Fascination with Computers

To me, fascination with computers started when I was studying 3rd standard.  All computers were based on the x86 architecture and MS-DOS was the first widespread operating system at that time.  The computers were manufactured by IBM and the processor cabinet was not like tower type available these days but flat types like HTPC.  The cabinet was so sturdy that one can place the monitor on top of it.  The mouse was yet to be invented as MS-DOS was not GUI-based operating system so no pointing device was required.  The only pointing device I could remember in my childhood is the Light Pen.  Light Pen was the second best example for input devices next to keyboard in our text books.  I have come across this Light Pen so many times but have never seen a real one.  A fair imagination of the light pen I have is the Stylus that is being used in Samsung Galaxy Note.   I think the processor was a 16-bit processor and the speed of the processor was 5MHz.  The removable media that was widely used during that time was the 5¼" Floppy Disk.

WordStar was the word processor application, equivalent of today’s MS-Word.  Remember there were no pointing devices so navigation and all actions like highlighting, changing to bold and italics were all controlled by combination of keys.  To state a few, Ctrl + E moves the cursor one line upward, Ctrl + F moves the cursor to the end of the current line and Ctrl + G deletes the character to the right of the current position.  An expert in WordStar application is said to know all these shortcuts in those times.  Lotus 1-2-3 was the spreadsheet application, equivalent of today’s MS-Excel.  Internet was yet to become popular for common use and so no email client application during my childhood.  The programming language I first learned was BASIC which is an acronym from Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.  It is a high-level language and the most common programming practice was to start every code with 10 REM.  REM stands for REMARK and the first line usually had a brief description of what the program is about.

The main source of my fascination towards computers was not these applications or programming language but games.  With a 16-bit processor of 5MHz speed, you could imagine how games would have been a thrill but you won’t believe that there was one particular game that was an obsession to me.  It is the Prince of Persia released

in 1989. I believe some of you would remember it or even relish those playing moments. The game starts with a story that a wizard named Jaffar takes hold of the kingdom of Sultan when Sultan is fighting a war in a foreign land. Jaffar takes captive of Sultan’s daughter and the prince, the protagonist of the game, must defeat Jaffar and free the princess. The player plays the prince role. The game is a 2D game and there are 12 levels in the game. There is a time limit of one hour to complete the game. Jaffar will appear only in the 12 level and in each level there will be spike traps, guillotines and swordsmen. In the first level, the prince has to get the sword so that he can fight the swordsmen and finally Jaffar. Defeating Jaffar will be the greatest challenge because he will strike you instantaneously unlike the obese swordsmen.

My best moment in the game is in the level 4 where there would be a mirror and the prince has to jump right through the mirror. The mirror would break to pieces and the prince will run through it but at the same time, a shadow of the prince will emerge from the mirror at the same time he runs through the mirror. It is the doppelganger of the prince. This is a plot device as the prince would be thrown in the dungeon because of the

doppelganger.   The doppelganger will appear in the level 12 where he will take a sword and will be ready to fight against the prince.  If the prince hits the doppelganger with the sword, he will lose one life and so does the prince.  If the prince pushes him down the floors, even then the prince will die. The only way is to make the prince put the sword and the doppelganger will also put the sword and then jumping into him, the prince and doppelganger will become one. And to solve this puzzle was really interesting. Since I studied in the same school where my father worked, I got easily access to the computers in the lab and this is how I was introduced to this game. I used to compete with the watchman at my school. He was a Nepali and he helped me to complete few levels in the game. Even though Prince of Persia has been upgraded into many versions, my fondness of the first version still remains the same as I had in my childhood.

These days gaming are becoming an addiction and cause for violence among kids and teenagers.  I have read news of gamer playing for straight 40 hours and end up dying, students becoming murders to buy PlayStation.  I believe a lack of awareness about gaming is the reason for this kind of news.  Though I was introduced to gaming when I studying 3rd standard, I was not overexposed to it because I had access to computers only in the free time of the school hours and this facility was available only till my 5th standard.  When I bought a PC during my final year of college, frequent gaming was only for a season or till I completed one game.  I strongly believe gaming should be part of education, causing an awareness of the pros and cons of gaming and regular surveillance from parents till they are matured enough to be aware of it.  As long as computers are existent, gaming will be an entertainment and fun to persons like me. 

Horror

Those of you who know me would know how much I am fond of horror movies.  I don’t know when this inclination towards the horror movies started but there are few things why I prefer horror movies.  It gives me a thrill to know what horror the movie has in store for me.  I ask myself questions like would I be scared by the events in the movie, can the filmmaker scare or shock me, how much blood filled gory scenes would be in the movie, what disgusting ways can the director have in the movie to create the horror and so on.  And as always, I watch horror movies all alone by myself in my bedroom; with the only light coming from the screen and with earphones plugged into my ears.  Ideally I did not want any light or sound to distract me.  Of the movies I have watched so far, very few have indeed tried to scare me.  To state a few horror movies that entertained me are The Descent, REC, Paranormal Activity, Saw series, The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn, Hostel, and Resident Evil series and so on.

A recent Google search led me to realize when my fondness towards horror movies started.  When I look back, I believe that it should have started when I watched the first horror movie in my life during my early teenage.  The movie was The Evil Dead released in the year 1981.  One of my dad’s friends gave us the VHS tape of the movie and we watched the movie at night.  I don’t know if you have watched the movie in your teenage because I could remember how frightened I was after watching the movie.  I remember I was scared to leave even the windows open during the night, fearing the ghost would enter our home through breeze, because that’s how the ghost would travel in that movie.  Most of the times, there would be dead silence in the movie and suddenly a sound would be heard.  When the character goes towards the place from where the sound had originated, it would either be a branch striking the window or a cat passing by.  When they sigh and get relaxed, a horrible face would show up when they least expected them.  The high-pitched female scream along with the discordant background music would add more shock to the viewer.

This retrospection did not happen because of any horror movies I watched recently but because of a director.  Few weeks back, I watched the movie For Love of the Game.  This movie is a drama sports film and has nothing to do with horror.  I really liked the movie primarily because I liked Kevin Costner (liked him from Mr. Brooks movie) and the screenplay.   I googled to find who the director of this movie was so that I could check out his other works, it was then I realized that it the same director who did this movie was the one who directed The Evil Dead.  His name is Sam Raimi.

Yes, Sam Raimi is the one who directed the Evil Dead series.  He is also the producer of The Evil Dead movie.  It was surprising for me to know that Sam Raimi also directed the Darkman series.  Darkman series were yet another teenage adoration for me and Liam Neeson, the principal character Darkman series, was already becoming my favorite actor (also I liked Liam in Pilgrim’s Progress movie) by then.  To add more surprise, Sam Raimi is also the director of the blockbuster Spider-Man films.  And again he is the director for The Simple Plan, another acclaimed crime thriller.  All these movies, I enjoyed to the core.  Unknowingly, I have liked all of Sam Raimi’s works so far and I was really blown out of water when I came to know this.  So, Sam Raimi has become one of the directors whom I look forward to his upcoming movies.  Apart from directing, he has also produced horror movies which were not in his direction: The Grudge series, Boogeyman series and 30 Daysof Night to name a few.   I am yet to watch his supernatural horror Drag Me to Hell and I will not be surprised if I liked this movie too.  I am also looking forward to his movie, The Possession, directed by Ole Borndeal, after watching its trailer.

And for the final surprise, Sam Raimi has confirmed that a remake of The Evil Dead would be made in the year 2013 but will be directed by Fede Alvarez.  And to quote the voice from the recorder in the Evil Dead movie: “I have seen the dark shadows moving in the woods and I have no doubt that whatever I have resurrected through this book is sure to come crawling... for me” is an apt reflection of my expectation for Sam Raimi and his works.

தமிழ் மொழி - பாகம் II

அண்மையில் ஒரு தமிழ் பத்திரிகையை படித்துக்கொண்டிருந்தேன். அதில் தெரிவோம் தெளிவோம் என்ற பகுதியில் சில தமிழ் சொற்களில் பெயர் காரணங்களையும் எப்படி அவைகளை தவறாக அர்த்தம் கொள்ளபடுகிறது என்பதையும் கூறியிருந்தார்கள். அவை பயனுள்ளதாக இருந்தால் அவைகளில் சிலவற்றை இப்பதிவில் பகிர்கிறேன்.

சலம்
மலைகளிலும், அருவிகளிலும், ஓடைகளிலும் சலசலவென ஒலி எழுப்பி ஓடி வருவதாலும், ஒலி எழுப்பிக் கீழே விழுவதாலும் அத்தண்ணீர் காரணப் பெயராகச் சலம் ஆயிற்று. எனினும், நம்மில் பெரும்பாலோர் ஜலம் என்பது வடமொழியின் மூலச்சொல் என்றும், அதனைத் தமிழ்ப்படுத்திச் சலம் என்று எழுதுவதாகவும் கருதுகின்றனர்.

சம்பந்தி
பெண்ணோ, ஆணோ எடுத்த அல்லது கொடுத்த வீட்டுக்காரர்களைச் சம்பந்தி என்றே ஆழைக்க வேண்டும். சம் = நல்ல, பந்தம் = உறவு, சம்பந்தம் = நல்லுறவு, சம்பந்தி = நல்லுறவுக்காரர். சம்பந்தம் உற்றவரே சம்பந்தி ஆவார். எனினும், நம்மில் பெரும்பாலோர் சம்மந்தி என்றே தவறாக வழங்கி வருகிறார்கள். இதன்படிப் பார்த்தால் சம்மந்தி என்பதற்கு நல்ல குரங்கு என்பதே பொருளாகும். சம் = நல்ல, மந்தி = குரங்கு.

வெற்றிலை
வெறும்+இலை, வெற்று+இலை = வெற்றிலை. எந்த ஒரு செடியும், கொடியும், மரமும் பூத்துக் காய்த்துக் கனியும் தன்மை உடையனவாகவே இருக்கும் என்பது இயற்கை. ஆனால் பூக்காமலும், காய்க்காமலும், வெறும் இலையை மட்டுமே நேரிடையாகத் தருவதால் இது வெற்றிலை (வெறும் இலை, வெற்று இலை என்ற பொருளில்) ஆயிற்று.

வாழை
அந்த மரத்தின் பட்டை வழுவழு என்று இருப்பதால் (வழு-வழு-வாழ) அது வாழை ஆயிற்று. மேலும், நம்மால் ஓர் இடத்தில் ஒரு புதிய கன்று வைக்கப்பட்டால் அதுவே பின் தொடர்ந்து வாரிசு முறையில் இயல்பாகத் தனக்குத்தானே மூலமாகவும், முதலாகவும் இருந்து கன்று ஈன்று கொண்டே வாழ்ந்து வருவதாலும், வாழ்ந்து விடுவதாலும் அது வாழை ஆயிற்று.  நாம் தென்னையோ, பனையோ வைத்தால் நாம் வைத்த அந்த மரம் ஒன்று மட்டுமேதான் வளரும். அதற்குப் பின் தொடர்ச்சியாக வாரிசு முறையில் இயல்பாக எந்த மரமும் வளராது - தொடராது. ஆனால் வாழை அப்படி அல்லவே! எனவேதான், இது தொடர்ந்து வருவதால் - வாழ்வதால் வாழை ஆயிற்று.

மிளகாய்
மிளகாய் என்பது தமிழ்நாட்டில் அறிமுகமான - உற்பத்தியான பொருள் அன்று. உறைப்புச் சுவை உடைய இந்தப் பொருள் இன்றைக்குச் சுமார் 500 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு சில்லி நாட்டிலிருந்து முதன்முதலாக நம் நாட்டில் அறிமுகமானது. ஆனால் தமிழர்கட்குக் காரச்சுவை உடையதாக விளங்கிய முதன்மையான சொந்த உற்பத்தி விளைபொருள் மிளகே ஆகும். கார்ச்சுவையோடு வந்த அந்த வெளிநாட்டுப் பொருளைத் தம் தமிழ் நிலைக்கு ஏற்ப மிளகுக்காய் என வழங்கினர், இதுவே காலப்போக்கில் மிளகாய் (மிளகுக்காய்) ஆயிற்று. மிளகாய்க்கு ஆங்கிலத்தில் சில்லி என்றுதானே பெயர். பிறகுதான் மிளகாய் தமிழக விளைபொருளும் ஆனது.

சோமாஸ்
சோமாஸ் என்பது ஒரு தின்பண்டத்தின் பெயர் ஆகும். நிலவுக்குச் சோமன் என்ற ஒரு வேறு பெயரும் உண்டு. நிலவு வளைந்து இருக்கும். அதுபோல வளைந்து இருக்கும் அத்தின்பண்டம் சோமாஸ் ஆயிற்று. இந்தச் சோமாஸிலிருந்து வந்த புதிய தின்பண்டம்தான் சமோசா. ஆம் பழைய தின்பண்டம் - சோமாஸ்; புதிய தின்பண்டம் - சமோசா.

மூலம்: அணுவிரதம் ஏப்ரல் 2012