Srirampuram and Malleshwaram

 My grandmother had a large number of brothers and sisters. One of these was Subhadra, my grand aunt who stayed behind at the family home while everyone left. Here is her account of the history of the area, translated from the original in Kannada. 

Page 1: The Origins of Sriramapura

In the past, this area was a dense forest inhabited by wild animals and serpents. Today, however, it has transformed into a residential hub. These settlements were once merely open fields and vacant plots; the noise and bustle of urban life were entirely absent. Today, however, the area has developed significantly, and we have settled here to make it our home. This residential locality was established through the efforts of Mr. Diviri.

Our layout, formerly known as "Ryot’s Block" (Farmers' Block), was home to backward and underprivileged communities. It is located in Bangalore-560021. In 1927, the installation of the Sri Ramachandra Swamy Temple gave this layout its current name.

The layout consists of approximately 25 sub-blocks connected by 4th to 6th main roads. These include: Swatantra Nagar, Christian Colony, Hanumanthapura, Dalithapura, Ambedkar Nagar, Arunidhati Nagar, Gautama Nagar, Bhagyamma Nagar, Dayanandanagar, Okalipuram, Nagappa Block, Prakash Nagar, Ramachandra Puram, Gayatri Nagar, Maruthi Layout, and Subramanya Nagar.

Sriramapura is situated between Rajajinagar and Gandhinagar. While one part belongs to the Gandhinagar constituency, the core area falls under Bangalore-21. It is geographically isolated from Malleshwaram, Seshadripuram, and Yeshwanthpur by the railway lines. Historically, residents of other areas looked down upon this place as a "slum." Even today, the name "Sriramapura" carries a stigma that makes outsiders hesitant to visit.

Page 2: Geography and The Incense Industry

To reach the 3rd Cross of Sriramapura from Malleshwaram, one must cross the railway lines. This area borders the northern and southern parts of Okalipuram. Within these boundaries lie several small colonies like Ambedkar Nagar and Thayappa Garden.

The residents here are mostly laborers and those from economically backward sections. The streets are characterized by small huts, narrow lanes, and open drains flowing in front of houses. In these very spaces, on the doorsteps and narrow sidewalks, women and children are constantly seen rolling "Agarbatti" (incense sticks). This is the primary livelihood here. These incense sticks are then dried in open spaces like the Ambedkar grounds. The scent of raw incense permeates the air of the entire neighborhood.

Page 3: Struggles and Social Services

The laborers here, who migrated from various places for work, initially settled in these "slums" because the rent was affordable. However, poverty often leads to social ills; many residents are caught in the grip of alcoholism and debt. Moneylenders frequently exploit the ignorance and addiction of the poor.

Despite these challenges, there have been efforts to bring reform. Over the last 50 to 75 years, several individuals and institutions have worked for the upliftment of the area. Notable doctors like Dr. Radha Gandhi, Dr. Dwarakanath, and Dr. Keshavadaran have served the community. 

In 1965, a free medical center was established on a 50x141 plot in Nagappa Block to serve the poor. Additionally, the S.R. Srinivasan and Rama Bai Hospital provides essential healthcare to the locals.

Page 4: The Sree Rama Co-operative Bank and Deena Seva Sangha

For the benefit of the poor in our layout, visionaries established the Sree Rama Co-operative Bank in 1932. Located on 7th Main, this institution was created to encourage saving and provide financial stability to laborers. 

Another pillar of the community is the **Deena Seva Sangha**, founded in 1930 by T. Ramachandra and other dedicated social workers. Located on 5th Main, it serves the Dalit community and the underprivileged. The Sangha runs:

• An Orphanage
• The Labourer Fellowship Centre
• A Health Centre and Home for the Aged

Students here study in various languages, including Kannada, Tamil, and English. While many residents are Tamil-speaking, the institution works to integrate everyone through education.

Page 5: Educational Institutions

The Harijana Free Hostel (Venkatappa Gopalaswamy Iyer Students' Hostel) was established in 1930. The founder, R. Gopalaswamy Iyer, was honored with the "Vanchana Gopala" title by the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar, for his service.

Following in his footsteps, D. Venkoba Rao established several institutions including:

• The R. Gopalaswamy Iyer Hostel (for boys)
• The Venkoba Rao Memorial P.U. College
• Schools for the poor and orphaned

In 1950, the Gandhi Vidya Shala was established. Many children who grew up in extreme poverty, some without parents, found a path to a better life through these schools. Though the buildings may lack modern windows or grand doors, they have provided the light of knowledge to thousands.

Page 6: Religious Sites and Modern Life

"...(9th Main Road), Sri Ayyappa Swami Temple on the over-bridge—daily free food distribution (Annadana), free medical care, religious, cultural, and spiritual discourses, old-age homes, and meditation halls—having undertaken such service activities, they have contributed to the growth and development of the area. 

In this layout, there are many renowned individuals—to name a few: the late Sri R.R. Keshavamurthy, V.R. Naidu, Cinema Art Director Jagadeesh, Sundaramma, Scientist C.N.R. Rao (in his childhood), and Sri M.A. Sethurao. These people, known for their peace, gentleness, and historical contributions, lived right here. 

Because of this, many ask, "Is Sriramapura...?" "Is it there?" "Where is it?" (this means what is so special about Srirampura? What is there here?) They listen with curiosity. Near Malleshwaram, it feels like it is shrinking. Here, in the historical background, there are places of prayer—temples, mosques, and magnificent churches—are they not all here? Look closely. The educational institutions of the late Venkoba Rao—the vast parking areas that provide fresh air for children (even the old Madanagar school has the same); there are open playgrounds.

In other layouts, one must wait for a bus to go to work, but here, there is good transport and market access—these facilities are not elsewhere. In the early days, if children were playing and running across the road, elders would scold them, saying, "Go play in Malleshwaram." In the layout across the way, it is easy to see the cars and buses parked on the road or in front of houses. They have no other choice for parking.

Many pedestrians walk along the road, and as water flows in the gutters, people say, "Even the drainage water flows like a river inside this iron cage." As mentioned before, "Prosperity and abundance have grown and flourished here." Many say the layout is small, but if the mind is large, it can fit here. Are you searching for more? Indeed, it is here. Even the "Sparrows" (Gubbachigalu), which are disappearing today, sit on the doors of the shops here every day, chirping without fear. (The vegetable market built by the descendants of Lakshminarayana Puram).

Page 7: Additional descriptive details and geographical context

For the poor people here, there are small shops, small temples, and one or two houses. This is a description and picture of the northern part of Sriramapura-21, 6th Main.

Further, in the middle part of Sriramapura—from Malleshwaram Circle (towards the railway station), if you go straight to Vyalikaval, crossing the K.C. General Hospital, and look from the over-bridge towards Mahakavi Kuvempu Road (Nagappa Block Road), the half portion of Sriramapura that stretches across is visible. In this part lie Nagappa Block, Gayatri Nagar, Maruthi Layout, Prakash Nagar, and the area near the railway line—these sub-layouts are systematically located. You can reach here by getting off the train at the stop above and walking down.

Previously, these large layouts were just fields and open lands. Today, there are buildings and houses. The spirit of the old days is still here. In the 1st Main of Nagappa Block, there was the Samadhi of Nagappa. Recently, a building was constructed on that spot. This layout is named after him. Near the railway line, there are schools—Ramanand (Urdu Medium), Balashivara Schools (High School), Murthappa Degree College, and Vivekananda Law College (which is near the Nimishamba Temple).

There are also beautiful temples—Trimurthy Temples. In Nagappa Block, there are Subramanya Nagar Ganesha Temples, and in Gayatri Nagar, there are Rama Temples. Though they are small, they are very active. From Nagappa Block, there is easy bus connectivity to other layouts. National, Canara, Vijaya, and Corporation Banks are also in the Nagappa Block and Mahakavi Kuvempu Road area. The Central City Library is in Ramamohanapura. Thus, the look of this half-portion is unique.

As said before, the number of temples in this layout is increasing. There are temples that are more than 75 years old. In the olden days, the Sri Ramachandra Swamy Temple, which gave the area the name "Sriramapura," was built by residents who came from the Murudi town of Tiruchirappalli district. They became residents here, and in 1927, under the leadership of R. Narayanarao.

The Story of Ravinder Gujjar

 So Ravinder Gujjar is a customs officer who is great at profiling, or spotting possible smugglers based on their face, and out of a healthy amount of self-love he has picked his own nickname as Santa Claus. Gujjar's father, two brothers, one sister, mother, paternal uncle, paternal uncle's wife, paternal aunt and her husband were all in the Central Excise or Income Tax department. 

If there were to be a competition in India among the most corrupt families, then Ravinder Gujjar's family would always come first. Gujjar had been listening to stories of their corruption since childhood, and developed a hatred towards the system. That is why, on the first day of joining Customs only, he had decided that he will never take even a paise of bribe ever in his life, a promise that he keeps to this day. He is not especially respected in his family, and everyone thinks he is a little mad. 

But Gujjar is not crazy at all. He is a soft-hearted romantic, and his love story is also a bit unique. Within 15 days of joining, Gujjar took a liking to a pleasant, homely girl who worked in the duty-free shop called Meenakshi. Meenakshi also liked Gujjar a lot. The two would go on breaks together and drink at the tea shop on the runway canteen. Meenakshi did not know at that time that Gujjar was doing this because tea was expensive at the airport. Meenakshi's parents liked Gujjar because he did not make a demand for dowry, and decided to go for a court marriage. On the day of the marriage though, Meenakshi did not show up, because she understood that Gujjar intended to live his life on his meagre salary, without earning on the side through bribes, and it was not just a show. On that day itself, The End happened to Gujjar's love story. 

You can find out what happens to Gujjar in Taskaree on Netflix. 

Beige Carpet Photo Wallpaper WILTY

 David's wallpaper

WILTY moments

 

Episode 2, after a fake story on Pam St Clement abseiling down Mt Rushmore, just when all the panelists were drinking water between rounds, Angus quipped 'Pat Evens has not gone abseiling down Mt Rushmore, although she did mount the North Face of Frank Butcher.'  

Episode 3 they changed the grammatically incorrect 'This is Mine' to the nonsensical 'This is My'

David's expression on looking at the Hoot owl of Death

Rob's appearance as a guest, S2E01

Rob Telling Krishnan Gurumurthy, "you should be on the bill"

Lee killing it S3e04

Weed culture in India

The major culture here is about chillums. every ‘circle’ has its own rules, either you always pass clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Starting of the chillum is only given to someone who can light up the entire thing, at which time everyone says ‘bum bum’, ‘jai Shree Mahakaal’ or ‘Hari Om’. 

If you pass the chillum with the last puff, then you have to clean it after the last puff. Usually the cleaning responsibility is shared between the last two people who smoked. 

You never, ever pass an empty chillum. 

When smoking green, it is taken for granted that the maal is going to be dipped, soaked or spiked, so it is mandatory to clean. This is done by giving ‘Chita’, that is pouring 4-5 drops of water on the weed after cleaning and then squeezing the mix (this is before adding tobacco). You are supposed to let the water run off your palms, so everyone can see how red/black it is, and appreciate your cleaning efforts, and know that you are making love (mohobbat) and not poison (zeher). 

After giving Chita, you can mix the tobacco. The water also ensures that the weed burns slowly and produces delicious, heavy, oily smoke. Then the chillum is never lit with a lighter. You always have to light it with a matchstick, usually two. Some stagger the matches in such a way that the second one catches fire mid ‘sar’, or the starting of the chillum. The preferred way of lighting the chillum though, is using coconut hair! 

So that’s cleaning, starting, passing and ending covered. Oh yeah, it is always good etiquette to carry some safi, that is cotton bandage, but strips of cotton cloth are better. Anyone who carries safi is always respected. Tear generous amounts of safi, enough to comfortably clean chillum, which is done by passing safi through chillum and then rubbing the chillum. If you are sick, get your own safi, swap out the group safi for yours when the chillum comes to you, then swap it out again before passing. 

For Shiv Bhakts, the preferred location to smoke up is at graveyards, it has the advantage of keeping most people away, and is a way to honour and entertain the dead with your memories, songs and jokes. 

It is customary to get sufficient maal for everyone for a session at the start itself. Everyone takes something (matches, tobacco, safi, water etc to a sesh). If people have not gotten enough, then before starting only everyone gives contri or contribution, then people go and score enough for the session. 

Then there is the inversion code. This is a simple code that prevents anyone from understanding what you are talking about if they overhear you, or hear you on phone. So lumchi is chillum, chisma is maachis, llama is maal, and so on. 

Phew I think I got a lot covered, am ready to answer any questions, but this is the weed culture in India, not hiding in bathroom and smoking a j into the exhaust lol! 

I am now a criminal

 

Plots

 "Killer Karaoke": This film is about a group of friends who get stranded in a haunted house and must survive a series of deadly karaoke challenges to escape.

"Zombie Brides": A group of brides-to-be are transformed into flesh-eating zombies by a vengeful witch, and must be stopped before they wreak havoc on the wedding industry.

"Alien Disco Inferno": A disco-loving alien lands on Earth and starts a dance craze that becomes a worldwide sensation, but when his spaceship is stolen, he must team up with a group of human dancers to retrieve it.

"Vampire Lovers of Bollywood": A seductive vampire queen seeks revenge on a group of Bollywood stars who rejected her advances, turning them into her vampire slaves.

"Ninja Nuns": A group of nuns, trained in the art of ninjutsu, use their skills to fight crime in the city, but when they are targeted by a powerful criminal organization, they must use all their skills to survive.

"Curse of the Dancing Chicken": A cursed chicken brings bad luck to a small village, until a group of dancers put on a performance that lifts the curse and saves the day.

"Werewolf in Mumbai": A young woman is bitten by a werewolf and must learn to control her new powers, while also fighting against a group of werewolf hunters who want to destroy her.

"The Ghostly Bride": A man falls in love with a ghostly bride who haunts an old mansion, but when he discovers the truth about her tragic past, he must help her find peace.

"Attack of the Killer Tomatoes": A mad scientist creates a breed of giant, man-eating tomatoes, and it's up to a group of plucky farmers to stop them before they take over the world.

"Kung-Fu Santa": Santa Claus is a martial arts master who must use his skills to stop a group of evil elves who have taken over the North Pole and threaten to ruin Christmas.

FADE IN:

EXT. MUMBAI CITY - NIGHT

The streets of Mumbai are lit up with colorful lights and people are dancing to the sound of Bollywood music. Suddenly, a spaceship crashes into a nearby building, causing a huge explosion.

INT. SPACESHIP - NIGHT

Inside the spaceship, we see a groovy-looking ALIEN, wearing a shiny kurta and jazzy sunglasses. He looks around, confused.

ALIEN: (to himself) Where am I? This doesn't look like the Bollywood planet.

Suddenly, the door bursts open and a group of MUMBAI POLICE OFFICERS enter, pointing their guns at him.

OFFICER: Freeze! You're under arrest!

ALIEN: What? Why?

OFFICER: You crashed your spaceship into a building! You could have killed people!

ALIEN: Oh, sorry about that. I was just trying to land in the middle of the Bollywood beats.

OFFICER: Bollywood? What are you talking about?

ALIEN: I'm an alien from the planet of dance and music. I came to Mumbai to spread the joy of Bollywood!

OFFICER: (laughs) Joy of Bollywood? You're insane!

ALIEN: (starts dancing) Insane in the membrane! Insane in the brain!

The officers look at each other, puzzled.

OFFICER: (to his partner) I think this guy's nuts.

ALIEN: (still dancing) You guys should try it! It's easy! Just follow my lead!

The officers look at each other, unsure of what to do. Finally, they join in, and soon the whole room is filled with Bollywood music and dancing.

CUT TO:

EXT. MUMBAI CITY - DAY

The streets of Mumbai are now filled with people dancing and singing to the Bollywood beats. The police officers and the alien are leading the way, followed by a crowd of Bollywood enthusiasts.

ALIEN: (to the camera) People of Mumbai, you have been infected with the Bollywood fever! You can thank me later!

The group continues to dance down the street as the camera pulls back, revealing the Mumbai city skyline.

FADE OUT.

Guernica tribute in Clone Wars

In Clone Wars S05E16, there is a tribute to Picasso's Guernica, which is a painting about the horrors of war, in the backdrop to the fight between Maul and Darth Sidious on Mandalore.

Star Chart/ Math Problem

Okay, this is a star chart, started in Excel and ended with Visual Paradigm, which is a tool used for designing software (yeah things went a little overboard). The good features in Visual Paradigm is to automatically layout the elements or components once the relationships between them have been established. Most of these links are based on salicious rumours, and is meant to quickly keep up with bollywood gossip, and a guide to solve the blinds by SpotboyE, Pinkvilla, Stardust, Mumbai Mirror Tailpiece etc. The second one is easier to follow, but the first probably shows some kind of camps by clustering more connected entities together.

Oh, for the maths problem, count the number of triangles 😀

GOT Season 8 death "Predictions"

1. AI based predictions

Inverse and Unanimous made a number of predictions, with swarm AI, which combines machines and human experts in some kind of hivemind with magnets

Is Bran the NK: No (low confidence)
Will Tyrion Die: Yes (low confidence)
Will Jon die again: No (low confidence)

DataRobot made AI based predictions too - and Dany is the most likely to die

The Technical University of Munich also used machine learning, neural networks and models that used techniques related to Bayesean inference to make A song of Ice and Data. According to their analysis, Arya and Bran stark are very likely to die, while Dany, Tyrion and Jamie survive.

2. The Odds

MyBookie
Casino
BetVictor
Sportsbet

3. Leaks 

4Chan Leaks

Episode 1: Pastebin, DesiNerd
Episode 2: Pastebin, DesiNerd
Episode 3: Pastebin, Desinerd
Episode 4: Desinerd
Episode 5: Desinerd
Episode 6: Desinerd

Alleged HBO email leak, also from 4Chan

Freefolk Script Pages leaked

The images are pulled from Reddit and Imgur, but transcripts are still available here. Formatting matched the season 7 leaked script pages.
Short Description by WinterIsComing

Freefolk set images leaked by WatchersOnTheBalls 

Imgur Gallery 

WhiteGhost Leaks

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

DrFrikki Leaks/ Predictions

Episode 1 translation
Episode 1 translation 2 
Another Description

Clayton "Leaks"

1, 2, 3

Freefolk Leaks

Closer to the release, there are a round of leaks from entities related to HBO, which are all surprisingly consistent. 

All the deaths: Edd, Pod, Jorah, Dondarrion, Rhaegal, Cersei, Dany, Jaime, Tyrion, Qyburn, Drogon, 

Episode 3 deaths: Lord Royce, Podric Payne, Beric Dondarrion, Jorah Mormont, Lyanna, Gendry

Afraidpart 1,2,3,4

/u/throwaway5873421

Compilation for 4-6

Semi-Confirmed Leaks

1, 2, 3, 4

4. The Original Plot Outline

According to the original plot outline, the five main characters that survive to the end are Tyrion, Bran, Arya, Jon and Dany.

Five central characters will make it through all three volumes, however, growing from children to adults and changing the world and themselves in the process. In a sense, my trilogy is almost a generational saga, telling the life stories of these five characters, three men and two women. The five key players are Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and three of the children of Winterfell, Arya, Bran, and the bastard Jon Snow. All of them are introduced at some length in the chapters you have to hand.

Reconstruction of the redacted text

5. The Hitlist (4Chan Leaks)

Episode 1: Edd, Beric Dondarrion,
Episode 2: Grey Worm, Tormund, Podrick, Meera, Bran, Rhaegal, Robett Glover, Howland Reed, Ghost, Ned Umber
Episode 3: Lyanna Mormont
Episode 4: Theon
Episode 5: Lord Royce, Brienne of Tarth, Robin Arryn, Undead Viserion, Queen Daenerys Targaryen, Night King, Qyburn (off-screen), Queen Cersei Lannister, The Mountain and Varys
Episode 6: Jon, Drogon, The Hound, Jaime, Jorah, Euron

6. The Sun interview on the endings

Gwendoline Christie (Brienne)
It's so... it's so bittersweet you know. It's devastating, and it's awful. But in many regards, it is one of the most exciting things I've ever read and been a part of.

Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran)
In my opinion we've ended it in the most convincing and compelling way possible. I think we've wrapped up really in the spirit of Game of Thrones, which is all you could ask for.

Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth)
The Show kinds of holds a mirror up to life and society and stuff like that. It'll satisfy some, there's always going to be people it's not going to satisfy. All we can do is try and tell the story.

Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy)
I can tell you something, I'm probably the only guy with an happy end.

Jerome Flynn (Bronn)
I was really really relieved when I read it, and the more I think about it the more I think what an amazing job they did as there is a lot of pressure trying to finish Game of Thrones. I think the boys did really well.

Mark Addy (Robert Baratheon)
We've got to... the living have got to beat the dead. Surely. I mean you can't have... can't, I know you'll see it could be... it could end in any way. 

7. Reviews

There is one by GQ and another one by The Telegraph

Key info:
1. Put Varys, Missandei, Grey Worm, Podrick and Tyrion on the death list
2. The Battle at Winterfell will happen in Episode 3

8. The Spotify Playlist

D&D have hidden clues to the ending in this Spotify playlist.

9. The confirmed deaths

Episode 1: Ned Umber

Episode 2: Nobody

Episode 3: Edd, Lyanna, Beric, Theon, Jorah, Mel, NK, Viserion

Episode 4: Rhaegal, Missandei

Episode 5: Varys, Euron, Qyburn, The Hound, The Mountain, Jaime, Cersei

Episode 6: Dany

The screenplay is better than the movie

Fandoms are perpetually locked in discussing exactly how the movies were better than the books or vice versa. The question is what happens when a novelisation of the screenplay is released. Take the 1998 Godzilla for example, the screenplay was actually better than the movie, which tracked the screenplay for the most part. Here are some of the main differences.

Philippe Roaché looking at Nick take the sample at the start of the movie - in the screenplay, he is standing in the background mysteriously, and Nick notices him only towards the end. In the movie, this is a casual moment that is not played up at all.

Audrey throwing the bag at Caiman - she just tosses it without the middle finger as the elevator closes. In the book, she flips him off.

The pectoral fins not big enough in Godzilla, in the screenplay, these fins were wings that did not fully grow, and could be flapped.

Dude guy in the bedroom does not show up at all. This is a random guy from the street who flashes the peace sign at Animal, while he is consoling Audrey.

Elvis Presley movies is where Roaché gets his flawless southern accent from, a scene which seems to have been cut from the movie.

The names of the submarines are changed for some reason.

There are large, squirming parasites on eggs which have been left out. Godzilla has apparently been infected with a mutation.

Smell like the fish is not in the screenplay, but included in the movie.

Nick presses a bunch of lift buttons by accident, while escaping from the babbyzillas, but this is shown in a slightly different way in the movie.

There is a scene where the Frenchies complain about the butter, but Roaché investigates the wrapper and notices that it is actually from France - this would have been a nice ending to the repeated gag of the French finding the Amurican food disgusting.

The scene of Godzila being trapped in the bridge has been simplified.

There is a really cool sequence in the end where Philipe Roaché is exposed as a French agent, and he writes to Nick, informing him that it is safe to talk now.

Considering the changes and tweaks, looks like even if you enjoyed the movie, the original screenplay is always better.

Horus Heresy

So I started reading the Horus Heresy series, as an entry point into the staggeringly large Warhammer 40K universe. Have been reading the books continuously for most of the year, about a little more than one a month. Have a telegram group with four fans who discuss this all the time.

Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames
What a spectacular introduction. The space battles are more epic than anything else I have read before, and the scale is just enormous. This is a future which is not limited by resources or imagination. The Primarch is revealed late into the book, and then he turns! We also see a bit of Magnus and the other primarchs, which are only explored fully later in the series. The three books sort of flow into each other, and form a trilogy of their own. This is gory, and "grimdark" at its best. The bombardment of the Istvaan system is just too over the top.

Flight of the Eisenstein
One of the most uplifting novels in the series, it is a roller coaster ride of emotions, but ends on a positive note.The good thing is that some of the action takes place close to Earth. This is one of the few novels in the series that actually gives you some hope, and can be considered a bittersweet story.

Fulgrim
They tried to go to the depths of decadence here, but could not do it as well as say 12 days of sodom - but they tried to go there. The problem is that the debauchery is unstructured, and so does not have as much as an impact as other similar works. Can get a bit crass and painful at times, and there are no diamonds in the rough either.

Descent of Angels
This is a fantastic story that takes place in a totally different time, on a deathworld in Caliban. This is a jungle planet where monstrous creatures roam, and there are other mysterious beings. Lion el'Jonson is one of the best primarchs there are, because of how little he reveals about his intentions. Although he has a calculating mind, he keeps his cards close to his chest. Still, mistakes are made. One of the few books where we see the Emperor directly in action. This happens when the Emperor visits Caliban.

Legion
An interesting book that looks at the underhand tactics of the most clandestine Alpha legion. The legion actually has two primarchs - Alpherius and Omegon. They are twins, but the entire legion pretends to be the primarch. Also we see the exploits of John Grammaticus, and introduced to the strange collective of aliens or xenos, known as the Cabal.

Battle for the Abyss
This is a space ship battle that is a bit like the hunt of the Bismark by the Hood. Most of the action takes place on board two ships.

Mechanicum
This tells of the origins of the Emperor, as well as the dragon on Mars. Initially, the book starts off as very dull and boring because it is mostly about machines, but towards the end the book really turns into one of the best ones in the series. It has the most well designed, outrageous, and relatable characters in the series so far, which is a difficult thing to pull off.

Fallen Angels
Fallen Angels continues from Descent of Angels, and shows Luther building up the capacities of the legion in the homeworld of Caliban, and the conflict that follows. This is a really sad story, with unnecessary misunderstandings.

A Thousand Sons
This one is really good as we finally see Magnus destroying the Emperor's secret project on Earth, in an effort to warn him about what Horus is up to. The retribution from the Emperor is strict, but in the last minute, Magnus saves his sons by moving to the Planet of Sorcerers. The book shows the warp ultimately corrupts, and that there is always a bigger fish in the sea. There is also a hint that the chaos gods have taken over the warp, and there may be pure or golden energy in there that can be used by the right people. This is what the elders probably used to make their webway, and what the Emperor was using to make his. It is revealed that the Emperor planned to make Magnus sit on the golden throne instead of himself, which shows that the Emperor has some nefarious schemes of his own as well. Also, another highlight is the council of Nikea, and again, one of the few times that we see the Emperor in action.

==Finished reading on this date, will be updating this post as I read through the rest of the series.==

Nemesis: War Within The Shadows (Dec 24, 2018)
Nemesis is easily one of the better books in the series. It tells the story of six crazy assassins out to kill the Warmaster. There is a shape shifter, a kind of anti-psyker, a marksman, a tech guy, a berserker, and a poisoner. In the end they do not succeed, but this still has a lot of humanity and hope in it. For a series that gets so dark, there are some incredibly elevating moments in here. The best story was that of the Kell siblings, Eristede and Jenniker. Things go downhill, as usual. This was an action packed ride through and through, with not one dull moment. Right at the very end, the Emperor shows up and says a few things, which is always great to read about. It is just so insanely rare that the Emperor is shown directly doing or saying anything. So far this has happened only in Descent of Angels, A Thousand Sons, and now Nemesis.

The First Heretic (January 2, 2019)
This one is about Lorgar, and how he was humiliated by the Emperor at the council of Nikea. Lorgar needs to have a faith, and it does not matter which one. When he finds out that the Emperor is not worthy of his worship, nor desires it, he starts worshipping the Chaos gods instead. You cannot help but feel bad for this Primarch, but he goes on to keep his allegiance a secret. In a way, it can be considered that the Emperor of Mankind dug his own grave when he did not see the machinations of Chaos at the council of Nikea. It is also not clearly explained by Leman Russ hates Lorgar sooo much.

Prospero Burns (January 14, 2019)
This one takes you into the most savage legion there is, the Vlka Fenryka, or the Space Wolves. It shows the machinations of chaos working from within the legions over incredibly long periods of time. Leman Russ is not the barbarian that he was made out to be in all the books so far. This is a really fun read as it takes place in a setting that has not really been seen before, on a brutal world that is stuck perpetually in a pre-industrial state - still there are spaceships. The mystery of the wolves of Fenris is finally revealed, they are actually the Astartes who convert into wolves, which explains why they are so loyal, and also why "there are no wolves on Fenris". The disappointing thing is that in the end, the retelling of the events at the Council of Nikea is rushed, and the actual burning of Prospero happens too quickly, and without much details. Like the destruction of so many worlds are written about in such detail, for example the Olamic Quietude, which is post human to such an extent that it can almost be considered a xenos species. Here, the home world of a primarch is destroyed, and that is written about in less detail. The Emperor is seen directly at the council of Nikea, but does not speak.

Age of Darkness (February 4, 2019)
Age of Darkness is a bit disjointed and found myself reading the book, without really getting into the stories. It is a collection of short stories, and easily the most memorable one is the Last Remembrancer. The setting in all the stories is just around the time of the massacre at Istvaan. Liar's due takes place in one of the outskirts of the Empire, where a single agent manages to sow discord in a planet.

The Outcast Dead (Febryary 22, 2019)
This one was a bit like Mechanicum, in the sense that it was a little boring in the beginning, but became really cool the more you got into the book. Most of the action takes place on Earth, which is as alien as any of the other worlds in the series so far. The really cool thing is that there are so many Indian names in this book, along with actual locations such as the Himalayan Mountains and Uttarakhand. The Imperial palace uses the highest mountains on Earth as its foundations, which gives a scale of how insanely epic it is. We also come across precursors to the Astartes, the thunder warriors, who are actually larger than the Astartes. There is a sequence where the Custodians, Thunder Warriors, the Astartes, and a bunch of Blanks are all fighting at once. The ending is epic, especially since it contains two extended sequences where the Emperor plays a game of chess. There is also a prison break, after which the action feels a bit like the kill squad in Nemesis. In this book, you really cannot take sides.

Indian Mythical Avengers

Heard a bunch of people say Indian mythology had all the concepts that the MCU has, so tried to check out if it is true, and if so, what the parallels are.

Thor: Indra
This one is simple, Indra is the God of thunder.

Hulk: Ghatotkacha
Again, simple. The son of Bhima and Hidimbi, a Rakshashi, he could go into a battle rage, and transform the size of his body at will.

Black Widow: Mohini
Mohini is a femme fatale, the only female avatar of Lord Vishnu. She steals a pot of Amrit from the demons, and gives it back to the devas, ensuring their continued immortality.

Hawkeye: Karna
Again, easy enough. Karna was a better archer than even Arjuna, and he had a quiver full of specialised arrows that he could use according to the demands of the situation. These include the varunastra, the rudrastra, the brahmastra (think atomic arrows), the bhargavastra (which could take out an entire batallion), and the nagastra (even Hawkeye did not have this, it turns into a deadly snake on impact).

Quicksilver: Savitr
One of the Adityas, Savitr is about as fast as any being gets in Hindu cosmology. In the Flash TV series, an enemy of Flash is called speedster Savitar.

Falcon: Garuda
Yeah, anthropomorphic eagle will do here.

Doctor Strange: Vishnu
God of illusions. Also, just look at this.

Peter Parker: Pavitr Prabhakar
Okay, this is not from mythology, but was created by none other than Stan Lee himself

Iron Man: Kumbhakaran 
Whelp. This one is a bit of a stretch, but according to some interpretations, he wore the hulkbuster armour to the battle against Ram.

Found in mint condition

It is some brand called Unisef. From Japan, in the 80s. Love the headphones.

a thousand points for recognizing this guy.

no?

ok a hint: theres some electro music coming on, and all the band memberz are wondering who unplugged their instruments