Saturday, 11 February 2012

Sloggers and Bloggers Meet # 4

Hi all,

It's  S&B 4 day today.


Where : Chennai 
Assembly time :  6:00-6:30 PM 
Venue : Krishna restaurant at New Woodlands, Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, Chennai. Next to Hotel Savera.
Attendees:
Pankajam
Bhala
Chaturvasi
Vijay
Bhavan
Rajeev
Navneeth
David John
Padmanabhan
Sumitra
Rengaswamy
Sai Ganesh R
Dr D Srinivasan
Suresh
Sudarshan Rao
Anuradha
VP
Kurian
Muthaiah
Rajalakshmi
Mario Chamlers
Sudhakar Rao

110 comments:

  1. I have already received responses from a few people. Adding them here:

    Pankajam - Most likely to attend
    Kishore - Undecided at present
    Chaturvasi - OK to attend
    Navneeth - Is game for it
    Padmanabhan - Eager and willing to attend
    Rengaswamy - Wants to be counted in
    Bhargav - Cannot attend because he will be away

    ReplyDelete
  2. Self also undecided at present. Depends on the situation at home. If 'All iz well' then I will also attend

    ReplyDelete
  3. Will attend, health permitting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Msg from Ajeesh

    Hi Col,
    I would like to attend S&B meeting at Chennai . But not decided yet. Will let you know.
    Ajeesh

    ReplyDelete
  5. Would definitely like to attend unless something unforeseen comes up.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Won't be able to attend, sadly. Have fun at the meet.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Msg from Dr DS,

    Dear Col,

    Good to see the announcement of S & B 4 on 11th /12th Feb in Chennai.

    Will attend -as of now- unless there is a demanding schedule on those days. So tentatively YES

    Somehow I am unable to comment on the blog still.

    Regards
    D Srinivasan

    ReplyDelete
  8. Much that I'd like to attend, I regret that I cannot make it. Would have loved to meet all ye bloggers and sloggers. Again, Madras is not one of my favorite places and that's again a deterrent.

    Why not Coimbatore? Would love to host all of you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Messages received by e-mail

    I am afraid I won't be able to make it, as I would have just returned home from a trip.

    Jayaraman (Sankalak)
    _____________________________________________

    Hello all,

    I'm currently in the UK and will be here till Jan end.
    Will definitely attend the meet if I'm back in India before the meet.

    Thanks,
    Aravindhan S

    ReplyDelete
  10. Iam Rajalakshmi from chennai. I would like to participate.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Any follower of this blog living in Chennai may participate, provided he/she is a solver of THC.

    Full details of the meeting will be announced nearer the date mentioned above, but at least some 10 or 15 days in advance so that intending participants will know of the engagement.

    The tentative dates are tuned to Bhavan's passing through Chennai from Australia to his place of residence in India.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks CV. My dates are set. I will be in Chennai on both 11 and 12 of Feb 2012. Either date and any venue and time will work for me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. A small correction to CV's 15:29. Any solver of THC who likes to follow this blog may participate ven if he/she is not living in Chennai. Just need to make the trip.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Even NJ is welcome to attend if she is listening in

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  15. Hi,

    A newbie here, from Chennai. Can I join?

    - Rajeev

    ReplyDelete
  16. Suresh

    You're right.

    As long as the meeting is seen as a friendly gathering of like-minded persons with exchange of introductions and pleasantries for some 90 minutes or so at a common venue on a fixed date, it's OK. It is not a big event. This time around there may be a subscription for eats/beverages.

    There should be no misunderstanding as to the nature and proceedings of the meeting in those who come from outside Chennai or even its distant suburbs at some trouble and personal expenses.

    It must be seen as a face-to-face meetingfor a happy hour of persons who have known each other for years through this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I saw some fine print. Is the date firmed up as 12th?

    ReplyDelete
  18. I will consult Bhavan and firm up the date. I haven't yet seen the 2012 calendar to see what days they are.

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  19. Suresh
    I am asking Bhavan if Sat 11th is OK so that the next day, Sun, will not be a working day for working people. But if the 12th is convenient for you, an out-of-station participant, we will consider the 12th - overriding the next day being a holiday.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Feb 11 and 12 are Saturday and Sunday. Either day is fine with me because I will land in Chennai on the 10th and will leave on the 13th.

    I'm okay with any alternate suggestion but we could do what we did the last time - that is meet around 6:00-6:30 at a restaurant where we can dine and talk freely.

    I agree with CV. If 12th suits people like Suresh or any other participant outside Chennai, I'm all for it.

    As for the venue, I'll leave it to the local experts but please add your suggestions for suitable places and locations. I'll be put up in T.Nagar but transportation to any other part of Chennai is not an issue.

    ReplyDelete
  21. It doesn't matter. I am my own boss (at work that is). I hope nothing comes up in between.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Suresh

    If you are your own boss, whom will you boss over?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Yes, the date can be firmed up as Sat, 11th Feb, 2011. The place is Chennai.

    The venue and further details will be announced later.

    ReplyDelete
  24. TKS. Even though my status is still tentative if I do not book the tkts now I will not get them.

    ReplyDelete
  25. It's possible that I may make a trip to Chennai, late January. Would love to extend the stay until Feb 11t. Please put me down as Undecided.

    ReplyDelete
  26. It's possible that I may make a trip to Chennai, late January. Would love to extend the stay until Feb 11t. Please put me down as Undecided.

    ReplyDelete
  27. What is the difference between 'Tentatively yes' and 'Undecided'?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Suresh,

    Undecided is undecided.

    'Tentatively yes' would be a 'Yes' unless something unforeseen crops up.

    ReplyDelete
  29. My interpretation (though I am not responsible for the headers):

    'Tentatively yes' means the person would like to come except that he is not sure if he will be free on that date as it is so far away and another important engagement may crop up preventing him from fulfilling this engagement.

    'Undecided' means the person hasn't decided whether to come at all. Nearer the date he will make up his mind to come to the meeting or skip it.

    'No' means the person is sure even now that he his either out of the country or otherwise engaged already to be able to come and so expresses his inability.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Gita, Granite Bay, CA

    Will be most happy to have you amidst us. Trust your Chennai visit is over that weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sure CV I understand that. I meant that practically it makes no difference.

    I am not good at differentiating shades of gray

    ReplyDelete
  32. Forget it. These are only idle thoughts of an idle fellow.

    ReplyDelete
  33. So will this now be renamed S&B 5, now that there has been a meeting among Sankalak, Colonel, Kishore and members of their families? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  34. With only one S, two Bs and three Others, it would probably not rank as an S&B. So, I think the numbering stays status quo.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I too was thinking that the BNG S&B too can be taken into account and the serial number of forthcoming meet be suitably altered.
    Though photos are not available, the Col can just include a note here about the meeting - date, time, venue, attendees.
    I remember the Col and Raju meeting in CBE but that was only a B and not an S&B meeting (unless Raju is also an S).
    NOTE: The date and time above of the next S&B in Chennai remain confirmed. Details of venue (restaurant) later.

    ReplyDelete
  36. CV This comment on mine is of academic interest only. Maybe I am competing with Jerome K Jerome.

    Going by the logic in your last post, my meeting with you in Chennai last year could also be an S&B.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Sure.

    BTW, two or three others have met me at home during their visits to Madras from abroad.

    These too could well be termed S&B.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Announcing that I am moving to the last column. Sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Kishore@20:05: Bummer. :(

    ReplyDelete
  40. I suggest that we put BLOGGERS before SLOGGERS for a caption.By the way, can someone define as to how one qualifies to be a SLOGGER? Blogging with a SLEDGE HAMMER? Or one who HOGS these columns like me and Kishore?

    I had offered to host. Why no one ever commented? Does the Col feel that I was not a good host? haahha?

    I can offer a lot of old and tough crosswords in competition for the participants, from my collections. We must take the opportunity to atleast meet once every three months and an annual Compiler-bashing event for the whole day with the full works including competitions and prizes and press coverage.
    Any takers?

    ReplyDelete
  41. >> I had offered to host. Why no one ever commented?

    Raju, thanks for the generous offer. I had suggested Chennai for my own selfish convenience as it is where I would be landing. I will not be able to travel to Coimbatore during this trip.

    >> I can offer a lot of old and tough crosswords in competition for the participants, from my collections.

    That is a mighty tempting offer. May be there is a way we can still do that via the orkut forum or this blog?

    >> We must take the opportunity to atleast meet once every three months and an annual Compiler-bashing event for the whole day with the full works including competitions and prizes and press coverage. Any takers?

    S & B meets so far have been informal sessions to get together and talk about any topic (not only crosswords) with like minded solvers. I feel turning that into a daylong competitive event needs more consideration.

    The S&B meet that happened in Bangalore did have press coverage : http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/12/14/stories/2010121450240100.htm

    ReplyDelete
  42. For some reason that press article link is pointing back to this blog entry. Not sure what is wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  43. The meeting is on Feb 11.
    Assembly time is 6 to 6-30 p.m. at a restaurant.
    From 6-30 p.m. it's dinner.
    Those intending to participate please send an email by Jan 25 to
    chaturvasi[at]yahoo[dot]com
    giving phone number (landline or mobile or both)
    for contact purposes.
    S&Bs so far have been an informal get-together of persons pursuing the hobby of crossword solving: no competitive solving has been done as that will make the meeting a workshop.
    S, for slogger, is in the sense of a person who works hard (setting crossword puzzles for TH).
    At the next meeting there might be a surprise - one or two setters other than Gridman.

    ReplyDelete
  44. We are Hoggers, Raju. But our Venns intersect with Bloggers too. BTW, you would have noticed, that due to my taking new responsibilities from Jan 2, I am on quite a lean diet.No personal mails/blogs between 845am-730pm

    ReplyDelete
  45. For some reason that press article link is pointing back to this blog entry. Not sure what is wrong

    If you copy paste the link it is fine. So obviously it is a problem with how the link has been made. I am a dummy at this.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thanks, friends, Bhavan, Chaturvasi and Kishore. I know , I got too enthu on this, as I do appreciate, even to organize a small get-together, and 'herd' everyone to co-ordinate,one needs to put in a lot of effort, given that we are all separated by distance and are a disparate Group of varied interests and pursuits. It was just a fond thought that I put in. Let's be happy with what we have now and what we are now.
    Sorry, Bhavan: I'm not into Orkut, as I do find it too taxing to be au fait with this blog on time.! We may try , by and by to interact with my collections with this blog only.

    Kishore:I agree, one ought to allocate one's time and interest in a regimented way to obtain the little optimum results.Venns? beats my lateral thinking ! So, good luck to you.

    There was an article in the N Indian Express this morning as to why we shouldn't let the internet to rule our lives.Did you read it?

    ReplyDelete
  47. Copy of mail received by me

    Dear Sir,

    My name is Sudarshan S. Rao . I am an Electrical Engineer from College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai. ( I passed out in 1983).I run my own manufacturing Company in Chennai I have been solving The Hindu crossword puzzle over the last 20 years.

    I visit you Blog everyday.

    I would like to attend the meeting on 11th Feb.

    Thanks and regards,

    Sudarshan S. Rao

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hello friends

    I would like to have a list of intending participants.

    Please send an email to chaturvasi(at)yahoo(dot)com

    I have since got mail from
    Sudarshan S. Rao

    As and when I get mails from others I will update the list.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Raju, my ref was to Venn diagrams.

    Navneeth: I do not know if you are a fan of Crabtree in 'Allo 'Allo. He has a peculiar accent and when he uses the word bummer he refers to the RAF bombers. Guess what he uses for RAF fighters ;-)

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  50. Mails giving contact phone numbers received from
    1. Sudarshan S. Rao
    2. Pankajam
    3. Aravind aka Navneeth (currently in the UK)
    4. Padmanabhan

    Anyone intending to attend the S and B meeting, please send an email to
    chaturvasi yahoo com
    giving phone numbers. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Mails giving contact phone numbers received from

    ...

    5. Bhavan

    Anyone intending to attend the S and B meeting, please send an email to
    chaturvasi(at)yahoo(dot)com
    giving phone numbers. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Kishore: :D

    Even if I have watched the show, I don't remember anything from it, but I suppose I can extrapolate from the given example. ;) Was it part of the string of Brit. comedies that used to air on week-nights many years ago on Star Plus? I remember Faulty Towers and the one that takes place within a shop.

    Chaturvasi@06:39,
    I believe is Aravindan is {NAVIN RADA}*. I am the only Navneeth so far in the list. :)

    ReplyDelete
  53. Mails giving contact phone numbers received from
    1. Sudarshan S. Rao
    2. Pankajam
    3. Aravindhan aka Navin Radha (currently in the UK)
    4. Padmanabhan
    5. Navneeth Chandrasekharan
    6. Bhavan
    7. Suresh

    Anyone intending to attend the S and B meeting, please send an email to
    chaturvasi yahoo com
    giving phone numbers. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  54. 8. Bhala
    9. Sumitra

    These two have also sent their phone numbers to me.
    Others intending to come to S and B, please send contact numbers to
    chaturvasi yahoo com
    for communication purposes.

    ReplyDelete
  55. I have phone numbers of the persons whose cells have been yellowed in the table above.

    I also have the phone number of S. Vijay.

    Those planning to come to the S and B meet on Feb 11, please send phone numbers to me in an email.

    For my email ID please scroll upwards..

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  56. Now I have Ajeesh's contact details.

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  57. I have David John's ph nos. too.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I now have the ph. nos. of
    Muthaiah
    Rengaswamy

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  59. VP has sent me his phone no.

    Now it remains only for Rajalakshmi and Rajeev to send me their phone nos. by email to me (see ID in a post above).

    Any other member planning to attend the S and B meet may contact me by giving the phone no.

    Intention to participate may be posted here. But an email confirmation giving me the phone no. is appreciated.

    This is to keep personal details and the actual venue away from the public domain.

    Bhavan: While shading the relevant cell yellow, please give my cell a different shade (as I needn't send an email to myself!)

    ReplyDelete
  60. Hi,
    I am a newbie. I've been solving thcc for around 4 months now. I would also like to attend this meeting.

    ReplyDelete
  61. mario.chalmers
    As stated in a couple of the posts above, please send an email to
    chaturvasi yahoo com
    giving your phone no.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Sai Ganesh R plans to come.

    The person has provided me with contact ph no.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Attn: Rajalakshmi, Rajeev and mario.chalmers

    I note that you are planning to attend S and B.

    Please send me phone numbers for me to be able to communicate with you if need be.

    Send email to

    chaturvasi yahoo com

    ReplyDelete
  64. Wow, that's great. I have noted.

    Suresh, the name may not be literally moved to the first col, unless the Col. can step in for Bhavan and do it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak is the first Col. in the last col..

      Delete
    2. He is the only Col. among all Cols.

      Delete
  65. Anuradha intends to attend. She has sent me her contact details.

    ReplyDelete
  66. I have received a mail from Dr D Srinivasan of Salem, giving me his phone no.

    The venue of S&B will be announced in a day or two.

    It is most likely to be the same as the one where we met in Chennai the last time. Await details in this space.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Regrets by Aravindhan S, who is still in the UK, and Ajeesh, who has some other engagement on that day. They move to fourth column.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Dear CVasi Sir, I am afraid I wont be able to make it to the meet due to some commitments. Wishing the best for the meet.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Hi,
    I'm a student of Eng. Lit at IITM. I've been a solver for a few years and set the crosswords for the crossie event at last year's Saarang( our cultural fest). Would definitely like to attend this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please let me have your real name if you want it entered in the table above. You may also contact chaturvasi@yahoo.com and give him your phone number

      Delete
    2. sewagemessiah

      Please send a mail to me giving your name and phone no.

      Delete
  70. The date is Feb 11 as stated already.
    The venue is Krishna restaurant at New Woodlands, Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, Chennai. New Woodlands is is the one that is adjacent to Hotel Savera.
    Between 6 and 6-30 we will meet at the reception which is past the door leading to the restaurant as the building faces the main road.
    At 6-30 we will adjourn to the restaurant.
    One or two of members who have cameras are encouraged to bring them and take photos to be put up on the Col's blog in THCC Families section.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Rajeev has sent me his contact details.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Perhaps the post could be updated with details of the venue, now that Chaturvasi has announced it.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Rajalakshmi has sent me her phone no.

    It looks as if there might be some 15 persons at the gathering.

    Bhavan: Please remove Venue: TBD in the main post above.

    Mario (in Col. 1): Please do come.

    ReplyDelete
  74. I should have said "more than 15 persons".

    ReplyDelete
  75. Kurian, who has posted messages here under a different handle, will be attending. He has sent me his phone no.

    ReplyDelete
  76. I wish to know whether the venue is is on ground floor?
    Other problem is my wife is not ready to chaperon me, as she cannot participate and get bored. Somehow i am trying to convince her.

    ReplyDelete
  77. The venue is on the ground floor. It is the same place as we met the second time to which too you had come. At the entrance there is a six-inches rise but friends can lift the wheel-chair, so don't worry.
    It is more a gathering of like-minded persons and not a crossword convention; besides, there are some women participants so you wife will have some company.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Sudhakar Rao is coming. I have received an email from him.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Regards and best wishes to all those attending the meet.

    ReplyDelete
  80. All the best, folks !

    ReplyDelete
  81. Ladies and Gentlemen, as the quizmaster used to say:

    Your time starts now !

    Could not resist posting the 100th post on this.

    ReplyDelete
  82. His name cropped up in the S&B meeting yesterday. So also your name and Deepak's name. The first as a clue-writer, the second as a regular blogger and the third as Mr. Know-All (not in any pejorative sense). It was a friendly gathering and we had good fun, solving two crosswords between us even as we chatted merrily.

    The setter Arden came from Bangalore. With Buzzer and myself, we were a trio on the S side.

    Arden is keen to have a meeting in BNG.

    Visit

    http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article2883639.ece

    I wonder whether the Reporter's use of anagrams in his first sentence was deliberate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some of the statements in the "report" seem to be iffy/downright wrong to me.

      If 30 people attended yesterday, I didn't see about 10 or 12 of them! (Okay, I concede that it may have been a typo.)

      David John told me he was from Anna Nagar.

      Was there ever an S&B in California,let alone the last one, which, IIRC, took place at the same venue?

      Delete
    2. Yes I am from Anna Nagar. Not sure how he got the impression that I'd traveled from B'lore!

      Delete
    3. Navneeth, there was talk of hosting S&B 2 in Granite Bay, California. It was floated by Gita Iyer at the first ever S&B meet. Pretty sure it didn't materialise as 2 happened in Bangalore with 3&4 in Chennai.

      Delete
  83. By "his" I meant Vinod Raman whose name Kishore mentions elsewhere. "Your" is the redoubtable Kishore.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Had a good time yesterday. Thank You

    ReplyDelete
  85. Thank you , Bhavan and CV for initiating and organizing the meet . It was an enjoyable,pleasant meet and surely we missed the rest of the regular bloggers.

    ReplyDelete
  86. Thank you , Bhavan and CV for initiating and organizing the meet . It was an enjoyable,pleasant meet and surely we missed the rest of the regular bloggers.

    ReplyDelete
  87. I really regret to have attended only 3 S & B meets. Really enjoyable.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Thanks a lot CV Sir and Bhavan for taking the pain to organize this meet. Next time I would definitely like to meet with the owner of the blog and the other regular bloggers.

    Arden has given away a clue which will be in one of the grids coming on in the next few weeks - keep watching, unless you are "behind the times" :-)

    ReplyDelete
  89. Was a really enjoyable evening meeting everyone there. Many thanks to CV sir and Bhavan for organizing this.

    ReplyDelete

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