This Cat just hates kids.

This cat just had enough of the toddler and finally found a way to get rid of the annoyance!

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Stamp it, I say!

Thanks to a school friend of mine who teased me with an Australian Stamp and did not allow me touch it, I’m a Philatelic club member for the past 12 years and have a modest collection of stamps.

When I started, it was pretty tough to see new stamps especially the commemorative stamps. My parents found it to be a useless hobby and seeking money from them for a membership in Post office was far from the remotest possibility. However, I managed to exchange (sometimes beg, borrow and even steal J ) to increase my collection.

Having already bid goodbye to Telegram, Stamps are kind of having a slow death. I have not received a new stamp from the Post office for the past two years and when I went to inquire about it there was a shocker awaiting me. The post office had a heavy shortage of the regular stamps and so the commemorative stamps were sold to the public in place of regular stamps.  I was told that this is the situation in most branches.

However I stumbled upon this initiative from the Department of Posts – a stamp with your own image that interested me. Yes, it can be you, your company logo, pet, favorite photograph etc. Sounds exciting, at least to people like me who love stamps.

Imagine surprising your kids by gifting them a sheet of stamps carrying their image – am sure they would love to send letters to uncles and aunts J 

 A sheet of 12 stamps cost 300 and will be delivered at your door step. So what are you waiting for, check the link for placing orders.

For those of you who remember Meghdoot post cards, SuperStar Rajnikanth featuring cards were issued after his movie “BABA”. For commoners like us, this is a blessing and let us hope this could create some interest in school children to use postal letters. In this internet savvy world, let us try it for a change and encourage our children to do so!

This article is written by Anand Prabu. Follow him on Linkedin here.

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Musings of a Beeroholic - Part 1

Drinking beer doesn't make you fat, it makes you lean....against bars, tables, chairs, and poles.

Once drunk, you don't even care who is playing, all you wanna see is someone hitting the ball out of stadium.

Petrol and diesel is getting cheaper day by day, but not alcohol. This is a scam!

Thanks to internet, nowadays after getting high the previous night, next day people end up cleaning the mess they made with their smartphone.

Bar is your pit stop for the race called life!

Ironically, alcohol is the only friend you don't make, but buy!

Alcohol is too kind to trouble you, it's the rising prices of it that hurts!

Music and alcohol are the fastest way to time travel.

Stress-buster Yoga Asanas - Grab a beer...Switch on TV...Sit...Pour beer in Glass...Chug it...*repeat till bottle is empty*...Feeling good now? Do it again!

Guy after drinking alcohol for years: Have I made it large?......... His liver: Abe chutiye khud se nahi, mujh se pooch. Small se XL ho gaya hoon.

Love and alcohol both are important but addictive, and as there is rehabilitation center for alcohol but not love, so you know what to choose.

                                                                                                                     

Click here to read Part 2.

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The intelligent Bullet

I am a proud owner of a 0.22 caliber Air Rifle and I must admit that I am good at hitting the targets. But on days, when you try to show off your prowess to a bunch of friends, you end up biting the dust. Breathe a sigh of relief as these bullets independently maneuver through the air after being fired and successfully hit targets over a mile away.

It uses optical sighting technology and a real time guidance system. This allows it to be used anytime during the day and night. Watch this video to know more...

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Dear LinkedIn - Please Stop!

Dear LinkedIn, please stop telling people that I have looked at their LinkedIn profile. Stop emailing me insanely boring business related articles. Watch this funny video on what LinkedIn shouldn't be doing....

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Taylor Swift’s most awaited video “Bad Blood!"

Taylor Swift just unveiled her most awaited star-studded video for “Bad Blood” at the start of the Billboard Music Awards.

#BadBloodMusicVideo

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13 Things You Think are True, but Aren't!

Touching baby birds doesn't make their mothers reject them.

There is no medical reason to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Strange, isn't it?

Watch this video to know more...

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#SalmanVerdict

The social media is overflowing with messages related to the verdict of Salman Khan in the hit and run case. Some cheered that the verdict restored their faith in the judiciary and others credited it to the new BJP government in Maharashtra while blaming the earlier government for dragging the case so long. If the actor was not found guilty, we are sure, social media and the opposition would have started blaming PM Modi and would have linked this to Salman's father endorsing PM Modi in the parliamentary elections and the meetings Salman had with PM Modi. Some went to the extent of even saying PM Modi would save Salman before the verdict was announced.

Though we know that King Khan and Salman Khan are not in good terms, it is a noble gesture from Shahrukh Khan to have spent some time with Salman Khan today before the verdict was announced. Media as usual, for their TRPs started talking about who cried in Salman Khan's family and who did not. It was almost 13 years since the incident happened and you could see the families of victims were not enthused about the punishment for the actor but were more interested about the compensation. Poor souls! 

This article would be incomplete if we do not write about the reactions of the actor's fans. As usual the educated, well-read people who love the actor were defending him stating that 200 crores is riding on him. Well, 200 crores is a big amount, but don't the producers know that they were taking a huge risk betting on the actor? Some were mentioning that the court should consider the charity works of the actor under his foundation, "Being Human" before passing the verdict. Are you telling the court that, even if someone runs over five people and kills them, if he does something good to the society, that should be considered before passing the judgement? We are just wondering what would these people say when the Blackbuck case verdict is announced. He was not carrying the papers in the hit and run case and was in possession of illegal arms (arms with expired license) when he was involved in the poaching case.

We were not sure how the actor or his fans would have reacted if he was acquitted. But for sure, no one would be talking about his medical condition. Since he is convicted now, we have come to know of it. 

There were lots of funny messages related to this verdict on social media. We personally liked these messages.

A drunk and drive, hit and run case took almost 13 years for the verdict to be announced. While you are at it, do remember, the Blackbuck poaching incident happened in the year 1998. 

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The Myth of Eugenics in Marxism - how practice shrouds theory

I must declaim, at the budding phase of this article, that I'm an unabashed admirer of Marx's intellect and his oeuvre, though not of Marxism.

Eugenics vs. Class Consciousness:

Sir. Karl Popper, a great philosopher of science, once said, that the world was brought to the brink of destruction by two nations: USSR (Stalinism (Trotskyism & Leninism are still acceptable to many), based on the philosophy of Karl Marx) and Germany (Nazism, based principally on the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (the author of 'Thus Spake Zarasthura' ) and these philosophies were inspired, principally, by Plato's 'The Republic', which extols the virtues of having a nation ruled by philosophers. From Sir Karl's statements arise a sense of abomination for a society where its members are classified into the various codified strata, the criterion/criteria for which is/are only agreed upon by some -- for others. For Sir. Karl, the idea of an individual’s right to life, and life itself, being pruned and preened by the authority was heart-rending. Surprisingly, Marx's most vociferous critic -- The Great John Maynard Keynes, was a proponent of eugenics.

However, Marx spoke and advocated 'Class Consciousness', which differs -- to a subtle (though I would say 'a large') extent -- from eugenics. I say this because if you follow Marx in his footsteps in his act of writing 'Das Kapital', many of his previous writings elucidate what 'Class Consciousness' would/should be about. I make an earnest attempt below to distil the subtle -- but important—difference/s between eugenics & 'Class Consciousness' from what I've read, and perceived.

Though the order of the proletariat is a construct where the rulers & the ruled are a transmuted citizenry who have obliterated the tiniest remnants of the bourgeoisie, there's more to it than what meets the eye. In the book 'Marx's Critique of 'The Hegel's Philosophy of Right,' where you find the famed lines, 'Religion is the opiate of Masses,' you find an explanation of his central idea of 'Class Consciousness'. Marx states that religions create a subservient attitude in Individuals, and when this attitude gets ingrained in the individual, over the years by indoctrination, he/she remains in the mode of subservience, through all phases in his life -- so be it work, religion, inter-personal relationships. He states that the individual must shake loosen his religious beliefs, to unfetter himself from the subservient mentality to realize that he/she's being short-changed by the religion & concomitantly -- the bourgeoisie. He likens the state of such an individual to 'ranae quae in puteo' aka 'frog in the well'. He makes the suggestion that one must raise one's consciousness by employing dialectical reasoning methods, and question what's enforced on them.

Thus, what Marx mentions is that one must rise above one's apathy of the conditions, one is subjected to, to know one's real plight; and when this happens on a larger scale, the entire class of people -- in his writings 'the proletariat' -- would have realized their value in the society and would have, perhaps, gained the consciousness to govern themselves.

However, I must admit that in the days that followed Marx's death, people altered the term 'Class Consciousness' to mean 'Eugenics' -- in practice. Also, most nations which adopted & practised their flavour of socialism/communism have been parties to the most disreputable kind ‘big-brother’ tactics. I really wonder if Marx had envisioned a ‘North Korea’ kind of utopia; I wonder.

References:

1. The chapter on 'Dialectical Materialism' from Bertrand Russell's 'The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell.'

2. Karl Marx's 'The Critique of Hegel's Philosophy Of Right.

3. Marx's Das Kapital - A Biography by Francis Wheen.

4. Marx: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer.

5. Karl Marx & Friedrich Engel's 'The Communist Manifesto.

This article is written by Abey Mathew. Follow him on Facebook here.  

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Flipkart gets trolled on Twitter...

Internet trolls flip flipkart's cart down the laughter hill; prepare to roll in laughter. 

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The Sheer Pointlessness of the HR interview

HR has the very important responsibility of motivating the employees without increasing their salaries! Watch this video by Angad Singh Ranyal on HR department.

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What if we have to live our worst nightmare? Some of us do!

I distinctly remember that evening. I was laughing and playing with my brother and our friends. I knew that even as a kid I had a special bond with my little brother. We were all having fun by a Cruise ship. I remember seeing water all around. I love water. I was happy with the winds, splashes and friends. My parents were having dinner on the deck above us. I remember teasing my little brother and his friend about their loyalty and friendship and that it was always them against everyone else. After a while, my brother went with his friend to play on the ship, and I was with my friends, each of us performing a dance or a song. I remember myself bowing after a performance in a pretty, white frock, and wavy brown hair. I then realized it’s been a while since I saw my brother. Not finding him around, I was searching for him frantically, when I suddenly looked at the water, and saw two huge ships being pulled into a swirl and sinking, pretty sure my brother was in one of them. I still remember the horror I felt and the scream I let out. The next thing I saw was sky high water, splashing vigorously. I tried to run upstairs to warn my parents. Even while I was climbing the stairs, I saw the water rising with me. Just outside the door of the restaurant, I saw the water was about to cross my shoulders at alarming speed, and I shut my eyes and joined my hands, remembering God. The last thing I remember was me uttering a single word, “Please”. 

And my eyes flew open. I realized I was dreaming, and it was one of the worst dreams I have ever had. I must have dozed off last night, thinking about the Nepal earthquake and the natural calamities and even the man-made calamities engulfing us each passing day, and all the people affected by it. And if there is any other reason behind the dream, I will try to analyze it some other time.

I am a private person, and I am usually not comfortable sharing my dreams or my weak moments with anyone. I wanted to share this, however, because I experienced firsthand how horrifying it is to face such magnanimity, such power and such fury when nature decides to get out of the ‘peace, quiet and beauty’ zone. I cannot explain in words what I felt at that moment, and it was not even real! I realize today, that however sad we may feel for people going through all this, we can never fathom their pain, and we cannot do enough for them.

I have experienced an earthquake, I have seen floods in my hometown three times with different intensities, and I have seen the massacre caused by them to the city, as well as to my home.  I remember how I felt as I stood on a street in front of men with bloodshot eyes and swords during riots, thinking those were my last few moments alive. I remember watching someone trying to burn my house a few days later.  I remember, as a kid, firmly deciding not to accompany relatives going away from my hometown because I didn't want to be safe while my parents lived in a plague-infected city.  I remember pacing restlessly while I waited for that one phone call ensuring my brother’s safety when I came to know that he was on the same railway station where there was a bomb blast just 6 minutes after his train was scheduled to arrive.  I remember looking at my robbed house, and everything ruined.  And I also remember how I felt when I mourned the deaths of five very dear people in my life.

I still relive those moments when I remember any of the above incidents, and thank God every day for keeping my parents and brother safe and happy. And even after witnessing all of the above, I can still say that it was not as horrifying as what I witnessed in my dream last night.

Each moment showed me emotions I can’t explain. The fear I felt for my family, the feeling of loss for not being able to see them again. The anger I felt towards nature for humans being treated this way. And then the anger towards all those humans who did things to deserve this wrath causing such pain to the innocent ones. The confusion I felt, trying to understand what I must have done to deserve this, disappointment for not being able to warn my parents so that they can have a few moments before it all comes crashing down around them. So many people have to go through this horrifying experience before their death or before losing a loved one. And if, by a rare chance, they have all the members of the family saved, then they would need enormous strength for building a house, a life, a family and happiness all over again.

I know some people might not prefer to know all this. No sense in increasing anyone’s pain, or spreading sorrow. But I am writing this, because, many of us often fail to understand the situation a person is in. The way someone feels, the pain they endure, the help they could use. 

I just want to request people to be compassionate, kind and help those in need. Do good deeds to accumulate good karma and avoid the wrath of nature. It might seem minuscule if only one person is trying to accomplish what the human race as a whole should. However, one good deed leads to another and it causes a ripple effect.  

Maybe then, someday, somewhere, the story will change. The little girl in the cute white frock will end her performance, and then will go searching for her brother, only to find him building castles in the sand with his best mate. And together, holding hands, will they go find their parents, who are secretly proud of what they have built, always praying it never gets destroyed. 

This article is written by Krishna Raval Maithel. Follow her on Twitter here.

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Supercars of the James Bond Movie SPECTRE in Action

It is a cat and mouse game through the streets of Rome between the specially built Aston Martin DB10 and Jaguar C-X75. An exhilarating chase never seen before for the upcoming Bond Movie SPECTRE.....

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Comedian Praveen Kumar on Superstitions in India

No nail cutting after 6 PM..

No hair-cutting on Tuesdays...

In this video Comedian Praveen Kumar jokes about the weird superstitious beliefs in India!

To know more about his upcoming shows follow him on twitter @Funny_Leone

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5 Most Dangerous Hackers of All Time

A judge found a hacker so threatening that he placed him in solitary confinement because he thought the hacker could start a nuclear war by whistling codes into a payphone. Watch this interesting video to know more.......

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Papanasam Movie Trailer

The most awaited official theatrical trailer of Kamal's next movie Papanasam is here. This film has Kamal and Gautami in the lead and is directed by Jeethu Joseph. This film is produced by Wide Angle Creations and Rajkumar Theatres Private Limited. It is a remake of the Mohanlal starrer film Drishyam that ran more than 150 days in theaters and is the highest grossing film in the history of Malayalam Cinema.

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5 interesting facts about Adolf Hitler

Did Hitler copy Charlie Chaplin's Mustache? To know more such interesting facts about Hitler watch this video

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SS Rajamouli releases the first poster of "Baahubali - The Beginning"

SS Rajamouli today released the first poster of the epic movie, "Baahubali - The Beginning". The director tweeted "Every story has ONE single moment at its core which defines & drives the entire plot What follows is the HEART of #Baahubali the beginning". 

The shooting of the film commenced from 6th July 2013 and would be released in two parts. The movie is simultaneously made in Telugu and Tamil and is being dubbed into Hindi, Malayalam and English. The film features Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar and Sudeep. The film would be released on 10th July 2015. 

Karan Johar would be releasing it in Hindi and K.E.Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green would be releasing it in Tamil. 17 visual effects studios and 600 artists are working on double shifts to make this a grand success. The trailer of the film would be released on 31st May 2015 and the next poster of the film's character Shivudu would be released on 4th May 2015. 

We wish the team of Baahubali a grand success!

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Fragility of our existence has been exposed.

Once again humanity has been humbled.

Once again the fragility of our existence has been exposed.

Once again nature has proved its dominance over mankind.

Earthquake, as we call it, is basically shifting of tectonic plates below the surface of the Earth. It is a natural process which, in course of millions of years, has given birth to landmasses, mountains and islands, upon which we now dwell upon.

On Sunday our neighboring country Nepal was struck by massive earthquake of 7.8 magnitude and aftershocks. This seismic shockwave with strength of more than 20 thermonuclear weapons devastated its capital city Kathmandu and moved the entire city 10 feet south. Death toll rose above 5,000 by Tuesday and is expected to rise as still many areas are inaccessible and people are trapped under debris. More than 8,000 people have been reported to be injured. Hospitals have run out of space to treat patients and keep dead bodies. As per official statement issued by Nepalese authorities, the death toll is expected to reach 10,000.

Cities have been flattened, towns destroyed and villages have vanished from the map. The entire country is in tears as nearly everyone has lost something in form of life or kind. In such hour of need, I'm glad India acted as a responsible neighbor and was the first country to send in medical aids and relief materials to the affected areas. India's response started within 15 minutes of the quake.

Until now, under this major relief and rescue operation named Operation Maitri (Friendship), Indian land and air forces have evacuated more than 5,000 Indian citizens and 170 foreign nationals from the affected areas. Nearly 1,000 National Disaster Response Force personnel have been sent to Nepal. Hundreds of doctors and nurses have been sent to treat the affected. Engineering teams have been sent to reconstruct roads, restore electric supply and reinstate other infrastructural facilities. Several thousand tons of food and water, along with oxygen cylinders, are being sent every day. Several thousand blankets have been distributed and tents have been set up.

More heartening is the fact that citizens of the country, irrespective of religion, caste, creed or linguistic diversity, have come together to support our neighbor in whatever way they can, either by providing financial support or by supplying food, water, clothing and other basic necessities. Even corporate entities have pitched in to provide relief materials and donations. Indian Railway has issued 7000 zero value tickets to help earthquake victims to undertake journey to their destination. Moreover, since the disaster struck, it has been sending 100,000 bottles of drinking water to Nepal every day through Indian Air force. Several other companies, government as well as private, are actively contributing for this noble cause. Even religious bodies are participating in this mission. To name few, the Golden Temple is preparing to send 100,000 meals to the sufferers and Delhi Gurudwara is sending 25,000 food packets through Indian army every day.

The battle to save as many lives as possible has just begun. Due to inaccessibility of the terrain and severely damaged infrastructure, it’s difficult to reach many places where people are trapped under the wreckage. Thousands of them are injured, and are in desperate need of urgent help. If not treated timely, they could be left with permanent disabilities. But what binds us together is our willpower and hope that even in this calamity humanity has the power to survive, strive and revive. The fact, proven by recent rescue of a teenager after being buried for 5 days under the debris and rescue of 4-months old baby from the wreckage.

Our prayers and empathy are with our neighbors.

#IndiaWithNepal

This article is written by Raju Verghese. Follow him on Facebook here. 

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