Shells & Sols

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When we kids used to visit the seashore we used to collect white shells of a particular shape and size. We needed them for our Snakes & Ladders game. We didn't have dice.

Bigger brown shells were sold in Temple Markets. Often their tops were inscribed with art and calligraphy and were showpieces and also keyring danglers.

Even bigger ones called conches were used in our Pujas. Apparently, water becomes holy when served out of them. Also in Bengal on auspicious occasions. Also used as bugles in Kurukshetra War.

Basketful of shapeless shells used to be collected by tribal women from the sea beaches and sold in the market, perhaps for conversion into lime.

We learned of canon shells later on.

When I landed at Vizagh for my University Education (so-called), there was a huge petrochemicals company called Burmah-Shell. It had a nice logo of an orange seashell with yellow stripes.

The Burmah part was easy but I couldn't guess what a seashell has to do with an Oil Firm...to this day, even with Google.

I recall Feynman dubbing the Theoretical Physics ventures of making out the underlying science behind Elementary Particles as a Shell Game. Apparently a Shell Game is a guessing game in gambling...maybe like Poker.

And today I learned another use of shell as an adjective from DC...Shell Firms in Hyderabad:

"State's IT babus ignore shell firms"

Apparently there are about a thousand fake Companies in my adopted city manufacturing and selling fake certificates of experience and salary on letterheads of their own non-existent firms and even well-known Biggies at a premium.

Some bomb-shell that!

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First we were told it is the Carbon Dioxide emitted by our cars and trucks.

Then it was the Methane emitted by our Indian Buffaloes.

And then the Aerosols and chlorofluorocarbons used in our refrigerators.

The latest culprits, it seems, are the Anesthetics used by surgeons.

What could be next suspect for Irene (Adler)?

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