Death Penalty for Rapists

So I had many people asking me about the death penalty issue, so I had about 15 minutes to cook up this article. So read up and let me know what you guys think regarding this issue.

Death penalty for rapists. The headlines rang out in every Indian citizens ear, and women throughout India knew that it would be safer than ever to walk the Indian streets. But what does this say about our country as a whole? And moreover, what will be the ramifications after passing such a law?

I, for one, knew full well the fear in my friends' minds after the Delhi gang rape. The rates increased drastically within the same week! People hesitated just to leave their homes to go out for a stroll, or to walk back home alone from school. Indeed, this had become a huge problem throughout the country. After the scare came the protest. People ran campaigns, and the movement became so popular, that people changed their Facebook profile pictures to a black dot, which was the symbol for the rape protest. This continued for months, and recently, the government has finally announced death sentence for rapists.

Surely these rapists deserve severe punishment. But I don't think that this should go to the extent of issuing a death penalty for them. We don't have the rights to take away somebody's life, just for that. Castration? Now that's something we can do. It serves a fair point here. But death, is too extreme, and too cruel. For us to stoop down to that level just to issue a punishment. 

Certainly the rapists would now think twice before taking any action. But this surely doesn't mean that this in going to end the problem indefinitely. 

Contest Entry: The Perfect Road Trip

To me, a Perfect Road Trip is about getting away from our lives with the people you love the most, to the place you love the most. Because that's what a road trip is all about; getting a break from school or work for a day or two, and go crazy, remaining oblivious to everyone and everything in your work life.

To plan a perfect road trip, you'll need four things; company, transport, a relaxed state of mind, and a destination. 

When it comes to company, most of us have two options, friends and family, the former being the better choice when it comes to this. Family are always fun to have around, in most situations, but when it comes to hitting the road and having a blast, friends are the clear option. 

Transport would be the biggest problem in road tripping. Taking your own car could be a hassle, so you'd resort to public transport. Busses and trains are real fun, and offer a challenge and unique joy to the trip. Although using the trains' pubic bathrooms and sharing a cabin with sweaty little men may not appeal to most people, you have next to no stress about petrol, maintenance, or loosing your keys at a hotel. Then again, nothing beats high speed getaways down NH4 with friends in an A/C car! So here, private cars are the best.

A relaxed state of mind is quite easy to attain. You just need to let go of all work, deadlines, and anything that might cloud your mind. On this note, throwing your phones out of the car might be a good idea! 

And last but certainly not the least, the destination. It goes without saying the you need to plan a spot which is far away from home. Not too far, but far enough that your mom can't reach you even when you're in trouble. That said, beaches, resorts with swimming pools, and hill stations might be a good idea. Even wandering aimlessly in a car can be extremely fun and adventurous. 

Overall, according to me, the Perfect Road Trip is one where you have all your best friends, in your car, leisurely cruising down from Chennai to Kanyakumari and back. The souvenirs should be nothing but the memories, Hangover style!

Trekking all the way!

"Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise." Every single time those words ring in my ear, it sends a chill down my spine. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. What. a. movie. From the time the trailer came out, I was excited beyond my wits to watch it. The thing about these sequels is that, the more you get excited, and the more your expectations become. And it is only fitting to say that every single minute of Into Darkness exceeded them.


Why Star Trek Into Darkness is the best film this summer.
Firstly, the CG was brilliant, and unlike any other film. It had all the action and the blowing up and the usual phasers and ships, all that is a part of the star trek franchise, but for some reason, everything just looked so spectacular, and the level of clarity that they have achieved in incorporating every single firing and move is remarkable.


Secondly, the actors outdid themselves compared to the Star Trek movie of 2009. For a moment there, I felt that Zachary Quinto was a better Spock than Leonard Nimoy himself but let's face it. No one beats Nimoy. However it was a bit disappointing that Spock never mentions the line "Live long and prosper" and that Mr.Nimoy had screen time of less than 10 seconds.
Benedict Cumberbatch looked truly formidable and was perfect for the role of Khan except for the fact that his skin color was a bit lighter than our impression of Khan from the Original Series. But come on, he was brilliant.


I don't know if it's just me, but Simon Pegg always seems to be the technician and engineer recounting his roles from Mission Impossible and Star Trek. Seeing Scotty have a kick at all the action was surprising and Mr.Pegg's comic way of presenting it was awesome.
I thought that all the actors did a great job. Afterall, they aren't part of the Star Trek franchise for nothing.


The one thing that I loved about this film is that, all the three leads, Kirk, Spock and Khan brought out their soft side and they actually CRIED. And especially for Spock, it took the audience by utter surprise.


The most notable thing about this film is that it isn't just for the fans of Star Trek. Anyone who has absolutely no idea about Star Trek will be able to appreciate it and that is something very hard to bring about in the movie of a series that has a history of over 50 years.


It's fast, it's gripping, not predictable and I believe, will turn out to be one of the best movies of all time and I won't be surprised if it gets on IMDB's Top 250 sooner or later.
Such a genius this J.J.Abrams is. Word has it that he will be directing the next Star Wars movie and I can't wait for it already!
Overall, in my opinion, this is the one of the best movies of the entire series and every Trekkie as well as non-Trekkie is in for a treat.
Sorry for the spoilers btw.
Live long and prosper. _\\//

-Ranjini Ramesh

http://ranjireviews.blogspot.in/

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

Alright guys, now i've listened to a lot of songs from country and pop to heavy metal. Normally I would listen to a song, and repeatedly hear it until I get bored of it! I guess most people do this, but still. Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb was one song I heard and still did not get bored of. Written be David Gilmour in the year 1979, this song talks about the effects of drugs on a man. This song was released as part of the soundtrack for the movie "The Wall", directed by Roger Waters, which follows the life of a rockstar(Pink) who lost his father in World War II. The songs words are a debate between two parts of Pinks head - the part that is addicted to drugs and the part that isn't.

The song falls under the genre Psychadellic Rock, because the song has this overall 'dreamy' vibrance to it. This effect is achieved by a vocal processor which Waters uses to create a subtle echo and reverb. The chorus is followed by a guitar solo by David Gilmour plays in his signature Fender Stratocaster. There is a second solo performed by Roger Water which trails into the end of the song.

The music video for the song i.e the part in the movie where this song is played, shows Pink in a chair, in a sleepy state. He has a show to perform in the next half an hour, but doesn't wake up. Pink's manager comes in with the paramedics and inject him with a drug, which they say will 'keep him going through the show'. Waters wanted to show that all managers care about is making money for the show, and not about the health of the man himself, which is another incident drawn from the experience of the band.

The live version of this song featured Roger Waters singing the first verse of the song in front of a large wall. When the chorus started, the lights revealed Gilmour sitting on top of the wall with his guitar who then proceeded to play his solo. An alternate version of the song was performed in Pink Floyd's Pulse Tour, which is also very good. One of the most successful covers of this song was by the Scissor Sisters, who changed the lyrics from 'A distant ship smoke on the horizon' to 'A distant ship floats on the horizon'.

Frankly speaking, this is one of the best song I have heard so far, and I really doubt the future will come up with anything either. So guys, this song is a must hear for everybody, and here are the final ratings on the song:

Instrument Work: 7.5 /10

Lyrics:  8/10

Blend: 7.5/10

Performance: 8/10

Overall: 8 /10

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Finally, the much awaited film adaptation of the J.R.R.Tolkein's The Hobbit has hit the theatres, directed by Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The movie was released in HFR 3D and Dolby Atmos, unfortunately not both at the same time. The movie is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who is pulled into an adventure with 12 dwarves and a wizard to slay a dragon in a faraway mountain. The story is medium-paced and gripping.

 Unfortunately, for those who haven't read the book, it is very difficult to understand as there are not many explanations for the characters, objects or races of people. The HFR 3D version of the movie was very different from the normal 3D in that it looked like they were filming the set, rather than the film. Difficult to explain, you're better off watching it. I didn't like HFR 3D as much as the normal 3D, but yeah, it was pretty different. Overall, this is a must watch movie for all lovers of fantasy and adventure!

Micromax Funbook - Game Changer?

I have been using the Micromax Funbook for around 8 months now. The Funbook is a budget Android tablet launched by Micromax at a competitive price of Rs.6500. As soon as I saw the tablet, which was first released online in shopping sites, I knew I must get my hands on it ASAP. So after two months of hunting, shopping, searching and calling, I got the Funbook. And after eight months of further analysis of the product, here is what I think:

The Funbook is simply the best tablet out in the market. And not only for it's price. It beats the features of most tablets out there. I'm not going into detail about the specifications of the product because you can find that anywhere. But here are some of the features that I thought where great for the price:

• The device comes with USB On The Go, which enables you to plug n play any type of USB device such as pen drives, SD card readers and External Hard Drives.
• The above feature also allows you to connect any USB keyboard or mouse, which you can use with the tablet seamlessly.
• Another interesting thing Micromax has done with this, is adding a HDMI port, which you can use to connect the tablet to any TV or even a projector which has a HDMI input. You will need a cable (Mini HDMI to HDMI) which is not included in the box to do this.

Overall - like I said - this device is one of the best, mainly because of the price, and I recommend this tablet to anyone who is new and eager to try out Android tablets!!!

Xerox Shop Prank

And here it is! Again, guys please bear with the audio quality as this was not recorded in a quiet environment. Anyways enjoy! :D