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	<title>sparkymat &#187; personal</title>
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	<link>http://www.sparkymat.net</link>
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		<title>The end of an Epoc(h)</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2011/01/the-end-of-an-epoch/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2011/01/the-end-of-an-epoch/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 06:45:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nokia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[symbian]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sparkymat.net/?p=173</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a 3 year long association with the Symbian platform, I have now bid farewell. Though I am now no longer officially associated with Symbian, I plan to remain an ardent follower of the Symbian OS and the course of redemption it has embarked on.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After a 3 year long association with the Symbian platform, I have now bid farewell. Though I am now no longer officially associated with Symbian, I plan to remain an ardent follower of the Symbian OS and the course of redemption it has embarked on.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>psychopath</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/08/psychopath/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/08/psychopath/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:05:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[psychopath]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sparkymat.net/?p=148</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I was small, I thought a psychopath was someone who was insane (obviously I confused it with psychotic). I still find many people making the same mistake &#8211; referring to someone as a &#8216;psychopath&#8217; when they mean &#8216;psychotic&#8217;. However, psychopaths are not easy to identify, precisely because they are typically endowed with above average [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I was small, I thought a psychopath was someone who was insane (obviously I confused it with psychotic). I still find many people making the same mistake &#8211; referring to someone as a &#8216;psychopath&#8217; when they mean &#8216;psychotic&#8217;. However, psychopaths are not easy to identify, precisely because they are typically endowed with above average intelligence and they ability to make themselves appear normal.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Silence of the Lambs&#8221; movie introduced me to the true meaning of the term psychopath. I still get chills down my spine whenever I remember those eyes, those piercing eyes that make me want to run far away and hide. Perhaps, the reason psychopaths scare me more than the insane, is that we know that the insane are, well, insane. They are not thinking straight. However, not only is a psychopath thinking straight, he is quite intelligent too. He is hiding. He is hiding behind a facade of feigned politness and emotions. Where the insane is not thinking straight, the psychopath is cunning and manipulative, pretending to be normal, biding his time.</p>
<p>I still remember my heart skipping a beat and a slow panic build up, when Valerie&#8217;s expression changes and she admits she&#8217;s a psychopath (in Remorse, an episode of House). The scariest villains are not the raving lunatics, who scream at you, threatening to pull your entrails out and wrap it around your neck. The scariest villains are the ones we don&#8217;t even perceive as villains, the ones who manipulate us into thinking they are the good guys, while framing others for their crimes.</p>
<p>Movies/books/shows I need to check out (having read about psychopathy):</p>
<ul>
<li>American Psycho</li>
<li>Se7en</li>
<li>Dexter</li>
<li>A Clockwork Orange</li>
<li>The Kite Runner</li>
</ul>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>adventure park</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/07/adventure-park/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/07/adventure-park/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:36:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sparkymat.net/?p=130</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Adventure park. One of my favourite places to go, when I was a kid. Though designed more like a training course at a boot camp, the place still fascinated and enthrilled me, my brother and my cousins. Later, it fell into disrepute and ill-use. Yesterday, I visited it again, after almost 15 or 20 years. Glad to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Adventure park. One of my favourite places to go, when I was a kid. Though designed more like a training course at a boot camp, the place still fascinated and enthrilled me, my brother and my cousins. Later, it fell into disrepute and ill-use. Yesterday, I visited it again, after almost 15 or 20 years. Glad to see that the place is maintained decently (more or less). Have taken some pics. Posting them below (click on the images for the bigger version).</p>
<p><em>Trivia: The climax of the movie &#8220;Manu Uncle&#8221; was shot here.</em></p>
<div id="attachment_131" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-131" title="Adventure Park Entrace" src="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The entrance to Adventure Park</p></div>
<div id="attachment_132" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010001.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-132" title="Skating Rink" src="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010001-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The skating rink!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_135" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010002.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-135" title="The Tunnels" src="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010002-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The tunnels! We used to have races through these.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_136" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010003.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-136" title="The Rope Wall" src="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010003-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The rope wall (or its remains, to be accurate)</p></div>
<div id="attachment_137" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010004.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-137" title="Jumper" src="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010004-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The jumper (:P) . There was a rope ladder behind this to climb up and then jump down to each level.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_138" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010005.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-138" title="Mangroves" src="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010005-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The mangroves that border the park</p></div>
<div id="attachment_139" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010006.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-139" title="Adventure Park" src="http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/25072010006-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Sigh.. Adventure Park.. </p></div>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>kireedom</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/07/kireedom/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/07/kireedom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:58:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[malayalam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sparkymat.net/?p=127</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For a change, they are playing a good movie on the bus. Kireedom (&#8216;Crown&#8217; in Malayalam) is one of my favourite movies of all times. Both Mohanlal and Thilakan are scintilating in this movie. Sadly, the sequel was disappointing. Some of my favourite Malayalam movies are: Nadodikaattu, Manichithrathazhu, Kireedom, Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu. Is it [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For a change, they are playing a good movie on the bus. Kireedom (&#8216;Crown&#8217; in Malayalam) is one of my favourite movies of all times. Both Mohanlal and Thilakan are scintilating in this movie. Sadly, the sequel was disappointing.</p>
<p>Some of my favourite Malayalam movies are: Nadodikaattu, Manichithrathazhu, Kireedom, Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu. Is it a coincidence that all of them are Lalettan movies?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>love</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/05/love/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2010/05/love/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2010 10:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sparkymat.net/?p=15</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Violet The waning dusk turns the lake you are standing in into a picture of the deepest purple.  Light reflecting off the lake turns all the colors around you into progressive shades of the same color, including the grapevines in the distance.  A table is set up on the shore, draped in a violet tablecloth. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><div style="background-color:#000000;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-family: Lucida Sans Typewriter;color:#FFFFFF;">Violet</p>
<div style="color:#2255FF;">The waning dusk turns the lake you are standing in into a picture of the deepest purple.  Light reflecting off the lake turns all the colors around you into progressive shades of the same color, including the grapevines in the distance.  A table is set up on the shore, draped in a violet tablecloth.</div>
<div>Exits: west up down.</div>
<p></p>
<div style="color:#2255FF;">A violet crystal glass of exquisite wine stands here.</div>
<div style="color:#C84BF2;">A purple cloud becomes a beautiful shape before you, filling you with love.</div>
<div style="color:#FFFF33;">The sky flashes, and the ground trembles with thunder.</div>
<p></span></div>
</blockquote>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who killed Betty bear?</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/07/who-killed-betty-bear/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/07/who-killed-betty-bear/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:25:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[images]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[random]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.sparkymat.net/?p=324</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-325" title="betty_bear" src="http://blog.sparkymat.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/headless_teddy_edited.png" alt="betty_bear" width="482" height="362" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>coming back to life</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/07/coming-back-to-life/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/07/coming-back-to-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:01:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.sparkymat.net/?p=322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I need to blog more often. I need to! I will attempt to post more often &#8211; something, anything. Use this a little more and use Twitter a little less.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I need to blog more often. I need to!</p>
<p>I will attempt to post more often &#8211; something, anything. Use this a little more and use Twitter a little less.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>crumbling inward</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/07/crumbling-inward/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/07/crumbling-inward/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:22:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philosophy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.sparkymat.net/?p=319</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[Note that this is a re-post of a really old blog post of mine (on a secret blog, no less!) ] I find myself metamorphosing into something harder and colder. No longer the romantic fool. No longer the playful child who stared awed at the world. No longer the fool who set out to conquer [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>[Note that this is a re-post of a really old blog post of mine (on a secret blog, no less!) ]</em></p>
<p>I find myself metamorphosing into something harder and colder. No longer the romantic fool. No longer the playful child who stared awed at the world. No longer the fool who set out to conquer fate with the power of the heart. Humility. A lesson that was slapped onto my face. That man is NOT all conquering. That there are ALWAYS things bigger than you. I have stared at the stars many a time, feeling small, but with wonder. Now I feel small. Insignificant. If I can&#8217;t even control my own fate, how dare I be arrogant to think I can change the world.</p>
<p>I have been reclusive a lot in my life. Now it seems I am becoming more so. Social webs shrink unless you weave them often. Looks like I am drawing myself into a shell. Atleast the core of me is. There is a person before the eyes of the people I know. They see me. They do not see the inside of me. No one has ever. Not fully. Now I know, now I see, that it would forever remain that way.</p>
<p>I have stopped questioning why I am the way I am. I have changed bits and parts of me, but the core of me remains the same. Can I change it? Do I want to change it?</p>
<p>Surrounded by love, I know that this cynicism doesnt become me. Yet, there is more, there is more screaming within, than there is smiling without.</p>
<p>Why?</p>
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		<item>
		<title>bat-free</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/06/bat-free/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/06/bat-free/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:32:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[absurd]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[random]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.sparkymat.net/?p=302</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have decided to attempt a vowel-free (vavvaal-free ) post, just for horror&#8230; bsclly ths pst s n ttmpt t s f vwl-fr txt wld mk ny sns. s fr m nt vry cnvncd tht t ds. ths lks wrs thn http://www.realunspokenwords.blogspot.com/ . bsltly ncmprhnsbl. dnst lk lk ny lngg n xstnc. h wl, gd [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have decided to attempt a vowel-free (vavvaal-free <img src='http://www.sparkymat.net/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' />  ) post, just for horror&#8230;</p>
<p>bsclly ths pst s n ttmpt t s f vwl-fr txt wld mk ny sns. s fr m nt vry cnvncd tht t ds. ths lks wrs thn <a title="unspoken words" href="http://www.realunspokenwords.blogspot.com/" target="_self">http://www.realunspokenwords.blogspot.com/</a> . bsltly ncmprhnsbl. dnst lk lk ny lngg n xstnc. h wl, gd lck tryng t dcphr t.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>susan boyle</title>
		<link>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/04/susan-boyle/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sparkymat.net/2009/04/susan-boyle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2009 03:32:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sparkymat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[videos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.sparkymat.net/?p=280</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today, I witnessed a fairy tale unveil in front of my eyes. Surfing through the Digg pages, I stumbled across this video about a lady called Susan Boyle auditioning for Britain&#8217;s got Talent. This middle-aged woman appeared on stage, looking odd and out of place in the glitzy, glamorous arena of show biz. Her cheeky [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><center><object width="464" height="376" data="http://embed.break.com/NzAyOTc0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://embed.break.com/NzAyOTc0" /></object></center></p>
<p>Today, I witnessed a fairy tale unveil in front of my eyes. Surfing through the Digg pages, I stumbled across this video about a lady called Susan Boyle auditioning for Britain&#8217;s got Talent. This middle-aged woman appeared on stage, looking odd and out of place in the glitzy, glamorous arena of show biz. Her cheeky attitude brought a smile to my face, but nothing prepared me for what turned out to be, one of best live performances I have ever seen. Though I had never heard &#8216;I dreamed a dream&#8217; (from <em>Les Misérables</em>) before, her rendition completely bowled me over. The judges and the audience were heavily skeptical and condescending before she started singing, and everyone had a &#8216;Yeah.. right!&#8217; expression when she said she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Paige. However, two seconds into her song, and they were smitten. Susan Boyle became an international sensation in matter of days, with her online videos garnering millions upon millions of views. There are enough and more analysis on why her story has become so universally loved, but I am not here to delve on that. I am here because Susan Boyle has become one of my favourite singers, with just one song. I am here because Susan Boyle has inspired me, and millions around the world. I am here because, fairy tales are real, and I witnessed one.</p>
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