ALUMNI CLUB

No.1 Boat Club Road, R.A.Puram,Chennai 600 028 Phone No: 044-24322195, 044-24321233 Guest Room: 044-24351449 E-Mail: acau@ymail.com Website: www.alumniclubau.com

D.Ranganathan Chairman New Year Committee

OFFICE BEARERS President Mr. C.S.Vijayaraghavan Vice President Dr. S. Sivanesan Secretary Mr.T. Swaminathan Treasurer Mr. C.A. Raj Mathivanan COMMITTEE MEMBERS Catering Mr. S.P. Chandrasekhar House-Keeping Mr. J. Ganesh Babu Entertainment Mr. D. Girish Library & Newsletter Dr.S. Natarajan Sports Mr. M.P. Premkumar ANNA uNIVERSITy NOMINEES Dr.P. Manohar Dr.P. Jayashree K. Aravumudhan Registration, Diary & Catering Respected Members, At the outset please accept my best wishes for the Year 2013. I hope that the New Year brings you all happiness, health and prosperity. With great sense of satisfaction and pride, as a New Year committee chairman I once again speak to you through this news letter. First of all my sincere and heart felt thanks to all those members, their spouse, wards and their guests who were present in large numbers to make this New Year Eve Celebration a grand success. The management committees support throughout these five months drove us to give the best of programmes, food and all other arrangements. My sincere thanks to all my sub-committee members, without whose team effort, an eventful evening of this New Year Eve Celebrations would have not been possible. I will be failing in my duty if I do not thank the club staff for all the support they had given till the morning of 1st January 2013. I always believe in doing things in a Distinctly Different manner. This was the essence by which this New Year Eve was designed and hence success followed. A.V.Jayachandran Permit Room M.O.Ram Manoj Entertainment A.Murugesan House Keeping

2 | FEB | 2013

Continuous effort not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential. Winston churchll

The same old tickets for the new year eve was given a New Look, the same regular programme of light music was made more Distinct by inviting the best sought after play back singer like Karthik, instead of the regular volunteers inviting the guests at the entrance look alike actors invited the guests, normally plain white tables cloth were replaced with a flex material table top, tables were provided with dinner & snacks menu cards, the screen back drop which is usually of flex banner was this year replaced by a LED wall back drop, the usual self service snacks was made as a table service this year, the regular buffet dinner was classified as food from North / South / East and West and four separate buffet counters with variety of food was served. Regular lighting and sound systems were this year replaced by cine goal post type lighting and audio system of the highest quality and finally the count down to the New Year was done by the clicking digitally the seconds in the LED wall. Last but not the least, we wanted to make this New Year a self sustaining event and clubs funds should not be asked for. We were successful in that too as apart from roping in good number of sponsors for events etc, advertisements in our club diary was also a successful thought which made us sustain. We also thank all our sponsors and advertisers for all their support. So we lived up to our ideology of being Distinctly Different and at the same time we did not want our traditions to vanish, but as years go by we wanted to evolve new ideas and formats to stand out to be successful. This made us Express the same things of a New Year Eve in a Different way and we all made it a success. Thank you, With warm regards D.RANGANTHAN Chairman New Year Committee.

If the facts dons fit the theory, change the facts. Albert einstein

FEB | 2013 | 3

EntErtainmEnt SchEdulE

february & March 2013

2nd Feb (Saturday) Tambola

For thE month oF

09th Feb (Saturday) alex pandiyan TAMil MoViE 15th Feb (Friday) alumni Super Singer

16th Feb (Saturday) Quiz programme

23rd Feb (Saturday) alumni Super Singer FiNAlS

2nd Mar (Saturday) Tambola 9th Mar (Saturday) Kanna laddu Thinna aaSaiya TAMil MoViE
4 | FEB | 2013
Life is the flower for which love is the honey. - Victor Hugo

ALUMNI CLUB
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. Helen Keller

FEB | 2013 | 5

SPO R T S
CORNER

ALuMPICS uPDATE Yellow House beat the fancied Blue House in Billiards &Snooker in a nail biting seventh match to win it 4-3. Blue House returned the favour in Bridge by beating Yellow House. Grey House came to the Alumpics party winning Tennis beating Yellow House. Later Grey House beat Blue House in Shuttle.

ALuMPICS SHuTTLE FINALS: Murugesan & V Srinivasan of Grey HousebtGanesh Babu & Raj Kumar of Blue House 21-12 & 21-13 SEMI-FINALS: Murugesan & V Srinivasan of Grey Housebt.R Ramesh & G Srinivas ofYellow House. Ganesh Babu & Raj Kumar of Blue Housebt.Sudhakar Mahadevan & Vasudevan of Red House

Grey House then beat Yellow House in Alumpics Cricket comprehensively. With three titles (Shuttle, Tennis & Cricket), last years winner of Alumpics is well positioned to repeat the feat. But Yellow House and Blue House are locked in the battle for Carrom in the finals eyeing the first place in the table. Coming up on Feb 3 is Chess and Table Tennis.

GAme

ReD

Yellow

GReY

blue

Snooker Bridge Shuttle Tennis Cricket Total

0 0 0 0 0 0

8 5 0 5 5 23

0 0 8 8 8 24

5 8 5 0 0 18

6 | FEB | 2013

The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. Lucille Ball

So, who will win this years Alumpics? Stay tuned to all the match results and points tally from the Alumpics. We are thankful to Bharat Matrimony for sponsoring this years Alumpics. ALuMNI BRIDGE Our team consisting of R. Jayakumar, T.K. Mani, R.Prabhukumar, D.Mohan andG. Jothimani participated in the Madras Gymkhana Annual Tournament in the team event.Out of 37 teams consisting of national and internationalBridge players, our team did well but missed the quarter finals by just 1 point. Bidding and Counting Bridge Class by Baskar The Bridge class on Bidding and counting was conducted by Baskar on 27th January. The class started with Bidding sequence and counting of points with the opponents while making/ defending a contract. Baskar was more emphatic on auction, while opening a bid, which was highly acclaimed by all. Discussions and explanation on Mels rule applicable in two occasions was also handled. The class had a practical lesson with pre dealt boards given to 4 tables and the Bidding and making/defending the contract was analysed in each and every table. The class went on for three hours and great thanks to Baskar ably assisted by Jayakumar for the practical session. ALuMNI CRICKET MAM Ganesh represented Tamil Nadu in under-19 category making key contributions with the bat. Young Ryan Jebaraj played for the Tamil Nadu under-14 team opening the batting and scoring some important runs at the top for the state.

Watch this space for monthly updates on Sports at the Alumni Club!
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. Ralph waldo Emerson

FEB | 2013 | 7

12. Rather than eating a whole piece of chocolate cakejust take a bite or two and you will satisfied your craving. 13. Order your salad dressing on the side.

Practical Weightloss Tips

1. Think of food as nourishment for your body and a way to improve your overall health. 2. Eat slowly. You will enjoy your food more and feel satisfied sooner than when you eat faster. 3. Do some form of exercise daily. Even a little activity sends your body the correct weight loss messages. 4. Make a healthy eating part of your healthy life-style. Diets and crash weight loss programs will put you on the yo-yo-syndrome - an effective and dangerous course to take. 5. Stay away from diet pills. They leech your body of important nutrients, water and carbohydrates. 6. Try to eat several smaller meals thoughout the day. Consider it grazing 7. Avoid late night eating. 8. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Water keeps your kidneys and bowels working efficiently. 9. Keep coffee and caffeine drinks at a minimum. These throw your body into a hi-low sugar syndrome. 10. Do not skip meals. Getting too hungry tells your body to slow its metabolism down. 11. Dont go to the supermarket or restaurant starved. This will make you buy or order the wrong things. Drink some water or munch some veggies before you go.
8 | FEB | 2013

14. Carry your own personal favorite lo-cal salad dressings and toppings with you. 15. Eat smaller quantities such as half orders, or share with a friend. 16. Dont be afraid to ask for special orders when dining in a restaurant. Most places are quick to please in todays world. 17. Be patient dont try to lose too much weight too soon. A few kilos per month is the medically advised quota. 18. The way your clothes feel and hang on your body is an excellent guide to your weight loss progress. 19. Schedule your workouts in your appointment book or whatever place you keep your daily schedule. Treat it like any other appointment. Schedule it and DO IT. 20. Record your progress in a daily log. This makes you accountable and helps you stay on track. 21. Make goals that are attainable. Think in terms of the number of workouts youd like to do each week or think in terms of simply eating healthier this month or even reading a book on fitness or nutrition. You are more likely to succeed by setting goals of this type. By setting lofty and specific weight loss goals, you are more likely to fail. 22. Exercise with a partner or a friend. 23. Do a variety of activities. Variety will help prevent boredom and burnout. Be creative and have fun! 24. Eat as many vegetables as you wish. Eat them throughout the day and eat them often. 25. Enjoy life. Dont put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect. Enjoy what you are doing and enjoy the progress that you are making.

Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you dont. Pete Seeger.

Proposals that were once tied up with wedding contracts, negotiations and mergers, have taken a modern twist. We are sure that this metamorphosis is to suit the testing phase.Rather than giving a thought to the key matters, many men and women challenge to flatter their partners with creativity and passion. The main revelation of a wedding proposal is that of thepartners character. Here is a short guide to some of the new ageunusual yet popular proposals, and how the women withcommon sense, should approach them. The adventure sports proposal Asking for our hand and yelling WILL YOU MARRY ME while we bungee jump. Do you want us to be married in hospital?

The unimaginable sky writing It was wonderful. Thank you for making something that should be personal a measure of public conceit. Candle light dinner in a yatch How so romantic! So was the seasickness.

Facebook or twitter status Twitter update. Thats like a true charmer. For once at least this way we will have unwanted encouragement from all our mutual friends and followers. The planned pretencekidnap followed by heroistic rescue Is this a bollywood movie? The answer better be yes. We love bollywood, but being rescued from a Climbing up to 18th kidnapping oor balcony is going to be more macho You do not have than a declaration vertigo? Wait, may be of love. you do?

A garden of owers spelling out a proposal Alas, this is at least less environmental damage than sky writing. But, thank you for stirring up a pollen allergy in us.

FEB | 2013 | 9

Wedding bells around the corner? Thats the secret behind that special glow. But, wait a minute! What about that fabulous skin tone? De-tanned, acne-free, blemish free skin? Is that missing? Read on to find out as Registered Dietitian Preethi Rahul explains the mantra for a flawless skin. The skin is an outer indicator of inner health. Expensive skin treatments and creams cant alleviate problems that arise from nutritional deficiencies. Here is your nutrition guide to a healthy skin.

12 | FEB | 2013

Stay hydrated Water moisturizes your skin from the inside out and, in the process, helps maintain elasticity and suppleness. It also helps prevent dryness, removes toxins and keep nutrients in. When the body is properly hydrated, it sweats more efficiently, which helps keep the skin clean and clear. Water is one of the key elements however you can have other healthy drinks like citric juices, tender coconut water and buttermilk. Nutri Mantra: Drinking at least 6-8 glasses a day helps keep your skin young and healthy. take in the good fat Essential fatty acids are fatty acids which the body cannot synthesize but have to be included through diet. These essential fatty acids have anti oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which in turn reduce that ageing look. Cold water oily fishes top the list of EFA. Other sources would be walnuts, soy, vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, nuts like almonds, walnuts etc. Nutri-Manra: Replace your evening oily snack with just 5-6 walnut-almond mix and notice the sparkling difference on your skin. Swap your tea Green tea is rich in antioxidants that reduce the damage of sunburns and polyphenols which reduce overexposure to ultraviolet light. Catechins in green tea help prevent acne. Green tea helps in the de-tan process. So, replace the black or milk tea with green tea! Nutri-Mantra: 2 glasses a day can go a long way. Always have home-prepared fresh green tea. In case you plan to use a bottled version, read the label carefully and keep a check on the calorie and sugar content.

grab that Salad or fruit Fruit and vegetables are a powerhouse of vitamins, such as vitamin A, C, E, and super nutrients, such as phenols, antioxidants. These nutrients help in circulation, protect our skin from loss of elasticity and dehydration caused by ultraviolet radiation. Nutri-Mantra: 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit is ideal! Have a variety of vegetables include leafy vegetables and deep coloured vegetables as they are rich in antioxidants. Vitamin C in citrus fruits is essential for collagen production. Citrus fruits are well known anti-ageing agents and can help create that sparkling skin. So make sure to citri-cize your diet. hoard on the whole grainS Whole grains are rich in fibre which eliminates toxins from the body and acts as a de-toxifying agent. The bran contains vitamin E and other essential anti oxidants which have a crucial role to play as far as skin care is concerned. They are also rich in B complex vitamins which release energy from food for skin metabolism. Nutri-Mantra: Be careful when you choose your whole cereals. Look out for high fibre-low sugar whole grain products. Wheat is not the only whole grain... you can include rice bran, oatmeal, millets etc. Mineral check Zinc and Selenium are two key minerals for a fabulously clear skin. Zinc speeds up healing in our bodies. It helps to reduce stretch marks, a dull complexion, and white spots on fingernails, dandruff and stubborn blemishes. Selenium counters dry skin and offers protection against free radicals. Nutri-Mantra: Include health investing foods like mushrooms, brewers yeast to stock up on your zinc and selenium stores.
FEB | 2013 | 13

the big no-noS oily food or deep fried SnackS They are very harmful as they can trap oil and bacteria, leading to acne or other skin problems. refined foodS and bakery productS Refined foods like white flour, sugar and refined products deplete energy; bring in the wrinkles, making you look old and your skin unattractive! nicotine and alcohol By smoking, the nicotine from the cigarette is draining vitamin C and other anti oxidants, making your skin look dull and lifeless. Alcohol could flare up an already existing skin condition like psoriasis or eczema. However, you could take in an ounce of red wine once in 15 days because of its anti oxidant content. Sugar High-glycemic index foods like sugar, white bread, and soda boost blood sugar too quickly and the pancreas make extra insulin to bring those sugar levels down. As a consequence, the insulin also signals the sebaceous glands to secrete sebum, which flushes out dead cells and keeps your skin lubricated. But excess sebum secretion causes the bacterium P. acnes to clog the hair follicle resulting in whiteheads and blackheads on your forehead, chin, and cheeks. SiMple foody Skin reMedieS toMato cleanSer Apply tomato pulp on your face and neck and leave for an hour. Splash some warm water and cold water alternately for 2-3 minutes. Repeat this daily. You will start noticing that bright glow and acne free skin within a fortnight. cucuMber lotion To a tablespoon of cucumber juice add a few drops of lime juice and a dash of turmeric powder. Apply on face and neck and wash within half an hour. Your skin whitener lotion is ready. yogurt MaSk Make a paste of green gram flour and yogurt. Apply the mask and let it dry. When dried, peel with fingertips and wash off with cold water. You are now confidently ready for The D-day with that sparkling, radiant skin of yours!
14 | FEB | 2013

Disclaimer : Project approval awaited from statute authority.

LAUNCHING SHORTLY
Pursuing IGBC Green homes Pre-certication - Gold rating (Version 2)

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Album - thagni Artists - Shreyas & abhas The lyrical duo of Shreyas & Abhas has created a musical splash with its new album Thagni which is a reworking of songs by Sant Kabir arranged in a contemporary manner. Presented by Saregama as a Sufi rock album, this musical work is a gust of fresh air with its folkloric and rustic charm. In an age of mushrooming alternative rock in which many bands have cropped up with Carnatic and folk rock, the emergence of Sufi rock is perhaps not so surprising. The singularity of Thagni on the other hand is that it is more lyrical and falls into the realm of fusion with elements of Arabic and even African musical nuances. The traces of rock only creep in tracks like Ud Jaayega Hans Akela and Maya Thagni. Some tracks like Man Lago Mero Yaar have music that is distinctly reminiscent of Jodha Akbars Jashn-e-Bahaara. On the other hand devotional tracks like Moko Kahan Dhunde and others like Tohe Piya Milenge and Mora Saiyan are a treat for the poetically-inclined.

Chartbusters of the month

where are we now? Artist: David Bowie After a long nine-year hiatus, David Bowie breaks his silence with the single Where are we now which is a glimpse of his expected album The Next Day. Produced by Tony Visconti, this track shares its Berlin ambience with his previous trilogy inspired in the 70s Low, Heroes and Lodger. With references to monuments like Potsdamer Pltaz, Nurnberger Strasse and the KaDeWe store, this slow tempo track assimilates time lost and spent, probably through the eyes of an aging man. Known as the Thin White Duke, Bowie infuses this song with a dukes poise and grace, lamenting Where are we now? badal uthiya Movie: Matru ki bijli ka mandola Beautiful fusion of western arrangement and pure Haryanvi lyrics! Penned by Gulzar and sung by Rekha Bhardwaj, this song describes the coming of rain and has a melody with the sound of heaven. The folkloric pukar in the voice accompanied by liquid notes of the sitar lend the piece a rivers delicate cadence. An opiate, nostalgic misty feel permeates the song and musically recreates the stuff of clouds. The muted percussion and haunting keys add to the mellow effect. A song to lose yourself on a rainy day! brave Artist: Josh Groban Josh Grobans voice has the power to move mountains. It brims with the sheer boom and depth of human vocals and makes itself felt powerfully in the rhythmic track Brave, the lead singles from his sixth and upcoming album All that Echos. This song, co-written with long time song writing partner Tawgs Salter is another foray into experiments with rock arrangements and the song has an intensity and urgency that beautifully complements its traditional vocals.

18 | FEB | 2013

If you want to escape the sweltering summer heat, head to Shillong, a perfect getaway from Guwahati. With its old world charm and lingering echoes of the British Raj, Shillong is a charming hill station in Meghalaya.

20 | FEB | 2013

With its spectacular sunrises, pine-covered hills, green lakes, polo ground, championship golf course, Victorian bungalows, churches, singing brooks and crashing cascades, Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya has earned the sobriquet, the Scotland of the East. Picnics, boating and day long hikes are punctuated by leisurely shopping. The British favoured this charming hill station and their influence is discernible in the names of the waterfalls which abound here. It derives its name from the deity Shyllong or Lei Shyllong which is worshipped at the Shillong Peak, 10km from the main town and 1965 metres above sea level. where Cradled in the rain shadow of Shillong Peak at 1491 metres above sea level, flanked by Mawpat Hill in the north and overlooking Lum Diengiei further west, Shillong lies in the midst of idyllic surroundings. how to get there Nearest airport is Umroi (35km) Nearest railhead is Guwahati (103km) Road: From Guwahati drive to Jorabat on NH 37, then take the Guwahati-Shillong Road (NH 40), a scenic drive. weather In summer, the temperature ranges from 15 degrees C to 25 degrees C, and in winter, from 4 degrees C and 16 degrees C. beSt tiMe to viSit September to April. Although people avoid the rainy season, it is generally the time when the waterfalls are in full spate. MuSt See MuSt do Umiam Lake A beautiful lake north of Shillong, resembling the Lochs, or lakes of Scotland is a must-see for all tourists. This lake was created as part of a hydroelectric project and is better known as Barapani (big water) for its sheer size. There is a water sports complex and a garden (Lum Nehru park) close by. One can hire boats to splash around the placid lake. Don Bosco Museum of Indigenous North East Culture Run by the Salesian order of the Catholic Church, the Don Bosco Museum is the largest cultural museum in the whole Asia. It is a truly

amazing repository of information on the entire North Eastern states. Located within the precincts of the Sacred Heart Church, Mawlai, the edifice itself is distinctively shaped like a spiral. It has an amazing collection of attire, accoutrements, weapons, ornamentation and rare photographs. Lady Hydari Park The Park has manicured lawns, variety of local flowering plants and orchids. It also has a small zoo within it. This is a popular picnic spot for local population.

FEB | 2013 | 21

Shillong Peak For those who need more enervating exercise, there is the Shillong Peak to climb with its summit of 1965 metres, affording a splendid view of the city and its outlying environs on a clear day. In the evening, the city lights below glitter and twinkle like a giant Christmas tree. It is host to a radar station for Indian Air Force and tourists are cautioned not to take pictures of radar facilities. Waterfalls Shillong and its environs resonate with the sound of thundering waterfalls that hurtle downhill slopes, spraying its surroundings with a delicate mist of water. Mawsmai Falls, Nohkalikai, Elephant Falls, Bishop Falls, Spread Eagle Falls, Sweet Falls, Crinoline Falls and Beadon Falls are the well known ones. Nartiang Stop by Nartiang, the summer capital of the Jaintia kings. Take a look at the incredible collection of monoliths and standing stones raised by Jaintia kings. The tallest one is said to have been the walking stick of U Mar Phalyngki, the giant of the Jaintia legends. Shop for Souvenirs like handmade knives, cotton bags, woolen handmade shawls, bamboo cutlery, other bamboo crafts and the traditional Khasi skirt are most popular buys. Also, pick up bamboo shoot pickles, forest honey or try local fruits such as saying and saflang, sold wrapped in banana leaves. eat here For local Khasi specialities, stop by the dhabas in Bara Bazaar. Dont miss the piping hot momos. There are a variety of restaurants in Shillong. Most of the better ones are located in Police Bazar area. Chinese, Indian and Tibetan foods are popular. we recoMMend Visit Mawsmai Cave, an atmospheric system of caves and tunnels filled with stalagmites and stalactites.

22 | FEB | 2013

Lip smacking assorted platter. Something for all to revel in, in various courses of the meal

Champagne poached Strawberry Pavlov

Ingredients: Description Egg white Castor sugar Corn flour Vinegar Poached strawberry Fresh Strawberry Caster Sugar Champagne Pastry cream: Milk Grain sugar Egg Corn flour Butter Vanilla pod Quantity 6 300 15 10 100 50 300 500 110 3 65 65 1 unit of measure Nos Gms Gms Ml Gms Gms Ml Ml Gms Nos Gms Gms Nos

Method: Beat egg white and add sugar slowly. Beat till fluffy. Add corn flour and vinegar. Using piping bag pipe into heart shape in a baking sheet and Bake at 110 C for 60 to 75 minutes or until the outside is dry and is a very pale cream colour. Then remove and allow it to cool. Pastry cream: Boil milk add sugar. Add this to mix corn flour ( mixed with little milk ) and eggs. Cook over double boiling till done add vanilla pod. Add butter to this mix and cream well in a planetary till cool. Poached strawberry: Take a pan and put all three ingredients in it. Cover the pan with silver foil. Place the pan in the range. Take the baked Pavlov pipe pastry cream in the centre and place some poached strawberry over the cream.
24 | FEB | 2013

My Fifth Marathon at Mumbai

It was a run which I had done with little bit of better preparation than the Hyderabad marathon in August 2012. I completed the Mumbai marathon in 5hr and 50 minutes. Actually the first thirty km was clocked at 3hr and 50 minutes. I was hopeful for a 5:30 finish. The last 12 km was tough as I had developed an nauseating sensation. It is often said that the marathon is run in the last 12 km. All your training boils down to the extent one is able to deliver in the last12 km. The start was sharp at 5:40 am. The air was nippy and chill and the atmosphere was electric. It seemed the whole of Mumbai had gathered to run or to participate in cheering along the sidelines. It was a cautious first 10 km and then the second 10 km went smoothly and the3rd 10 km . . . I ran without much struggle, but then around the 31st km strangely, I started developing a vomiting sensation. It is said that every marathon is an experience by itself. This one was a proof of that. The entire route, except the sea link was lined up with scores of volunteers and onlookers and eager residents offering water, and eats to the runners. This festivity will not be found anywhere else in the country. This is a specialty of the vibrant and scintillating Mumbai. The start and the finish is bang opposite the VT station. The finish line itself is a hub of great festivity and camaraderie among the onlookers and the runners. A host of photographers greet you at the finish line capturing the moment of exhilaration of completion of a 42 km run on each and every runners face. Finally when the medal is presented at a special counter and his hung around the neck a feeling of accomplishment spreads across the entire body and you start relishing the moment. There cant be better place to run a marathon. . . Vibrant and memorable Mumbai. I plan to dedicate this year to better discipline I am working towards better performance in this calendar year. I plan to run a total of5 marathons this year. Auroville Marathon : Feb 10th Hyderabad Marathon : August Kaveri Trail Marathon : September The Chennai Marathon: December

Bahwan CyberTekAlumni Club Tournament kicked-off

The 16th edition of the BahwanCyberTekAlumni Club Twenty20 tournament for premier clubs in Chennai rolled to action on the 27th January with BCTs Mr. Mike Muralidharan, COO-Global, Mr. Chandran, CIO and our Clubs Secretary Mr. T. Swaminathan present at the tossing ceremony. The inaugural match was between the hosts Alumni Club and Presidency Club which Alumni Club won handsomely. BCTs COO-Global Mr. Mike Muralidharan inaugurated the tournament & & in his inaugural address he spoke about fellowship & the spirit of the game. Alumni Club had a superb day with PC Prakash (60 runs & one wkt) and Man of the Match Srenevasan (42 runs & 3 wkts) unstoppable. The winning moments were many and the spirit was well demonstrated with outstanding fielding day in a long time. There were no misfields, and two direct hits (Harirajan & Saravan) running out Presidency Clubs 2 top scorers in the 17th & 18th overs and four classy catches including a stupendous one handed return catch by Vivek. We have made a very good beginning to the tournament and if we can keep up our fielding standard to support our bowlers we can surprise
FEB | 2013 | 25

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. George Bernard Shaw.

many teams in the competition. Earlier, on the 23rd January, the members of the various clubs participated in the captains meet held in the Alumni Club. Mr. Raj Mathivanan, Treasurer presided over the function and Mr. Mike Muralidharan, BCTs COO-Global was the Chief Guest. The senior management team of Bahwan CyberTek including CIO Mr. Chandran, EVP Mr. V. K. Murthi and SVP Mr. P. Rajasekaran were there to encourage us. In his address, Mr. Mike Muralidharan reiterated BCTs support for Alumni Club Cricket & hoped that this years edition of the Bahwan CyberTek Alumni Club T20 will be highly successful. Alumni Club will be joined in this tournament by premier city clubs like Madras Gymkhana Club, Madras Cricket Club, Indira Nagar Club, Presidency Club, The Mylapore Club, T Nagar Social Club and Gandhi Nagar Club. We look forward to four weeks of display of great enthusiasm, competitive spirit, and as always, with friendship and camaraderie.

Mosquito needle helps take sting out of injections

Look away now if you are afraid of needles. A motorised, harpoonlike needle sounds painful, but in fact hurts far less than a regular injection because it resembles a mosquitos mouth parts.Seiji Aoyagi and colleagues at Kansai university in Osaka, Japan, have developed a needle that mimics a mosquitos proboscis, which is serrated and barely touches the skin so you dont feel the initial bite. A smooth hypodermic, on the other hand, leaves a lot of metal in contact with the skin, stimulating the nerves and causing pain. Aoyagi hopes his design could help diabetic people who have to take blood samples. Etched from silicon, the needle imitates three of the creatures seven mobile mouthparts: the two serrated maxillae and the tubular labrum(see diagram).
26 | FEB | 2013

unlike Aoyagis previous attempts to mimic a mosquitos bite, each of these parts is driven by tiny motors based on lead zirconium titanate (PZT) - a piezoelectric crystal that expands very slightly when you apply an alternating voltage (Sensors and Actuators. The vibrations of the crystal can be used as a simple motor to control how the needle enters the skin. The sections of the needle break the skin in the same sequence as they do with a mosquito, vibrating at about 15 hertz to ease it into the skin - as observed in mosquitoes under high-speed video microscopes. Aoyagi has tested his needle on himself and three volunteers, who agree that the pain is much reduced but lasts longer than with a conventional syringe. He thinks that by mimicking more of the

creatures mouthparts, including an addition to steady the needles entry, hell be able to reduce that dull pain. Micro fluidics engineer Suman Chakraborty of the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, who has also worked on similar designs in the past, is impressed by Aoyagis progress. Its a substantial move towards improving the technology, he says. Dr.S.Natarajan (m.No.876)

Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you dont. Pete Seeger

ScientiStS develop StrongeSt, lighteSt glaSS nanofiberS

The university of Southampton s Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) is pioneering research into developing the strongest silica nanofibers in the world. Globally the quest has been on to find ultrahigh strength composites, leading ORC scientists to investigate light, ultrahigh strength nanowires that are not compromised by defects. Historically, carbon nanotubes were the strongest material available, but high strengths could only be measured in very short samples just a few microns long, providing little practical value. Now research by ORC Principal Research Fellow Gilberto Brambilla and ORC Director Professor Sir David Payne has resulted in the creation of the strongest, lightest weight silica nanofibers nanowires that are 15 times stronger than steel and can be manufactured in lengths potentially of 1,000s of kilometers. Their findings are already generating extensive interest from many companies around the world and could be set to transform the aviation, marine, and safety industries. Tests are currently being carried out globally into the potential future applications for the nanowires. With synthetic fibers it is important to have high strength, achieved by production of fiber with extremely low defect rates, and low weight, says Brambilla. usually if you increase the strength of a fiber you have to increase its diameter and thus its weight, but our research has shown that as you decrease the size of silica nanofibers their strength increases, yet they still remain very lightweight. We are the only people who currently have optimized the strength of these fibers. Our discovery could change the future of composites and high-strength materials across the world and have a huge impact on the marine, aviation, and security industries. We want to investigate their potential use in composites and we envisage that this material could be used extensively in the manufacture of products such as aircraft, speedboats, and helicopters, he adds. Payne explains, Weight for weight, silica nanowires are 15 times stronger than highstrength steel and 10 times stronger than conventional GRP (glass reinforced plastic). We can decrease the amount of material used thereby reducing the weight of the object. Silica and oxygen, required to produce nanowires, are the two most common elements on the Earths crust, making it sustainable and cheap to exploit. Furthermore, we can produce silica nanofibers by the ton, just as we currently do for the optical fibers that power the internet. Brambilla shared his findings with fellow researchers at a special seminar he organized recently at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre, at Chicheley Hall, in Buckinghamshire. It was particularly challenging dealing with fibers that were so small. They are nearly 1,000 times smaller than a human hair and I was handling them with my bare hands, says Brambilla. It took me some time to get used to it, but using the state-of-the-art facilities at the ORC I was able to discover that silica nano fibers become stronger the smaller they get. In fact when they become very, very small they behave in a completely different way. They stop being fragile and dont break like glass but instead become ductile and break like plastic. This means they can be strained a lot. up until now most of our research has been into the science of nanowires but in the future we are particularly interested in investigating the technology and applications of these fibers, adds Brambilla. Source: University of Southampton.UK Dr.S.Natarajan (M.No.876)
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It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come. - Dalai Lama

wHAT IS VEDIC LITERATURE

The word Veda comes from the root Vid meaning to know. Thus Veda means knowledge. The Vedas say Ananta vai Vedah, that is, endless are the Vedas but the Rishis, who cognized some mantras out of the vast limitless Vedas, are known as Mantra Dastras, that is, the seers or receivers of the mantras. Vedic science is a system of knowledge that encompasses all domains of life. It provides the wisdom through which we can harmonize the outer aspects of our lives with our spiritual purpose. This includes how to take care of our physical body and our society. As such, Vedas offer the foundation for a true and a spiritual human culture. Vedic literature consists of fourteen main Vidyas, namely: 1. The four Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva; 2. The six Vedangas (organs of the Vedas); (i) Siksha, which lays down the rules of phonetics and of pronunciation, (ii) Vyakarana, grammar, (iii) Chandas, metric composition, (iv) Nirukta, Vedic dictionary or etymology, (v) Jyotisha, astronomy, (vi) Kalpa, what induces one to Vedic action, 3. The four upangas (appendices to Vedangas); Mimamsa, which deals with the purport and significance of Vedic mantras, (i) Nyaya, which is the science of logic and expediency, (ii) Puranas, which are magnifying glasses of Vedas, (iii) Dharma Sastras, which tell us what and how we should do in our daily life. The two upangas, Mimamsa and Nyaya are subdivided as six Sastras and are known as Darsanas. They are as follows: (a) Poorva Mimamsa of Jaimini, (b) uttara Mimamsa of Badarayana
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(Veda Vyasa), (c) Nyaya Sastra of Gautama, (d) Vaiseshika of Kanada (also known as Ganata and Olukya), (e) Sankhya Sastra of Kapila and (f) Yoga Sastra of Patanjali In addition to these, there are the two great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. In fact, Mahabharata is known as the Panchama Veda, or fifth Veda. The stores described in these epics are in the bloodstream of the people of India. The Rig Veda itself contains references to Yajur and Sama Vedas in many places. For example, Purusha Sukta, which appears in the tenth mandala, ninetieth hymn of Rig Veda, refers to other Vedas, proving that there is no question of some Vedas being earlier or later. Knowledge and wisdom are enshrined in these fourteen Vedic Vidyas. To these fourteen are added four more upangas. They are: 1. Ayurveda, the science of life; 2. Artha Sastra, the science of wealth and economics; 3. Dhanur Veda, the science relating to weaponry, missiles and warfare; 4. Gandharva Veda, which treats fine arts such as music, dance and drama. Vedas are of non-human origin (Apourusheya) and without a beginning in terms of time, (Anadi). The rishis (seers of Vedas) are said to have first envisioned them through the power of Tapasya. They did not compose or create them. Paramatma (the universal God) could not have created the Vedas, for then the Vedas would have a beginning. In Vedic literature, Paramatma is called simply THAT ONE. It is neither male nor female but an impersonal eternal principle.

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. Oscar Wilde

To represent That ONE, several names are used such as Paramatma, Narayana, Isvara and Supreme Self. Brihadaranyaka upanishad says that the four Vedas form Isvaras breath. Nishwasitam is the word employed to denote the exhaling of cosmic breath. Thus Vedas, as the life breath of That ONE, coexist and have no beginning. Anything previous to it or older than it does not exist. The four Vedas Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva that exist now were, however, codified about 5000 years ago, at the beginning of the Kali Yuga, the cosmic cycle that started in 3102 B.C., by Veda Vyasa, whose given name was Krishna Dvaipayana. His compilation consisted of 1131 Sakhas (mandalas or recensions), twenty-one in Rig, 101 in Yajur, 1000 in Sama and nine in Atharva. They were preserved in the line of rishis, namely, Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu. At the present time only ten Sakhas are available. In each Sakha are three portions called Samhita, Brahmana and Aranyaka. Samhita means that which has been collected and arranged. It brings out the purport of a Veda in the form of mantras. Thus Samhitas are the fountain of life breath of a Sakha. The Samhitas of all the four Vedas contain 20500 mantras amounting approximately 2000 printed pages. There is a vast literature known as upanishads, which consist of more than 200 separate works, though a traditional figure of 108 is frequently mentioned. In addition, there are numerous works belonging to the category of traditional knowledge known as Smriti. Moreover, there are two great epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and dozens of Puranas. The Mahabharata itself runs around 100000 slokas and is the longest book in the world. All of the Rig Veda Samhita is in the form of verses called slokas (stanzas). Earlier it was knows as rik (a hymn or praise). Each rik is a mantara. The Samhita portion of the Rig Veda contains 10170 mantras. The Samhitas of all four Vedas consist of 20500 mantras. The Rig Veda contains 1028 Suktas. It begins with a Sukta on Agni and also ends with it. Since in the beginning (upakarma) and end (upasamhara), Rig Veda talks of Agni, it was thought that the

purport of the Veda is fire-worship. The correct interpretation of Agni is to be taken as Atma Chaitanyam, the glow of the Atmas awakening or the light of Atmas consciousness. The Rig Veda ends with the following: Let all human beings meet and think as with one mind. Let the goal be common. May all live in happiness with a common purpose. When Thomas Alwa Edison invented the Gramaphone record among other things(electric light and the motion picture camera), he called upon Max Muller to record his Voice. And the latter chose to record the first Sloka of RiG Veda to record the public version on the gramophone plate. Why did Max Muller choose to? Addressing the audience he said, Vedas are the oldest text of the human race. And Agni Meele Purohitam is the first verse of Rig Veda. In the most primordial time, when the people did not know how even to cover their bodies and lived by hunting and housed in caves ,Indians had attained high civilization and they gave the world universal philosophies in the form of the Vedas When Agni Meele Purohitam was replayed the entire audience stood up in silence as a mark of respect for the ancient Hindu sages.this verse means Oh Agni, You who gleam in the darkness, to You we come day by day, with devotion and bearing homage. So be of easy access to us, Agni, as a father to his son, abide with us for our well being. Such is the illustrious legacy of our India.......!! N.S.Kumar (M.No.455)

The old believe ererything; the middle-aged suspect ererything: the young know everything. Oscar Wilde

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Staff Tour on Queensland (25th January 2013)

Flag hoisting on Republic day (26th January 2013)

Winners of CRYPTOGRAM Jan.2013 decided by lots are: Rani Rajkumar ( Spouse of J.P. Rajkumar, M.No. 2125) Vidya Murali (Spouse of Member No : 1716) Congrats to the winners and all the best to the others next time. Send in your answers captioned: B & B February puzzle to natprof@yahoo.com. Three all correct winners chosen by lots will get a credit of Rs.250/Each in their monthly bill.

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Dont handicap your children by making their lives easy. - Robert A.Heinlein

APP

going placeS How often have you received mails announcing the recent changes on facebook? Although Facebook is one sassy place, certain apps are best to use when it comes to choosing the experts. Chuck the facebook check-ins and use Foursquare. Very often we check-in using facebook when we go out. although Google latitude has a much friendlier user interface along with better graphics both facebook and Google are missing the one thing foursquare check-ins provide that is fun! compariSon Facebook has the basic abilities when it comes to check-ins. You can check-in to a place and mention the people you are with at the time. if you need to edit the check-in time, you will have to do it through the primary website. Google latitude on the other hand is much more user friendly. mostly preferred by android fans, Google latitude lets you check-in but not tag people around. You can also see your friends location on the same Google maps. Foursquare lets you check-in, and search the map for your friends too.

Surf in STyle Foursquare lets you browse the city like never before. the search for locations produces extensive results and is likely to include all that you are looking for. the search is also faster than the other operating systems. the special feature that makes this application so great is that for each check-in, you earn a point. as and when you earn points you are also awarded badges. With foursquare you need not just check- in to the location you are at; you can also check-in to the building. For example if you are in the hotel at the mall, foursquare lets you check into the hotel and in the mall too. it can be used as a game and serves as a social city guide too. You can find out places to visit next. You can also check your history with people you have been with and places you have gone to. With foursquare you can publish your own page and promote your business too. With foursquare one can check out deals in and around the city. The verdicT although its competitors are a bit behind when it comes to location based services, foursquare does not win the trophy hands down. however it is simply one of the favorites when it comes to check-ins!

Continuous effort not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential. WINSTON CHURCHLL

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CROSSANAGRAM
(Crossword with a difference. Each answer is an anagram of the clue). For example, clue for 1 down is RuNT. Answer is TuRN, an anagram of RuNT Anagram: A word or phrase made by transposing the letters of another word or phrase. Anagrams of TEAM are TAME, MEAT, MATE

Across 7 AuNT 8 EARTHBORN 10 CHANTS 11 INTEGERS 12 COuNTERS 14 THEIST 16 PLEASE 18 RESuLT 21 TRIODE 23 ROASTING 25 REPLAYED 27 SQuEAL 29 CLEARNESS 30 SATE

Down 1 RuNT 2 SATANISM 3 HAWSER 4 RELATION 5 RENTAL 6 NuTS 9 DISHES 13 ADORE 15 LASER 17 STINGRAY 19 ROuNDEST 20 ENFOLD 22 LISTED 24 AGREES 26 CHAR 28 SALT

Monkey Maths
Dr Paul is a wealthy and renowned mathematician. He lives in a beach villa. Being an animal lover, he maintains dogs, cats, ducks etc. He is the Chairman for the International conference coming up in the next two weeks. Prior to the conference, he wishes to host a party to 20 select delegates. He has already organized 8 bottles of fine imported whisky. A week before the party date, he receives a reliable information that one of the 8 bottles is poisoned. Even a sip of the poisoned whisky will result in sure death. But the poison acts slowly that the person will die between 36 to 48 hours from the time of consuming the poisonous whisky.

Dr Paul has to identify that poison bottle. His cook suggests Sir, we will mix milk with little whisky from each bottle and feed to our pets, say, 5 cats and 3 dogs and observe them for 48 hours. We can identify the bottle from the animal that dies. Dr Paul does not want to lose any of his pets. He thought for a while, and came up with a solution. He told the cook, Hey, you know there are 3 monkeys which intrude our garden now and then and spoil the vegetables. Arrange to catch these 3 monkeys and put them in a cage. Feed them with a mixture of milk and whisky from each bottle in the method that I tell you. After a couple of days we will know which monkey(s) have died. From this information, I will isolate the poisonous bottle. If you were Dr Paul, what plan/ method of feeding will you tell your cook ?

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