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I got a seminar tomorrow. My ppt is ready. I am fully prepared. I practice my seminar in front of the mirror a dozen times. Yes ,I am confident.I can do it. <\/p>\n
Next day, in the seminar hall i stood infront of my audience like a stone blabbering shit unrelated to the content , thinking about what others will feel after I complete my seminar.Will I be able to give it again ?. Finally it was over. I breathed a sigh of relief. But did i succeed? <\/p>\n
It is a NO in bold letters. Most of us went through this. We don't go forward in many sitiations only to hide ourselves and letting our fear win over us always. Fuck it dude. You are much better . Yeah , you will fail a million times , but one day will come where people will look upon you with expectations. If you want that day to happen in your life , you gotta be fearless. <\/p>\n
Speak up. Stand up for what u think is right.Don't care if u got support behind your back or not , because people behind your back will always remain there .You have to be in the front. Become a leader.Become a role model.Have fan following. Life seems so beautiful then.Let people talk about you.Let it be negative or positive, but you are their topic.That's what matters.<\/p>\n
I would always suggest, doesn't matter if you loose or win , tweak your moustache and keep your head high. Give shit to people who talk shit about you. <\/p>\n
You are the hero of your life. Live a life that you deserve. \n<\/p>\n"}]
1. PRAGATHI TIFFIN CENTER :<\/b><\/p>
Skip your breakfast and take an early morning stroll in the Pragathi gully. Something tickles your senses and the next second you'll find yourself in front of an array of mouth watering treats like idlis, dosas etc... Pragati Tiffin Center rightly shows why they master in Paneer Dosa. While comparing with other Bandis the varieties offered here are less but they set a bold statement when compared to the other food standards. <\/b><\/p>
Get your plate and just sit under the tree and dig into your Dosa. Wow feeling assured<\/b><\/p>
Address :Opposite Pragathi College, Sultan Bazar, Hanuman Tekdi, Koti, Hyderabad<\/b><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503647960547","data":"599fdd323d075"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503656599474","data":"599ffcde31b0c"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648989319","data":"2. TIBBS FRANKIE :<\/b>It is one of the best street food in Hyderabad located in the upscale locality of Himayatnagar<\/b>. The well-cooked chicken blended with the right spices and a layer of egg makes it a perfect option for street food enthusiasts. Believe me or not you 'll have the perfect lip smacking pocket-friendly Frankie's over here. <\/div>Address :<\/span><\/div>Manyavar Showroom, Opposite Galaxy Cafe, Himayath Nagar, Hyderabad<\/div>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503649229694","data":"599fde74b4ce0"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503657073345","data":"599ffcd617c99"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503649480957","data":"3. KATHMANDU MOMOS:<\/b>I certainly believe there isn't any place other than Kathmandu momos which serve such yummy momos. It is a tiny stall located on the busy roads of Somajiguda but is simply incredible for its quality and taste. The spread of word can do wonders to a place like this.<\/div>Address :<\/b><\/u>Opposite Yashoda Hospital, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad<\/div>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503649315822","data":"599fe27c10a9e"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503650379073","data":"4. MUJTABA GRILLS :<\/b>You'll probably have the best shawarma of your life here. Shawarma is grilled, the chicken is crisp and yum. Though they serve other dishes it is popular for its Shawarma.<\/div>Address :<\/u>Plot 1, Gun Rock Enclave, Janakpuri Colony, Karkhana, Secunderabad<\/div>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503651257731","data":"599fe68483a3a"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503651376780","data":"5. CHACHAJI WADAPAV :<\/b>If you want to taste food from different states in Hyderabadi style then you have to visit Sindhi Colony in Secunderabad. You'll find many stalls which excel in serving Bombay chat, Chinese, Italian, Punjabi Pao Bhaji's etc. One such place for Wadapav cravings is Chachaji Wada pav. This is a tiny little stall which is known for its Wada pav and Dabeli. <\/div>Address <\/b>:<\/u>Near Satguru Complex, Beside LOT Mobile, Sindhi Colony, PG Road, Secunderabad<\/div><\/div>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503656357919","data":"599ffa0f64ace"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503656722516","data":"599ffb72ea24d"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503657464221","data":"Apart from these, there are also few well-known places like Gokul chat, Alpha hotel near Secunderabad railway station, Sardarji's Chat , Famous ice creams in Mozamjahi market. What are you waiting for?! now go on and tickle you taste buds.<\/div>"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/599fc597757c3stryimg","category":"Events","is_vip":"0","title":"71st Independence day at NMREC","title_id":"71st-independence-day-at-nmrec","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Saurav ","authorUserName":"saurav2","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/5985dedb86211profilepic","authorMagzName":"NMREC","authorCity":"Hyderabad ","like_count":63,"cmnt_count":4,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"NMREC","publishedInLink":"nmrec","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/597f7248b8893profilepic","publishedInCode":"nmrec","country":"IND","keywords":"Independence day,NMREC","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/71st-independence-day-at-nmrec\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503641584941","data":" Independence Day is a national festival and has equal importance for every Indian regardless of religion, class, creed or race. The way of celebrating is also the same throughout the country and that is the day,when you find whole India celebrating and rejoicing.<\/p>There was a time when Indians were not aware of the problems going on in the country and the society. But today the younger generation of India has come forward and many raise their voice against the problems in the society.<\/p>The most important thing is that we remember and pay respect to those who sacrificed their lives for the country.<\/p>Children look forward for this event because they expect sweets at the end of the celebrations. We being adults, we need to realise the importance of national festivals and make it a point to participate and feel proud as a citizen.<\/p>On this national holiday , there is a scene of joy, pride and rejoice everywhere. Many programs will be conducted which will bring out our patriotic spirit hidden deep within us.For students, this is a great platform to showcase their talents in these events which is an opportunity to convey a strong message to the audience and empathize with them reminicing the fights we fought and the victories we had and the heroes we lost.<\/p><\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503641993609","data":"599fc2f60b386"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642295582","data":" The 71st Independance day was clebrated with great enthusiasim. The event started by the arrival of our Secretary Sir Nalla Malla Reddy garu and his wife,our Chairperson, Shri. Kethi Reddy Sandhya Vali Garu. The flag was hoisted by our chairperson followed by the singing of the national anthem by the choir group and the entire college. There was a voluntary participation by the faculty to sing a patriotic song. The English faculty from the department of MPS\/HSS, Mr.Jitender sir, sung a telugu song and explained its essence beautifully followed a soulful performance by Mr.Balram sir from the Mechanical engineering Dept. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642302436","data":"599fc36fc3776"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642419235","data":"599fc3946be5c"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642403185","data":" Everybody proceeded to the seminar hall where Pavithra of CSE-2B is standing by the door to explain the posters she prepared for this occasion. Once everyone was seated, it was the time for the speeches to be unfolded overflowing with patriotic spirits. The speeches were followed by Namratha of ECE, Aamuktha of CSE-4B & a song by student of ECE girls. Then Nikhil & Adithya of CSE-3B delivered their speeches. They spoke about the problems we are currently facing in the nation and that we should not just celebrate the Independance day but also fight these problems.Then the ECE girls went on to deliver a song (fast beat, great meaning) which was a reminder to all the Indians that it is their duty to serve the nation.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642459945","data":"599fc3c7059c3"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642477619","data":"599fc3ce2c576"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642494763","data":" Next came Saurav from ECE-3A with an important historical anecdote explaining the importance of some great historical figures during Kargil war etc. Being the overall co-ordinator of Stumagz, he introduced Stumagz Avengers to the crowd explaining the functioning of each role and explained about India\u2019s development & role of technology in today\u2019s world & encouraged students in leaning new technologies.Followed by the head of the departments from all the departments spoke on the occasion of Independance day..<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642498599","data":"599fc43d41498"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642610565","data":" This event was followed by an energetic dance performance by the girls of ECE-4B on the song \u201cMa Tujhe Salam\u201d. Excellent choreography, received a lot of applause from the crowd. Then, a different batch of girls sung \u201cDesam Manade Tejam Manade\u201d with a strong message. Following this was a skit by a group of talented girls. Once again, ECE girls, in an incredible unison , had sung a patriotic song. Mohan sir, CSE Dept, raised the warrior spirit of the room with a patriotic poem emphasizing \u201cBe a fighter!\u201d & \u201cmaking India self-dependent\u201d. <\/p><\/p>Then came the much awaited speech of the day by our Secretary Nalla Malla Reddy Sir.He made many notable points such as \"I truly feel the daily wage worker is the biggest contributer in development. Then how much should the literate population contribute?\"\"Be it a county or a tree,everything gradually changes over time\"It was a truly impressive speech which motivated many to rethink about this contemporary world. His rare apperances make his words extremely special. We are always eagerly waiting for Nalla Malla Reddy sir to spread his ideology and the important message to everyone.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642634532","data":"599fc48a3f55e"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642679563","data":" Finally a vote of thanks by our Vice Principal Mr.Nisant Nalla garu, which finally concluded the event . While dispersing ,we were given refreshments.The one thing that was strongly emphasized was \" Never stop serving your nation and take pride in India for being our motherland\". We all promise to always have the patriotic spirit and continue serving our motherland India.JAI HIND!!!!!!!<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642684822","data":"599fc4cd4d37c"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642753831","data":" The events and the participants were:<\/p>1)Singing <\/p>A) \"Desam Manade\" by Harika ,Sreedivya,shivani of ECE-3C. <\/p>B)\"Idhira Bharatam & Bekhauf \" by I.K Priya, Vineetha Reddy , Rithvika ,Amulya , Maheshwari of ECE 4B.<\/p>2)Skit:Performance by Divya Goud ,Prashanthi ,Amulya of ECE 4B.<\/p>3)Dance :A mashup by Maheswari and Amulya of ECE 4B. <\/p> HOST OF THE EVENT: <\/p>Namratha ECE 4B <\/p>Siri Chandana CSE 4B <\/p>Saurav ECE 3A<\/p>"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/599fcdcc005f6stryimg","category":"Tech News","is_vip":"0","title":"Let's talk Sarahah","title_id":"let-s-talk-sarahah","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Trishna","authorUserName":"trishnabora","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/5a5b552de2684profilepic","authorMagzName":"SPHOORTHY","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":41,"cmnt_count":2,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"SPHOORTHY","publishedInLink":"sphn","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/56a730f7830cfprofilepic","publishedInCode":"sphn","country":"IND","keywords":"Sarahah,Tawfiq,App,Feedback,Honest","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/let-s-talk-sarahah\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503637842655","data":"Allow me to hit it straight. Intrinsically, 'Sarahah'<\/i> means 'honesty' <\/i>in Arabic. This brain wave was brought into force by a Saudi national and developer--Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq<\/i>. It enables us to send and receive creative yet anonymous messages only to the ones registered with the app. The icing on the cake is that,it doesn't bring the identity of the sender to light (conditions applied,like any other policy). Tawfiq was a part of the global IT circle of Wipro. There was a glitch when it came for the employees to not mince one's words while directing their prospects to their bosses. This mattered a lot to him. Back in November 2016, it was merely a social networking website without any app. Sarahah managed to grab everyone's eye balls since then. Initially, it was a platform of constructive feedback<\/i> only for the employees in the IT firm. Later, it went onto becoming it's existing stage. <\/p>\nAll we need to do is sign up, share our ID and wait till the messages start to pop in. With versions at hand both for android and ios,it is one of the most trending apps. One major facet is that there's no linear way to reply to the received messages. <\/p>Reportedly ,Sarahah is digging this option and working on many other attributes. We can also look around\nfor the ones that are registered. However,we cannot bar a user bluntly. This network of genuineness <\/p>is still in it's newborn phase. As per aforementioned, it only casts to escort a panorama of unadulterated feedback. So, go ahead and get candid with the people you already know!\n"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/599fc61811a5estryimg","category":"Whats hot","is_vip":"0","title":"Sarahah: The Social Construct","title_id":"sarahah-the-social-construct","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Yash Jain","authorUserName":"yashjain2","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/58fe71f29f5ffprofilepic","authorMagzName":"Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani - Hyderabad","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":21,"cmnt_count":1,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani - Hyderabad","publishedInLink":"bitshyd","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/591d682d5d474profilepic","publishedInCode":"bitshyd","country":"IND","keywords":"Sarahah,Constructive Feedback,Social Media,Validation","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/sarahah-the-social-construct\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642822819","data":" I recently bumped into this YouTube video about Sarahah app and it's actually quite intriguing. Sarahah, it's already been talked about a lot but the buzz doesn't seem to end. I thought of sharing it because not every person has a sensible manner of thinking about such apps.<\/p><\/p>If you've done something or have an opinion, you are very much aware of the circumstance in which you acted that way. But not everyone will understand that. Regardless of how firm you are to act maturely upon these feedbacks, they do hurt you in some way or the other. So you need not rely upon their perspective, their validation, to take any action. If you're wise enough and really want to improve yourself, talk to someone on whom you trust and who, you believe, will think for your best without judging you. Getting remarks from someone anonymous doesn't make any sense and in my opinion, the ones who care about you and do not have the guts to tell to you in person, those are the ones with \"Meethi chhuri\"!<\/p><\/p>Follow the video below for a better insight. It is majorly in Hindi. So I have provided the English transcript of the same. Watch it and then decide, is it really worthy of your attention or not.<\/p><\/p>\"So recently, there has come an app called 'Sarahah' on social media in which people give constructive feedback. It's a very fun app, constructive feedback and all. But the catch is, there are two points:- <\/p><\/p>1. On social media, you have a lot of friends and many are the backstabbing ones. Backstabbing as in, they pretend to be very nice in front of you. But behind your back, they always have their eyes to double-cross you in any way possible.<\/p>2. Constructive feedback, wherein if we leave aside the majority of the intellectual peeps, the rest interpret the the word 'Constructive' as 'Construction'. What kind of constructive feedback can you expect from such audience? So they remove the word constructive and get back to mere Feedback.<\/p><\/p>What constructive feedback means is the CRC approach; Commendation, Recommendation, Commendation approach. People call it sandwich approach in which you start off with commendation (Eg. \"You're good\"), then you add some feedback, then you mention the areas of improvement. Then you again end up the statement with commendation so the other person feels good about it.<\/p><\/p>But here, the people have a different attitude of theirs, that please don't get me wrong but you're a *beep*. Now with this attitude, what constructive feedback will anyone give. And the people who wanted to make it Tinder, they have successfully done it. \"I like you since my 7th grade. I know that you're committed now, will be marrying soon, but at least for once we can go on a date.\" And the people who're cheap will remain the same way. \"What's your size?\" Like, what're you gonna do it with it anyway? You wanna wear it? \"What's your size\"!<\/p><\/p>So in the past 3-4 days, everyone joined Sarahah app. Even I thought of getting validated on social media so I joined it. Now there are two types of people who give you feedback, the ones who compliment you and the ones who criticize you. As a matter of fact, we are not as affected as much by the former than the latter. In my case, people are just bursting out their frustration. This might be the case with a few of you but for me, that was the sole thing I received.<\/p><\/p>Last night I got a message saying, \"O stammer! I used to do better comedy than you when I was 5 years old. Do better, grow up you!\" And then I was thinking that it was easier to do comedy at the age of 5 because then, people didn't judge you the way you're doing right now. Also, at that time you didn't need to put any efforts because people used to get happy just by seeing you. Issue is, it's tougher to perform in front of the audience at 25. Secondly, I've been stammering since my childhood, you haven't told me anything new. Tell me something new. You might have not known this but I've grown up knowing this.<\/p><\/p>Social media is full of this sort of people. For a fat guy, they'll be saying \"How fat are you? You eat so much, you'll die of it.\" For a skinny guy, \"Hey lanky fellow! What are you doing? Eat something or you'll fly off in the wind.\" For someone who's balding, \"Sir you're getting bald. Get it sorted or people will tease you.\" If someone's black, \"Brother you're too black. I mean, too black, very dark.\" Now what constructive feedback shall one take from such critics and their messages.<\/p><\/p>So in the night, I decided that now it's going over the board. I mean, there were positive messages too but the negative ones were getting more focus. So finally, I deleted my account and removed all the handles on which I posted it and went to bed. Even in the morning I was thinking the same. <\/p><\/p>Then I went to the adjacent room of my parents' where I found our briefcase. That briefcase had all the photo albums since my childhood; the Kodak ones in which we used to paste the postcard size pictures. So I took a look at it. My mother sat next to me and began share the tales of how, when I was young, started drinking from the milk bottle; how I rode the tricycle when I was 3-years old, then the bicycle; how I excelled in my school; how I cried while going to the school; how I later learned to ride a bike, then a car; how i helped in all the family functions.<\/p><\/p>It all went beyond that 'constructive feedback'. Even my father was validating all these incidents. Then I thought that for the sole reason of getting this \"constructive feedback\", we're digging into all these apps, when you can find everything you want in the room next to yours.<\/p><\/p>Technology has changed it all, complicated even the simplest things. If you need the feedback, just walk in to that room. Want to get the validation, the service is available for you. But we rely on a third-party app to get a comment on ourselves from the anonymous person which makes us happy or sad (more often).<\/p>What is going on man!?\"<\/p>"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/59a1442d0fcb7stryimg","category":"Blog","is_vip":"0","title":"The Ships Have Come To Carry You Home","title_id":"the-ships-have-come-to-carry-you-home","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Shireen","authorUserName":"shireen3","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/stumagzprofilepic","authorMagzName":"Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani - Hyderabad","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":12,"cmnt_count":2,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani - Hyderabad","publishedInLink":"bitshyd","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/591d682d5d474profilepic","publishedInCode":"bitshyd","country":"IND","keywords":"Army,Ships","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/the-ships-have-come-to-carry-you-home\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503739700192","data":"My brothers are in the Army and it terrifies me every time they are on active duty. The emotional toll it plays on your mind when you're not sure about whether they're going to return alive or not from hostile zones can break even the strongest of people, but I understand the choice they've made. The thing about coming from a privileged family is that we get to make a choice when it comes to career choices. Those among us who are underprivileged see the Army as a viable means of earning a living as well as serving the country, but us privileged folk, as most of my peers in BITS will no doubt identify, have a choice between the Army and the rest, simply because our privilege allows us to have more opportunity for being born with the skin colour and caste society deems is worthy of that respect. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503740332393","data":"59a143e70ae74"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503740334084","data":"But the squabbles of caste, skin colour, even enmity and privilege are all insignificant in the face of death, for death comes for all, and death comes for you. It is funny really, people are ready to die and kill for their ideology but they don't realise the fundamental similarity between all humans, we all bleed, we all love, we all cry. An empathetic human being turns into a stony faced monster in the face of ideology, ideology that will make monsters of all of us. There can be no peace until one ideology is proven right, say the power mongers, and for that, we will sit in our comfortable rooms while young men and women live and die for the country and ideology. <\/p>Nonetheless, giving your life up to save those you love is the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate act of selflessness where you are willing to exchange your own future to ensure the future of those vulnerable. And as much as we glorify the Army in India, we forget that they are just made of people, people like you and me, scared, in a cold and dark place, holding a gun in their hand and following orders. No matter what happens, when they pay the price, the ships will come to carry them home. They will be remembered, by friends, family, the people they saved, and of course politicians using the dead bodies of the Jawans for political mileage instead of fixing real issues of the country. <\/p>Lay down \/ Your sweet and weary head \/ Night is falling \/ You\u2019ve come to journey's endSleep now \/ And dream of the ones who came before \/ They are calling \/ From across the distant shoreWhy do you weep? \/ What are these tears upon your face? \/ Soon you will see \/ All of your fears will pass away \/ Safe in my arms \/ You're only sleepingWhat can you see \/ On the horizon? \/ Why do the white gulls call? \/ Across the sea \/ A pale moon rises...The ships have come to carry you hom <\/i><\/p>"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/599fdbe86fdecstryimg","category":"Inspiration","is_vip":"0","title":"5 Habits That Turn Off Negative Thinking","title_id":"5-habits-that-turn-off-negative-thinking","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Jadhav Rohit","authorUserName":"jadhavrohit","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/5a4c05f535cafprofilepic","authorMagzName":"Vardhaman","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":40,"cmnt_count":2,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"Vardhaman","publishedInLink":"vardhaman","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/56aa69e0012eeprofilepic","publishedInCode":"vardhaman","country":"IND","keywords":"positivethinking,negativethoughts,control,selfhelp,inspiration,determination","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/5-habits-that-turn-off-negative-thinking\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503647870998","data":"\u201cWe act how we think and feel. When we remove the negative thought, with it goes the drama and pain.\u201d<\/p> \u2013 Anon. <\/p>\nNegative thoughts serve absolutely no purpose. Zero. None. Not-a-one. Know what else?\n\nNegative thinking has absolutely nothing to do with you as a person. Toxic thoughts don\u2019t define your character, and they can\u2019t determine your destiny. We determine the power of each negative thought. Unfortunately, we often grant negative thoughts too much influence \u2013 and this is what causes damage. <\/p>\nThe Buddha once said: \u201cYour worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.\u201d<\/p>HERE ARE 5 WAYS TO REFRAME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS: <\/b><\/p>\n1. OBSERVE THE THOUGHT<\/b><\/p> \n\nTake a seat in the far back of your mind and simply observe the negative thought. (Think about how you\u2019d watch a bird flutter about on a rooftop.)\n\nNegative thoughts are generally a product of cognitive distortions, or irrational thought patterns, something recognized by psychologists and psychiatrists the world over. You don\u2019t require psychotherapy or medication \u2013 you only need to observe a thought, and then watch it dissipate.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648406513","data":"599fdafca0f15"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648386500","data":" 2. QUESTION ANY RUMINATIONS <\/b><\/p> \n\nRuminations are patterns of overthinking, e.g., \u201cI have this problem, which I can solve if I just keep thinking about it.\u201d Unless you\u2019re actively engaging the frontal lobe of your brain \u2013 that is, attempting to solve a problem \u2013 most ruminations are pointless. The question then becomes \u201cHow do I reframe these thoughts?\u201d Here is a suggested course of action: (a) Create two columns on a sheet of paper. Label the first column \u201cThought\u201d and the second column \u201cSolution.\u201d (b) When the rumination appears, write down the time. Write anything of use in the \u201csolution\u201d column. (c) At the end of the day\/week\/month, count the number of times the thought appeared and any insights. Is there anything of value? If not, re-read #1.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648104429","data":"599fd9ce2e9c8"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648118719","data":" 3. DETERMINE THE EVIDENCE <\/b><\/p>\nAnother way of reframing your thoughts is to evaluate the evidence behind them.\n\nFor example, if you\u2019re always thinking \u201cI never have enough money,\u201d it may be helpful to assess the evidence and come to a solution (if needed).\n\nOnce again, you\u2019ll create two columns. In Column (A) write any supporting proof that you \u201cnever have enough money,\u201d e.g. bank account balance, always asking for money, etc. In Column (B) write any objective evidence demonstrating the contrary, e.g. having shelter, food, clothing, and so on.\n\nWhat information is conveyed through this exercise? Can you say with 100 percent honesty that you \u201cnever have enough money\u201d? If so, what\u2019s the next course of action? Do you create a budget and limit your spending?<\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648467203","data":" 4. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS <\/b><\/p> \n\nWhat better place to mention mindfulness than after talking about money \u2013 a near-universal stressor? Christopher Bergland, a three-time champion of the Triple Ironman triathlon and scientist, explains mindfulness as \u201cmuch more basic than most people realize.\u201d Bergland breaks down his approach to mindfulness in three steps: \u201cStop. Breathe. Think about your thinking. Anyone can use this simple mindfulness technique throughout the day to stay calm, focused, optimistic and kind.\u201d Structured mindfulness meditation practices and techniques, such as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) exist for those people seeking more formal training.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648483663","data":"599fdb4d1cf29"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648442593","data":" 5. UNDERSTAND IMPERMANENCE AND NEUTRALITY <\/b><\/p>\nWe touched on this during the introduction, but it\u2019s worth repeating: negative thoughts are fleeting and temporary; without any real power of their own. No matter what negative thoughts cross your mind, it is crucial to understand these concepts. In fact, you can even create and recite a maxim, for example, \u201cThis is a negative thought. I\u2019ll observe but not engage, as it will quickly flee.\u201d One terrific way to demonstrate the powerlessness of a negative thought is to distract yourself. Do something that will occupy your mind, so there\u2019s no room for the negative thoughts.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648440027","data":"599fdb2a148ea"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/59a0adca5d8acstryimg","category":"My Take","is_vip":"0","title":"Ganesh Chaturthi at Home","title_id":"ganesh-chaturthi-at-home","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Samhita Pillarisetti","authorUserName":"samhitapillaris","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/585c8c9a53a60profilepic","authorMagzName":"St. Francis","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":16,"cmnt_count":1,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"St. Francis","publishedInLink":"sfc","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/57284dfd8b1e4profilepic","publishedInCode":"sfc","country":"IND","keywords":"festival,ganesha,home","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/ganesh-chaturthi-at-home\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1489377128421","data":" Vinayaka Chaturthi \u2013 25.08.2017\n\nIn a conversation with my mom yesterday, I told her how Ganesh Chaturthi has always been my favourite festival.\nShe smiles and says \u2013 Do you remember? You would always bring the Ganesh idol by carrying it on your head and place it down saying \u201c Ganapthi Bappa Moriyaaa!!!\u201d . \nI smiled and realized that I don\u2019t remember doing that, but it isn\u2019t surprising. I never was really good at hiding my excitement then, and miserably fail at that even now. \nThis Festival has given me so many beautiful memories that I strongly feel like I owe Vinayaka for all the happiness he has presented me on this day and everyday. I am truly blessed. \n\nNow, when I write about this festival, I realize why this day has been more than dear to me.\n\nThe day started early on this festival. We would be awake by 7 and ready by 9. While mom would get busy in the kitchen making the variety of dishes to be presented to the Lord, I would just run around trying to help and only succeed in distracting her from her work. \nBut, the part I really awaited for was when Dad and I would go out to get the Ganesh Idol and all the \u201csamagri\u201d consisting of \u2018patri\u2019, \u2018pushpam\u2019 and fruits. In half an hour we would be back and then get to the more fun part . We would bring down the \u201cpooja samaan\u201d in the top cupboard , from where they were placed last year. \nDad and I would sit down and then arrange a wonderful platform for the lord and decorate it in the most beautiful way with everything purchased in the morning. This part of the day, when Dad and I sit down to tie threads to the fruits to hang them around the idol, was what I waited for, for an year until the festival arrived again.Then, we would make a garland for the idol and mark our books with haldi and kumkum. \nThese small moments made me feel cherished and created a deeper bond with my dad in those small conversations that we shared. \nSoon, my cousins and grandparents would be home, and dad would get dressed in his white \u2018panchi\u2019 ( dhoti) and \u2018khandoba\u2019. He had just transformed into the pandith for the day. \nAnd then, the pooja would begin and so would our hunger when the Prasad\/Naivedyam is offered to the Ganesha. \nThe story of the festival and the Lord Ganesha was what introduced me to storytelling and their significance ever since I\u2019ve known or remembered this Festival. \nThe pooja would end in an hour, and then our \u201cfood festival\u201d would begin. Our family of nine would gather around the table as the kids sit on the floor, and get up numerous times for second and third servings. \nLord Ganesha had come, and brought joy with him, and just 9 days later, he would depart us , but leaving memories, strength and bonds.\nToday, the festival, the fun, memories and most of everything was there, only the number nine was six, as my cousins were in hostels and my grandma, looking over us form above.\nBut, today was a good day. And I had a wonderful time. Thank you Ganesha. \n\nGanapathi Bappa Moriyaa!!! \n<\/p>"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/59a0451030b00stryimg","category":"Inspiration","is_vip":"0","title":"MOST BELOVED FACULTY V.NARESH KUMAR Sir","title_id":"most-beloved-faculty-v-naresh-kumar-sir","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Chaitanya Reddy","authorUserName":"chaitanyareddy3","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/599867f891252profilepic","authorMagzName":"CMRTC","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":22,"cmnt_count":4,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"CMRTC","publishedInLink":"cmrtc","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/568e74de7aa6aprofilepic","publishedInCode":"cmrtc","country":"IND","keywords":"V.NARESH KUMAR,CSE DEPARTMENT,CMR technical campus,Rajeevan,Nagarjuna sir,Mathew sir,assistant professor,STUMAGZ,MNC'S","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/most-beloved-faculty-v-naresh-kumar-sir\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503676465816","data":" I have got a great opportunity to interview our one of the beloved faculty of our collage.<\/p> He is none other than V.NARESH KUMAR<\/b> of CSE DEPARTMENT<\/b>. He has 15 years of experience in the teaching field. He is training and placement co-ordinator of our college,website incharge of CMR technical campus<\/b>, facebook admin of CMR technical campus. By interviewing him he had a great information on how a student should be or what MNC'S are looking for in a student. So these are some answers he gave us.<\/p>*<\/b>Leaving a software company,What made you come to teaching profession?<\/p>--> <\/b>Before joining into the software company also i worked as a assistant professor<\/b> in some of the most reputed engineering colleges,I immediately started teaching after my B-tech,later i have done my M-tech and perusing PHD right now. I have went into software to learn about some practical knowledge in B-tech we learn theoritically what happens but when do you get the practical knowledge once you go in real time and get some information then you will get the practical knowledge, just to get the practical knowledge i went into software and then i have returned back to my favorite place which is teaching.<\/p>*<\/b>Many of them consider teaching as honourble profession, What is a teacher according to you?<\/p>--><\/b> A teacher according to me, he or she will spread knowledge, he should be a person who can share anything, a person who feels happy by sharing is called a teacher according to me.<\/p>*<\/b>Who is your motivation,to get into this profession?<\/p>--><\/b> Actually when i was in school there is a person called as <\/span>Rajeevan<\/b> he is a faculty of science, when ever i see him i feel like i want to become a teacher like him there are 2 persons <\/span>Nagarjuna sir <\/b>and <\/span>Mathew sir <\/b>these 3 persons inspiered me alot when i was a kid, they where my motivational persons.<\/span><\/p>*<\/b> Where there any difficulties in your life, personal and professional ?<\/p>--> <\/b> I started my carrier where i was born in my native place KAMAM<\/b>, i did not face much difficulties financially but initially faced difficulties when i started teaching for the first time it took me 1 1\/2 to 2 years to understand what is teaching exactly , handling 60 students in one class is a big task satisfying all 60 students is immpossible but we will try to satisfy them i faced difficulties at my starting level ,gaining control over the students and subject knowledge, personally i did not face any difficuties my family was always there to support me.<\/p>*<\/b>How a teacher and student relationship should be according to you?<\/p>--><\/b>Relation between teacher and student should be much close, thee should be some respect between each other, they say that student should give respect to the faculty but i say that both should respect to each other, students should not misuse the leniency given by the teacher, you should not have fear to approach a faculty, you should have understanding between a student and teacher.<\/p>*What does a MNC expect from the students?<\/b><\/p>--><\/b> MNC'S does not expect a technology from you, it always expect only one thing weather if we give training can u learn or not, you should industry ready(like if u are given a project on java and the roject is cancelled and u need to shift to dot net training). Are you a quick learner or not MNC'S need such type of people, they do not need 100% or 99% students.<\/b><\/p>*<\/b>What are the tips you want to give to students who opt teaching as there profession in the future?<\/i><\/p>--><\/b> A teachr should teach in a way that what he wants to tell, he should teach wat the students want him to teach try to give them more real time examples in class, so that it will be interesting even if its the last period they will listen with concentration.<\/i><\/p>*Is STUMAGZ a great platform to the students?<\/b><\/p>--> I heard about STUMAGZ student magazine, I have viewed some videos on it , I think its a great platform for the students to learn new things whether it may be technical,suggestions,professionalor student life what ever it may be it is providing a good platform for all the students according to me STUMAGZ is rocking now.<\/b><\/p> ALWAYS TRY TO BE A LEARNER, THE MOMENT YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING IT IS END OF YOUR CARRIER.<\/u><\/b><\/p><\/p> THANK YOU. <\/b><\/p> <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700676609","data":"59a0a35b3af0c"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700656077","data":"59a0a34425b00"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700699825","data":"59a0a37206a2d"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/59a08c6e9b480stryimg","category":"Blog","is_vip":"0","title":"Half Life 3 Unconfirmed","title_id":"half-life-3-unconfirmed","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Sujayendra Krishna Nellore","authorUserName":"sujayendrakris","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/586e19015fd74profilepic","authorMagzName":"Team Stumagz","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":9,"cmnt_count":0,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"Team Stumagz","publishedInLink":"team","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/stumagzprofilepic","publishedInCode":"team","country":"IND","keywords":"Gaming,Half Life,Video Games","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/half-life-3-unconfirmed\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503693528589","data":"It was around February of 1999 when my best friend in school came running to me during one of our free periods, excited about something. Before I could get an answer out of him, he dragged me off to the computer lab promising me to show something really exciting. <\/p>\"One of the computers has video games in it!\", he squealed with excitement, \"It's one of those where you only see the gun on the screen and you have to move around.\"<\/p>By the time he had stopped hyperventilating, we had reached the computer lab and one of our teachers was kind enough to check if the coast was clear before letting us play. I took my place in front of the computer and my friend double clicked on an icon that said 'hl.exe.' The computer booted up the game, and we were greeted to the main menu with its variety of options, the title at the top of the screen proclaiming 'Half Life'. My life was never the same again after that. <\/p>Although I did not know it as an 8-year-old boy, I was playing a game that had revolutionised the entire video game industry, changing it forever. Half Life laughed in the face of conventional video games of the time, disregarding and outright rejecting the standards set for first person shooters of the industry at the time and giving the player complete freedom to move around the environment, refusing to stop even for the important details of the plot. Go forth, the developers seem to say and do as you please for the game world is yours to play with. Indeed, such was the influence of Half Life on the industry, even to this day, modern video games are built on the foundations it laid back in the late 90s. <\/p>What began for me, on that crisp day all the way back in 1999, was a life long obsession with video games which would go on to become a part of my identity, of who I was. I knew, back then, I was playing something the likes I had never seen before. Half Life lit a fire of unquenchable desire in the corners of my heart, and today, 18 years later, I'm awake at 2 AM to write its eulogy, because after 10 years of waiting to hear a word from the developers, Half Life is finally and truly dead. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503694907194","data":"59a0a8a825283"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503694910832","data":"Valve Corporation and The Advent of Steam: <\/b><\/p>Established in 1996 by Gabe Newell who had freshly left Microsoft after 13 years of service, Newell had a clear idea of what he was going to do with the company he christened Valve Corporation. He wanted to make video games, inspired by another former Microsoft employee Michael Abrash, who went on to work on Quake, another storied first person franchise which also finds itself among my personal favourites. Pooling his personal money along with co-founder Mike Harrington, he oversaw the development of Half Life using the Gold-src engine used for the aforementioned Quake. Two years later, in November 1998, the game was out and the industry was never the same again. <\/p>Valve had become the new darling of Games Media, with people asking for interviews left and right. Valve's status from bootstrapped company to Video Game legends seemingly happened overnight, the fact that they embraced the community and encouraged people to make modifications for their game only enshrined their name on obscure online websites and the movement grew to a roar pretty soon. After many excellent mods made from Half Life, one mod stood out from the rest, made by two enterprising modders Minh Le and Jess Cliffe and released in 1999. The mod was called Counter Strike. <\/p>Like Wildfyre in Game of Thrones, the addictive nature of Counter Strike spread rapidly through online websites. Before long, everyone was playing the intensely tactical shooter and it was only a matter of time before Valve picked up the mod themselves, hiring both Le and Cliffe to work on the project and release it from the studio directly, which finally happened in 2001. <\/p>However, PC Gaming had a problem. Games were getting bigger, and Newell realised that they would soon have to depend on multiple discs to install games on computers. With the internet speeds of the world getting faster with the turn of the millennium, it was time to think of a solution. <\/p>Enter Steam, a digital distribution platform for video games on which you could buy a game, download and play directly without having to use a CD Key or a disc to install. The Steam installer would automatically install the game for you, all you had to do was buy the game and download it. It was the perfect solution to bring together various developers for the PC platform onto one digital distribution service which would enable them to sell to a larger audience and depend lesser on shipping crates upon crates of video games to various countries around the world. Now all that was left was to get gamers to actually use the platform, which was easier said than done. <\/p>Gamers hated Steam, there is simply no way to sugarcoat it. You could only play games if you signed in to your account, and although you could buy your game once and download it on any machine for the rest of your life, it was still a difficult concept to adapt. Valve needed a big game to be able to attract gamers to Steam, and as it so happens, they just had the one to do so. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503696576187","data":"59a0a8d047385"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503696578319","data":"Half Life 2:<\/b> <\/p>The team at Valve, Gabe Newell, the programmers, game designers and the writer Marc Laidlaw, faced a seemingly impossible task. They had to make a game that would live up to the hype generated by the prequel, which in this case meant that Half Life 2 had to be a game that would break industry norms all over again and become nothing short of a legend in the industry. As the industry waited with bated breath, the little nuggets of information that Valve provided to the press informed the community at large that they had indeed come upon a magic formula to make the game tick. So on November 18, 2004, when the game was finally launched, fans from all over the world poured onto Steam to unlock the game and play. <\/p>The debate on which Half Life is objectively better will make all of us grow long white beards and broken backs (yes, including women), but the fact remains that what Half Life 2 did with its game engine and the way it handled Physics in the game world managed to revolutionise the industry once again. Physics based puzzles took centre stage with the Gravity Gun, a device you could use to levitate objects in the game world and place them where you wanted, each object with its own weight. This, combined with the storytelling Valve had mastered in the prequel, made Half Life 2 one of the most successful games in Video Game history. To this day, it is one of the highest rated video games of all time. It seemed like Valve simply could do no wrong. Going ahead with the franchise, Gabe Newell said that the company would be releasing the next bits of story in form of episodes which, he said, would essentially be Half Life 3, but called Half Life 2 Episode 1, 2 and 3. 3 Episodes he promised us, and in 2007, we got the fantastic Half Life 2 Episode 2 along with Portal and Team Fortress, both games that would go on to become legendary on their own. <\/p>Then the problems began.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503697714587","data":"59a0a9201e268"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503697716718","data":"The Money Making Machine: <\/b><\/p>Steam was getting bigger than anyone, except perhaps Valve, had anticipated. Every developer wanted to be on the platform as it was the easiest access to their customers, a fact Valve marketed well. Playing around with Team Fortress 2, Valve released cosmetics and an economic system on its platform, an economy for virtual cosmetic items. As it turns out, there were a lot of people willing to pay for virtual items online, even if it cost in the thousands of dollars. The economy blew up, Team Fortress 2 was not just a mere team based shooter anymore, but a game within a larger money making machine, where in game cosmetics would be sold for ridiculously high prices. Those among us who were enterprising enough managed to get very rich, with a dear friend making up to 80 Lakh Rupees. If a person from New Delhi could make this much money selling cosmetics and items online, you can be sure that even Valve saw the opportunity to make absurd amounts of money by just making new items for Team Fortress 2 instead of working on new games. But it would make no sense to just have the economy based off of Team Fortress 2, it was time to diversify. <\/p>Somewhere in the mid to late noughties, Valve hired the enigmatic IceFrog, the man behind another highly addictive online multiplayer game, Defense of the Ancients, better known as DotA. While IceFrog began work on DotA 2, Valve set about working on Counter Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO, if you prefer. When the games launched, it was the dawn of a new era for PC gaming. Valve seemed, back then, to be the saviour of PC gaming, bringing PC Gaming to the forefront along with eSports. They announced DotA 2 to the world with a tournament called The International, with a prize pool of a whopping $1 million, something that was never done before. <\/p>Of course, the economy for items began in earnest when the games were launched, with Valve getting a cut of the money whenever you sold an item on the marketplace and a cut of the money whenever you bought something from the marketplace. Today, it is at the point that selling one knife cosmetic in Counter Strike gives them the same returns as 3 full priced games being sold. <\/p>This, combined with Valve's lack of hierarchy, they promoted a 'nobody is anybody's boss' culture at work, seems to have caused a rift within the office between the old guard and the new team members who were making easy money simply running steam, maintaining CSGO and DotA with the occasional updates. <\/p>Somewhere along the way, Half Life was forgotten.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503698914384","data":"59a0a9389bdcb"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503698917386","data":"Marc Laidlaw's Lament: <\/b><\/p>But the community remembered. The community waited. The community was hopeful. Hope soon turned to cynicism, cynicism led to memes. Soon, the existence of Half Life 2 Episode 3, or Half Life 3 itself, had become a meme, with many people on the internet joking with the punching 'Half Life 3 confirmed!'. <\/p>For the longest time, the community believed that Valve was looking for new technology to bring to the forefront before they decide to make the next installment, many believed that Valve was too afraid to not living up to the hype and that after a decade, it might not be able to live up to the excitement the name generated. But all those rumours were put to rest today, as Marc Laidlaw wrote on his website, a cryptic short story with enough hints to suggest that it was actually the story of Half Life 2 Episode 3, the fabled story that would have brought an end to the chapter of gaming history. The story, continuing exactly where Episode 2 left us off, brings us a full circle. The same feeling of awe and wonderment players felt when Half Life's story was kicked into motion was used to conclude the story. The last paragraph of his short story breaks the 4th wall if taken out of context, and seems to be speaking directly to the players and to the development team at Valve. You can read the uncryptic version here<\/a>, but be warned, there be spoilers. <\/p>For years, we had heard rumours that Marc Laidlaw was frustrated with how things were being done at Valve HQ. 18 months ago, he left the company along with a number of the old guard. It leads me that believe he was frustrated with how things were being done at Valve and how nothing was getting done at all. Getting paid for doing nothing sounds quite appealing, but the truth of the matter is it is a frustrating hell hole to be in when your work is ignored and you're getting paid anyway. <\/p>Reading the story, I felt anger, then sadness and finally acceptance. The story we've all been waiting for so long to appear in the form of a video game had finally been revealed, just not in the way we intended it to be. It meant that Valve was probably never releasing Half Life 2 Episode 3, although I believe Laidlaw hopes this would prompt Valve to pull up their socks and begin work. It is difficult to find a game that examines the human condition as Half Life does and the way Laidlaw ends the story, it brings into question our place in the universe, especially the extent of our impact on the larger scheme of things. We are but an infinitesimally and insignificantly small speck in a galaxy, a galaxy which in itself is an infinitesimal quantity in the universe at large. Do any of these things matter, or like Ozymandias, even the greatest of men, the greatest of deeds, the greatest of people, will one day be forgotten?<\/p>This was Laidlaw's attempt to send the story out to those of us who have been waiting for 10 years, waiting for a sign, a screenshot, even a nod from Gabe Newell to confirm the existence of the game and that it was being worked upon and releasing soon. Now that we know how it ends, it feels like the end of the line. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700113057","data":"59a0a95d1705f"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503700116126","data":"End of the Line: <\/b><\/p>We knew the game didn't exist. In the darkest corners of our hearts, we knew, but we refused to believe it. No amount of articles on tech websites, gaming websites, blogs, YouTube videos, none of it would convince us to see the obvious truth that stood bare in front of us, forever mocking, for the last few years. Because just like me, the community had grown up playing the games, and just like me, they were blown away by the experience. Everyone has their awe-inspiring experience that changes them as a person, for me, it was as an 8-year-old boy sitting in a government school's computer lab as I hit the New Game button and was greeted with a long tram ride with words flashing on the screen, informing me that my name was Gordon Freeman and that I was a 27-year-old MIT graduate on my way to a science experiment, one that would go on to change the fate of The Earth itself. <\/p>This was why Half Life, and the games that followed it, worked. Gordon being a silent protagonist allowed us players to imprint our own personalities upon him, which meant when were playing the game, we were all Gordon Freeman. We jumped through hoops, killed aliens, shot down black ops soldiers and assassins sent to kill us not because we cared about a theoretical physicist, but because we were the protagonist of the story. <\/p>Which is why I have subjected you to such a painfully long article about a topic you probably don't even care about. I had to tell this story because it deserves to be told, if you've made it this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. In this day and age of instant gratification, the internet has made an old man out of me, and old men need to rant and lament from time to time. Today, finally, as we reach the end of the line with the tale of a franchise that would change gaming forever, I suppose it is some solace that we finally have some closure, even if it wasn't how we intended it to be. <\/p>'It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia.' - Frank Zappa <\/i><\/p>"}] {"cover_pic":"https:\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/599f52ffa05d6stryimg","category":"Whats hot","is_vip":"0","title":"In Honour Of The Destroyer Of Obstacles","title_id":"in-honour-of-the-destroyer-of-obstacles-","isEdit":0,"isAdmin":0,"authorFullName":"Sujayendra Krishna Nellore","authorUserName":"sujayendrakris","authorProfilePic":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/586e19015fd74profilepic","authorMagzName":"Team Stumagz","authorCity":"Hyderabad","like_count":37,"cmnt_count":3,"type":1,"isApproved":2,"publishedInName":"Team Stumagz","publishedInLink":"team","publishedInLogo":"\/\/cdn.stumagz.com\/images\/stumagzprofilepic","publishedInCode":"team","country":"IND","keywords":"Ganesh Chaturthi,Festivals","isBookingEnabled":0,"privacy_status":"1","url":"https:\/\/www.stumagz.com\/in-honour-of-the-destroyer-of-obstacles-\/","has_form":0,"is_appln_closed":0,"max_no_of_applns":0,"likeStatus":0} [{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503613114584","data":"As the sun rises on the day of Vinayaka Chavithi, houses across cities of Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad are in a frenzy already. The elders awake and buzzing around the house, the kids being roused from their sleep, waking up to a house already ready to pull their ears for being late. It was puja time. <\/p>And thus sat us, the children of the house, as the puja is performed, listening silently, intently and waiting, waiting for our favourite part of the puja. <\/p>Perhaps it was just me, but the legend behind the one that went by many names, Ganesha, Vinayaka, Vinayakudu, was my favourite part of the puja. For a child that grew up reading comic books, the story of Ganesha was nothing short of a superhero origin story. Made from clay, given life by Lord Shiva's consort Parvati Devi, and then facing The Destroyer's infamous temper. As the story goes, after Parvati Devi poured life into a boy she had made out of clay and asked him to stand guard as she took a bath. As the goddess went about her business, Lord Shiva returned to his abode only to find a young boy standing in the way, claiming to be Parvati's son. Enraged at the boy's insolence, Lord Shiva cut off the boy's head, the commotion of which drew Parvati Devi out from her bath and onto the scene that horrified her. She admonished her lord husband and Lord Shiva, filled with remorse, set about to find the first head he could find. He returned with the head of an elephant, and thus, one of the most iconic Gods of Hinduism took shape as Lord Shiva attached the head to the headless body of the young boy and breathed life into him. <\/p>There are different variations of the story, in some versions, Lord Shiva calls upon a horde of demons which the young boy fights off valiantly, before Lord Vishnu intervenes in the form of Maya, distracting the young boy with her beauty as Lord Shiva used the distraction to chop off his head, but the overall theme and the way the story begins and ends are the same, and to a boy growing up in a somewhat orthodox family, it sounded fantastical and amazing. A different variation of this origin story has been passed down as legend over the years: a religion that has survived the many thousands of years that Hinduism has leaves its marks in various parts of the world, including other mythologies. The origin story was also adapted for Wonder Woman, whose mother Hippolyta also designs her from clay before the gods pour life into her, although it is likely that when the character was first made, William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter might have drawn inspiration from other mythologies and cultures that were influenced by Hinduism<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503615422383","data":"599f67317175f"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503615430866","data":"The History: <\/b><\/p>While it is currently unknown just how the current day celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi began, we do know that it was celebrated with much pomp and fervour in the times of Maharaj Shivaji, the firebrand Maratha King and repurposed symbol of Hindutva, in Pune around 1630-1680. As the British Empire took over the Indian subcontinent, the festival soon lost patronage, becoming a quiet private affair for families. It wasn't until late 19th century when Lokmanya Tilak wrote in favour of turning public Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations into political rallies against the yoke of the British Empire as the first cracks had begun to appear, that the festival saw an uproar of resurgence. A few years prior to Tilak's writing, in 1892, Bhausaheb Laxman Javale had installed a public idol of Ganesha, making the festival a public affair once again, in Mumbai (called Bombay back in the day).<\/p>The British, of course, would soon find out the cocktail of fervent nationalism mixed with religion would be costly for them, as the movement began to spread and celebrating the festival became a political statement against The Empire. Ganesha, Tilak believed, was the god of everyone, adored by the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins alike, for these were times when nobody raised a word against casteism in society, a fact the British used very well against us. <\/p>Nonetheless, a god to united the Hindus was here, his festival was their outlet of frustration against The Empire, The God Who Destroyed Obstacles was prayed to with much devotion for getting rid of the biggest obstacle that India faced: an empire that filled its coffers with plunder from the subcontinent. In retrospect, I suppose it was fate or a sign from the Gods themselves that Ganesha's festival be the one used to rally against The Empire. <\/p>Come what may, the Hindus of India could not be taken away from their religion, and their favourite gods. It was only a matter of time before Tilak's idea spread to various population hubs in the country. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503616804452","data":"599f674c2ca13"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503616806718","data":"The Pandals:<\/b> <\/p>Today, the festival has become a contest of one-upmanship, with every two-bit jobless young person in every street of the city attempting to organise a Ganesh Pandal to curry favour with the local politicians or massaging the ego of the local strongman with political connections. However, there are still plenty among us that celebrate the festival with the right intent, making it as grand as possible for all to see. Central to this endeavour, of course, are the students of the city, young people of all shapes and sizes coming together to handle the logistics of the operation, overseeing the construction of the pandal, the delivery of the idol, the organisation of the puja and on the final day, the immersion, which deserves an article of its own, keep an eye out for that one. <\/p>So common are pandals today, pandal hopping has become an attraction in itself. Groups of people move from one pandal to the next, observing, paying respects to the Ganesh idol, deciding which one was more impressive, savouring the prasad and then moving on to the next. The idols themselves are quite impressive and pandal organisers spare no expense in ensuring it is the biggest in their area, or the most impressive. <\/p>But of course, when it comes to awe-inspiring, it is quite difficult to beat the Khairatabad Ganesh. Often the biggest in the city, the idol towers over the visitors and the other pandals in the area and stood at 58 feet last year, with this year's idol being 57 feet. Everything is bigger and grander with this pandal, from the number of people that come to see it to the size of the Laddu, often weighing in the thousands of kilos. The laddoo, made by Tapeswaram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, is auctioned off as the festival draws to a close, but the honour of being the most famous laddoo in Hyderabad goes to the Balapur Ganesh laddu, which is bid for in the lakhs of rupees, but that is a story for another time. <\/p>Speaking with S. Rajkumar, the scion of the family that has hosted the pandal for the last several years, my first question was about how long the family has been carrying on the tradition, \"63 years and counting,\" he says, \"and it has been an honour every year.\"<\/p>Asking about the challenges faced to organise such a massive pandal and host an idol this size, Rajkumar says, \"It is, by no means and in no short terms, an easy task. Each year is a challenge, considering the nature of the area and the considerable amount of crowd we get. It only gets harder but I would gladly do it all over again for Vinayaka, every year I'm able.\"<\/p>In the middle of asking about the immersion preparations, we were sadly interrupted by Mr Rajkumar's responsibilities, and could not speak with him again. I shudder to think the kind of logistics involved in a pandal this big, for having been personally involved in organising about a decade ago, I can say for sure it is no easy task, and our Ganesha was considerably smaller. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503618270419","data":"599f6786d6e34"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503618272401","data":"Among Ganesha's various realms of control lies education, more specifically, knowledge. The young Lord is associated with cleverness and knowledge and is the patron god of all students, which brings us back to exactly why us young children were roused from our sleep to attend the puja. Placing our books and pen in the miniature antechamber of the wooden puja box (is it called a box? I never found out) that replicates a temple and prayed to the God to grant us the wisdom to pass our exams. My mother definitely prayed very hard for me to graduate and become a boring 9-5 job holder, possibly married by the age of 26 and bear children by 27. I'm very glad to say I've disappointed her so far, and while I've never been very religious, it does make me wonder if the path I am on currently was chosen for me by Ganesha himself. I've never been happier doing anything else. <\/p>"}] Published in clg-short-name Waiting for the approval by Admin Terms and conditions Message OK
Independence Day is a national festival and has equal importance for every Indian regardless of religion, class, creed or race. The way of celebrating is also the same throughout the country and that is the day,when you find whole India celebrating and rejoicing.<\/p>
There was a time when Indians were not aware of the problems going on in the country and the society. But today the younger generation of India has come forward and many raise their voice against the problems in the society.<\/p>
The most important thing is that we remember and pay respect to those who sacrificed their lives for the country.<\/p>
Children look forward for this event because they expect sweets at the end of the celebrations. We being adults, we need to realise the importance of national festivals and make it a point to participate and feel proud as a citizen.<\/p>
On this national holiday , there is a scene of joy, pride and rejoice everywhere. Many programs will be conducted which will bring out our patriotic spirit hidden deep within us.For students, this is a great platform to showcase their talents in these events which is an opportunity to convey a strong message to the audience and empathize with them reminicing the fights we fought and the victories we had and the heroes we lost.<\/p>
<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503641993609","data":"599fc2f60b386"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642295582","data":"
The 71st Independance day was clebrated with great enthusiasim. The event started by the arrival of our Secretary Sir Nalla Malla Reddy garu and his wife,our Chairperson, Shri. Kethi Reddy Sandhya Vali Garu. The flag was hoisted by our chairperson followed by the singing of the national anthem by the choir group and the entire college. There was a voluntary participation by the faculty to sing a patriotic song. The English faculty from the department of MPS\/HSS, Mr.Jitender sir, sung a telugu song and explained its essence beautifully followed a soulful performance by Mr.Balram sir from the Mechanical engineering Dept. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642302436","data":"599fc36fc3776"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642419235","data":"599fc3946be5c"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642403185","data":"
Everybody proceeded to the seminar hall where Pavithra of CSE-2B is standing by the door to explain the posters she prepared for this occasion. Once everyone was seated, it was the time for the speeches to be unfolded overflowing with patriotic spirits. The speeches were followed by Namratha of ECE, Aamuktha of CSE-4B & a song by student of ECE girls. Then Nikhil & Adithya of CSE-3B delivered their speeches. They spoke about the problems we are currently facing in the nation and that we should not just celebrate the Independance day but also fight these problems.Then the ECE girls went on to deliver a song (fast beat, great meaning) which was a reminder to all the Indians that it is their duty to serve the nation.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642459945","data":"599fc3c7059c3"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642477619","data":"599fc3ce2c576"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642494763","data":"
Next came Saurav from ECE-3A with an important historical anecdote explaining the importance of some great historical figures during Kargil war etc. Being the overall co-ordinator of Stumagz, he introduced Stumagz Avengers to the crowd explaining the functioning of each role and explained about India\u2019s development & role of technology in today\u2019s world & encouraged students in leaning new technologies.Followed by the head of the departments from all the departments spoke on the occasion of Independance day..<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642498599","data":"599fc43d41498"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642610565","data":"
This event was followed by an energetic dance performance by the girls of ECE-4B on the song \u201cMa Tujhe Salam\u201d. Excellent choreography, received a lot of applause from the crowd. Then, a different batch of girls sung \u201cDesam Manade Tejam Manade\u201d with a strong message. Following this was a skit by a group of talented girls. Once again, ECE girls, in an incredible unison , had sung a patriotic song. Mohan sir, CSE Dept, raised the warrior spirit of the room with a patriotic poem emphasizing \u201cBe a fighter!\u201d & \u201cmaking India self-dependent\u201d. <\/p>
<\/p>
Then came the much awaited speech of the day by our Secretary Nalla Malla Reddy Sir.He made many notable points such as \"I truly feel the daily wage worker is the biggest contributer in development. Then how much should the literate population contribute?\"\"Be it a county or a tree,everything gradually changes over time\"It was a truly impressive speech which motivated many to rethink about this contemporary world. His rare apperances make his words extremely special. We are always eagerly waiting for Nalla Malla Reddy sir to spread his ideology and the important message to everyone.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642634532","data":"599fc48a3f55e"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642679563","data":"
Finally a vote of thanks by our Vice Principal Mr.Nisant Nalla garu, which finally concluded the event . While dispersing ,we were given refreshments.The one thing that was strongly emphasized was \" Never stop serving your nation and take pride in India for being our motherland\". We all promise to always have the patriotic spirit and continue serving our motherland India.JAI HIND!!!!!!!<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503642684822","data":"599fc4cd4d37c"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503642753831","data":"
The events and the participants were:<\/p>
1)Singing <\/p>
A) \"Desam Manade\" by Harika ,Sreedivya,shivani of ECE-3C. <\/p>
B)\"Idhira Bharatam & Bekhauf \" by I.K Priya, Vineetha Reddy , Rithvika ,Amulya , Maheshwari of ECE 4B.<\/p>
2)Skit:Performance by Divya Goud ,Prashanthi ,Amulya of ECE 4B.<\/p>
3)Dance :A mashup by Maheswari and Amulya of ECE 4B. <\/p>
HOST OF THE EVENT: <\/p>
Namratha ECE 4B <\/p>
Siri Chandana CSE 4B <\/p>
Saurav ECE 3A<\/p>"}]
Allow me to hit it straight. Intrinsically, 'Sarahah'<\/i> means 'honesty' <\/i>in Arabic. This brain wave was brought into force by a Saudi national and developer--Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq<\/i>. It enables us to send and receive creative yet anonymous messages only to the ones registered with the app. The icing on the cake is that,it doesn't bring the identity of the sender to light (conditions applied,like any other policy). Tawfiq was a part of the global IT circle of Wipro. There was a glitch when it came for the employees to not mince one's words while directing their prospects to their bosses. This mattered a lot to him. Back in November 2016, it was merely a social networking website without any app. Sarahah managed to grab everyone's eye balls since then. Initially, it was a platform of constructive feedback<\/i> only for the employees in the IT firm. Later, it went onto becoming it's existing stage. <\/p>\n
All we need to do is sign up, share our ID and wait till the messages start to pop in. With versions at hand both for android and ios,it is one of the most trending apps. One major facet is that there's no linear way to reply to the received messages. <\/p>Reportedly ,Sarahah is digging this option and working on many other attributes. We can also look around\n
for the ones that are registered. However,we cannot bar a user bluntly. This network of genuineness <\/p>is still in it's newborn phase. As per aforementioned, it only casts to escort a panorama of unadulterated feedback. So, go ahead and get candid with the people you already know!\n"}]
I recently bumped into this YouTube video about Sarahah app and it's actually quite intriguing. Sarahah, it's already been talked about a lot but the buzz doesn't seem to end. I thought of sharing it because not every person has a sensible manner of thinking about such apps.<\/p>
If you've done something or have an opinion, you are very much aware of the circumstance in which you acted that way. But not everyone will understand that. Regardless of how firm you are to act maturely upon these feedbacks, they do hurt you in some way or the other. So you need not rely upon their perspective, their validation, to take any action. If you're wise enough and really want to improve yourself, talk to someone on whom you trust and who, you believe, will think for your best without judging you. Getting remarks from someone anonymous doesn't make any sense and in my opinion, the ones who care about you and do not have the guts to tell to you in person, those are the ones with \"Meethi chhuri\"!<\/p>
Follow the video below for a better insight. It is majorly in Hindi. So I have provided the English transcript of the same. Watch it and then decide, is it really worthy of your attention or not.<\/p>
\"So recently, there has come an app called 'Sarahah' on social media in which people give constructive feedback. It's a very fun app, constructive feedback and all. But the catch is, there are two points:- <\/p>
1. On social media, you have a lot of friends and many are the backstabbing ones. Backstabbing as in, they pretend to be very nice in front of you. But behind your back, they always have their eyes to double-cross you in any way possible.<\/p>
2. Constructive feedback, wherein if we leave aside the majority of the intellectual peeps, the rest interpret the the word 'Constructive' as 'Construction'. What kind of constructive feedback can you expect from such audience? So they remove the word constructive and get back to mere Feedback.<\/p>
What constructive feedback means is the CRC approach; Commendation, Recommendation, Commendation approach. People call it sandwich approach in which you start off with commendation (Eg. \"You're good\"), then you add some feedback, then you mention the areas of improvement. Then you again end up the statement with commendation so the other person feels good about it.<\/p>
But here, the people have a different attitude of theirs, that please don't get me wrong but you're a *beep*. Now with this attitude, what constructive feedback will anyone give. And the people who wanted to make it Tinder, they have successfully done it. \"I like you since my 7th grade. I know that you're committed now, will be marrying soon, but at least for once we can go on a date.\" And the people who're cheap will remain the same way. \"What's your size?\" Like, what're you gonna do it with it anyway? You wanna wear it? \"What's your size\"!<\/p>
So in the past 3-4 days, everyone joined Sarahah app. Even I thought of getting validated on social media so I joined it. Now there are two types of people who give you feedback, the ones who compliment you and the ones who criticize you. As a matter of fact, we are not as affected as much by the former than the latter. In my case, people are just bursting out their frustration. This might be the case with a few of you but for me, that was the sole thing I received.<\/p>
Last night I got a message saying, \"O stammer! I used to do better comedy than you when I was 5 years old. Do better, grow up you!\" And then I was thinking that it was easier to do comedy at the age of 5 because then, people didn't judge you the way you're doing right now. Also, at that time you didn't need to put any efforts because people used to get happy just by seeing you. Issue is, it's tougher to perform in front of the audience at 25. Secondly, I've been stammering since my childhood, you haven't told me anything new. Tell me something new. You might have not known this but I've grown up knowing this.<\/p>
Social media is full of this sort of people. For a fat guy, they'll be saying \"How fat are you? You eat so much, you'll die of it.\" For a skinny guy, \"Hey lanky fellow! What are you doing? Eat something or you'll fly off in the wind.\" For someone who's balding, \"Sir you're getting bald. Get it sorted or people will tease you.\" If someone's black, \"Brother you're too black. I mean, too black, very dark.\" Now what constructive feedback shall one take from such critics and their messages.<\/p>
So in the night, I decided that now it's going over the board. I mean, there were positive messages too but the negative ones were getting more focus. So finally, I deleted my account and removed all the handles on which I posted it and went to bed. Even in the morning I was thinking the same. <\/p>
Then I went to the adjacent room of my parents' where I found our briefcase. That briefcase had all the photo albums since my childhood; the Kodak ones in which we used to paste the postcard size pictures. So I took a look at it. My mother sat next to me and began share the tales of how, when I was young, started drinking from the milk bottle; how I rode the tricycle when I was 3-years old, then the bicycle; how I excelled in my school; how I cried while going to the school; how I later learned to ride a bike, then a car; how i helped in all the family functions.<\/p>
It all went beyond that 'constructive feedback'. Even my father was validating all these incidents. Then I thought that for the sole reason of getting this \"constructive feedback\", we're digging into all these apps, when you can find everything you want in the room next to yours.<\/p>
Technology has changed it all, complicated even the simplest things. If you need the feedback, just walk in to that room. Want to get the validation, the service is available for you. But we rely on a third-party app to get a comment on ourselves from the anonymous person which makes us happy or sad (more often).<\/p>
What is going on man!?\"<\/p>"}]
My brothers are in the Army and it terrifies me every time they are on active duty. The emotional toll it plays on your mind when you're not sure about whether they're going to return alive or not from hostile zones can break even the strongest of people, but I understand the choice they've made. The thing about coming from a privileged family is that we get to make a choice when it comes to career choices. Those among us who are underprivileged see the Army as a viable means of earning a living as well as serving the country, but us privileged folk, as most of my peers in BITS will no doubt identify, have a choice between the Army and the rest, simply because our privilege allows us to have more opportunity for being born with the skin colour and caste society deems is worthy of that respect. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503740332393","data":"59a143e70ae74"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503740334084","data":"
But the squabbles of caste, skin colour, even enmity and privilege are all insignificant in the face of death, for death comes for all, and death comes for you. It is funny really, people are ready to die and kill for their ideology but they don't realise the fundamental similarity between all humans, we all bleed, we all love, we all cry. An empathetic human being turns into a stony faced monster in the face of ideology, ideology that will make monsters of all of us. There can be no peace until one ideology is proven right, say the power mongers, and for that, we will sit in our comfortable rooms while young men and women live and die for the country and ideology. <\/p>
Nonetheless, giving your life up to save those you love is the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate act of selflessness where you are willing to exchange your own future to ensure the future of those vulnerable. And as much as we glorify the Army in India, we forget that they are just made of people, people like you and me, scared, in a cold and dark place, holding a gun in their hand and following orders. No matter what happens, when they pay the price, the ships will come to carry them home. They will be remembered, by friends, family, the people they saved, and of course politicians using the dead bodies of the Jawans for political mileage instead of fixing real issues of the country. <\/p>
Lay down \/ Your sweet and weary head \/ Night is falling \/ You\u2019ve come to journey's endSleep now \/ And dream of the ones who came before \/ They are calling \/ From across the distant shoreWhy do you weep? \/ What are these tears upon your face? \/ Soon you will see \/ All of your fears will pass away \/ Safe in my arms \/ You're only sleepingWhat can you see \/ On the horizon? \/ Why do the white gulls call? \/ Across the sea \/ A pale moon rises...The ships have come to carry you hom <\/i><\/p>"}]
\u201cWe act how we think and feel. When we remove the negative thought, with it goes the drama and pain.\u201d<\/p>
\u2013 Anon. <\/p>
\nNegative thoughts serve absolutely no purpose. Zero. None. Not-a-one. Know what else?\n\nNegative thinking has absolutely nothing to do with you as a person. Toxic thoughts don\u2019t define your character, and they can\u2019t determine your destiny. We determine the power of each negative thought. Unfortunately, we often grant negative thoughts too much influence \u2013 and this is what causes damage. <\/p>
\nThe Buddha once said: \u201cYour worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.\u201d<\/p>
HERE ARE 5 WAYS TO REFRAME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS: <\/b><\/p>
\n1. OBSERVE THE THOUGHT<\/b><\/p>
\n\nTake a seat in the far back of your mind and simply observe the negative thought. (Think about how you\u2019d watch a bird flutter about on a rooftop.)\n\nNegative thoughts are generally a product of cognitive distortions, or irrational thought patterns, something recognized by psychologists and psychiatrists the world over. You don\u2019t require psychotherapy or medication \u2013 you only need to observe a thought, and then watch it dissipate.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648406513","data":"599fdafca0f15"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648386500","data":"
2. QUESTION ANY RUMINATIONS <\/b><\/p>
\n\nRuminations are patterns of overthinking, e.g., \u201cI have this problem, which I can solve if I just keep thinking about it.\u201d Unless you\u2019re actively engaging the frontal lobe of your brain \u2013 that is, attempting to solve a problem \u2013 most ruminations are pointless. The question then becomes \u201cHow do I reframe these thoughts?\u201d Here is a suggested course of action: (a) Create two columns on a sheet of paper. Label the first column \u201cThought\u201d and the second column \u201cSolution.\u201d (b) When the rumination appears, write down the time. Write anything of use in the \u201csolution\u201d column. (c) At the end of the day\/week\/month, count the number of times the thought appeared and any insights. Is there anything of value? If not, re-read #1.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648104429","data":"599fd9ce2e9c8"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648118719","data":"
3. DETERMINE THE EVIDENCE <\/b><\/p>
\nAnother way of reframing your thoughts is to evaluate the evidence behind them.\n\nFor example, if you\u2019re always thinking \u201cI never have enough money,\u201d it may be helpful to assess the evidence and come to a solution (if needed).\n\nOnce again, you\u2019ll create two columns. In Column (A) write any supporting proof that you \u201cnever have enough money,\u201d e.g. bank account balance, always asking for money, etc. In Column (B) write any objective evidence demonstrating the contrary, e.g. having shelter, food, clothing, and so on.\n\nWhat information is conveyed through this exercise? Can you say with 100 percent honesty that you \u201cnever have enough money\u201d? If so, what\u2019s the next course of action? Do you create a budget and limit your spending?<\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648467203","data":"
4. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS <\/b><\/p>
\n\nWhat better place to mention mindfulness than after talking about money \u2013 a near-universal stressor? Christopher Bergland, a three-time champion of the Triple Ironman triathlon and scientist, explains mindfulness as \u201cmuch more basic than most people realize.\u201d Bergland breaks down his approach to mindfulness in three steps: \u201cStop. Breathe. Think about your thinking. Anyone can use this simple mindfulness technique throughout the day to stay calm, focused, optimistic and kind.\u201d Structured mindfulness meditation practices and techniques, such as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) exist for those people seeking more formal training.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648483663","data":"599fdb4d1cf29"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503648442593","data":"
5. UNDERSTAND IMPERMANENCE AND NEUTRALITY <\/b><\/p>
\nWe touched on this during the introduction, but it\u2019s worth repeating: negative thoughts are fleeting and temporary; without any real power of their own. No matter what negative thoughts cross your mind, it is crucial to understand these concepts. In fact, you can even create and recite a maxim, for example, \u201cThis is a negative thought. I\u2019ll observe but not engage, as it will quickly flee.\u201d One terrific way to demonstrate the powerlessness of a negative thought is to distract yourself. Do something that will occupy your mind, so there\u2019s no room for the negative thoughts.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503648440027","data":"599fdb2a148ea"}]
Vinayaka Chaturthi \u2013 25.08.2017\n\nIn a conversation with my mom yesterday, I told her how Ganesh Chaturthi has always been my favourite festival.\nShe smiles and says \u2013 Do you remember? You would always bring the Ganesh idol by carrying it on your head and place it down saying \u201c Ganapthi Bappa Moriyaaa!!!\u201d . \nI smiled and realized that I don\u2019t remember doing that, but it isn\u2019t surprising. I never was really good at hiding my excitement then, and miserably fail at that even now. \nThis Festival has given me so many beautiful memories that I strongly feel like I owe Vinayaka for all the happiness he has presented me on this day and everyday. I am truly blessed. \n\nNow, when I write about this festival, I realize why this day has been more than dear to me.\n\nThe day started early on this festival. We would be awake by 7 and ready by 9. While mom would get busy in the kitchen making the variety of dishes to be presented to the Lord, I would just run around trying to help and only succeed in distracting her from her work. \nBut, the part I really awaited for was when Dad and I would go out to get the Ganesh Idol and all the \u201csamagri\u201d consisting of \u2018patri\u2019, \u2018pushpam\u2019 and fruits. In half an hour we would be back and then get to the more fun part . We would bring down the \u201cpooja samaan\u201d in the top cupboard , from where they were placed last year. \nDad and I would sit down and then arrange a wonderful platform for the lord and decorate it in the most beautiful way with everything purchased in the morning. This part of the day, when Dad and I sit down to tie threads to the fruits to hang them around the idol, was what I waited for, for an year until the festival arrived again.Then, we would make a garland for the idol and mark our books with haldi and kumkum. \nThese small moments made me feel cherished and created a deeper bond with my dad in those small conversations that we shared. \nSoon, my cousins and grandparents would be home, and dad would get dressed in his white \u2018panchi\u2019 ( dhoti) and \u2018khandoba\u2019. He had just transformed into the pandith for the day. \nAnd then, the pooja would begin and so would our hunger when the Prasad\/Naivedyam is offered to the Ganesha. \nThe story of the festival and the Lord Ganesha was what introduced me to storytelling and their significance ever since I\u2019ve known or remembered this Festival. \nThe pooja would end in an hour, and then our \u201cfood festival\u201d would begin. Our family of nine would gather around the table as the kids sit on the floor, and get up numerous times for second and third servings. \nLord Ganesha had come, and brought joy with him, and just 9 days later, he would depart us , but leaving memories, strength and bonds.\nToday, the festival, the fun, memories and most of everything was there, only the number nine was six, as my cousins were in hostels and my grandma, looking over us form above.\nBut, today was a good day. And I had a wonderful time. Thank you Ganesha. \n\nGanapathi Bappa Moriyaa!!! \n<\/p>"}]
I have got a great opportunity to interview our one of the beloved faculty of our collage.<\/p>
He is none other than V.NARESH KUMAR<\/b> of CSE DEPARTMENT<\/b>. He has 15 years of experience in the teaching field. He is training and placement co-ordinator of our college,website incharge of CMR technical campus<\/b>, facebook admin of CMR technical campus. By interviewing him he had a great information on how a student should be or what MNC'S are looking for in a student. So these are some answers he gave us.<\/p>
*<\/b>Leaving a software company,What made you come to teaching profession?<\/p>
--> <\/b>Before joining into the software company also i worked as a assistant professor<\/b> in some of the most reputed engineering colleges,I immediately started teaching after my B-tech,later i have done my M-tech and perusing PHD right now. I have went into software to learn about some practical knowledge in B-tech we learn theoritically what happens but when do you get the practical knowledge once you go in real time and get some information then you will get the practical knowledge, just to get the practical knowledge i went into software and then i have returned back to my favorite place which is teaching.<\/p>
*<\/b>Many of them consider teaching as honourble profession, What is a teacher according to you?<\/p>
--><\/b> A teacher according to me, he or she will spread knowledge, he should be a person who can share anything, a person who feels happy by sharing is called a teacher according to me.<\/p>
*<\/b>Who is your motivation,to get into this profession?<\/p>
--><\/b> Actually when i was in school there is a person called as <\/span>Rajeevan<\/b> he is a faculty of science, when ever i see him i feel like i want to become a teacher like him there are 2 persons <\/span>Nagarjuna sir <\/b>and <\/span>Mathew sir <\/b>these 3 persons inspiered me alot when i was a kid, they where my motivational persons.<\/span><\/p>*<\/b> Where there any difficulties in your life, personal and professional ?<\/p>--> <\/b> I started my carrier where i was born in my native place KAMAM<\/b>, i did not face much difficulties financially but initially faced difficulties when i started teaching for the first time it took me 1 1\/2 to 2 years to understand what is teaching exactly , handling 60 students in one class is a big task satisfying all 60 students is immpossible but we will try to satisfy them i faced difficulties at my starting level ,gaining control over the students and subject knowledge, personally i did not face any difficuties my family was always there to support me.<\/p>*<\/b>How a teacher and student relationship should be according to you?<\/p>--><\/b>Relation between teacher and student should be much close, thee should be some respect between each other, they say that student should give respect to the faculty but i say that both should respect to each other, students should not misuse the leniency given by the teacher, you should not have fear to approach a faculty, you should have understanding between a student and teacher.<\/p>*What does a MNC expect from the students?<\/b><\/p>--><\/b> MNC'S does not expect a technology from you, it always expect only one thing weather if we give training can u learn or not, you should industry ready(like if u are given a project on java and the roject is cancelled and u need to shift to dot net training). Are you a quick learner or not MNC'S need such type of people, they do not need 100% or 99% students.<\/b><\/p>*<\/b>What are the tips you want to give to students who opt teaching as there profession in the future?<\/i><\/p>--><\/b> A teachr should teach in a way that what he wants to tell, he should teach wat the students want him to teach try to give them more real time examples in class, so that it will be interesting even if its the last period they will listen with concentration.<\/i><\/p>*Is STUMAGZ a great platform to the students?<\/b><\/p>--> I heard about STUMAGZ student magazine, I have viewed some videos on it , I think its a great platform for the students to learn new things whether it may be technical,suggestions,professionalor student life what ever it may be it is providing a good platform for all the students according to me STUMAGZ is rocking now.<\/b><\/p> ALWAYS TRY TO BE A LEARNER, THE MOMENT YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING IT IS END OF YOUR CARRIER.<\/u><\/b><\/p><\/p> THANK YOU. <\/b><\/p> <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700676609","data":"59a0a35b3af0c"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700656077","data":"59a0a34425b00"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700699825","data":"59a0a37206a2d"}]
*<\/b> Where there any difficulties in your life, personal and professional ?<\/p>
--> <\/b> I started my carrier where i was born in my native place KAMAM<\/b>, i did not face much difficulties financially but initially faced difficulties when i started teaching for the first time it took me 1 1\/2 to 2 years to understand what is teaching exactly , handling 60 students in one class is a big task satisfying all 60 students is immpossible but we will try to satisfy them i faced difficulties at my starting level ,gaining control over the students and subject knowledge, personally i did not face any difficuties my family was always there to support me.<\/p>
*<\/b>How a teacher and student relationship should be according to you?<\/p>
--><\/b>Relation between teacher and student should be much close, thee should be some respect between each other, they say that student should give respect to the faculty but i say that both should respect to each other, students should not misuse the leniency given by the teacher, you should not have fear to approach a faculty, you should have understanding between a student and teacher.<\/p>
*What does a MNC expect from the students?<\/b><\/p>
--><\/b> MNC'S does not expect a technology from you, it always expect only one thing weather if we give training can u learn or not, you should industry ready(like if u are given a project on java and the roject is cancelled and u need to shift to dot net training). Are you a quick learner or not MNC'S need such type of people, they do not need 100% or 99% students.<\/b><\/p>
*<\/b>What are the tips you want to give to students who opt teaching as there profession in the future?<\/i><\/p>
--><\/b> A teachr should teach in a way that what he wants to tell, he should teach wat the students want him to teach try to give them more real time examples in class, so that it will be interesting even if its the last period they will listen with concentration.<\/i><\/p>
*Is STUMAGZ a great platform to the students?<\/b><\/p>
--> I heard about STUMAGZ student magazine, I have viewed some videos on it , I think its a great platform for the students to learn new things whether it may be technical,suggestions,professionalor student life what ever it may be it is providing a good platform for all the students according to me STUMAGZ is rocking now.<\/b><\/p>
ALWAYS TRY TO BE A LEARNER, THE MOMENT YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING IT IS END OF YOUR CARRIER.<\/u><\/b><\/p>
THANK YOU. <\/b><\/p>
<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700676609","data":"59a0a35b3af0c"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700656077","data":"59a0a34425b00"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700699825","data":"59a0a37206a2d"}]
It was around February of 1999 when my best friend in school came running to me during one of our free periods, excited about something. Before I could get an answer out of him, he dragged me off to the computer lab promising me to show something really exciting. <\/p>
\"One of the computers has video games in it!\", he squealed with excitement, \"It's one of those where you only see the gun on the screen and you have to move around.\"<\/p>
By the time he had stopped hyperventilating, we had reached the computer lab and one of our teachers was kind enough to check if the coast was clear before letting us play. I took my place in front of the computer and my friend double clicked on an icon that said 'hl.exe.' The computer booted up the game, and we were greeted to the main menu with its variety of options, the title at the top of the screen proclaiming 'Half Life'. My life was never the same again after that. <\/p>
Although I did not know it as an 8-year-old boy, I was playing a game that had revolutionised the entire video game industry, changing it forever. Half Life laughed in the face of conventional video games of the time, disregarding and outright rejecting the standards set for first person shooters of the industry at the time and giving the player complete freedom to move around the environment, refusing to stop even for the important details of the plot. Go forth, the developers seem to say and do as you please for the game world is yours to play with. Indeed, such was the influence of Half Life on the industry, even to this day, modern video games are built on the foundations it laid back in the late 90s. <\/p>
What began for me, on that crisp day all the way back in 1999, was a life long obsession with video games which would go on to become a part of my identity, of who I was. I knew, back then, I was playing something the likes I had never seen before. Half Life lit a fire of unquenchable desire in the corners of my heart, and today, 18 years later, I'm awake at 2 AM to write its eulogy, because after 10 years of waiting to hear a word from the developers, Half Life is finally and truly dead. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503694907194","data":"59a0a8a825283"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503694910832","data":"
Valve Corporation and The Advent of Steam: <\/b><\/p>
Established in 1996 by Gabe Newell who had freshly left Microsoft after 13 years of service, Newell had a clear idea of what he was going to do with the company he christened Valve Corporation. He wanted to make video games, inspired by another former Microsoft employee Michael Abrash, who went on to work on Quake, another storied first person franchise which also finds itself among my personal favourites. Pooling his personal money along with co-founder Mike Harrington, he oversaw the development of Half Life using the Gold-src engine used for the aforementioned Quake. Two years later, in November 1998, the game was out and the industry was never the same again. <\/p>
Valve had become the new darling of Games Media, with people asking for interviews left and right. Valve's status from bootstrapped company to Video Game legends seemingly happened overnight, the fact that they embraced the community and encouraged people to make modifications for their game only enshrined their name on obscure online websites and the movement grew to a roar pretty soon. After many excellent mods made from Half Life, one mod stood out from the rest, made by two enterprising modders Minh Le and Jess Cliffe and released in 1999. The mod was called Counter Strike. <\/p>
Like Wildfyre in Game of Thrones, the addictive nature of Counter Strike spread rapidly through online websites. Before long, everyone was playing the intensely tactical shooter and it was only a matter of time before Valve picked up the mod themselves, hiring both Le and Cliffe to work on the project and release it from the studio directly, which finally happened in 2001. <\/p>
However, PC Gaming had a problem. Games were getting bigger, and Newell realised that they would soon have to depend on multiple discs to install games on computers. With the internet speeds of the world getting faster with the turn of the millennium, it was time to think of a solution. <\/p>
Enter Steam, a digital distribution platform for video games on which you could buy a game, download and play directly without having to use a CD Key or a disc to install. The Steam installer would automatically install the game for you, all you had to do was buy the game and download it. It was the perfect solution to bring together various developers for the PC platform onto one digital distribution service which would enable them to sell to a larger audience and depend lesser on shipping crates upon crates of video games to various countries around the world. Now all that was left was to get gamers to actually use the platform, which was easier said than done. <\/p>
Gamers hated Steam, there is simply no way to sugarcoat it. You could only play games if you signed in to your account, and although you could buy your game once and download it on any machine for the rest of your life, it was still a difficult concept to adapt. Valve needed a big game to be able to attract gamers to Steam, and as it so happens, they just had the one to do so. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503696576187","data":"59a0a8d047385"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503696578319","data":"
Half Life 2:<\/b> <\/p>
The team at Valve, Gabe Newell, the programmers, game designers and the writer Marc Laidlaw, faced a seemingly impossible task. They had to make a game that would live up to the hype generated by the prequel, which in this case meant that Half Life 2 had to be a game that would break industry norms all over again and become nothing short of a legend in the industry. As the industry waited with bated breath, the little nuggets of information that Valve provided to the press informed the community at large that they had indeed come upon a magic formula to make the game tick. So on November 18, 2004, when the game was finally launched, fans from all over the world poured onto Steam to unlock the game and play. <\/p>
The debate on which Half Life is objectively better will make all of us grow long white beards and broken backs (yes, including women), but the fact remains that what Half Life 2 did with its game engine and the way it handled Physics in the game world managed to revolutionise the industry once again. Physics based puzzles took centre stage with the Gravity Gun, a device you could use to levitate objects in the game world and place them where you wanted, each object with its own weight. This, combined with the storytelling Valve had mastered in the prequel, made Half Life 2 one of the most successful games in Video Game history. To this day, it is one of the highest rated video games of all time. It seemed like Valve simply could do no wrong. Going ahead with the franchise, Gabe Newell said that the company would be releasing the next bits of story in form of episodes which, he said, would essentially be Half Life 3, but called Half Life 2 Episode 1, 2 and 3. 3 Episodes he promised us, and in 2007, we got the fantastic Half Life 2 Episode 2 along with Portal and Team Fortress, both games that would go on to become legendary on their own. <\/p>
Then the problems began.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503697714587","data":"59a0a9201e268"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503697716718","data":"
The Money Making Machine: <\/b><\/p>
Steam was getting bigger than anyone, except perhaps Valve, had anticipated. Every developer wanted to be on the platform as it was the easiest access to their customers, a fact Valve marketed well. Playing around with Team Fortress 2, Valve released cosmetics and an economic system on its platform, an economy for virtual cosmetic items. As it turns out, there were a lot of people willing to pay for virtual items online, even if it cost in the thousands of dollars. The economy blew up, Team Fortress 2 was not just a mere team based shooter anymore, but a game within a larger money making machine, where in game cosmetics would be sold for ridiculously high prices. Those among us who were enterprising enough managed to get very rich, with a dear friend making up to 80 Lakh Rupees. If a person from New Delhi could make this much money selling cosmetics and items online, you can be sure that even Valve saw the opportunity to make absurd amounts of money by just making new items for Team Fortress 2 instead of working on new games. But it would make no sense to just have the economy based off of Team Fortress 2, it was time to diversify. <\/p>
Somewhere in the mid to late noughties, Valve hired the enigmatic IceFrog, the man behind another highly addictive online multiplayer game, Defense of the Ancients, better known as DotA. While IceFrog began work on DotA 2, Valve set about working on Counter Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO, if you prefer. When the games launched, it was the dawn of a new era for PC gaming. Valve seemed, back then, to be the saviour of PC gaming, bringing PC Gaming to the forefront along with eSports. They announced DotA 2 to the world with a tournament called The International, with a prize pool of a whopping $1 million, something that was never done before. <\/p>
Of course, the economy for items began in earnest when the games were launched, with Valve getting a cut of the money whenever you sold an item on the marketplace and a cut of the money whenever you bought something from the marketplace. Today, it is at the point that selling one knife cosmetic in Counter Strike gives them the same returns as 3 full priced games being sold. <\/p>
This, combined with Valve's lack of hierarchy, they promoted a 'nobody is anybody's boss' culture at work, seems to have caused a rift within the office between the old guard and the new team members who were making easy money simply running steam, maintaining CSGO and DotA with the occasional updates. <\/p>
Somewhere along the way, Half Life was forgotten.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503698914384","data":"59a0a9389bdcb"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503698917386","data":"
Marc Laidlaw's Lament: <\/b><\/p>
But the community remembered. The community waited. The community was hopeful. Hope soon turned to cynicism, cynicism led to memes. Soon, the existence of Half Life 2 Episode 3, or Half Life 3 itself, had become a meme, with many people on the internet joking with the punching 'Half Life 3 confirmed!'. <\/p>
For the longest time, the community believed that Valve was looking for new technology to bring to the forefront before they decide to make the next installment, many believed that Valve was too afraid to not living up to the hype and that after a decade, it might not be able to live up to the excitement the name generated. But all those rumours were put to rest today, as Marc Laidlaw wrote on his website, a cryptic short story with enough hints to suggest that it was actually the story of Half Life 2 Episode 3, the fabled story that would have brought an end to the chapter of gaming history. The story, continuing exactly where Episode 2 left us off, brings us a full circle. The same feeling of awe and wonderment players felt when Half Life's story was kicked into motion was used to conclude the story. The last paragraph of his short story breaks the 4th wall if taken out of context, and seems to be speaking directly to the players and to the development team at Valve. You can read the uncryptic version here<\/a>, but be warned, there be spoilers. <\/p>For years, we had heard rumours that Marc Laidlaw was frustrated with how things were being done at Valve HQ. 18 months ago, he left the company along with a number of the old guard. It leads me that believe he was frustrated with how things were being done at Valve and how nothing was getting done at all. Getting paid for doing nothing sounds quite appealing, but the truth of the matter is it is a frustrating hell hole to be in when your work is ignored and you're getting paid anyway. <\/p>Reading the story, I felt anger, then sadness and finally acceptance. The story we've all been waiting for so long to appear in the form of a video game had finally been revealed, just not in the way we intended it to be. It meant that Valve was probably never releasing Half Life 2 Episode 3, although I believe Laidlaw hopes this would prompt Valve to pull up their socks and begin work. It is difficult to find a game that examines the human condition as Half Life does and the way Laidlaw ends the story, it brings into question our place in the universe, especially the extent of our impact on the larger scheme of things. We are but an infinitesimally and insignificantly small speck in a galaxy, a galaxy which in itself is an infinitesimal quantity in the universe at large. Do any of these things matter, or like Ozymandias, even the greatest of men, the greatest of deeds, the greatest of people, will one day be forgotten?<\/p>This was Laidlaw's attempt to send the story out to those of us who have been waiting for 10 years, waiting for a sign, a screenshot, even a nod from Gabe Newell to confirm the existence of the game and that it was being worked upon and releasing soon. Now that we know how it ends, it feels like the end of the line. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700113057","data":"59a0a95d1705f"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503700116126","data":"End of the Line: <\/b><\/p>We knew the game didn't exist. In the darkest corners of our hearts, we knew, but we refused to believe it. No amount of articles on tech websites, gaming websites, blogs, YouTube videos, none of it would convince us to see the obvious truth that stood bare in front of us, forever mocking, for the last few years. Because just like me, the community had grown up playing the games, and just like me, they were blown away by the experience. Everyone has their awe-inspiring experience that changes them as a person, for me, it was as an 8-year-old boy sitting in a government school's computer lab as I hit the New Game button and was greeted with a long tram ride with words flashing on the screen, informing me that my name was Gordon Freeman and that I was a 27-year-old MIT graduate on my way to a science experiment, one that would go on to change the fate of The Earth itself. <\/p>This was why Half Life, and the games that followed it, worked. Gordon being a silent protagonist allowed us players to imprint our own personalities upon him, which meant when were playing the game, we were all Gordon Freeman. We jumped through hoops, killed aliens, shot down black ops soldiers and assassins sent to kill us not because we cared about a theoretical physicist, but because we were the protagonist of the story. <\/p>Which is why I have subjected you to such a painfully long article about a topic you probably don't even care about. I had to tell this story because it deserves to be told, if you've made it this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. In this day and age of instant gratification, the internet has made an old man out of me, and old men need to rant and lament from time to time. Today, finally, as we reach the end of the line with the tale of a franchise that would change gaming forever, I suppose it is some solace that we finally have some closure, even if it wasn't how we intended it to be. <\/p>'It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia.' - Frank Zappa <\/i><\/p>"}]
For years, we had heard rumours that Marc Laidlaw was frustrated with how things were being done at Valve HQ. 18 months ago, he left the company along with a number of the old guard. It leads me that believe he was frustrated with how things were being done at Valve and how nothing was getting done at all. Getting paid for doing nothing sounds quite appealing, but the truth of the matter is it is a frustrating hell hole to be in when your work is ignored and you're getting paid anyway. <\/p>
Reading the story, I felt anger, then sadness and finally acceptance. The story we've all been waiting for so long to appear in the form of a video game had finally been revealed, just not in the way we intended it to be. It meant that Valve was probably never releasing Half Life 2 Episode 3, although I believe Laidlaw hopes this would prompt Valve to pull up their socks and begin work. It is difficult to find a game that examines the human condition as Half Life does and the way Laidlaw ends the story, it brings into question our place in the universe, especially the extent of our impact on the larger scheme of things. We are but an infinitesimally and insignificantly small speck in a galaxy, a galaxy which in itself is an infinitesimal quantity in the universe at large. Do any of these things matter, or like Ozymandias, even the greatest of men, the greatest of deeds, the greatest of people, will one day be forgotten?<\/p>
This was Laidlaw's attempt to send the story out to those of us who have been waiting for 10 years, waiting for a sign, a screenshot, even a nod from Gabe Newell to confirm the existence of the game and that it was being worked upon and releasing soon. Now that we know how it ends, it feels like the end of the line. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503700113057","data":"59a0a95d1705f"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503700116126","data":"
End of the Line: <\/b><\/p>
We knew the game didn't exist. In the darkest corners of our hearts, we knew, but we refused to believe it. No amount of articles on tech websites, gaming websites, blogs, YouTube videos, none of it would convince us to see the obvious truth that stood bare in front of us, forever mocking, for the last few years. Because just like me, the community had grown up playing the games, and just like me, they were blown away by the experience. Everyone has their awe-inspiring experience that changes them as a person, for me, it was as an 8-year-old boy sitting in a government school's computer lab as I hit the New Game button and was greeted with a long tram ride with words flashing on the screen, informing me that my name was Gordon Freeman and that I was a 27-year-old MIT graduate on my way to a science experiment, one that would go on to change the fate of The Earth itself. <\/p>
This was why Half Life, and the games that followed it, worked. Gordon being a silent protagonist allowed us players to imprint our own personalities upon him, which meant when were playing the game, we were all Gordon Freeman. We jumped through hoops, killed aliens, shot down black ops soldiers and assassins sent to kill us not because we cared about a theoretical physicist, but because we were the protagonist of the story. <\/p>
Which is why I have subjected you to such a painfully long article about a topic you probably don't even care about. I had to tell this story because it deserves to be told, if you've made it this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. In this day and age of instant gratification, the internet has made an old man out of me, and old men need to rant and lament from time to time. Today, finally, as we reach the end of the line with the tale of a franchise that would change gaming forever, I suppose it is some solace that we finally have some closure, even if it wasn't how we intended it to be. <\/p>
'It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia.' - Frank Zappa <\/i><\/p>"}]
As the sun rises on the day of Vinayaka Chavithi, houses across cities of Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad are in a frenzy already. The elders awake and buzzing around the house, the kids being roused from their sleep, waking up to a house already ready to pull their ears for being late. It was puja time. <\/p>
And thus sat us, the children of the house, as the puja is performed, listening silently, intently and waiting, waiting for our favourite part of the puja. <\/p>
Perhaps it was just me, but the legend behind the one that went by many names, Ganesha, Vinayaka, Vinayakudu, was my favourite part of the puja. For a child that grew up reading comic books, the story of Ganesha was nothing short of a superhero origin story. Made from clay, given life by Lord Shiva's consort Parvati Devi, and then facing The Destroyer's infamous temper. As the story goes, after Parvati Devi poured life into a boy she had made out of clay and asked him to stand guard as she took a bath. As the goddess went about her business, Lord Shiva returned to his abode only to find a young boy standing in the way, claiming to be Parvati's son. Enraged at the boy's insolence, Lord Shiva cut off the boy's head, the commotion of which drew Parvati Devi out from her bath and onto the scene that horrified her. She admonished her lord husband and Lord Shiva, filled with remorse, set about to find the first head he could find. He returned with the head of an elephant, and thus, one of the most iconic Gods of Hinduism took shape as Lord Shiva attached the head to the headless body of the young boy and breathed life into him. <\/p>
There are different variations of the story, in some versions, Lord Shiva calls upon a horde of demons which the young boy fights off valiantly, before Lord Vishnu intervenes in the form of Maya, distracting the young boy with her beauty as Lord Shiva used the distraction to chop off his head, but the overall theme and the way the story begins and ends are the same, and to a boy growing up in a somewhat orthodox family, it sounded fantastical and amazing. A different variation of this origin story has been passed down as legend over the years: a religion that has survived the many thousands of years that Hinduism has leaves its marks in various parts of the world, including other mythologies. The origin story was also adapted for Wonder Woman, whose mother Hippolyta also designs her from clay before the gods pour life into her, although it is likely that when the character was first made, William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter might have drawn inspiration from other mythologies and cultures that were influenced by Hinduism<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503615422383","data":"599f67317175f"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503615430866","data":"
The History: <\/b><\/p>
While it is currently unknown just how the current day celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi began, we do know that it was celebrated with much pomp and fervour in the times of Maharaj Shivaji, the firebrand Maratha King and repurposed symbol of Hindutva, in Pune around 1630-1680. As the British Empire took over the Indian subcontinent, the festival soon lost patronage, becoming a quiet private affair for families. It wasn't until late 19th century when Lokmanya Tilak wrote in favour of turning public Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations into political rallies against the yoke of the British Empire as the first cracks had begun to appear, that the festival saw an uproar of resurgence. A few years prior to Tilak's writing, in 1892, Bhausaheb Laxman Javale had installed a public idol of Ganesha, making the festival a public affair once again, in Mumbai (called Bombay back in the day).<\/p>
The British, of course, would soon find out the cocktail of fervent nationalism mixed with religion would be costly for them, as the movement began to spread and celebrating the festival became a political statement against The Empire. Ganesha, Tilak believed, was the god of everyone, adored by the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins alike, for these were times when nobody raised a word against casteism in society, a fact the British used very well against us. <\/p>
Nonetheless, a god to united the Hindus was here, his festival was their outlet of frustration against The Empire, The God Who Destroyed Obstacles was prayed to with much devotion for getting rid of the biggest obstacle that India faced: an empire that filled its coffers with plunder from the subcontinent. In retrospect, I suppose it was fate or a sign from the Gods themselves that Ganesha's festival be the one used to rally against The Empire. <\/p>
Come what may, the Hindus of India could not be taken away from their religion, and their favourite gods. It was only a matter of time before Tilak's idea spread to various population hubs in the country. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503616804452","data":"599f674c2ca13"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503616806718","data":"
The Pandals:<\/b> <\/p>
Today, the festival has become a contest of one-upmanship, with every two-bit jobless young person in every street of the city attempting to organise a Ganesh Pandal to curry favour with the local politicians or massaging the ego of the local strongman with political connections. However, there are still plenty among us that celebrate the festival with the right intent, making it as grand as possible for all to see. Central to this endeavour, of course, are the students of the city, young people of all shapes and sizes coming together to handle the logistics of the operation, overseeing the construction of the pandal, the delivery of the idol, the organisation of the puja and on the final day, the immersion, which deserves an article of its own, keep an eye out for that one. <\/p>
So common are pandals today, pandal hopping has become an attraction in itself. Groups of people move from one pandal to the next, observing, paying respects to the Ganesh idol, deciding which one was more impressive, savouring the prasad and then moving on to the next. The idols themselves are quite impressive and pandal organisers spare no expense in ensuring it is the biggest in their area, or the most impressive. <\/p>
But of course, when it comes to awe-inspiring, it is quite difficult to beat the Khairatabad Ganesh. Often the biggest in the city, the idol towers over the visitors and the other pandals in the area and stood at 58 feet last year, with this year's idol being 57 feet. Everything is bigger and grander with this pandal, from the number of people that come to see it to the size of the Laddu, often weighing in the thousands of kilos. The laddoo, made by Tapeswaram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, is auctioned off as the festival draws to a close, but the honour of being the most famous laddoo in Hyderabad goes to the Balapur Ganesh laddu, which is bid for in the lakhs of rupees, but that is a story for another time. <\/p>
Speaking with S. Rajkumar, the scion of the family that has hosted the pandal for the last several years, my first question was about how long the family has been carrying on the tradition, \"63 years and counting,\" he says, \"and it has been an honour every year.\"<\/p>
Asking about the challenges faced to organise such a massive pandal and host an idol this size, Rajkumar says, \"It is, by no means and in no short terms, an easy task. Each year is a challenge, considering the nature of the area and the considerable amount of crowd we get. It only gets harder but I would gladly do it all over again for Vinayaka, every year I'm able.\"<\/p>
In the middle of asking about the immersion preparations, we were sadly interrupted by Mr Rajkumar's responsibilities, and could not speak with him again. I shudder to think the kind of logistics involved in a pandal this big, for having been personally involved in organising about a decade ago, I can say for sure it is no easy task, and our Ganesha was considerably smaller. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1503618270419","data":"599f6786d6e34"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1503618272401","data":"
Among Ganesha's various realms of control lies education, more specifically, knowledge. The young Lord is associated with cleverness and knowledge and is the patron god of all students, which brings us back to exactly why us young children were roused from our sleep to attend the puja. Placing our books and pen in the miniature antechamber of the wooden puja box (is it called a box? I never found out) that replicates a temple and prayed to the God to grant us the wisdom to pass our exams. My mother definitely prayed very hard for me to graduate and become a boring 9-5 job holder, possibly married by the age of 26 and bear children by 27. I'm very glad to say I've disappointed her so far, and while I've never been very religious, it does make me wonder if the path I am on currently was chosen for me by Ganesha himself. I've never been happier doing anything else. <\/p>"}]
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