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BREVITY LITERARY MAGAZINE

I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue come money and every other good of man, public as well as private. This is my teaching, and if this is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, I am a mischievous person. ---Socrates, quoted by Plato, The Death of Socrates

BREVITY LITERARY MAGAZINE

Copyright 2012 by Harshini Kavya Krishnan
All views published in the magazine are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Brevity Magazine as a whole, or its editorial team.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hey! First of all, I would like to say thank you to my readers and to my writers. Without you all, this first edition would not be possible. Any piece of literature takes a journey. In that sense, it is pretty much like a human being. Your topic is the newborn baby, your first draft is the toddler, your revisions are your teenager years and your childhood, and your final piece is analogical with adulthood. There are bumps along the way; writers block, distractions, school work, and even siblings who just wont leave you alone. However, when you read that final piece and feel an overwhelming sense of pride, I can tell you that the feeling is definitely warranted for. Many people ask me why I believed starting this literary magazine was necessary. I did it because Southern India has some of the most intelligent and creative youth Ive ever met. The sheer number of writers, artists, and poets are overwhelming. I realized that we needed a place where we could communicate freely. Where the intended audience was people our own age and where there were no restrictions about what could or could not be written. And that is exactly what Brevity is for. For you to express yourself. For you to talk to our generation. For you to show who exactly you are as an individual. It isnt about what you write. It is about whether you want to write. And I for one can promise you that every piece in this edition was written by someone who truly wanted to showcase their voice and communicate with their peers. Brevity as we all know, means conciseness of wit. And thats exactly what we teenagers have. Our cunning sarcasm, cutting edge

comebacks, and witty face palms prove that we are the generation capable of claiming the term brevity to ourselves. This has been a long letter, I know that. And I also know that now youre dying to take a first look into the magazine. But before you do that, Id like to remind you, dont be a hater. People wrote this to connect with our generation, and it would not be the slightest bit fair to take their pride away from them. So get reading! Laugh, smile, and maybe even criticize. It is all up to you! I just hope that for five minutes of the day youll put away that soccer ball, or stop watching How I met your mother and read about what people our own age think. Remember Choosing to live in narrow spaces leads to form of mental agoraphobia and that brings its own terrors. I think wilfully unimaginative see more monsters, they are often more afraid. What is more, those who choose not to empathize enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude through our apathy. JK Rowling, Harvard Commencement Address Lots and lots of love! Harshini Krishnan

CONTRIBUTORS
Editor Harshini Krishnan Writers
Ananya Ganesh Johann Ratnaiya Vishruth Venkat Vivian Medithi Rahul Bhide Vir Mehta Amritha Jagan Parvathy Nair Brahadeeh Srinivasan Harihara Subramanian Mrinal Reddy Poornesh Prakash SUDHARSHAN SURESH

TABLE OF CONTENTS
editor........................................[3Letter from the editor........................................[3-4]
NIGHT...........................................................................[ 10] .............................[9 STARRY NIGHT...........................................................................[9-10] DARKNESS..........................................................................[11 14] .............................[11THE DARKNESS..........................................................................[11-14] PURPOSE..........................[15 16] OSE..........................[15CERTAINITY, LIFE, AND PURPOSE..........................[15-16] CARTOON...............................................[17 18] .............................[17COMICS AND CARTOON...............................................[17-18] AFFAIRS....................................................................[19 20] .............................[19STATE OF AFFAIRS....................................................................[19-20] A TREE DREAMS.........................................................................[21-23] DREAMS.........................................................................[21-23] ..............................................[21 PASS.............................................................................................[24 26] .............................[24TIME PASS.............................................................................................[24-26] TENNIS SEASON 2012...............................................................[27-29] .............................[272012...............................................................[27 29] POLITICS INDIA......................................................................[30 31] .......[30POLITICS IN INDIA......................................................................[30-31] food................................................[32 .............................[32] Food, food, and food................................................[32] order....................................................[33 34] .............................[33A new world order....................................................[33-34] revealed................................................................[35-36] d................................................................[35 Soccer revealed................................................................[35-36] FOUND................................................[37ERROR: 404 NOT FOUND................................................[37-39] peak.....................................................................................[40 40] Sneak peak.....................................................................................[40]

PROSE Fiction & Non Fiction

STARRY NIGHT
A SHORT STORY BY RAHUL BHIDE
One could tell it was special. The massive glass doors with the stone lions, standing like guardians from the legends. The triple-starred Michelin chef, holding court in the kitchen. The unobtrusive, yet omniscient matred, marshaling and exhorting his waiters to evergreater standards of service. Of course, the setting had to be equally magnificent. Perched on the highest mountain in New Zealand, with ice-capped behemoths in one direction and the turquoise Pacific Ocean gently lapping against the sandy shore of Queenstown. When the beaming couple walks in, all eyes are drawn irresistibly to them. The matred materializes at their side. He guides the man in the jet-black tuxedo and the lady in the slinky black dress to the best table in the house. Secluded, almost on an outcrop of this exquisite open-air restaurant, this table is even quite close to tonights musical entertainment, four critically-acclaimed violinists from the Royal British Philharmonic Orchestra. They began to weave their art, and a hushed yet powerful Bach concerto begins to spread around the restaurant. The man and the woman have taken their seats. The pop of the cork, the gurgle of the champagne being poured, the clink of glasses. The muted crunch of shifting ice as the three-hundred dollar bottle of Krug champagne is reverently replaced in the silver ice bucket. The waiter brings them the ostentatious embossed menu, each item more expensive than the next. The sun was beginning to sink and the string quartet had switched to Beethoven. They both decide on the

foie gras with truffles for starters. The woman chooses the Chilean sea bass with pine nuts while the man decides on the duck risotto with figs and porcini mushrooms served with a port wine reduction. As soon as the first course is over, the waiter brings over the next wine, a strong red from Bordeaux, France. The waiter shows the bottle to the man, who nods perfunctorily. The waiter uncorks the bottle, and gently pours a tenth into the glass. The man swirls, and sniffs, and finally tastes. Upon the man pronouncing it satisfactory, the waiter proceeds to pour for the both of them. The hours seemed to fly by in a blur of pleasant conversation and laughter, as the quartet goes through Brahms, Schubert, Haydnand Mozart. They were the last diners in the restaurant and the stars twinkled benevolently upon them. The wine was long gone, now replaced with a fine cheese platter and an exquisite port from the Douro Valley in Portugal. The moon had ascended in the darkened sky, and the shore was silver-lit, when the man got up, fished a silver, glinting object out of his pocket, walked nervously over to the lady, and went down on one knee.

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THE DARKNESS
An article by vishruth venkat
Darkness. Silence. And then, suddenly, from within the pitch black, a tiny white spark strikes. Within moments, the spark begins a brilliant illumination. Blinding white light spreads through space, flooding the area. Slowly, it begins bouncing off myriad surfaces, but the light is not itself. Colour is born. And that, is the story of a Fluorescent lamp! We live in a world that operates through stories. Everything has a story to tell, and everything can be talked about through a story! And telling stories is the way of the human race. We communicate through stories, ordered, related sequences! You might not remember what exactly we read in our fifth grade textbooks. But we certainly will remember the day we were bullied by someone, or the first time we had to speak up on stage! Our brains are meant to talk in stories, and listen to stories. Getting the right stories across, in the right way, is essential to excite humans about anything. And to educate, one must, necessarily, excite. As a population, though, we just do not tell stories anymore. Not enough stories about the right kind of things. And that us what has left the world in the grips of a population that doesnt care enough, simply because it doesnt know enough. A population that might actually doubt that global warming might not be true. A population, which will not see the wonders of stem cell research. And all this, because we dont tell stories!

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Sure, there is a lot of education about issues ripping the earth apart. We have all the facts. We know that the worlds temperature is rising by a couple if degrees every century. We know, to the last decimal, the exact number of animals that become endangered each year. We know, in cold detail, the research that is going on to fight cancer. We know this, and a lot more. But do we feel it? Telling stories, and emotionally striking people, has a power beyond any didactic education. Make a man feel something going wrong. Then, he will break free from any inhibition, any reluctance, and do all in his power to change it. Putting things in perspective, and telling stories, is something we already do with regards to humanitarian issues. We know the predicament of starving children in Africa. We hear numerous tales of survivors from terrible battles in Afghanistan and Iraq. But when it comes to science, one is tempted to think that this is a field that operates on logic, and cold facts. Wheres the room for stories? Science has its own share of stories to tell. We just need to listen hard enough. The ability to imagine and expect, is something unique to the human brain. Its that ability to plan and expect that set us apart from the rest of the great apes, that enabled us to plan, think ahead, form families, societies, and communities. And it is that ability that made us learn. In many areas of science, the ability to imagine is crucial. Whether we try to discover the secrets of microscopic strings in all matter, or contemplate the possibility of multiple, overlapping universes, imagining is the first step to form a theory. In the most serious themes of science, in general relativity, the first and only way to begin thinking, is to imagine. But today, our textbooks rarely let a student imagine. Were presented with facts. Clear, accepted facts. There is little room for the student to interpret and relate to the facts. Of course, grounding in basic concepts is necessary. And without much factual knowledge, few students are capable of

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actually coming out with a correct interpretation. But we need to take the risk to imagine, and even be allowed to reach wrong conclusions. Correcting these wrong self made assumptions it probably the best way to understand science. Learning the mechanics behind the big bang is one thing. But to truly appreciate the beauty of it all, to understand how incredible it is that in some far corner of an infinite blackness, on one planet, simply by chance, organic molecules can come about and look back at the universe, needs a beautiful story. Like Carl Sagans cosmos! Nature itself is always telling stories. The biggest, longest, and most complex of them all, maybe, is the way we came about- the luck and chance based thriller, called Evolution. Its one thing to understand the mechanisms and statistics of gene transfer. But to intrinsically understand and appreciate the magic of natural selection, to see how enchantingly every creature, we need to think of it as a story. Listening to stories requires a simple task- changing ones point of view! Imagine the journey of a Hydrogen atom thats 400 billion years old that was born at the big bang, and has now become a part of carbohydrate inside a human stomach. In that one story, one would learn cosmology, human biology, organic chemistry, evolution, thermodynamics and Kinetics! And what if you looked at evolution from the point of view of one of its weirdest products- a platypus, maybe? To learn natures eternal competition, and its ingenuity, look through the nonexistent eyes of an amoeba, endlessly creating new pseudopodia to eat smaller blobs of bacteria! The power of telling the right stories is well known. It was the story of victims, and the picture of a young girl running away from a Napalm

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bomb, that maybe, changed the course of the Vietnam War. Could stories also change things in the world of science? Indeed. Think about the life of a blue whale, or a polar bear. Imagine what it would be like, to lose ones family, ones house and ones way of life, thanks to something so terribly inevitable, and yet, something that you have nothing to do with? Imagine the predicament of the panther, endangered in India. Ages of being on Royal flags, and enjoying patronage from kings, suddenly replaced by a state where one cant even find a mate! And theres one story, more ancient and emotionally powerful than anything we know. The story of our earth. This kind of a conscience waking approach to science education is what we need. The approach isnt new, its just being forgotten. Some of us may draw parallels to the age of Wordsworth, who told us the story of a daffodil! If you want to spread awareness about animal cruelty, tell the story of what happens to an animal once it enters a slaughterhouse. That will hit just about hard enough. Stories are everywhere, being told all the time. Stories have the power to change the world of science. And more magically, one story can mean more than one event. Look at the first paragraph. A fluorescent lamp, or the birth of the universe from the big bang?

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CERTAINITY, LIFE, AND PURPOSE

AN ARTICLE BY VIR MEHTA

Certum est quod in tantum moriemurThe only certainty in life is that we will die. This quote embodies the true essence of all human sub conscience, we are born with the knowledge that there is no real reason as such to why we live, this knowledge; innate as it is, is suppressed as we mature. Our culture gives us a pseudo form of purpose that we as humans crave so desperately. We tell ourselves that we are working for a greater future or even a better present, we comfort ourselves with thoughts that we are here to fulfil a greater cosmic purpose that we are too small to understand. We rely on these comforting thoughts to wake us up in the morning, to get us out of our beds and to commence the day afresh. We cover ourselves with a blanket of misconstrued theories and thoughts to prove to ourselves we are safe from the emptiness of the world around us. This is why, finally when we face the prospect of death, when we face this warm tightly knit blanket being removed from around us to reveal the cold harsh surreal uncertainty of what lies after death, we start to feel the emergence of the afore mentioned innate thoughts that we try so hard to suppress. Everything that breathes, feeds on the unverifiable; a dose of logic would be deadly to existence that effort toward the Senseless, give life a specific and it immediately loses its attraction. The in exactitude

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of its ends makes life superior to death; one touch of precision would degrade it to the triviality of the tombs. Men can be classified according to the most whimsical criteria; according to their humours, their inclinations, their dreams or their ideas. We change ideas like neckties; for every idea, every criterion comes from outside, from the configurations and accidents of time. But there is something that comes ourselves, that is ourselves, an internal invisible but inwardly verifiable reality, an unwonted and eternal presence that we can conceive at any moment and that we never dare admit, which is real only before its consummation: death, the true criterion. And it is death, the most intimate dimension of all the living, which separates humanity into two orders so irreducible, so removed from each other, that there is more distance between them than a vulture and a mole, a star and a starfish. The abyss of the two incommunicable worlds opens between the man who has the sentiment of death and the man who does not; yet both die; but one is unaware of his death, the other knows; one dies only for a moment, the other unceasingly. Their common condition locates them precisely at each others antipodes, at the two extremities and within one and the same definition; irreconcilable, they suffer the same fate. One lives as if he were eternal; the other thinks continually of his eternity and denies it in each thought.

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COMICS AND CARTOONS

An article by amritha jagan
"I used to sit around in front of the television, for hours together watching The Smurfs even though they played it in french and I didnt understand a word of it I asked my mom if I could marry Archie I taught my grandmother how Pokemon card trading works I glued colored paper and LED lights to my watch to seem like Ben from Ben 10 One day when I was reading Calvin and Hobbes with my mother and I told her how cute it was that Calvin acts like Hobbes is a stuffed animal so that his parents wouldnt get scared I used to act like my rat was a naked mole rat to seem like Ron from Kim Possible My sisters and I used to each act and dress like the Power Puff Girls All of us had that one cartoon that we would never miss, we would get screamed by our parents for spending too much time on the TV but we just couldnt miss an episode; there were also those comics that we collected wether it was Phantom or Archies, Batman or Tin-tin we would always drag our parents to the book store or play games where the winner would get the latest edition. There were some of us who used to compare our best friend with Patrick; some of us who would run around with sheets tied to our neck as a cape, to seem like Superman. Every now and then -even though were considered too old to watch cartoons- well use the kid

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were baby-sitting or our cousins to watch those cartoons that we love(d). The some of us who do all of that are the kind I like, but the kind I LOVE are the ones wholl sit around discussing how amazing the last Phineas and Ferb episode was; the ones who cried when Looney Toons was discontinued. Remember the campaign to raise awareness of child abuse where everybody changed their profile picture to a picture of their favourite cartoon? That was one of those things that made the world realize how many people will never forget that character that they grew up with. Ill tell you this, I probably passed in French only because I used to watch the Smurfs as a kid and it was only played in French. I learnt the numbers in Spanish even before I took it as a subject only because my sister used to love Handy Manny. Cartoons are like my dog, they never fail to put a smile on my face and Im one of those people who wont hesitate to tell the world that I would totally marry Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes) if he came to life, even if that would mean I would have to life with a tiger :P I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I have ever known. - Walt Disney

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STATE OF AFFAIRS
an article by Vivian medithi
Meek Mill invites comparison with Waka Flocka flame pretty easily; both specialize in head banger rap anthems that sound best blaring out of car stereos while aimlessly cruising, and rely less, if at all on lyricism and wit. However, where Flocka purposefully goes alyrical, opting instead for catchy adlibs and quotable shouts, Meek Mill can be an extremely clever rapper, even when he rhymes the same words. Also unlike Flocka, Meek Mill does not rely on beats that sound like Lex Luger, which is a definite relief; post-Flockaveli, it felt like everyone was flocking to the neo-crunk beats that Luger produced. Even Jay-Z and Kanye West, never ones to jump on trends (see: Watch The Throne), made a Lex Luger track, H.A.M., a track in the Luger-produced, three-letter-acronym vein of Rick Rosss B.M.F., but with a layer of technoopera thrown in for good measure. So to see an up-and-coming rapper break his way into the big time after a pair of radio singles and a mixtape without flocking to the current trend is heartening, however common an occurrence this is becoming (see: Drake, Odd Future, A$AP Rocky). But what is it that makes Meek Mill so compelling? Sure he has the magnetic charisma of Flocka and mentor Rick Ross, but theres more than that. If you look at their voices, Flocka is a Doberman and Ross is a Great Dane. Meek Mill comes across as a Scottish terrier with something to prove. He definitely has an ear for beats; summer singles Tupac Back and Ima Boss, both assisted by Rick Ross guest spots, boasted production on two sides of the divide; Mike Will producing the Jeezy-heyday Gothic churn of Tupac Back, Jahlil Beats supplying the horn fanfare and snapping snares of Ima Boss, which gained a second life in the posse cut remix, adding Swizz Beatz, T.I., Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Birdman to the song. The remix was especially impressive in the fact that Meek Mill held his own against the mob of rap superstars, though Rick Rosss show-stealing verse earned a spot on formerKanye DJ A-Traks list of best rap guest verses of the year for 2011.

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The real secret to Meek Mills success is somewhat obvious after looking at his summer singles: he bridges the divide. He has the bark and monolithic beat formula of Flocka, but he has the lyricism that appeals to those who despise Flockas rapping technique. He sounds as comfortable on a Lex Luger beat as he does on Jay-Z and Kanye Wests N****s In Paris as he does on Drakes The Ride. He can bark Im a boss, and make it sound amazing rhyming with itself, then throw out, Bad b*****s callin cause Im ballin/And these n****s hatin on me cause they starving and Im parking/Aston Martins where they walking, these n****s aint important/They informants really talking when the people get to honking. It rhymes so well, it gets ingrained in your head. Meek Mill also has a gift most rappers dont: he knows how to tell a story. Off of his mixtape Dreamchasers, both Tony Story, produced by Jahlil Beats, and the title track, featuring Beanie Sigel, are cinematic. The latter paints a grimy picture of a struggling rapper trying to make it to escape poverty, and Beanie Sigel kills the track in a way Ive rarely heard him. The former, on the other hand, is potentially the next Oscar-winning Martin Scorsese film. Its the story of Tony, who plots with his friend Ty to sell cocaine and get rich, but then Ty starts acting suspicious, so Tony kills him. At Tys funeral, his mother cries to Tony, and he vows to get revenge on whoever killed Tony. He has the balls to not only say that, but then carry the casket of the man he just killed. But then, Tys cousin Pauly starts putting together that Tony killed him, and uses one of Tonys golddigger girlfriends to get his number, texting him from her phone to set him up. And then he goes over to Tonys house, and drops four and a half pounds of coke in his lap to make it look like a drug deal gone wrong before blowing his brains out across his own dashboard. Its gritty, grimy, a little bit dark, a little bit too real, backed by solemnly tinkling piano and a simple snare-bass beat. Its four minutes of pure creation, and when you listen to it, really listen for the lyrics and the story, the breathless escapism of it is stunning. Meek Mill is still relatively new to the mainstream rap game, so maybe its too early to pin the hopes of the next generation of rap on his shoulders. But looking back at 2011, he seems like the best and brightest, and you can expect to see a hell of a lot more from him in the months to come.

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A TREE DREAMS
A POEM BY PARVATHY NAIR

Alone it sat, lonely and dry, waiting for some rain; until the skies opened up and let the water spray. Days and days it waited, for the next shower to come. for soon the sun scorched it's poor little skin and left a nasty sunburn.

Its dream came true when a little girl approached it with a skip, "I'll water this seed, I will, I will" she said to the orange pip. For years and years, she showered it, with all the love in the world. Until it realised in the end, that she had now grown old.

Time had passed and times had changed, the pip was now sought after. He held a million fruits in his hands and was soon hunted for his lumber. One by one the men came in, with their giant axes. And chopped pip's torso into a million pieces.

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No one heard his silent cries as the steel was pushed into his skin No one, save for the little girl who lay beneath him. He bade goodbye to his family, the various seeds around him. and prayed that once more a little soul, would skip by to save them.

His dream came true, indeed they did when a man bought the plot. " I'll water these seeds, I will, I will until they grow to the top."

For years and years, those trees grew, to the very skies Enough to make the man's heart swell and tears fill up his eyes. But soon, he too grew old, tired and weary, unable to carry on, He left those trees to his children, In the hope the shoots would turn strong.

The land was passed on from one soul to the next, Until there were no one left. All except for the lumberjacks, with their axe and evil grins. ---

Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned,

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Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then, will you find that you cannot eat money.

- Cree Indian Prophecy

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TIME PASS
AN ARTICLE BY BRAHADEESH SRINIVASN
PROLOGUE

MARCH 29th 2011 13:05 HOURS

It was a bloody hot day and bloody humid one too. But then again, no one sees any other kind of weather in Chennai; it is the most overcrowded city I have ever been to. It is easy to understand why it is the states capital. It is jam-packed with people of all classes, from lepers to people wealthier than most other men in the world. The city represented India to me. Chennai was an extremely complex, hard to digest, overpopulated image. But the purpose of my visit was not to admire the temples or to crib about the wretched weather. I was here to serve a different purpose, amongst the sea of people in Ranganathan Street. I stood in the middle of the busy street, searching, awestruck by the masses of human bodies. Among the few thousand people hustling their way out of shops with hands absolutely full with items from the neighbouring cheap outlets, a couple stood out. And by stood out, I mean like blue whales from a thousand starfish. No one, not even someone half-blind would have missed the couple. They were not from around there. The man was at least 62 with unkempt, platinum blond hair. He looked at least 45 but was not a day older than 32. He had black bags under both eyes and a small paunch. At first, he looked like an old wartime victim, but the thought left my mind as soon as it had occurred. I searched for the

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identification mark and grunted with approval when I found it. A small tattoo of a mermaid with an MP-5 on his right collar bone. It was definitely him. I had heard many stories of his escapades, most of them utterly impossible to believe, but true none the less. These stories constantly did their rounds around every nations Special Forces, every nations army, and even the damned United Nations! But that was all clearly in the mans past now. Now he seemed worn out, half dead like a tiger missing its precious canines. Most importantly he seemed horribly exposed; exposed to attack from people of my kind. Of course, when I say my kind I am merely referring to the profession we share but am not vouching for the efficiency of my colleagues. The woman who accompanied him was absolutely striking. Tall, slender, and built with beautiful raven-black hair that flowed all the way down to her hips. Her figure was to-die-for. I bit my tongue and felt the blood flow. No distractions I reminded myself. I of all people should know better than to judge this damsel by her looks. Once first a lieutenant in the United States marine corps she controlled nearly half of the US Navy. By mere coincidence she met her husband, the man standing beside her, former United States Marine Corps Captain Gregory .K Bent. The womans name though immaterial, I nevertheless knew to be the infamous Sara Bent. And my mission was to eliminate the woman first, and then the man. (To be continued...)

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TENNIS SEASON 2012

An article by poornesh prakash

As we head into another blockbuster year of tennis, this year promises to be one of the best .Novak Djokovic enters the year on a high having taken the world number one ranking from Spaniard Rafael Nadal. 3 grand slams, 5 ATP 1000 masters titles and on the whole 10 ATP titles he ended 2011 with 70 wins and only 6 losses. Wow! thats really amazing. Nadal would want to turn things around this year having lost to Novak 6 times in a row last year. You surely wouldnt want to count out this man Roger Federer who enters 2012 with an 17 match winning streak , winning 3 titles in a row namely Basel open , Paris master and the year ending title . This guy is surely a force to be reckoned with. This year is truly going to be a super duper year with Olympics on the card. Top 4 singles player would love to get a hand on the gold medal, but never rule out other players. Juan Martin del Potro had a very upsetting 2010 but gave a tremendous fight back in 2011 rising from 483rd rank in the ATP rankings and to end the year of 2011 on the 11 th rank , shows the quality of tennis in him to bring an incredible come back !. Milos Rianoic the super serve Canadian is just 21 years old and believe me, this guy here has the ability to win grand slams. He is surely one of the top contenders to watch this year. Bernard Tomic the new young star from Australia had a very interesting year in 2011, posted his first win against top 10 players, that was former world number 5 Robin Soderling.He reached the quarter final in Wimbledon losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in 4 sets ended

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the year on a high and is surely going to give a lot surprises in 2012.We wish him all the best Moving on, with London being the host of the Olympics people pray that Roger Federer will sweep the London tournaments, as we all know the great Swiss has 6 Wimbledon titles and 2 year ending championship titles in London. Will the gold medal follow on? Only time will tell us all. Tsonga the Big French men, with huge serves big fore hand, can any one ever forget the 2011 Wimbledon quarter final? 2 sets down against Roger Federer, and breaking an amazing record of Federer, who has won 178 grand slam matches after leading 2 sets up, and that was his first loss at his favorite surface. The ATP tour 250 tournaments Murray joins with Ivan Lendl a world champ, a great tennis role model for the entire world and a former world number 1 .While the Murray Lendl combination seemed to go off to a flying start as the world number 4 started with year by winning the Brisbane open. Big serving giant Canadian Milos Rianoic won an epic 3 hours battle against Serbias Janko Tipseravic. My word, I felt honoured watching such an amazing match. They played amazing tennis and it was a nail biting finish in the end, when Rianoic winning the Chennai open. In Qatar, it was battle against the two mighty Frenchmen, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils .When two French people play against each other well, I would say it will be one of the best and most exciting matches it can and it shall ever be. At the end it was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who won the all French battle and it was the third time where a French had won. The first Slam The Australian open This years Australian open has been a true classic , an epic tournament .There were many amazing matches this year .From the top to the finish .The fab four have been at their sparkling best. The big surprise package, from Asia is Kei Nishikori already breaking ground since last year. He made a huge record, reaching his 1st ever quarter final in a major, shocking Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in an epic 5 set. Oh my word

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,wasnt that a brilliant match to watch ! any tennis fan would agree to this fact. There it is again! The top 4 are again in yet another grand slam semi final. The first semi final was between Federer and Nadal. It was after 7 years they met in a grand slam semi final as both of them had been in the opposite draws in the previous years. In the other semi final, it was a repeat of last years final Djokovic and Murray. Semi final one was an amazing drooling contest between beauty of the game Federer and beast of the game Nadal. Nadal won the superlative contest in 4 sets and my word he had played the best tennis of his life against the Swiss genius , super passing shots against the Swiss which he had no answers for . The other semi final was a wonderful , amazing and an epic , 5 sets and 5 hours both of them were breaking each others serve easily than holding on to theirs. Murray made an incredible come back in the 5th after Nole was leading 5-2 .Murray had two break points to serve out to the match but the Serbian held his nerve and captured the match . This means Novak Djokovic would face Rafael Nadal for the title. This marks their 3rd straight final visit between them. You couldnt ask for a match better than this, my friends. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal had played the longest ever singles match in a grandslam.It was 5 hours and 53 mins .Djokovic, the prince of Serbia had edged out the warrior of Spain Nadal in an epic 5 sets. Rafael Nadal has thrown his heart out into the match, he made a valid point to every tennis player on the ATP circuit that Novak can be stretched to the maximum .Novak won Nadal with the score line 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5 . This marked Novak 3rd straight Slam and he now joins the list of honors who have done that in the past namely: Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Wishing all the tennis players on the ATP circuit the best of luck for the rest of the season.

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POLITICS IN INDIA- TODAY AND TOMORROW

AN ARTICLE BY HARIHARA SUBRAMANIAN

Politics in India has taken many manifestations mainly due to the many interpretations and misinterpretations of the people. While one group of people condemn politics as dirty, another set of them us it as a tool to mint money. The opinion of the society in general seems to be biased based upon shallow experiences and the ever growing media . Politics in reality is the backbone of the Indian Economy. The entire functioning of the nation and its various departments right from foreign relations to agriculture depends upon it. In India, the political hierarchy is divided into departments headed by the concerned minister. The Prime Minister coordinates the functioning of all the departments. Each department is led by able IAS officers well trained in the field of administration. The problem in the Indian political framework is caused mainly due to money and power. Right from the construction of toilets to construction of flyovers, money plays a crucial role. With effective utilization, money can do wonders in a nation with highly efficient human enterprise. However, the greed for money drives certain politicians to swindle money allocated for various activities by the government. A poor judicial system, with a number of loopholes in it , makes it impossible for the police and law to enforce strong punishment upon such corrupt politicians . This brings us to the pivotal point in todays issue, Youth in politics. India is blessed with a large amount of manpower in the form of youth among the age group of 18 to 35. Injecting such aspiring youngsters into politics would definitely ensure a notable change in the functioning of the political system and would help in uplifting the destitute. However, most of the

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youngsters in India prefer to have education in the elite institutions and settle down abroad. This has led to a significant decline in the manpower resources of our nation. Many youngsters with high aspirations to be the change are either suppressed or succumb to political pressure. They are more content treading the conventional path than in making a difference. So it is important for the Indian educational system to revolutionize and instil a sense of patriotism among the youngsters at the grass root levels as youngsters are the leading light of tomorrow. Education should be deep rooted in establishing a sense of pride and determination to serve the country among the youth. The present system based on marks, certifications and pay packages would not suffice if India is to rise among the ranks as a sustainable and developed nation. Healthcare and food security too need to be addressed. There is no point in constructing metro rails, towers and multi storey complexes when half the state rather half the nation is deep seated in poverty crying for food, clothing and shelter. So it is the duty of the government to address the necessities before exploring into the luxuries. Inflation is yet another problem that has grown over the past decade. So agriculture is yet another sector that needs sustainable strategies to effectively curb inflation and to ensure food for all. So, it is necessary for every citizen to do his part in the development of the nation. This mother land has served us with food, clothing and shelter selflessly so far and it is time for every one of us to repay at least a part of all that service she has done to us. Jai hind.

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FOOD, FOOD, AND FOOD

AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ANANYA GANESH

The texture of pita bread...a drizzle of olive oil...and a heavenly bowl of hummus...and a hint of garlic... Thats pretty much all it takes to land me in paradise. Clearly, I'm a foodie. But I'm not the fine-dine- kind. Street food is what excites me. What's amazing about street food is its individualistic and quirky approach to every style and cuisine of food. The ingredients and their individual pizzazz, the flavours, the textures, the technique involved, together take the experience to the next level. Food, in general, has a way of binding together people of a myriad of cultures and roots. It can make an Indian fall in love with Greek Tyropatakia, and a Pakistani fall in love with Teppanyakki. It's a way of showing the world that no matter how unique we all are, there is a common instrument that acts like glue. Television shows like MasterChef Australia bear sheer testimony to the fact that food, (not just any food, but good food) has become an adhesive, binding people, cultures, traditions and breaking peripheries beyond imagination. Food is not merely for the purpose of survival and endurance. And it certainly isn't just three meals a day. It's much more than that. It's one of the many ways to time-travel and teleport; it's a way of life, and more importantly, a way to embrace the little things that life has to offer.

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NEW WORLD ORDER

An article written by Mrinal Reddy
Planet earth was the magnum opus of god, the Artist Supreme, placing man at the Helm of his creation, anointing him his deputy and entrusting to him the task of bringing order and harmony among creatures of His Paradise. But, man, a being full of contradictions - of love and hatred, kindness and cruelty, generosity and selfishness, altruism and greed, tolerance and intolerance, transparency and obscurantism, enlightenment and superstitions, faith and suspicion, and humility and egotism - belied Gods trust reposed in him. He let his baser nature get the better of him, dominating and suppressing his better instincts and plunging the earth into an abyss of chaos and disharmony. Ironically, the chief agents of discord are:Religion, Colour, Language, Reproduction, nation states, science and education. All the above were supposed to be instruments for betterment of society. But, alas, all of them proved counterproductive.

Religions:They (be it Christianity, Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism) were all propounded to civilise society, to harness the good in man and to give it a direction. But, subsequently, they were misinterpreted and misused by demagogues and preachers to wipe up conflicting emotions in man, so much that they began to pull in different directions, resulting in constant bickering and fighting. Quite often was one religion split up into different proponents causing bitter rivalry among their respective followers. Religion has been the cause of so many wars, so much death and so much destruction.

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Colour:A simple thing like this, which is only skin deep, has been the cause of untold misery, discrimination, oppression and distrust. When the animals, which are considered dumb by humans, do not discriminate on the basis of mere colour, why should we? Language:This is the means of communication meant to bring people closer together. But people speaking a different language have been looked upon with suspicion and distrust. Some languages have gained ascendancy over others mainly based on the might and numbers of those speaking those languages. This has also caused dissent and discontent. Reproduction:This was essential for the survival of the species. But the present over population is having the opposite effect. The fight for space has lead to disaster and destruction. Nation States:These were formed to bring together people of common interests and characteristics under one government, for better harmony and cohesion. But it has also lead to one nation trying to gain ascendancy over others by any means at its command. Science:This was meant for betterment of society by eradication of poverty and war. But here, again, it has been misused to create deadly weapons which can eventually extinguish life on earth. A possible nuclear holocaust is hanging over our heads like a Damocles sword. Besides, pollution of water bodies, atmosphere and soil is the direct result of scientific progress.

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Education:This is meant for better understanding of nature and enlightenment of human mind and eradication of superstition. We have landed at the moon and explored the solar system. We know all about super nova and black holes. But has it bettered human life on earth, eradicated prejudice and contributed to better understanding of one another? Political systems:Capitalism, communism, socialism, monarchy, dictatorship, and democracy are the political systems of different countries. They eye each other with suspicion, often leading to conflict and sometimes even to war. Wars leave low victors in their wake - only devastation. In some systems individual system is completely suppressed so that there is no decent what so ever. This can lead to discontent, resentment, and revolt even leading to civil war causing immense harm to the country. Economic Factors:There is a wide divide (due to economic disparity) between north and south and also between country and country as well as society and society. The developed countries take full advantage of the underdeveloped in order to grow richer, thus widening the gap between them. This again leads to simmering discontent among the poorer nations. Status of women:Even today women (who constitute 50% of the population) are treated as vassals of men in most societies. They are denied equal rights and opportunities so that they have no choice but languish at home to raise children and household work. This results in a weak and defective society. (To be continued...)

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SOCCER REVEALED FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS-FUN!

AN ARTICLE By johann ratnaiya

Soccer? Ah! What a beautiful sport is probably the easiest way to describe ear deafening chants , adrenaline pumping close calls, skills that just take the breath away, epic comebacks and controversial coaches or managers. But often mistaken and unfairly pitted against each other are the two types of soccer players- Freestylers and Ground moves specialists . Both styles of playing are equally difficult to master and require the same amount of motivation and practice so comparisons made on the level of skill required to do either are baseless. A better analogy would be to compare the sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S and the animated sitcom The Simpsons. Haha, jokes apart. A freestyler spends most of his time off-field devoting himself to practicing an array of tricks, that ordinary soccer players can't do. A ground moves specialist spends all or most of his time on-field, to work on skills that need to keep this fast paced game moving . He works on passing, dribbling, shooting , crossing etc ... All of which, dribbling or running with the ball is one of the basic skills an offensive player requires . Then we have commoners who always put their opinion over facts, and the case in question being, the importance of goal scorers over defensive players. Both offensive and defensive areas of the field demand full attention and commitment though a goal scorer always gets more fame and acclamation. But in the eyes of a seasoned coach, both players matter equally. Ever heard this before? Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. Well, i'm sure even occasional footballers themselves get into such arguments all the time. Comparing both of these players would probably be

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like Beyonce's watchman and gardener arguing about who knows the pop icon better. And no, I'm not touting for either because yet again, both players have completely different styles of playing and the years of hardwork and practice is shown when either have productive seasons. They have two attributes in common , beating defenders and pace. Pace is not something ever soccer player is born with. Some famous examples from the past would be Maradona and Pele . Cristiano's footwork goes only as far as Messi's precision and eye for goals. Last but not the least, Fans play a major role in motivating a soccer player , club team or national team and always go the extra mile for club loyalty. From face painting to hair dyeing to taking punches to the faces and jaw breaking. Then there are the jokes that go viral over the internet when one club defeats another club for example : Machester United thumping Arsenal(8-2) was parodied this way. Arsene wenger( Arsenal's coach) and his wife in conversation. Arsene's wife: Why don't you eat an apple? Arsene Wenger : I already 8-2(ate two). Though soccer might not be a gentleman's game like golf or croquet for the elite , it still is the most viewed sport in the world and brings joy to all classes of the society.

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ERROR: 404 NOT FOUND

AN ARTICLE BY SUDHARSHAN SURESH

Weve witnessed the Arab Spring revolutions just last year. Fueled by the internet, it turned out to have quite an impact on the world we live in. But this year we see a revolution of a different kind. A revolution of the netizens to protect that very same internet. And from what we have seen perhaps we can safely presume that its just in its beta stages. From the very launch of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, the Internet has shifted and morphed its way into our everyday life. Statistics tell us now that a whopping 30% of our world population has gone online at some time or the other. In order to garner these many people, the internet has gone from strength to strength. But the very fabric of the internet, freedom of speech, has stood still. The virtual world has assured this right, where the real world has failed. But these cyber scuffles over the recent years have left many wondering whether the web will remain as such for long. Soap? Whats that? Enter SOPA/PIPA. Though it was introduced way back in October of last year, it is only now that we know of it as the scapegoat for everything that is wrong with the internet. It turned out to be an internet meme of mega proportions, spawning witty and sometimes distasteful discussions. So what are these cryptic acronyms? They are the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP act that are in consideration in the US Congress. This bill has been primarily backed by the big bad corporate world. Yeah thats right, those honchos dressed in black velvet suits. That would imply the record labels, the Motion Picture industry and every agency that believes its being ripped off by an unethical internet. With its idealist and morally agreeable goals, you may think there is a catch somewhere within the fancily worded bill. And right you are. Vague phrasing, broad definitions

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and unbalanced responsibilities have led the bill to crash and burn in the public eye. Multi Million dollar industries and the cyber geeks alike have pitted themselves against the bill. The ideology of the law is that people generally prefer freebies to paying for a product. That being said its no wonder why the entertainment industry were such staunch supporters of it. With great power, comes the end of expression. SOPA/PIPA gives these companies the ability to pull the plug on websites that have supposed copyright infringements. It is only after the site is offline can the legitimacy of claim be verified. Suppose someone believes (for whatever odd reason) that I have simply reproduced his write-up in this article. And that certain someone is angry. SOPA lets him get this webpage off the internet without giving me a chance to tell him that my journalistic ethics are unquestionable. Perhaps we may get the magazine back online soon enough, but the fact still remains our rights have been overruled, and for no good reason. Additionally SOPA gives companies the right to block websites that even contain posts by users that are perceived as copyright infringements. Now this can literally put any website on the line for a fault of its users. Apart from specific arguments however, a more generic statement could be made. The net is teeming with activity and bursting at its seams with data. Unless you are Kapil Sibal, you can realize that the internet can not be regulated. Nothing more than the existing copyright laws seems practically achievable, let alone censorship. Additionally, the majority of the internet are against the mere idea of regulation. This legislation could leave the internet at the mercy of the corporate world. And if one thing is for sure, the common man is sick and tired of corporates. First they muscle their way and take over the governments and then they get their names onto print media (Going too far?). Guess what, it seems that theyve brought their bandwagon to the wonderful place called the World Wide Web.

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How will this affect you? Firstly, you may ask what any law in the USA will affect you, sitting pretty halfway across the globe. Think about it, USA basically owns the internet. Any policy of its can and will reach distant shores in no time. If a law such as this is passed, the torrent business will most certainly be the first to go. So watch out seeders and leechers alike. It also might not be going too far to say you could be legally acted upon because of your guitar cover of that famous song. Because its not like you called up the record company and asked for their permission to sing the song. And of course its their property. Its also worth noting that the bill has been postponed indefinitely. Just thought Id slip that in.

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NEXT EDITION SNEAK-PEEK

To keep you on your toes

Already waiting for the next edition? Here are a few things that you will definitely be seeing in the March edition! 1.New World Order- Part II by Mrinal Reddy 2.Time Pass- Part II by Brahadeesh Srinivasn 3.The Second Before Storm by Rahul Bhide 4.Music Updates and Reviews by Vivian Medithi 5.Editorials! 6.Recipes on how to make the quickest and tastiest foods. 7.Reader Reactions- See how Brevity Readers felt about the very first edition!

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