was dissolved and elections were held. The Labour Party, led by Attlee, won a landslide victory in the 1945 general election, on their post-war recovery platform. Following the election, Attlee led the construction of the first Labour majority government. His government's Keynesian approach to economic management aimed to maintain full employment, a mixed economy and a greatly enlarged system of social services provided by the state. To this end, it undertook the nationalisation of public utilities and major industries, and implemented wide-ranging social reforms, including the passing of the National Insurance Act 1946 and National Assistance Act, the formation of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, and the enlargement of public subsidies for council house building.  Attlee's foreign policy focused on decolonization efforts which he delegated to Ernest Bevin, but personally oversaw the partition of India (1947), the independence of Burma and Ceylon, and the dissolution of the British mandates of Palestine and Transjordan.  Attlee had inherited a country close to bankruptcy following the Second World War and beset by food, housing and resource shortages; despite his social reforms and economic programme, these problems persisted throughout his premiership, alongside recurrent currency crises and dependence on US aid. His party was narrowly defeated by the Conservatives in the 1951 general election, despite winning the most votes.  

The man referred in 2nd para - Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG PC (1676 – 1745) was a British statesman and Whig politician who is  regarded as the de facto first Prime Minister of Great Britain. Although the exact dates of Walpole's dominance, dubbed the "Robinocracy",  are a matter of scholarly debate, the period 1721–1742 is often used – a period of 21 years !    He played a significant role in sustaining the Whig party, safeguarding the Hanoverian succession, and defending the principles of the Glorious Revolution (1688). 

Under the guidance of Walpole, Parliament attempted to deal with the financial crisis brought on by the South Sea Bubble. The estates of the directors of the South Sea Company were used to relieve the suffering of the victims, and the stock of the company was divided between the Bank of England and East India Company. The crisis gravely damaged the credibility of the King and of the Whig Party, but Walpole defended both with skilful oratory in the House of Commons. 


10 Downing Street in London,  is the official residence and executive office of the First Lord of the Treasury, usually, by convention, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.  Along with the adjoining Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, it is the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom. Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is over 300 years old and contains approximately 100 rooms. A private residence for the prime minister's use occupies the third floor and there is a kitchen in the basement. The other floors contain offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the prime minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders and foreign dignitaries are met and hosted.  Rishi Sunak is going to be its next occupant !! 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
25th Oct 2022.