Searching an address? Just zoom!

Zoom?

'Yes!', says Google Maps!

Google Maps provides loads of data like driving directions, real time trafic, toll roads and of course local search in US, Europe, Japan and Australia. In India, Bangalore has always been the first city which gets update in Google Maps. And this time, Google maps are showing all major roads, main roads, cross roads clearly marked and named. It also marks schools, colleges, pharmacies, post offices, police stations, temples, mosques, shopping centres, banks, swimming pools with special symbols. It even shows the driving directions for circles!

Though it is still a long way when we get the driving directions, real time traffic or local search for Bangalore in Google Maps, I am happy to see the detailed Bangalore in Google Map. Take a look into these screen shots. (Click on the pictures to see them in their original size)

Lalbagh, Basavanagudi, Wilson Garden, VV Puram, Chamarajpet, Jayanagar with many important landmarks mentioned.

Vidhyarthi Bhavan, Bugle Rock Park, Dodda Ganesha temple, Bull temple, DVG Road, Basavanagudi Post office...on a Satellite map.

RV Road, Jayanagar Shopping complex, Jayanagar Police Station with main roads and cross roads of Jayanagar.

I am still wondering how Google shows up such detailed maps.

So, Searching an address in Bangalore?

Just zoom into Google Maps!

Simple is Beautiful

People must have read the title phrase multiple times before!

Simplicity can make anything look pleasant, elegant and beautiful.

Simple designs..
Simple colours..
Simple dressing..
Simple language..
Simple writing..
Simple fonts... this is what is this blog about!!

Helvetica !! Unarguably the most simple, pleasing and hence the most beautiful of all fonts that have been created till today. Helvetica was created by a Swiss, Miedinger in 1957. So 2007 is the Golden Jubilee Year for the world's heavily used font 'HELVETICA'. It was named after the Latin name for Switzerland 'Helvetia'.

Helvetica alphabets are very clean, clear, uniform and no-shrill. Helvetica symbolizes seriousness, assurance, simple and natural. Helvetica is heavily used by all major companies of the world dealing with Money, Airlines in their display boards and logos as they want to convey the same message for which Helvetica stands for. Lufthansa, American Airlines, Panasonic and others use Helvetica. Even Sony uses it in its websites.

Every font symbolizes a character. Each style creates an impression in the reader's mind. Some fonts symbolize seriousness. Some have comic sense. Some display leisure. Some display antiqueness. Some symbolize speed. Some display even horror as well.

I am amazed by the power of fonts. The character of a person can be determined by analyzing his handwriting, conversely the alphabet style gives a character to the word it is part of.

So creation of fonts is some sort of reverse engineering, isn't it?

ನೆನೆದವರ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ...

ಮುಂಗಾರು ಈಗ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭವಾಗಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಕಳೆದ ಕೆಲವು ತಿಂಗಳಿಂದ ಸುರಿಯುತ್ತಿರುವ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು 'ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ', ಕಳೆದ ಕೆಲವು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಆವರಿಸಿದ್ದ ಹಿಟ್ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳ ಬರವನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಪ-ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ದೂರವಾಗಿಸಿದೆ. ಹೊಸ ಹೊಸ ನಟ-ನಟಿಯರ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು ಚಿಗುರೊಡೆಯುತ್ತಿವೆ. ಎಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲೂ 'ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ'ಯ ಅಬ್ಬರ. ಕನ್ನಡ ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗಕ್ಕೊಂದು ಪುನಶ್ಚೇತನವನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದೆ.

ಮಳೆಗಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸದಾ ಸುರಿಯುವ ಮಳೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿತ್ರೀಕರಿಸಿರುವ ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ ನೋಡುಗರಿಗೆ ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನ ಹಸಿರಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಉಣಬಡಿಸಿದೆ. ಸಕಲೇಶಪುರದ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳನ್ನು ಜನರ ಕಣ್ಮುಂದಿರಿಸಿದೆ. ಯಾರೂ ಕಂಡಿರದ ಜೋಗದ ಸಿರಿಯನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸಿದೆ. ಕನ್ನಡ ಪದಗಳ ಸೊಗಡನ್ನು ತನ್ನ ಹಾಡುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸೆರೆ ಹಿಡಿದಿದೆ. ಯಾರು ತಾನೆ ಸವಿಯಾರು ಈ ಹಿತಾನುಭವವನ್ನು ?

ಕಿರುತೆರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಹೆಸರು ಮಾಡಿರುವ 'ಪಕ್ಕದ ಮನೆಯ' ಗಣೇಶ ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಿಪಕ್ವ ಅಭಿನಯವನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರ ಮಾತುಗಳು ಜನರ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸ್ಪಂದಿಸುತ್ತವೆ. ಚಿತ್ರದ ನಾಯಕಿ ಸಂಜನ ಕೂಡ ತೃಪ್ತಿಕರ ಅಭಿನಯನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇನ್ನು ಅನಂತನಾಗ್, ಸುಧಾ ಬೆಳವಾಡಿ ಮತ್ತು ಪದ್ಮಜಾ ರಾವ್‍ರವರುಗಳ ಅಭಿನಯ ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಮೆರಗು ನೀಡಿದೆ. ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ಎಳೆಯನ್ನು ಕಥೆಯಾಗಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡು ಯೋಗರಾಜ್ ಭಟ್ ಅದ್ಭುತ ಚಿತ್ರಕಾವ್ಯವನ್ನು ರಚಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ತಮ್ಮ ಊರಿನ ಹುಡುಗನಿಗೋಸ್ಕರ ಚಿತ್ರವನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿರುವ ಕೃಷ್ಣಪ್ಪನವರು ಇತರರಿಗೆ ಮಾದರಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಮನೋ ಮೂರ್ತಿಯವರ ಸಂಗೀತ ಕೇಳುಗರ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸದಾ ಗುನುಗುತ್ತಿವೆ. ಚಿತ್ರವನ್ನು ಸೆರೆ ಹಿಡಿದಿರವ ಕೃಷ್ಣರವರು ತಮ್ಮ ಅಪ್ರತಿಮ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆಯನ್ನು ತೋರಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇವರೆಲ್ಲರ ಜತೆಗೆ ಮೊಲ ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಮುದ ನೀಡಿದೆ.

ಮೇಲಿನ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ನೂ ಯಾರೋ ಒಬ್ಬರು ಕಾಣೆ ಅಲ್ಲವೇ?

ಯಾರದು?

ಚಿತ್ರದುದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆ ಸಂಗೀತವನ್ನು ನೀಡಿ, ನೋಡುಗರೆಲ್ಲರನ್ನು ತನ್ನ ಹನಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನೆನೆಸುವ ಮಳೆ !! ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಳೆ ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ಚಿತ್ರ ಈ ಪರಿ ಹಿಟ್ ಅಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತೋ ಇಲ್ಲವೋ! ಈ ಮಳೆ ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ವಿಶೇಷ ಮೆರಗನ್ನು ತಂದುಕೊಟ್ಟಿದೆ. ಚಿತ್ರೀಕರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೇ ಮಳೆ ಚಿತ್ರ ತಂಡದವರಿಗೂ ಹೊಸ ಹುಮ್ಮಸ್ಸನ್ನೂ ನೀಡಿರಬೇಕು.

ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆಯ ಹನಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನೆನೆದವರ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿತ್ರ ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನ ಕಾಡಿನಂತೆ ಹಚ್ಚ ಹಸಿರಾಗಿದೆ. ಬೇಸಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಿಡ-ಮರಗಳೊಡೆಯುವ ಹೊಸ ಚಿಗುರಿಗೆ ನೀರೆರೆದು ಆಸರೆಯನ್ನು ನೀಡುವ ಹಾಗೆ, 'ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ' ಹೊಸ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಸರೆಯನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದೆ. ಹೊಸಬರ ಅನಾವರಣಕ್ಕೆ ನಾಂದಿ ಹಾಡಿದೆ.

"ಹೊಸ ಚಿಗುರು, ಹಳೆ ಬೇರು ಕೂಡಿರಲು ಮರ ಸೊಬಗು".. ಎಷ್ಟು ನಿಜ ಅಲ್ಲವೇ?

Read More @ Mungaru Male

Bus-Pass

Its the same time of the year again when college students line up for the renewal of their bus-pass.

Bus-pass!! Its the most important after air, water, food for any college student who uses public transport. Getting a bus pass was a tough task. Standing in long long queues, getting the signature of the college Principal and of course ensuring that the bus pass route covers majestic bus stand as the change point so that we can freely commute to and from Majestic Bus Stand :).

Bus-Pass was issued in two phases. First one was for ten months from July to April. Issuing bus-pass in first phase was fairly organized by the BMTC. Getting Principal's signature on the Application form was another uphill task as Principal wasnt available most of the time. Sometimes it used to take few days :( Bus-pass was issued on submitting this Application form along with the pass fee. It would be the happiest day as if we have been awarded and looking at the new bus-pass multiple times.

Now the second phase, really tough one. All College students badly needed to renew their pass as they used to have classes unlike the school children during April-May. Several thousand students used to descend to the Majestic BMTC bus stand on May 1st. Getting the bus-pass renewed for the second phase did not require a fresh application form again, but getting the pass among the thousands was challenging !!

But having the bus-pass was equal to having an extra power to commute in the public transport. It was a proud feeling saying 'pass' to the conductor of the bus. I remember running to the bus stops and even changing the buses at many bus stops to catch my favourite buses 43C, 43D which used to take us near the college. I cannot forget leaving a part to study on the way to bus stop and in the bus during exams!! Some of regular co-commuters of the bus became close friends.

I go down the memories of the city bus travel to college the moment I see a 43C or 43D. I always wonder how buses, trains and even our own vehicles hold a lot of memories of our life.

I am missing the city bus travel to college badly !!!

Faces of Democracy

Democracy !!! The buzz word in today's world politics. Some countries have very successful democracy. Some others are struggling with it. Some others are facing army coups. Some others are starting to introduce it. Some events that took place around the globe in past few months show different faces of democracy.

There were elections in Nigeria, which most of the observers called to be scrapped. The Elections were not conducted in free and fair manner. In some places the elections were delayed by a day as the ballot boxes did not reach even on the election day !!! Expectedly the ruling party managed to win again. Zimbabwe is struggling with Robert Mugabe, who is ruling the country since its independence. Protests by the opposition were banned. Thailand had its another army coup to overthrow its Prime Mintister. Bangladesh's army government planned to remove its two most powerful women from its political scene, which was revoked later.

Another election attracting the World Media is Turkey's Presidential Elections. People came out in millions in Istnabul and Ankara to oppose the Presidential Candidate Mr. Gul who many think has a hidden Islamic Agenda which many turn Turkey into another Islamic nation affecting Turkey's image around the world. People wanted their country to be secular. As of now, Mr. Gul's election has failed in the first and second round and hence withdrawn from the race.

The 2007 French Presidential Election has been the focus of World Media. I was simply bowled over seeing the percentage of polling that is around 85%. I was again shocked to see the polling percentage of 85.5% in the second round of the Presidential Elections, where Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal fought it out on issues of Employment, Economy. Finally Sarkozy has won the Elections by getting 53% of the votes. I am not able to stop congratulating the French people for the display of Democracy. French people have shown the world that they really care about their country and its future by coming out in huge numbers to vote.

In our country, the 7 phase elections of the Uttar Pradesh State Assembly have been going on for around a month now. The polling percentage has been around just 50%. With multiple parties in the election arena, exit polls have indicated that no single party is going to win a majority resulting in Hung Assembly. Hung Houses seems to have become a norm in our country. Parties forming all sorts of alliances to form governments which are always marred by uncertainty due to fights between them.

Most of the 'Educated' people in our country always blame the politicians for all the problems our country is facing today. But is that fully fair? Arent the politicians elected by the people. Most of the 'Educated' people do not even go and vote in the elections. Many dont even care to include themselves in the voter's list.

Is each one of us doing our duty before we point somebody else? Why doesnt the polling percentage never touch the levels of the French Elections? Are we too lazy to stand in a queue to vote? Arent we patriotic enough about our country? People make a huge hue and cry over Narayana Murthy's National Anthem issue or Madira bedi wearing saree having Indian Flag on it. People have really forgotten the real issues. With large population under poverty in our country, even politicians have forgotten real issues. With Election manifestos containing giving free TVs instead of addressing real issues like Employment, Corruption, Democracy in India has lost its way. People participation is missing in our Democracy as we seem to be following the 'dont care' attitude towards the country. Determination is missing in people when it comes to anything related to the country.

Shouldn't the clearing of this mess start by the people themselves by voting compulsarily in the elections? Elections are the only way people can participate in Democracy.

Even though we call ourselves 'World's largest Democracy', we have a fair election system, our Democracy is much better than Bangladesh's, Nigeria's or Thailand's, Democracy has to go still a long long way (many decades?) to achieve success in our country.