My Head in His Hands

My heart racing like a horse in a race course,
As I ascend the barber's throne,
To keep my head in his hands...
As a reply to my greeting smile
"How are you sir" greets barber wrapping the hair armour around my torso,
he irrigates my hair with Pickled water,
then unleases magical weapons from their sheaths,
.....
The pair of scissors snips its' way,
wading through my side locks creating Dopplers' effect,
sending impulses through my auditory tunnels,
triggering my fear fright hormone,
His blades grazing my temple,
appeasing their hunger with bites of my hair,
munching their way behind my ears,
snip, snip, snip, snip....
then lands the comb,
on the white creases of my darklands,
Divides and rules the territory of my scalp,
with the 'scissors-comb' Combo,
snip, snip, snip, snip....
snippets of my hair flying around me,
As I close my eyes I pray,
That the scissors do not pierce into my brain,
the snipping music echoing my ears,
the magical comb,
combing its way back and forth,
creating shock waves in my heart,
As I feel this ordeal has come to an end,
Then the soap and lather encircles my cheek,
and oh no my throat!
Swiss, swash the swiss blade in Action,
just over my most important veins,
And over my tiny hill - my 'musicbox', then starts clammy sweat in my tightened fist,
moment of mixed feelings,
my mind murmers silently,
oh God! Let his blade not go astray....

Crossing all the rugosities,
it extends it's journey towards the plains of my cheeks,
Hah! cut, cut, cut ooo...me small cut,
to which the ruling barber never heads,
splashes Water and lotion to douse the fire on my cheek,
Finally he Gifts me freedom,
unwrapping me from all my shields
"You are ready sir"  he says.
I look myself in the mirror ,
to find a different 'ME'.....

                                      Srinivasa Raghu
                                       

This is just going to hurt a little bit

One of the interesting poems learnt as a school going kid.

One thing I like less than most things is sitting in a dentist chair with
my mouth wide open.
And that I will never have to do it again is a hope that I am against hope hopen.

Because some tortures are physical and some are mental,
But the one that is both is dental.
It is hard to be self-possessed
With your jaw digging into your chest.

So hard to retain your calm
When your fingernails are making serious alterations in your life line
or love line or some other important line in your palm;

So hard to give your usual effect of cheery benignity
When you know your position is one of the two or three in life
most lacking in dignity.

And your mouth is like a section of road that is being worked on.
And it is all cluttered up with stone crushers and concrete mixers and
drills and steam rollers and there isn't a nerve in your head that
you aren't being irked on.

Oh, some people are unfortunate enough to be strung up by thumbs.
And others have things done to their gums,
And your teeth are supposed to be being polished,
But you have reason to believe they are being demolished.
And the circumstance that adds most to your terror
Is that it's all done with a mirror,
Because the dentist may be a bear, or as the Romans used to say, only
they were referring to a feminine bear when they said it, an ursa,
But all the same how can you be sure when he takes his crowbar in one
hand and mirror in the other he won't get mixed up, the way you
do when you try to tie a bow tie with the aid of a mirror, and forget
that left is right and vice versa?

And then at last he says That will be all; but it isn't because he then
coats your mouth from cellar to roof
With something that I suspect is generally used to put a shine on a
horse's hoof.

And you totter to your feet and think. Well it's all over now and after
all it was only this once.
And he says come back in three monce.
And this, O Fate, is I think the most vicious circle that thou ever sentest, That Man has to go continually to the dentist to keep his teeth in good
condition when the chief reason he wants his teeth in good condition
is so that he won't have to go to the dentist.

– Ogden Nash

Tinkle: The childhood companion.

I found copy of Tinkle after long time and felt nostalgic. Kapish, Suppandi, Shikari Shambu, the eternal characters brought back my childhood days. Thanks to Anant Pai (affectionately referred as Uncle Pai) who dedicated his life for children.

Fritz 13 vs Stockfish 6 (64 Bit)

Another interesting game between Fritz and StockFish. This resulted in draw as well, but apparently StockFish (White) had an upper hand.

 Fritz 13 - Stockfish 6 64 [D00]

Aspire, Blitz 4m+2s Aspire (2), 01.10.2015

[0.29;0.14]

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU       M 480  @ 2.67GHz 2659 MHzW=18.0 plies; 1,678kN/sB=30.9 plies; 1,275kN/s 1.d4 Both last book move  0.29/19  13  1...Nf6  0.14/20  5  2.Nf3  0.23/19  14  e6  0.24/21  14  3.Nc3 (c4)  0.16/18  12  3...d5  -0.01/19  5  4.Bf4 (Bg5)  0.26/17  11  4...Bb4  -0.20/18  7  5.g3 (a3)  0.25/17  9  5...Ne4  -0.21/19  4  6.Bd2  -0.09/18  15  Nxd2 (Bxc3)  -0.14/22  18  7.Qxd2  0.21/16  2  b6 (Nc6)  -0.22/22  8  8.a3 (Bg2)  0.29/18  9  8...Be7  -0.19/21  5  9.e4  0.21/18  8  dxe4  -0.12/21  6  10.Nxe4  0.18/19  9  0–0  -0.05/20  11  11.Bd3  0.18/17  6  Bb7 (Nc6)  -0.13/20  6  12.Qe3 (0–0–0)  0.09/16  6  12...Nd7 (Qd5)  -0.42/18  5  13.0–0–0 (0–0)  0.31/16  7  13...c5 (Nf6)  -0.15/20  5  14.Bb5 (Rhe1)  0.16/16  6  14...Qc7  -0.31/18  4  15.Bxd7  0.16/17  7  Qxd7  -0.57/20  11  16.dxc5  0.13/16  8  Qc7  -0.52/19  6  17.cxb6 (Rhe1)  0.08/16  6  17...axb6  -0.84/19  4  18.Rd3  -0.18/18  21  b5 (Qc4)  -0.66/19  6  19.Rhd1  -0.08/16  6  Bc6  -0.65/18  4  20.b4  -0.25/15  4  Qb7 (Bd5)  -0.53/20  6  21.Ne5 (Re1)  -0.14/18  8  21...Bxe4  -0.63/22  5  22.Rd7  0.00/18  3  Qc8  -0.41/22  5  23.Qxe4  0.00/18  2  Rxa3  -0.33/21  6  24.R1d3  -0.17/18  16  Rxd3 (Ra1+)  -0.38/20  5  25.Qxd3  0.00/18  1  Bf6 (Bxb4)  -0.48/21  5  26.f4  -0.08/16  4  Qa6  -0.59/21  10  27.Ng4  0.00/17  3  Qa1+ (Ba1)  -0.36/20  6  28.Kd2  0.00/13  0  Bb2  -0.49/21  7  29.Ke2  0.00/16  4  Bc3  -0.42/21  4  30.Qxb5 (Nf2)  0.00/18  5  30...Qe1+  -0.37/20  8  31.Kf3  0.00/19  5  Qh1+  -0.22/22  5  32.Ke2  0.00/19  5  Qb1 (Qe1+)  -0.14/22  5  33.Ne3 (Qg5)  -0.05/17  10  33...Qe1+  -0.34/18  5  34.Kf3  -0.08/17  3  Qh1+  -0.48/20  5  35.Ng2  -0.18/18  6  Qxh2 (h5)  -0.29/20  7  36.Qc5  0.25/16  2  Bf6  0.00/21  6  37.b5  0.09/15  3  e5  0.00/21  3  38.b6 (Qd5)  0.00/15  4  38...Qh3  0.00/21  5  39.Rd2 (Qb5)  -0.09/16  8  39...exf4  0.00/18  4  40.Nxf4  0.00/17  2  Qf1+  0.00/19  2  41.Qf2  0.00/16  2  Qh1+  0.00/21  8  42.Qg2  0.00/18  2  Qa1 (Qb1)  0.00/24  6  43.Kg4 (Qe2)  0.00/13  2  43...Rb8  0.00/23  6  44.Qc6 (Rd7)  0.01/14  2  44...Qa5  -0.04/21  3  45.Re2  0.00/18  2  h5+  0.00/23  2  46.Kf3 (Kh3)  0.00/18  4  46...Qxb6  0.00/21  3  47.Qxb6  0.00/19  2  Rxb6  0.00/21  2  48.Nxh5  0.00/19  1  Ba1 (g6)  -0.02/16  2  49.Re8+ (Re1)  0.05/14  1  49...Kh7  -0.14/1  0  50.Re7 (Rc8)  0.00/14  3  50...f5  -0.10/20  3  51.g4 (Nf4)  -0.02/13  1  51...fxg4+  -0.09/19  4  52.Kxg4  0.00/16  2  Rc6 (Rb4+)  -0.09/21  3  53.Re2  0.00/17  2  Kg6  -0.06/21  2  54.Nf4+  0.00/18  2  Kf7  -0.06/20  2  55.Re1 (Nd5)  0.00/18  2  55...Bf6  -0.08/24  3  56.Nd5  0.00/18  1  Rxc2  -0.08/25  2  57.Nxf6  0.00/21  2  Kxf6 (gxf6)  -0.08/28  2  58.Ra1 (Re3)  0.00/17  2  58...Rc4+  -0.08/25  2  59.Kf3 (Kg3)  0.00/17  2  59...Kf5 (Rc3+)  -0.08/28  2  60.Ra2 (Ra5+)  0.00/16  2  60...Rc3+  -0.06/28  4  61.Ke2 (Kf2)  0.00/18  2  61...Kf4 (Rc5)  -0.06/29  2  62.Ra1 (Kf2)  0.00/16  1  62...Rc2+ (Rf3)  -0.06/28  2  63.Ke1 (Kf1)  0.00/18  2  63...Kf3 (g5)  -0.78/35  3  64.Kf1  0.00/18  0  Rc3 (Kg4)  -0.72/39  2  65.Rb1 (Kg1)  0.00/19  0  65...g5 (Rc2)  -0.71/37  1  66.Ra1 (Kg1)  0.00/18  1  66...g4 (Rc2)  -0.70/43  3  67.Rb1 (Kg1)  0.00/16  1  67...Ra3 (Kf4)  -0.70/42  1  68.Rc1 (Kg1)  0.00/16  1  68...Rb3 (Kf4)  -0.70/40  2  69.Ra1 (Kg1)  0.00/16  1  69...Rd3 (Kf4)  -0.70/40  2  70.Rb1 (Re1)  0.00/16  1  70...Rc3 (Kf4)  -0.70/41  1  71.Ra1  0.00/15  0  Rb3 (Kf4)  -0.70/42  1  72.Rc1 (Kg1)  0.00/16  1  72...Kg3 (Kf4)  -0.70/42  2  73.Kg1  0.00/16  1  Rd3 (Kf4)  -0.69/42  2  74.Ra1  0.00/17  0  Rc3 (Kf4)  -0.68/45  3  75.Rb1  0.00/17  1  Re3 (Kf4)  -0.68/37  1  76.Ra1 (Kh1)  0.00/18  1  76...Rd3 (Kf4)  -0.67/43  3  77.Rb1 (Kh1)  0.00/19  1  77...Ra3 (Kf4)  -0.67/42  1  78.Rc1 (Rd1)  0.00/18  1  78...Kh3 (Kf4)  -0.67/44  1  79.Rb1 (Rd1)  0.00/21  2  79...Rc3 (Rg3+)  -0.72/50  2  80.Ra1 (Kh1)  0.00/18  2  80...g3 (Rg3+)  -0.59/49  8  81.Rb1 (Kh1)  0.00/23  2  81...Re3 (g2)  -0.65/50  3  82.Ra1 (Rd1)  0.00/21  2  82...Re2 (g2)  -0.64/44  1  83.Rb1 (Rc1)  0.00/20  2  83...Ra2 (g2)  -0.64/47  3  84.Rc1  0.00/21  2  Rd2 (Rg2+)  -0.64/48  1  85.Ra1 (Kh1)  0.00/22  2  85...Rg2+  -0.58/43  2  86.Kh1  0.00/25  2  Rb2 (Rf2)  -0.58/41  2  87.Rc1 (Rd1)  0.00/23  1  87...Rh2+ (Rg2)  -0.64/44  1  88.Kg1  0.00/13  0  Ra2 (Rf2)  -0.58/46  2  89.Rb1 (Kh1)  0.00/23  2  89...Rg2+  -0.52/42  2  90.Kh1  0.00/25  2  Rc2 (Rf2)  -0.53/45  3  91.Ra1 (Rd1)  0.00/22  1  91...Rc3 (Rf2)  -0.53/46  1  92.Rb1  0.00/20  1  Ra3 (Rc5)  -0.53/45  1  93.Rc1 (Re1)  0.00/22  1  93...Rb3 (Ra2)  -0.53/50  7  94.Ra1 (Kg1)  0.00/19  1  94...Rb7 (Rb5)  -0.53/46  1  95.Rc1 (Rd1)  0.00/20  1  95...Rb2  -0.53/44  1  96.Ra1 (Rd1)  0.00/21  1  96...Re2 (Rg2)  -0.53/41  2  97.Rb1  0.00/21  1  Re7 (Rg2)  -0.53/43  1  98.Ra1 (Rc1)  0.00/19  1  98...Re4 (Re5)  -0.53/41  1  99.Rb1 (Rd1)  0.00/19  1  99...Re3 (Kg4)  -0.62/45  1  100.Ra1 (Rd1)  0.00/19  1  100...Re5  -0.53/44  1  101.Rb1  0.00/20  1  Re8 (Re2)  -0.47/43  1  102.Ra1  0.00/19  1  Rb8 (Re5)  -0.40/42  1  103.Rc1  0.00/19  1  Rb6 (Rb5)  -0.39/43  1  104.Ra1 (Kg1)  0.00/19  1  104...Re6 (Rb5)  -0.39/40  1  105.Rb1 (Rc1)  0.00/19  1  105...Ra6 (Re2)  -0.11/35  3  106.Rc1 (Re1)  0.00/19  1  106...Ra8 (Ra2)  -0.11/38  1  107.Rb1 (Re1)  0.00/19  1  107...Ra4 (Ra2)  -0.11/39  1  108.Rc1 (Rd1)  0.00/18  1  108...Rb4 (Kg4)  -0.11/41  1  109.Ra1  0.00/19  1  Rd4 (Kg4)  -0.11/41  2  110.Rb1  0.00/19  1  Rd5 (Kg4)  -0.11/41  2  111.Ra1  0.00/20  1  Rd3 (Rd2)  -0.10/42  2  112.Rb1 (Re1)  0.00/19  1  112...Rd2  -0.10/44  1  113.Ra1 (Rc1) Draw accepted  0.00/22  1  ½–½