Mind vs Brain

Say the color of these words:
Red Green Blue
Blue Red Blue

Now again...
Red Green Blue
Blue Red Blue

This was an interesting experiment I came across. This is the Stroop task. It's always a little depressing for me to find out I haven't got the best control of my brain. Call it ego, call it stupidity, call it impossible, but I believe I should be able to make my brain do what I want. Then one day I find out I can't even make my mind make my brain distinguish between colors and words fast enough.

To test yourself, click here...

I have always believed that doing puzzles, trying to solve problems, be it educational or fun games is helpful and makes your mind sharper or the neurons in your brain work harder. I started a creative puzzles program in a local school years ago, and I could see marked changes in the children within a few weeks. Today I came across an article in my self required daily reading list, that emphasizes this. As the author says, "I should have patented the idea."

Read the article about the new game here...

I also remember hearing about the origin of video games. I think my father told me this long back. They were originally designed to improve your hand eye coordination and help you adjust to the keyboard better. Today we don't think twice before using a keyboard but in those days, it was a challenge as new as could be.

Going back to mind versus brain, my cousin sent a problem. Try to rotate your right leg clockwise while you draw a six (in the air) with your right arm. Let me know if you can, and it can be done very easily.

Happy playing everyone.

J for Joker, Y for Yuppie, O for Orangutan, T for Tramp, H for Halfwit, and I for Ignoramus

Did you read the one about 11 year old Hari Bhanot suing Naukri.com for using the name Hari (Hari Sadu) in their ad? Newspapers should drop their sensationalism a notch and rewrite the title as "Father of 11 year old sues Naukri.com for name use" because isn't that the truth? Let's not drag the poor kid into this. We all know, this is not about him.

The father is suing Naukri.com on behalf of his son because he claims his son is being teased in school by other kids and that Naukri.com's ad was in bad taste, using such a common name. First of all, let me say that the ad itself is excellent. It achieves its purpose of bringing a smile to your face no matter how old you are. Second, 11 year olds will be teased by 11 year olds. Thats what they do. Third, I also Googled, to see if I could find one website that ranked 'Hari' in the top 10 indian names but to no success.

When I was 11, I was in a country where the kids at school were calling me Jayothi while the Indian kids were laughing at me asking me about my "girl" name. My name went through all kinds of permutations and combinations and none too complimentary. I was the uncool kid from the 4th world country who didn't know a note of reggae. I think back now, and I know, I won't trade any of it for anything.

Naukri.com responded to the father by asking him to approach the school and have them deal with the misbehaving kids. I agree. If you are so bothered that your kid is being a kid among kids, home school him. Let him learn your values. Ahem. Just to add, Mr. Aneesh Bhanot, the father, is suing for 1 crore Rupees. Ahem.

If he wins this case, I plead with TimesJobs to use my name in a similar fashion. I need some fast cash too. Also if anyone knows of an instance in ads, movies, wherever, where the names Jyothi, Karthik, or Raja have been used in an apparently demeaning manner please leave a comment. I promise to share the spoils with you. In the meantime I hope someone in that family grows up soon.

Kaun Hai Yeh Hari Sadu? and has the Real Hari Sadu heard about this yet?
Read news...

The dilution of emotions

Consider this. Yesterday, three gangsters were killed in an encounter within two kilometers of my apartment in Gurgaon. The three had more than 30 cases of murder against them, more cases of rape and were on Delhi's most wanted list. I saw the aftermath of the encounters on my way home from work, with hundreds of cops crowding and barracading the roads. I read about it in the paper this morning. But even as a supporter of death as the only justice for these extreme criminals, I wasn't ecstatic in reading the news. It was just another story and in fact it was not even front page news. Read the news...

Serial blasts had rocked the temple town of Varanasi, 12 people were killed and many more were seriously injured. I had been to Varanasi a few months ago, and though not a fan of the slightly ill-maintained town, believed in its sacredness to the Hindus. Thousands visit every year to praise Lord Krishna. It was a simple town with nothing but religion to its fame. It is sad that again, terrorists had to exercise and showcase their cowardly might on the innocent.

A few months ago they bombed markets in Delhi that are always thronged by families on their weekend shopping trips. Then they shot dead a professor in the hallowed academic grounds of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore at an International conference that for me was closer to home than the shooting yesterday, as my father was the chairperson of the conference.

I remember reading a column a while ago on what it is that differentiates murders and rapes from terrorism and if we are not using the word "terrorist" too lightly. Maybe now I can explain my comments and thoughts on that a little better. Murderers bring fear and anger to the families that they victimize. Terrorists bring fear to an entire nation. One is as wrong as the other, but somewhat shamefully I can say now that I was more concerned about the police catching the temple bombers than the murderers and rapists they had already shot. Yes, my emotions towards crime have been diluted. Only terrorism angers me now. Atleast it takes precedence. This is what I've become now.

I wish this madness would stop.

Epilogue: The police have shot dead three terrorists who they believe to have been involved with the blasts. Read more here... and here...