h-o-r-m-o-n-e-s.

Anguish,despair,fear,anxiety,pessimism,anger,regret,depression,horror,
hatred,tension,excitement,nervousness,stress,depression,mood-swings,
terror,guilt,acceptance,grief,self-esteem,attitude,courage,reckless,wild,
enigmatic,timid,shy,desperate,fury,revenge, dominance,humility,faith,
belief,butterflies in the stomach,thrills,joy andLove...one factor responsible
for all that the human mind endures,the humanheart experiences, the
human brain encounters,the humans live with - Hormones. God is the greatest biotechnologist...!

With that flashy start , just like the bottom (boot) to suit(top) hero entry in the "worship" movies,I begin this post with what I had been bantering about for so long -Hormones^3 ! Hormones are the products manufactured by the MC(N)C-multi "Cell"corporation - the endocrine glands of the Human Body. "The happier people can be,the unhappier they are" (A line flicked from a book I started reading yesterday "Veronica Decides to Die")...Wonder why???You will know at the end of this post. I'm sure that everyone would have atleast come across the word in their 8th std biology textbooks. Some would have heard about them from the media - " love+hormones+duets",the magical word portrayed in songs too many...! Hormones are chemical messengers of the body,which carry signals from one cell to another via the bloodstream. A minute change in its amount can cause a drastic change in the cell and hence affect the entire body. Hormones decide your destiny. They are responsible for who you are, what you are. Every in-built quality can be attributed to the hormones. They are what makes a person - good or bad, beautiful or ugly, sensitive or wild,pessimist or optimist. Hormones are the messengers of God...! There are two types of hormones known as steroids and peptides. In general, steroids are sex hormones related to sexual maturation and fertility. Cortisol, an example of a steroid hormone, breaks down damaged tissue so it can be replaced. Steroids determine physical development from puberty on to old age, as well as fertility cycles.

Peptides regulate other functions such as sleep and sugar concentration. Growth hormone, for example, helps us burn fat and build up muscles. Another peptide hormone, insulin, starts the process to convert sugar into cellular energy.

As I was browsing for information about hormones, I came across an article written by Dr.David Rowland, for the journal Natural choice. He says, " If we would like our hormones to flow in harmony, we need to experience and express the fullness of all of our emotions. We cannot give our bodies full life if we deny full life to our feelings. They are two interrelated aspects of the same being". Guess the "listen to your heart" phenomenon makes sense after all!! " Adrenaline keeps me in the game Adrenaline you don't even feel the pain Wilder than your wildest dreams When you're going to extremes It takes adrenaline " Lyrics from the Song "Adrenaline" -Bush.

Adrenaline is a hormone which prepares the body for the extra effort needed, in case you are being chased by a "Predator". Rate of increase in heart beat, mild shivering,breaking sweat,goosepimples and sometimes even wetting oneself is mainly due to the production of adrenaline.All of this, to help a person survive a dangerous situation.

Scientific Theft : A study reveals that giving people a whiff of a key chemical can make them more inclined to trust strangers with their cash.Just three puffs of a nasal spray containing a hormone called oxytocin increased the chance that people would part with their money.Researchers believe that the hormone reduces people’s aversion to betrayal, overcoming an unwillingness to initiate interaction with strangers.

Hormones-Soul Link: If the 'soul' is responsible for who we are, then why are behaviors so strongly influenced by basic chemical interactions? One example is the hormone testosterone. Take a deep breath before reading the next line. The scientists have concluded that among humans, males with high levels of testosterone are less likely to marry, more likely to engage in extramarital affairs, and divorce more often (they are also more violent, being more likely to assault their spouse). Shocking but true!
If you guys are still reading this, here is the usual pile of interesting facts about hormones...

1. The gland responsible for producing the hormone that regulates hormones is called the pituitary gland which is of the size of a pea.

2.The hormone replacement drug "Premarin" is made from the urine of pregnant horses.

3.The colour blue has a calming effect. It causes the brain to release calming hormones.(blue is the color of my heart?)

4.In females, estrogen creates increased neural connections mainly affecting the left brain so that hearing and speech capabilities develop better than they do in males.Men might see how things are going better than women can, but women listen and hear better.(hear hear!)

5.A hormone called ghrelin makes it more difficult to stay at a healthy weight once you reach it. Ghrelin is a potent appetite booster and dieting seems to spur it into action.(there goes my new year resolution! ;-))

6.Cooking your food in plastic containers in the microwave can lower your testosterone.(beware)

7.Experts agree that chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, natural hormones that generate feelings of pleasure and wellbeing.(yum)

8.Pursuit of happ"Y"ness : The smell of popcorn gives you more energy to boost the "happy" hormones -Serotonin. (No wonder)!

9.Mating kills frogs and toads : Every year the hormones of the frogs and toads lead them to the so called pairing ponds". The male frogs and toads crowd in groups on one female and eventually get killed by a horde of their own friends in the "rush hour"!(You bet!)

10.Laughter is the best medicine : Stress hormones can constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity.
Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
so..open your mouth "HA HA HA!" :) :)

Want more ? Here's an interesting link about Hormones and Emotions :

http://www.naturalchoicejournal.com/Articles/dec02articles/healthnaturallydec02.htm

A Strike that never was!

It was the 21st of December. Just another day in the book of Life, except that it was my Dad's birthday. But with Dad in Bangalore, even that option went to the bottom of the list of things to cheer me up. Madras had transformed itself into a cousin of Cherrapunji for the past 3 days. The city was just recovering from the gloom left by the gash of rains, mentally. But by appearance, it looked all that Madras has ever looked like - "hot!hot!hot!'n' beautiful!" . So forgoing the need to carry an umbrella on my already ready-to-burst backpack, I left it lying on the table (A sheepish act to make Mom think that I really forgot in the last minute ;-) ) . I thought there was nothing to stop me from being "dry and clean", now that it had stopped raining. I left for college happily, listening to songs using the left ear, my right ear(phone) shared by an accomplice "Domi". We reached college just in time to discover the unthinkable. The place was flooded! Backwaters of Kerala, Venice and everything else came into my head along with the adjectives "Blech!yuck!gwarp! " Lifting my pajama bottom to a "permissible" level, lending a hand(this time) to Domi, I waddled through till the block where they served the (add all the above three adjectives) breakfast! That's when the transformation of a couple of College girls of some X dept into the flattering eye lashed heroines of the "black and white" age, with hands uptured, covering the shriek let out from the uncovered regions of the mouth, the eyes going up, literally falling out of the sockets ,with a cry in between which sounded like "Snake! eeeeeee!Snake!!" to us,took place. We immediately looked at the water, grinning from ear to ear, atlast the rumours had come true! There it was, a black serpent which had been dwarfed or maybe it was a pathetically small snake, with an inborn growth deficiency syndrome. Whatever it was, it was enough to make our day, to give us what we needed to retort - GUTS! The entire dept(excluding guys and 5 girls) stayed back in the block, protesting against the management, the administration, the Director, the year incharges, the block in charges, the HOD's,the cleaners, the workmen, the mess hall workers and everyone excluding us, in and around campus. It all lasted for about 30 minutes on the whole. The point was to protest against the unsanitary conditions prevailing on campus. Rain water is supposed to be "the purest" form of water-true, but not after it reaches the grounds! Rain water, mixed with the septic tank water, and everything stagnant on the same levels is a grotesque picture by itself. And having to literally waddle through it, at least thrice a day , legs being the only mode of transport possible, made the already grotesque picture look even more ugly! We complained, asked for a bus to take us to our own classroom block. Not that we were scared of the serpent in the depths of the stale water. It was more an excuse to find reason to make them repent.We acted like hurt lovers, trying to make the X feel guilty despite nil charges. HOD set out to call the Director. Ours is a college that follows the hierarchy to point perfection. Director->Director->Director->Block Incharges->Year Incharges->HOD's. And it ends there. HOD's given the last position as an act of sympathy. The teachers and "WE" , the students had no say!! The HOD came out and told us that the Director was happily out-of-station! He asked us to go to class, with a warning that we might lose the attendance. The entire point of coming to college despite a lot of things that drive you crazy at times, is the A word mentioned above. So attendance was what made us catch the bus on time, withstand the razor sharp "mokkais" from the lecturers too many, who were as irritated to come to college as us, and made it a point that their sacrifice doesnt go a waste.They take classes from 8 in the morning till 3.15, making us wonder if they have ever been so devoted in the past, during normal working days. Why is there always a clash between the moods and mindset when it comes to a Teacher-Student atmosphere. When we want to listen, they want us to sleep and vice versa (sleep going out of control at times, prolonging to 2 to 3 periods at a stretch)! Back to what the HOD said "Go to class and give attendance" ! Losing the only strong support we had (as per the hierarchy- the least important support), we set off to class. It was the same struggled wobbling against the dirty drains, the holding of hands, and to my surpise, not even an entire hour had passed, meaning, it wasn't even close to "bunking!" . We still had some 15 minutes left for the first hour to get over and for the fire alarm, accompanied by an incomprehensible verse in tanglish(tamil followed by english) reminding us that it was Christmas season after all ! We tried to prolong the walk as much as possible, bringing the 15 minutes to 10 minutes. Still, we were'nt spared by the snickering looks from the guys in class, swoooshing because our excuse for being late was "snakes!" . But it was all fun, in the end. The very fact that, we had the guts to go against the system (though we din't get to Beat the system) was enough for us. College wasn't heaven - well known. Director isn't God - Understood. It was a Bajaj Avenger Dtsi feeling .... "We forgave them all.We felt like God , indeed!!! " .



solid prooof::::: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp-fDaS1u3I ENJOY!

Jeregandy^2 !!!!

It was one of those once-in-a-blue moon -expeditions to The Seven Hills - the abode of Lord Venkateshwara(a.k.a "Venky" ),Tirupathi. We reached the Ashrama close to half past ten in the night. With quivering lips and typewriting teeth, we went in search of a good restaurant. But as fate had it, or can I say, as "Venky" had it, we ended up in a restaurant that was close to driving away all my love for the two words in my dictionary of "food" -"Dosa" and "Sambhar".Taking pity on the fact that the restaurant was at least open at the dead of the night, still filling in with people, we forgave the slight lack of sodium chloride, and put up with the excess H2O in the sambhar, our minds silently chanting "Govinda Govinda!".The allotted time for Dharshan was 2.30 a.m., which is a time that I know exists on a clock, but never experienced for real..!So that meant, going to bed around midnight, and be up in a matter of 60 mins to get ready for the Dharshan. Making up my mind to sleep as much as possible, within the stipulated time, I closed my eyes and even before I realised, it was already 1.30 a.m. We were all ready and reached the temple on time. Since we had already taken special tickets, we reached the main Sannidhanam sooner than expected, which was as usual crowded. I could hear the priest chanting mantras in a speed faster than the speed of light (3×10⁸ m/s). I could hear the bells and everything. But I couldn't see the Lord as the curtains were closed. We patiently waited for the curtains to open, silently watching the "gold-gold-gold" everywhere, decorating the already beautiful "alayam".And suddenly, there was a shout from the audience on the men's side. I guess it was what they would call "the chorus". That's the cue that the time had come to see the Lord at last! The curtains parted, we barged into the interior to discover the beauty of what was to come. That's when my ears were greeted by those "golden " words - "jeregandy jeregandy"!! Well, the entire phenomenal wait for the opening of the curtains, and the process of getting something lesser than a decent glimpse at the Lord, made the entire journey a bit questionable.There were people who had travelled from far off places, just for those 30-40 seconds glimpse of the Lord. Every person is pushed around accompanied by the "justification limit"- Jeregandy! I don't know whether it means "quick! fast!soon!etc..etc..", but it sure meant one thing to me.. "get lost!"... The problem isn't with "Venky". Its with the people around "Venky".Commercialisation - even on divine grounds? There's one fine example. Its not just Tirupathi that suffers from the realms of commercialisation. All the major temples, make it a point to plunder as much as possible from the public, on divine grounds ,of course(Other examples- Palani,Guruvayur)!! After coming out ,near the Laddu stall, I saw a depressing board. "Laddu Cover -Rs.2 " . Even more shocking was what was written below - "In the service of the Lord Venkateshwara". I was speechless for a minute. I guess that's how it is. It will still take ages for things to change.. for the end of corruption, for the end of religious fanaticism, for the end of internal conflicts,for the end of tall promises, for the end of religious politics,for the end of the "divine abuse". I end with conveniently modified lines of Frost,its essence still fresh and alive in memory......
"We still have promises to keep,
And miles to go before we sleep
And miles to go before we sleep..!"
-Somsie+Frost.(;-)


Note :
The above is a narrative of a personal experience. What I observed, as an individual,with all senses still in place. If at all, this narrative stirs certain emotional conflicts of interests, I apologise for the same.

Theory-Thesis-Whatever!!!!

"All good looking guys want only good looking girls"
"All good looking girls want either bad or good looking guys"
"All bad looking guys ALSO want only good looking girls"

Conclusion : Bad looking girls are left alone.