Confusion Confounded

Ahum Brahmasmi?

2011-10-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

Who or what is God after all? Something so big and so powerful that you feel absolutely powerless before it, something you have never seen but feel its presence. Belief in which, sometimes helps explains the inexplicable. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods are all what we call 'natural calamities'. Lesser advanced people, as we call them, may call it 'god's wrath'. But what is nature separate from God? Thomas Robert Malthus said that nature has a way of balancing itself. Nature multiplies arithmetically whereas man multiplies geometrically. So when man over populates to such a number that nature can’t take it any more, there are ‘natural calamities’ to balance out the excessive population. Logic applied to Dinosaurs also. We might have logical explanations to all the calamities that befall us, tectonic plates and low pressure zones etc but at the height so science is the inexplicable- God.One can say that we have grown so much in number that God is having a 'pest problem'? His earth has been infested by humans who consume and destroy everything in their surroundings.

Applying the above.. here is my conclusion :-

I am God in some ways. I think that insects and other tiny creatures perceive us as Gods. We have the power to destroy their homes or put some food near it and help them prosper just like how 'God' creates the natural calamities for us or a sudden abundant harvest season. We squish them, torture and terrorise them when we fancy for fun like misleading an ant from its path in a long line of ants carrying food home or like when we hold a cockroach by its feelers and watch it scrambling in the air or like spraying water on a spider and watching it run.. when we do such things the little creatures must be praying to 'God' (read- humans) "Oh dear God! what did we do to deserve this! We are such a peace loving colony, eating all the woodworks and furnitures that 'nature and GOD' has provided for us." They might even be having an idol or a picture representation of their 'God' which may be a huge 3feet tall ant or a spider or termite as the case may be. A God that can walk on water, control everything that is happening in their universe and maybe provide answers to their eternal questions such as how life came to being in their little galaxy of Kitchen Cabinet.

Also considering that we humans are so gigantic compared to the tiny forms of these creatures.. maybe they cant even see us, we might be out of focus for their tiny eyes. They might, as we say in our little colony, not have the 'sight' or 'vision' to see 'GODS' without proper meditation and rigorous penance but they do feel our presence like the housefly that flies away just before you squat it or the cockroach that dashes into the nearest crevice the moment you lift that rolled newspaper, they don't know what they fled from, but they know something was there.

The little pests don't know who controls their Kitchen Cabinet, how their world's topography of cutlery changes after every 7 generations. It must be something of a prophecy handed down by the elder of the colony to new generations. Little do we know of the havoc that we cause every Sunday when we bring out the dinner cutlery. They don't even know that their exists another cabinet and so many more cupboards. Like we don't know how many more 'kitchen cabinets' there are apart from our Milky Way and a few others.

So, i believe that we are pests in God's house and we are Gods to the pests in our house. Should we not treat those pests how we would want God to treat us? :-D

Just a Thought

2011-09-19T04:34:00.001-07:00

At the risk of sounding stupid… I don’t understand economics. The concept of economy and its dynamics just blows over my head and hits me behind the ear like a sock full of wet sand!

It’s like me trying to explain cyber space. Its logic, which I don’t understand hence can’t explain. I use the internet, but I don’t ‘get’ it. It’s a network of cables under the sea.. connected to servers around the world?!! That’s it? So where exactly is www.google.co.in? – is it on a server somewhere… How? And I can access it in seconds through half satellite and half wire connection… How? But I open google 1000 times a day, have blogs, tweet, facebook etc... but I don’t ‘get’ it.

It’s like me trying to comprehend how big is the universe. Milky Way, then Andromeda, then 10 more galaxies, then what? Where does it begin and where does it end?

So, when I read in the papers that there is rampant inflation, that there is uncontrolled price rise. I simply don’t get it. As in, who is to say that there is inflation? How do we know what is inflation? Who came up with the idea in the first place and most importantly why should we listen to him? So when people tell that the Rupee is losing its value how do they know that? Suppose for whatever reason, people are getting poor or there is unemployment, why can’t we just print more currency and infuse it into the market? How will the country become poorer and deposits reduce?

No really, what would happen if we tell the world that we are not interested in their theory of economics and that we will function in the way it fancies us. We don’t want their FDI, globalization or open economy and such. Who is to say and enforce that an item that cost Rs.50 yesterday will cost Rs.100 today even though the same amount of labour and raw materials have been used?

No really, will our lives be so miserable and unlivable if we say… switch to barter system? Or if we take a more moderate view say, switch to a closed economy? Can’t we just grow and consume what we want and be self sufficient? I think it’s the easier way to escape the BT Cotton, beautiful looking tasteless bananas and mangoes with ‘tested. Ok.’ stickers on them. Easier to escape times when middle class families may have to lose out on their family vacation just to run a scooter, keep track of gold rates, stock rates, vegetable rates, interest rates, FD rates, saving bank rates, DA, PF, electricity rates, water rates, increment, school fee, college fee, medicines… phew!!

Its just a thought… who is to say that there is recession or slow down or mow down or any other ‘crisis’? All that I have seen is that billion dollar companies lose trillion dollars worth of value. Where neither the owner nor the employees have seen either the billion dollars or the trillion dollars and some guy with alphabets after his name tells them that there is loss so, the company has to wind up, people have to commit suicide and the country becomes pauper.

No really..

WHAT IS OBSCENE?

2010-11-19T00:12:00.001-08:00

I cannot understand that why every now and then we hear the I & B Ministry and people in general making a huge hue and cry about all the obscene, vulgar content of the programs aired on TV. I am just concerning myself with the objections to vulgar content, not the propagation of antisocial behavior. I seriously have problems their bitching, conspiring and general bad behavior which they are insidiously teaching everyone not just impressionable kids.

What is obscene?
Offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved: obscene language. Offensive or outrageous to accepted standards of decency or modesty. Abominable; disgusting; repulsive.
As it is very clear, each of the words used to define obscenity is by itself questionable. What is morality? What is indecent? Or accepted standards of decency?

I also don’t understand why nudity, sex and related things are all categorized as obscene. In almost all spiritual teachings it is said that because we wear clothes our mind is corrupted. God/ Nature made us naked, we were not born with clothes on. All other animals in nature are living normally and quite happily I must add, without clothes. Our desperation to cover our bodies stems from our apprehensions about our sexual nature.

Without being too philosophical and spiritual if we ask, what is our purpose in life? The answer is very clear. It is the same as that of every other living being on this planet. It is to grow up all healthy and nice and mate, hunt for food, make a shelter, take care of the offsprings, teach them the ways of life and die. It is only our misconception that We have a bigger or a better purpose in life, than to indulge in silly trivial matters of the body. This we believe can be achieved by covering our bodies and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Some people argue that humans indulge in sexual behavior for pleasure and not as a force of nature and that is why it should be morally condemned. Such people must be informed that humans are not the only species to indulge in sexual acts for pleasure. There are other animals for example dolphins that do it for pleasure and breeding in just incidental to them also. We don’t see them wearing clothes and telling their kids to look the other way.

When we watch Natgeo or Animal Planet etc, we see uncensored, ‘educational’ videos about habits of animals around the planet. How does that become educational? The animals on the channel are for one naked and indulging in activity which is forbidden (mating). They are not nude but naked. There is also no question of the film being ‘aesthetically’ shot.

Having knowledge about the sexual habits of animals will constitute as General Knowledge and may even get you a doctorate and respect in the society. But having knowledge or even having a desire to learn, even a tiny bit, of human sexual habits is deemed as perverted and unacceptable. The person who is oblivious to his, as a human, sexual nature and that of humans in general, is hailed as naïve, seedha-sadha, bhola-bhala, uncorrupted or unpolluted etc. I say such a person is abnormal and in the wild, would be left to die without having accomplished his purpose.

We love to break rules. When something is taboo our mind is drawn to it. We have to explore it just for the thrill of doing something one is not allowed to. If straight forward facts are in our face then we will accept it and will eventually ignore shrug our shoulders and say “big deal!”. Like girls wearing jeans or spaghetti tops are now “No big deal”. Instead of running in the opposite direction, we must teach ourselves and our kids to accept and respect our sexual nature. It is not new, odd or something of a handicap that should be condemned. Its just normal!!

The Case of the Speluncean Explorers - Excerpts

2010-11-16T04:00:00.001-08:00

HANDY, J. Government is a human affair, and that men are ruled, not by words on paper or by abstract theories, but by other men. They are ruled well when their rulers understand the feelings and conceptions of the masses. They are ruled badly when that understanding is lacking.

Of all branches of the government, the judiciary is the most likely to lose its contact with the common man. The reason for this are, of course fairly obvious. Where the masses react to a situation in terms of a few salient features, we pick into little pieces every situation presented to us. Lawyers are hired by both sides to analyze and dissect. Judges and attorneys vie with one another to see who can discover the greatest number of difficulties and distinctions in a single set of facts. Each side tries to find cases, real or imagined, that will embarrass the demonstrations of the other side. To escape this embarrassment, still further distinctions are invented and imported in to the situation. When a set of facts have been subjected to this kind of treatment for a sufficient time, all the life and juice has gone out of it and we have left a handful of dust.

To read the entire case :-

The Case of the Speluncean Explorers

MURDER OF INDIA'S BEACHES

2009-05-28T22:23:00.001-07:00

We are killing our beaches. India is going to have a port or a harbor every 30 kms if we don’t do something quick to stop it.

So why should we stop building ports??

Apparently ports obstruct the natural flow of sand and formation of beaches. Monsoon and winds move the sand inwards and create long beaches. Ports obstruct this movement. Therefore sand piles up south of a port whereas it gets severely eroded north of the port, leaving behind ugly black rocks.

People think that it’s a natural phenomenon. Whereas, actually, it is a complete man-made disaster.

All over the world the ports are responsible for dredging the sand from south to north to maintain the beaches. However in India there is no such rule.

Instead of having 5-6 big, modern and profitable ports, India commissions a small new port every few months. These ports mostly incurs losses and therefore can’t afford to dredge the sand. Instead of making it mandatory for the ports to maintain the beaches around them, the Indian govt gives lucrative offers to companies to fill up the empty beaches with rocks and build miles of rock walls along the dead beaches. It is one big land scam with everybody having a vested interest in murdering our beaches.

Beaches make the sea shore more enjoyable. You can walk miles into the sea with the water just waist high. Where there are no beaches, it becomes dangerous to get into the water. Since there is no shore, the sea bed drops drastically and suddenly.

If this goes on in a few more decades we will have only a long necklace of black rock!!!! As is so evident in Pondicherry already. Pondicherry has already lost about 12kms of its beaches.

This, death of our beaches affects everything that is dependent on it. Starting from loss of tourism. Even though we have one of the longest coastlines in the world, we still feel jealous when we watch beaches of Miami. Why?

Sand acts as a filter and does not allow salt and sea water to seep into the mainland. However, due to the loss of the beaches, sea side villages have now realized that their underground water has become saline and their crops are dying. Leading to the death of their livelihood aswell.

Where is Mamata Banerjee??? Does she ‘protect’ the rural people only from the Tatas??

Courtesy:: NDTV 24x7

Happy Birthday

2009-01-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

coming back post... Am still trying to catch up with all my fav blogs. I seemed to have missed so much. I've started going to college you see... :p so sudden time crunch...

so this is for my Blog-anniversary (3rd Dec) and my Birthday (4th Jan) :)

HAPPIE BIRTHDAY TO ME AND MY BLOG :)

It's been 3yrs since my blog was born and poor thing... this is its first birthday post :P

yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

happy deepavali

2008-10-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

A Very Very Happy Deepavali to you all :)

C-7 Ajji

2008-07-30T01:16:00.000-07:00

An old lady lives above our house on the third floor. She is a very old family friend of ours. I call her ajji (grandmother). She knows my mother from her college days. She lives with her son (mama) and daughter-in-law (mami) and 2 grandchildren.

There’s is typical bollywood melodrama household. Ajji does all the chores while mami watches TV. She cooks food for her grandchildren else mami will order pizza or whatever the children demand. Since she insists on veggies and home cooked food and doesn’t appreciate fast food, she becomes the bad one while mami who gives whatever the kids demand is the good one.

She is allotted a seat only on which she sits. She eats when she is served food. Actually not served.. but given permission to eat.

Once a proud wife of a librarian. She is also no less intellectual. But know she is reduced to a maid. Well, not even maid. One is scared of the maid that if you mistreat her that she might abandon you with unwashed dishes etc., and one pays her too.

But my ajji is not paid money or respect or anything. The once-upon-a-time innocent and loving kids follow the path of their mom and ill-treat their granny.

Its so heart breaking to see her sit on the stairs and cry night after night. She covers her mouth with the edge of her saree pallu to muffle the sound. She gets berated for crying loudly. She has forbidden me or my mom to tell anyone about it. She has asked my mom to find her an old age home. She plans to leave everything.

“Why don’t you just die quickly?”

“for what are still alive.. to eat my head.. I know..”

“you can’t just laze around and expect to get fed. You have to work for it!”

These are the kind of stuff one gets hear outside their door.

I have no idea what her son does in the house. How can it be possible that he isn’t aware of her plight?? Her cheeks and eyes are permanently swollen with tears. Can’t he see that? The problem is that most of this nautanki takes place only when mama has gone off for work.

I really can’t understand for what ajji is tolerating all this shit?? I mean she is financially independent. She has her husband’s pension coming in every month plus their savings and the house in which they are all staying. The house in which mama and mami are squatters.

Ajji can easily ask them leave her house. She can also file a domestic violence complaint or do so many things. Why doesn’t she do it????????

This isn’t the case with my ajji alone. She is just one of the 1000s of such ajjis and other weak, helpless and scared people.

I really see no solution as to what can be done in such a situation. No amount of legislation can help unless the victim decides to make use of it.

New Template!!!

2008-07-28T01:51:00.000-07:00

i made it!!! me me me me :))

2008-07-24T00:00:00.001-07:00

Stupid Blogger widget!!! ate my blogroll :(

child abuse

2008-07-17T02:26:00.001-07:00

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.- Walt Streightiff

Children are the future of the society. Playing a key role in driving the market economy. Top brands want to woo them. The govt wants to woo them; they are their pseudo vote bank. Parents nurture them as the torch bearers of the family name.. well.. That's you and me.

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music.

There's another section who haven't been placed on a pedestal. Who are dehumanized everyday across the globe. Child Abuse is one of the sickest things anybody can perpetrate. It leaves behind grave injury- injury to the physical body, to the psyche, to the soul… what else is left??

The term 'Child Abuse' includes several activities-
1. Physical Abuse- beating, burning, whipping, making them to work as laborers in inhuman conditions etc.

2. Emotional Abuse- children are emotionally tortured and made to see their mothers or siblings being abused. Repeatedly telling them they are a big burden.

3. Sexual Abuse- Personal abuse as in rape, molestation or a commercial abuse like trafficking, forced prostitution.

4. Neglect- When parents/ guardians neglect the child- physically or emotionally its abuse again.

Children are one third of our population and all of our future.-Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981

There are several legislations in India and several international conventions against Child Abuse. There are severe punishments prescribed for perpetrators. The world is a vicious circle of events. Beggary, prostitution, child labor and hoard of other activities have been banned keeping child abuse as a major factor. Most of the beggars on the streets are children. Most of the prostitutes are underage girls posing as majors. Everyday many pimps and their prostitutes are rounded up by the police. The pimps get away scot free, it's the prostitutes who bare the brunt. The child laborers have no where to go or do if they are not serving tea or shinning shoes. The police harass in the name of the law and others don't need any sanctions from law or God.

The abuser is usually the father or a male relative of the child's immediate family circle. Its the saddest fact of child abuse that the abuser is someone who should have beeen protecting the child from this big bad world.

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. -John W.Whitehead

It is weird that we write poetry, articles – as I've written this post, take photos etc., to fight child abuse. I do believe that it is for a good cause, we must spread awareness about such things that happens everyday across the world. But what have we done towards the cause?? For our brothers and sisters who are treated like toilet tissue..

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.-Rabindranath Tagore

As I write this post and as you read it, there must be a boy somewhere who is being mercilessly beaten for breaking a tea cup, a girl somewhere muffling her cries of pain and anguish for her brother's sake as she is brutalized by her once-upon-a-time-favorite-uncle. A brother-sister duo hungry, crying dried tears sitting by the roadside hoping against hope that their parents will come back. It's OK if they don't bring back food. A girl contemplating between suicide or prostitution, then deciding on the later as she can then assist her dad, financially at least if not in any other way being a girl n all.

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau

As you go through your life.. you don't have to do big things, small and simple things equally matter. Be kind to your maid- whether 14 or 40.
When you go to dhaba or where ever don't yell out "chotuuuu! Do chai la oye!!!!!" instead try "Chotu. Beta do chai lana." And enjoy the twinkle in his eyes.

-------------------

Know more about the state of child abuse in India. Read the 'Study on Child Abuse India 2007' by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India.

yipeeeeeeeeee!!

2008-07-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

My result is here!!!
I got 173 rank!!! M gonna go do Law finally :)

yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

going back to north campus.. gonna be super fun!!!

BC to AD

2008-07-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

i have a question.. i dont know why i thought about it. No one has yet given me a proper answer. There must be one... also.. i dont know if its a lame question but it has been bothering me for sometime now. So I thought of asking you guys.

All of us know that there was BC (Before Christ) before AD (Anno Domini) right? and that BC years are counted backwards until it ended with 1 and then AD started.

Well, my question is :: Did the years actually go backwards.. boleto.. did the people living in those times count their years backwards??? or is it that we now, in AD have made the BC years backwards, but the people back then must have counted their years normally 2,3,4..

:))

m bak..

2008-06-13T01:18:00.001-07:00

Soooo.. here I am, this is me.. therez no where else i'd rather be.. more so after I so horribly blew my civil's prelim exam. I can't go anywhere in public where anybody might know me and also know that I've given the exam. People don't remember simple things like my doggie's name or what i'm studyin etc but they do remember that i gave civils and they'll never lose a chance to ask "to kaisa raha exam? aah.. tumhara to achchaa hi hua hoga". Well.. i dunno.. i see the sarcasm dripping everywhere!! AAARRRGGHH!!!

I've got another chance at law and i'm taking it. Law faculty here i come. entrance exam is on 15 june. hope i don't bungle up this one.

well.. after the exam i've been left with sum side effects..

for one i think that i'm kinda pregnant. that's the only rational explanation for my unusual chocolate cravings. its all my fault i agree. but i didn't expect the addiction to linger on for so long. Well.. i used to drink gallons of hot chocolate at odd hours while studying. Now i'm simply hallucinating about rum chocolates and bitter ones, almond ones.. aaarrrgghh.. m hallucinating even while writing about them!!! I had for so long dreamt of eating a couple of DBCs but now i'm still stuck in Delhi while my mom is enjoying all the DBCs in b'lore!!! :( koi gal ni.. atleast it's kinda helpin me lose some of my exam weight :D

also all my known hobbies seem to have vapourised. i have no idea how to spend my break time. i used to go online and chat away. but now i don't even do that!!! i don't even read novels anymore- u know the normal fat paperbacks!!! I read EPW instead and Enid Blyton's Chimney corner stories!!! I dunt have any problem reading Enid Blyton.. its reading EPW that bothers me.

and the worst of all.. i speak statistics and figures. in normal life if anybody spoke to me the way i do now, my reaction would be a simple "go get a life!!" its like as if i've memorised an entire encyclopedia and put on a freak show.. spitting out figures and statistics!!! It has become sort of an obsession now. i've gotta know how much the govt spent on what? how many people shop in malls and regular grocery stores? how many people travel by metro, dtc bus, blueline bus and autos on a daily basis........................... bla bla bla..

okk.. whteva.. m bak.. yipeee :|

Celebrating Civils

2008-04-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

Its official.. my admit card is here!!!!

here are some pix celebratin civils.. before the exam!!!

my table!! I like it this way.. make me feel like i'm studyin!!

My countdown calendar

My notes!!! only i can read'em!! :P

View from my table.. not as lovely as the breeze that comes in..

My bed at 3 a.m.

My wall with all my models!! i know!! coz m gonna be designin clothes in my spare time as ambasador to Antartica

Half syllabus of prelims on my window.. other half is a mess so can't put that here

Half syllabus of mains on my door.. too far yet..

** my wall is occupied by lovely designers can't put things like my syllabus there, now can I??**

So, i'm just 13 exams, 1 interview, 1000 sleepless days/nights and 25-30 Kgs of study material away from being an IFS Officer..

Yipeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

April Fool

2008-04-01T00:33:00.001-07:00

Peep Fool! What do you wish to see?
Being the first of April
I play the fool with thee
In this first image i see
Fool is an image of non but thee.

Mountains of gold and hills of grass
The receiver of this is a shameless ass.

The fish in the pond and the dog in the pool
The reader of this is a downright fool.

The roses are red and violets are blue
Devils are fools and so are you.

Garden of Eden was meant for two
Fools read such things only fools like you.

Make up your hair and bear it in mind
That another fool like you is difficult to find.

Oh!! Monkey of a fool
April's day is just meant for you.
And if this joke for harm you take...
Excuse me darlings for April's sake :)

I've had this poem since school days. Every year I post it in different places. i just love it :P hope u did too..

#########################################################

However, keeping aside fun for sometime, all of us should campaign against China's doings in Tibet. We must not support the Olympic Games. The torch is coming to Delhi. Rajpath is buzzing with security and they are trying to prevent any kind of protests. Imagine barbed wires have been put up to block public from coming onto the streets!!!

The Olympics symbol is for unity. The games is meant to promote unity and sportsmanship among nations.

Our govt seems to be scared of taking a stand on any foreign issue- Iraq, Nepal, Bhutan, LTTE etc.. never ending list of blunders n cowardice!!!

We have to raise our voices for one of the few peace loving people left in the world.

2008-03-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

SWOT analysis

2008-03-09T01:00:00.001-08:00

Pavi has tagged everyone to do the SWOT analysis. I had done it in college for case studies but now its for me!! I was suppose to write 4 but some places it may exceed.. gotta lot to tell.. Here goes..

STRENGTH::
1. Very talented. :P I have lot of ideas in my head about things I want to do. It could be anything from writing, sketching, craft or knitting, designing... anything!!
2. I'm not an introvert or a loner but I love solitude. I love to be alone. I think of it as a strength considering how people usually get paranoid of being lonely. I enjoy my own company very much.
3. Very commanding. People just seem to listen to me and do whatever I tell them. Even my parents and relatives do so!!! Best part is that they don't seem to mind a bit :)
4. I have a very strong intuition. I rely on it completely for taking decisions and especially judging people. I have seldom been wrong and yeah.. I'm very proud of it.

WEAKNESS::
1. I love food. Especially french fries!!!! I am perennially on diet and go for my morning jog everyday, hoping to loose a few hundred kilos… but my weight never fluctuates!!!
2. I get very emotionally attached to people. My friends are my biggest weakness!! It's very difficult for me to let go of people.

3. I end up trusting people blindly. Not that I've had had any bad experiences (you see I've a strong intuition :D)
4. It's very hard for me to stay focused on one thing. Nothing can hold my interest for long.
5. I like to debate and discuss on current affairs. Blame it on my exam!! Sometimes when I have a strong view on a certain issue I end up arguing and try to force my view on others. Also being stubborn I don't allow others to explain their's.

OPPORTUNITY::
1. I put to test most of my creative ideas for my organization.
2. I had to quit law school for some reason.. that gave me a year's time to prepare for my civil services exam. Maybe if I had continued in law school I wouldn't have been able to study for it.

3. Again, through my organization I have not lost touch with the legal field in which I intend to work at some point of time in my career.
4. Civil services is a wonderful opportunity for me to go to Antarctica.
5. How can I forget blogger. Its one of the very few things that I'm sticking on to even after such a long time.

THREAT::
1. I have so many ideas going on in my head all the time that I usually end up ignoring most of them and in turn lose out/ forget some really good ones.
2. Since nothing holds my interest for long. I very seldom finish what I start. That's a very big hazard for me.
3. Most of the times I've to choose from amongst my interest/talents and therefore have to ignore others. This way I have let go of singing which I very badly regret!!
4. ooh!! I'm also under constant threat of blowing up one fine day if I should ever stop my morning jog!!

I hereby tag everyone to do this tag.
farak khudi dekhiye.. varna 7 days me paise wapas!!

2008-03-07T02:38:00.001-08:00

I just wish the world would stop for just 1 year. Is it too much to ask?? The noose is getting tighter!! Barely two months more for my exam!!! Aaarrgghh and I'm still lagging behind in current affairs.

I've done 10 years question banks of GS, Sociology + more MCQs from here and there. They couldn't possibly ask weirder questions from outer space!!!

But current affairs.. how current is current affairs?? I mean from exam point of view?? 1 month old news is also not good enough!!!

Just when I start feeling that I'm upto date on some satisfactory level.. some knew shit happens somewhere and I've gotta start learning Why?? What?? Where?? When?? Which?? How?? Past.. Present and future of it!!!!

Have you ever seen the news channels go blank?? There is something happening all the time. Why can't people just take a break??

Somebody has to invent something and then get an award for it. Somebody's gotta make a plan… or get killed or get elected or get thrown outta power… and I've gotta learn all the Ramayana and Mahabharata about it!!!

Dad: What is the target for power generation in the XIth plan period??
Me: dunno

Dad: how much percentage of the GDP is earmarked for defense??
Me: ummm..

Dad: How is the NREG scheme funded?
Me: umm.. I kno this one. Umm.. mm..

Dad: How many people received the Basava awards…
Me: whats that???

Dad: You know Praful Patel's daughter got married in Jodhpur last month?
Me: (thinking "finally something I know :D")
Dad: Do you know from where the funds were diverted? Do you know that a international airport was built in 3 months? Do you know that it was given airport authority sanction………………………………………………………………
…………………
………………………. ……… ……………… ………….

Bottomline:: I want the world to pause for just one year. Only 365 days.. not a day more.
Wish I had one of those universal remote thingy to pause whatever and whenever I wanted or Dexter's time stopper..(coverts 1 minute into 60 minutes!!!!) in its 4.6B years of history.. I don't think it should matter much.. just 1 year until I catch up with all the current affairs and finish off with the exam!!!!

Crushed by Exam

2008-02-28T13:09:00.001-08:00

"M.N.Srinivas first used the term brahminisation instead of sanskritization" focusing on the line, again she read it out loud "M.N.Srinivas first used the term brahminisation..." the sentence seemed very familiar, like a song playing over and over again.

She settled into herself again. There was a book before her, a really huge one. Sociology or something it said on the cover.

Everything around her these days were of magnitudinous proportions- big exam, fat books, great expectations and a large calendar that was staring in her face all the time as it did now. Exactly 2 months for the big exam.. really?? She tried to see the date.. what date was it??? The huge calendar with the large fonts was all invisible to her. All she could see was his face. She tried to wiggle him out of her mind. She had to concentrate on her exam.. it could make or break her career.

"Do you think he likes me?"
He did say once that he liked her. But now she wasn't sure. He was always flirting with her.
"I like you very much" she said out loud... Only that he wasn't there.

She looked at her book again; she had not moved a sentence ahead since she sat down to study 2 hours ago.
"M.N.Srinivas first used the term brahminisation instead of sanskritization" said her book…

There she sat in the coffee shop beside him. She was too nervous to look him in the eye. Too excited to say anything or to answer his questions. It was there first meeting. Why hadn't they met earlier? They had known each other online forever. At least they met now... she was happy. He had got a job and was moving to another city thousand kilometres away. He was telling her something. She wanted the day to go on and on… for he was leaving the next day.

Live horoscope was coming on the TV opposite to her. It was her sun sign… She read the forecast with crossed fingers hoping for some blessings from cupid. she read as the words came on the screen..

"M.N.Srinivas first used the term brahminisation instead of sanskritization"

"I must be loosing my mind!!!"
Why did she think of him so much? She had met him only once and that too almost a year ago. They rarely spoke now. He never replied to her messages or called her. They did however manage to chat online a few times. But he was all she could think of... like that day... like everyday.

"It's either him or your career! What s it gonna be?" asked a voice from within. She had to take a decision.

Then suddenly everything was clear. The decision was made. Destiny was charted…
She closed her eyes and went back to him.

He offered to drop her home. She was only too glad to accept. He took the longest route to her house. They chatted and laughed. She had refused to hold him, so he occasionally caught her off guard and suddenly applied the brakes so that she crashed into him. He sang a song for her… out loud so that other passers by did a double take on hearing the song. He did all other silly things for which she liked him.

At the signal, when they had stopped, he turned around raised his visor to say something... their eyes met. His eyes were filled with hope and expectations. The kind of look she had been yearning for...

"M.N.Srinivas first used the term brahminisation instead of sanskritization"

What the!!!??? She was reading her book again… or maybe by now it was reading itself…

"Maybe I'm thinking too much"
"Maybe he too likes me… maybe…"
"He has to like me!! It can't be just me… !"

She did not want another regret in her bag. This time there was a choice, there was a chance, and there was optimism somewhere. She had to tell him. She didn't want to live her entire life wondering 'what might have been….' She had to take a chance. Let go of her ego or fear or whatever it was that was holding her back; she had to shed it, for her... for him...

Charged with renewed strength of optimism she picked up her cell and dialed his number.
"I am going to tell him this time for sure. No excuses!"

"Hello"
"Hey!!! hi... I wanted to tell you... something that I've been wanting to tell for quite sometime now. .... oh! God i dunno how to say this...
... Well, you know u've... I've... we've...
um mm
did you know that M.N.Srinivas first used the term brahminisation instead of sanskritization??"

-------------------------------- -----------------
"Happy endings are for unfinished stories!"

Ganesha's Wedding

2008-02-22T10:54:00.001-08:00

Ever seen an animal??? Lol :P I mean have you properly observed it?? Then have you ever wondered why all the animals walk with their head bent down. They always walk rubbing their noses to the ground. Well there is a very strong reason buried in Indian mythology for this unusual behavior of animals.

Ganesha wanted to get married. All the Gods objected to it. There was also the problem that no girl would agree to marry Ganesha. After all he is a little weird looking.. with the elephant head and he eats a ton of food.

But Ganesha still insisted on getting married. After a lot of searching the gods found a girl for him.

But his wedding was not meant to be. The Gods didn't want him to get married. It would lead to a lot of chaos in the God world and on earth. So they had to either convince Ganesha not to get married or to somehow stall his wedding. So, they roped in the great illusionist Narada muni. Obviously he was an expert in handling and pulling off such stunts. Well, he was also the only one who could dare to play such mischief with The Gods.

On the day of the wedding, Narada muni was the first to arrive. As is the custom he was shown the mangalsutra. (It's a south Indian custom to show the mangalsutra and ask people to bless it) When Narada muni was sure no one was looking, he quickly pocketed the mangalsutra. As the wedding ceremony proceeded and the mangalsutra was called for, then suddenly they realized that it was missing.

There was a frantic search for it, but it was nowhere to be found.

Shiva at once summoned all the animals and asked them to search for the missing mangalsutra. Without it the wedding wouldn't be solemnized.

Even after a lot of searching the mangalsutra was not found. Narada muni was gone with it. He did not intend to return it.. ever!!!!

Shiva was furious and he gave strict orders to the animals, not return until they had found it.

So, even to this day the poor animals are searching for the missing mangalsutra. Ganesha is still hopefull of getting married oneday . And the animals, they never raise their heads, lest they should miss a spot and overlook it.

P.S. My grandma told me this story. Any mythologist who doesn't believe in this story.. is welcome to file a suit… atleast the story will become famous even before it becomes a screenplay!!!

me a CSI.. wow!!!

2008-02-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

i had a very interesting day today. Most exciting day ever!!!

As usual i was sitting at home studying. All of a sudden i heard all lot of hullabaloo outside. its not unusual, coz there is a huge unauthorised colony just opposite my appartment and all the hooligans of east delhi live there. Then i heard the most amazing sound. Something i've been dying to hear for a very long time- A Gun Shot!!!!! Yes!! a i heard a gunshot in real life. Not in the movies or in an Army Day parade.. and that too near my house!! I have been dreaming of seeing a shootout for ever. Every time i see CSI or anyother movie.. how i wish to be there, at the scene..

Instantly abandoning my books I rushed out with my bro and dino (my doggie). He had been barking crazily by then. When i went outside to the landing of the stairs, there was a huge crowd and a policeman chasing two guys. Apparently they had stolen a bike from a neighboring appartment!! They barged into our building and and tried to jump over the fence to the next building

The policeman, poor dude, had no lathi or a gun with him. Still, he chased the duo to the very end our compound wall. One of the guys jumped over the fence and ran into the neighboring appartment. The other stayed back, God knows why, when he saw the policeman close on him. He took out his revolver, ( yup, i saw it!!! a real gun in a real shoot out!!!) and shot at the police guy. From the look of it, he was definetly a novice at shooting. Coz the gun tilted as soon as shot and went flying from his hand.

The unarmed police guy didn't dare chase him. Its totally understandable. Poor dude!! He was brave enough to have chased him this far. The other guy too jumped and within seconds he was gone too.

Now all that is left behind is a Gun, a bullet shell, lots of glass pieces and a bullet hole IN MY CAR!!!!

Yes there is a bullet hole IN MY CAR and the bullet was/ is lodged inside the backseat!!!!

>>>> such an adrenalin rush<<<<

my car window!!!!

The Water Bulb Formula

2008-02-15T06:59:00.001-08:00

What you are going to read ahead.. well u see.. me and my friend ( my bestest of the bestest friend Buds) well we wrote this when we were in VI std. We were just learning all the chemical formulae and all other amazing scientific crap. We used to design state-of-the art stuff on our desk. Don't mind the spellings or some unkown words.. ( coz i haven't changed any!!) just hoping that some one discovers our great invention and maybe we get a Nobel or something.
------------------------

here it goes.. its called The WATER BULB.
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H2MC2 + atom bombization + fire extinguishization + soya sauce + bulb formization + H2O addization + H2SO4 mixization + NaCl dissoluization + CH4 pumpization + CaCO3 breakization + HNO3 purization + Tomato sauce + Caramel + Chocolate + C12H22O11 powderization + CO2 liberazation + sodium carbonization + NaOH addization + SO2 subtractization + N2O5 dividization + 2MgO multiplization + H2CO3 Square route findization + human protectization + elastic extention + paper tearization + tomato pullation + NaNO3 + NaCl mixization + H3PO4 evaporation + CH3COOH condensization + H2CO3 fussion + Heart beatization + D2 attractization + wood burnization + sandwich decompositation + NH3 coolization + Na2CO3 composition + Bitter gaurd sauce + cotton weavization + wire joinization + rail track gap leavization + (-)(-) repulsion + (-)(+) nutrelization + (+)(+) repulsion + dress stichization + potato sauce + sausages + pen writization + air raisization + grease application = WATER BULB FORMULA.

p.s. after reading this.. plz dont stop reading my blog. I'm more intelligent now..

Biharis:: Victims of Politics

2008-02-11T04:15:00.000-08:00

I completely agree with Raj Thackeray. We must respect local culture. Immigrants cannot impose their culture over the local practices.

All the latest arguments have been directed towards 'Biharis'. Its very common to find people saying that they hate Biharis or that Biharis have ruined their city etc. But we have to think about it.They are not here out of their choice. they have been forced to move out of their state and seek refuge in other states. If they had good jobs and infrastructure in their home state, why would anyone want to settle down in anyother state??

Then again it all boils down to politics and corruption.

Ask any Bihari.. He would love to go back to his home town anyday. but without the fear of being kidnapped and married off etc.

As for the issue of respecting local culture, i guess its one of drawbacks of metropolitan culture. Cities like Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai etc cannot claim to be singular societies anymore.

however, being 'outsiders' we must not over do things in the name of culture. In Delhi, the ITO bridge which can be called as Delhi's Brooklyn bridge is blocked for 2-3 days during the chhath pooja. And as most of the labourers are from Bihar, they literally hold the city hostage.

Its like the story of the Camel and the Arab. It goes like this:
An Arab was going across the desert on his camel. At night, he setup his tent and went to bed. It got very cold and chilly at night and the camel couldn't sleep for he was sleeping outside. He woke up the Arab and pleaded and begged the Arab to allow him inside. As there was no space, the camel agreed to put only his head inside the tent. After sometime, the Camel asked the Arab if he could put only his right front leg. Then his left front leg. Then he didn't bother to ask and put his hind legs also inside. Thus within no time the Arab was out of the tent and the camel was sleeping cosily inside!!

We must not exploit others hospitality or consider it as their weakness.

Unfortunately, the weak are as usual the victims here. All this is again politically driven. The Biharis have been reduced to mere pawns in a political game. They will have to fight for their state rather than fight for their rights in other states.

We in general.. the public, disregard and disrespect Biharis. It's because we associate them with their home state Bihar. All the things its infamous for. They, the Biharis will have to realise that until their home state is made respectable, it will be hard for them to earn respect elsewhere.

Not that they are unwelcome, we think that they will bring anarchy (like the one prevalent in their state) with them and ruin ours as well.

There is no clear argument or solution to their problem. except that the biharis have to raise their voice against being exploited by their own people.

"I believe that as a species, human beings define their reality through misery and suffering."

2008-02-07T00:50:00.001-08:00

"I'd like to share a revelation I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with their surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to another area, and you multiply, and you multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure."- Agent Smith, The Matrix.

Why does it always take a monster or an alien or some android to teach us the value and importance of earth and nature? In the movie the The Abyss, the alien threatens humans with dire consequences if they don't stop all the wars and killings. These are just movie characters. But in real they have a very valid point.

Has anyone ever given a thought as to why we need to develop?? Develop what?? Develop whom?? At what cost??? What is the goal??? The goal can't be development. Development is a process to get somewhere. But I think we humans have forgotten about the end point 'The Goal' and we are concentrating more on the process of development.

The so called 'Developed countries' don't seem to have arrived at their destination. The 'Developing and Under-Developed countries' as the name suggest are getting some where.. but where??? Where is all this taking us??? It's a vicious circle. You have this, then you want that, then something else. Individually or nationally no one can be ever satisfied. We are depleting all our natural resources in the name of development.

The UN guided Bali summit on Climate Change have declared that we need to cut down our emission levels by 80% as per 1991 readings by 2045 to just barely save our planet. That is before it reaches the 'Tipping Point'. [Tipping Point is the temperature which once crossed will lead to uncontrollable meltdown of all ice caps all over the world. Ice has a tipping point after which the melt down is self sustained.]

The so called 'Developed Countries' are apprehensive about reducing emission levels because that means they will have to shutdown currently functioning industrial units. They are worried about economic consequences!!! The developing countries and under developed countries have their own dilemma!!

WHICH HONESTLY I CANNOT UNDERSTAND!!!

Nobody can deny that we have only one planet. If we ruin it we have no where else to go. Worse still, if there are really any aliens out there and they know what we have done with our planet, do you think that they will allow us in on their planet???? Seriously consider it.. Would you???

Suppose taking the Bali Summit report seriously all the countries do shutdown their industries and everything in the name of development is stopped. What do you think will happen???

With all this education and social advancement, technological advancement etc are we in anyway better than our forefathers who were supposedly technologically backward.

Bottom Line:: We, Humans are neck deep in shit. And its high time we set right our priorities and for once work for something that really matters.

Survey

2008-01-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

A worldwide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was:

"Would you please give your honest opinion to the shortage of food in the rest of the world?"

the survey was a huge failure.. u kno why??

In Africa they didn't know what 'food' meant.

In India they didn't know what 'honest' meant.

In Europe they didn't know what 'shortage' meant.

In China they didn't know what 'opinion' meant.

In the Middle East they didn't know 'solution' meant.

In the South Ameraica they didn't know what 'please' meant.

And in the USA they didn't know what 'rest of the world' meant.

Courtesy:: Dunno. I jus know its not mine. Pinched it from somewhere. But i liked it a lot :P

Evolution of my computer addiction

2008-01-27T03:36:00.000-08:00

My Internet addiction has been in phases. Every 3-6 months i have a new craze. From a new website or a whole new genre of stuff I've been through a lot.. i mean the addiction..

First was the chatting. actually it all started as my dad was in Delhi and i was in Bangalore. so the only way of continuously chatting was well.. chatting on the net. so i started chatting on yahoo messenger in 1999!!!!
Then came mailing!!! i used to spend hours reading and forwarding mails. all sorts of nonsensical mails.. this phase went on for quiet some years.

Then it was the Yahoo messenger again. Coz when i came to Delhi my gang became very big. Netpals.. the craze of chatting with people I don't have a clue about..

There was also a phase when i googled or searched on wikipedia almost anything and everything. I used to log on to the net to search. and i woulf decide my search topic according to my mood.. baah!! i didn't get much G.K. from it..

ORKUT!!! nobodies net life is complete without spending some years on orkut. From orkut there were many diversions.. Hi5, gazag, tagged.. bla bla.. but i never left base. ORKUT!!! i'm not yet over it though i've passed on to many newer things.. Jai Orkut!!! Orkut Zindabad!! there was a time when i've spent hours chatting and playing weird games in communities. kick or kiss.. some shit like that.. but i'm over those now.. i just use orkut to scrap my friends. that's healthy..

GTalk!! all my orkut friends got transferred to my gtalk list without me doing anything. what more did i want.. at this my job was also such that i spent my entire day on the net.. so there was no stopping me.. but i'm not complaining of it. i have many friends whom i really adore. thanx to gtalk.. :)

Tickle.com!! days and weeks have gone into doing love tests, intelligence tests, compatibility tests.. bla bla..

Blog!! blogging hold of me just before i cracked. guess it kinda saved me.

for quite some time i used to comment on other blogs to get comments on mine.. the i scratch ur back u scratch mine funda.. but later i realised that some blogs are really good. So then it was other blog addiction. i didn't bother to open my blog. but bookmarked blogs and read them before i could check for comments on mine.

Now its NFS: Most wanted. everytime i switch on my comp all i want to do is play. make a career, get bounty, jump from on top of buses and have doughnuts crumbling down etc..

and to top it all.. i've got only 110 days left for my Prelims exam. This addiction has no antidote or a rehabilitation centre. except ofcourse if dad hurls the laptop outta the balcony and disconnects the internet.. hehe.. hamare zamane me na.. at exam time mom used to get the cable disconnected.. but now its internet!!! ghor kaliyug!!!

88% i wish..

2008-01-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

I was thinking what to write for my next post. There are so many 'burning topics' as my year books call them. But i've been told not to post any India bashing posts.. so i was searching for some masala type topic.lolz.. and i got all nostlagic. yeah it happens when you study too much. wow.. i said that so easily.. 'when you study too much' it actually sounds like an under-statement!! Actually the nostlagic attack was triggered by something i saw in the papers.. a name to be precise. No point in going into the details.. that will become another post then..

I was thinking of all the crazy love tests i used to do in school. And beleive it or not i actually got paper and pen and started doing all the stuff i could remember!! i guess most of you also must have done them as when my bro got to know what i was doing (well i was doing them on a newspaper!!), he admitted to have done them as well. he also told that it was craze amongst his class girls so am guessing its a typical girly thing for me to do.

mind you.. you are about to read from the pages of a future bureaucrat or possibly a ambassador.. who knows.. then you'll tell your friends and colleagues that you happen to know weird stuff about the officer who got the nuclear deal signed.. whoa..*royal rambling*.. it's a common symptom of Civil Serviceyosis.. neways.. This post is also like a crash course in all the instant love test. that can be done with a simple apparatus of paper and pen and you don't even have to log on to the Internet..

FLAMES:: i don't think therez anybody who has not done this atleast once.. well for the uninitiated FLAMES stands for : Friends, Love, Affair, Marriage, Enemy or Sisiter!! well it shows the kind of relationship you are destined to have with the person. it looks something like this..

Rafael is Rafael Nadal.. lolz..

Then is this.. i dunno what it is.. but i think its indigenous to my school.. so here goes.. u start line drawing thingy.. i dunno what they call it.. and then you stop. this is done thrice. see the image.. u'll know what am saying.. the 102 or anyother number you get has a message. 102 happens to mean "he is thinking of you, but he's not interested in you" !!!! well there is a possibilty of getting numbers anywhere between 000 to 121 and there is a message for every possibility. you can make your own.. i just happen to remember what 102 stands for coz i always get that..

Then is the percentage method.

88%.. wow.. i wish..

Its clearly evident that i've put in quiet some effort into making this post.. but therez no bottomline.. i have no clue why i wrote this post..

Cheerz.. stay confounded..

The Last Stand

2008-01-17T13:38:00.001-08:00

After Poli-Ticks I & II and some nice debate, I have come to a conclusion. Na mera na tumhara.. perfect for a bureaucrat in the making.. this is my first conclusion post.. lol..

Bottom-Line:: Our country is still baby. Its only 60yrs old!! To begin with, there was never a nation called India. Though we have epics that run length and breadth through the country but the people/kingdoms never felt any fraternity towards each other. Rather they were always busy killing one another. They came face to face for the first time in 1857 (only 150 yrs ago) desperately trying figure out the mess they were in.

And all of a sudden we were free. Free to do as we please. Thrown in the middle of a fierce competition in a world just stepping out of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Each trying to out do the other in a desperate bid to survive. Its something like you sleep on Friday night and wake the next Friday and realize that you are a week late for work..
The US which became free in 1776 was 150yrs older than India, Britain that was its own master, France, Russia all super powers were/are some of our competitors. To top this India was a country had to face some (4-5) big wars within the first two decades of being 'born'.

Most importantly India even today is not a nation. Unlike the US or the UK or for that matter any other country.

Nation by definition means:: An aggregation of people who share common customs, origins, history, and frequently language. Even after so much modernization you and me don't speak even remotely similar languages, definitely don't have common origin, and don't celebrate the same festivals. There is no other country in the world that inherently has such diversity of culture, religion and tradition.
Thus eventually leading to regionalism and factionalism because we still fail to recognize each other as part of a bigger group. There are still sections of people who want a new state or want their state separated from India.

So..

Bottom line of Bottom line:: our country is like us.. struggling to find what we want become 'when we grow up' trying to grow with and over come all the problems that is endemic only to India.

So no matter how corrupt or unconcerned, unworthy our politicians and other policy-makers may seem. They seem to have done a pretty awesome job until now. I bet when the US was 60 yrs old.. they didn't have a clue about running a country without the queen's help.

Poli-Ticks II (with a twist)

2008-01-07T01:43:00.001-08:00

In continuation of my earlier post Poli-Ticks my blogger buddy SUDARSHAN has written about the other side.. the politicians version.. seems its not easy being a politician of such a big nation. With population accounting for 16% of the total world population!!

These are some of my observations …..I am not defending the corrupt politicians. But, I am trying to view politics from other side….hope our discussion will be healthier.

I feel politics is one of the good professions to serve the society. Unfortunately, some politicians have spoiled it because of their selfishness. Even today, we can see some honest politicians working at various levels.

Many people question the amount of salary drawn by our MPs. A politician has to devote his considerable time for constituency leaving his own work. Like any other employee politician also deserve salary for his/her work. Presently, many people with undergraduate degree without experience are earning more than MPs…..politicians are like any other human being require salary to survive and maintain their status in society and the present amount is fully justifiable.

Naturally, allowances are to be provided for touring constituency, attending sessions etc. Air travel is fully justified because he has to fly to New Delhi and other such places to attend sessions, committee meetings etc. To employ a secretary or such staff and maintain an office, to carry out his/her duty, Rs1,68,000 per annum which is paid to MPs is not sufficient in many places.

Very often we hear politics as the last option of a scoundrel and all such stuff. Now-a-days, it has become fashion for youngsters to blame politicians as corrupt and illiterates.

Whom to blame for corruption? Are we electing right persons? Major chunk of our young graduates are not willing to spend even an hour to go to polling booths and cast his/her vote. Many times people vote based on the influences of caste, money, alcohol and other selfish reasons. It's our mistake of not electing right persons. Even, Manmohan Singh has lost his election in our capital city Delhi. Is he corrupt or illiterate or factionist or racist?

Today, politics has become a business. A candidate has to invest in terms of crores to become MLA/MP. Naturally, he/she is worried about earning money throughout the term of five years which has been spent in the election. The worry is more when they do not have the guarantee of getting party ticket and being elected next time.

We can see judges, doctors, IAS, IPS officers etc. being corrupt. Are they not educated? Basically, one has to have good character. Many village level politicians who are less educated or illiterates are better than these officers. So, do not blame politicians as corrupt…..it's our mistake of not electing right persons and we have to take the blame.

Who is helping the politicians to be corrupt? Do all politicians know all the loop holes in the rules/constitution? People think that civil servants and other officials are good (educated and honest) which is not at all true. Without the help and nexus of so called bureaucrats and other officials it's difficult for politicians to be corrupt. Civil servants and other officials are equally responsible for the present state of affairs.

Many of our present politicians are well educated. We cannot call all of them as illiterate and fake because of few….They are really intelligent. Politics is one of the toughest fields and without intelligence one cannot survive there. In the present lok sabha we can find MPs with post graduate and doctoral degrees from good universities or educational institutions of the world.

On any day, I respect a politician rather than an IITan or graduate of IIMs. Government has started these institutes like IITs and IIMs to develop technologies and models suitable for our country. Government is spending tax payers' money on these graduates. But, more than 90% of them are not working in their fields of specialization and most of them prefer to work abroad serving MNCs who in turn exploit our country. Same is the case with graduates (doctors) of AIIMS who are not willing to work in rural areas. If they are not interested to care of the society and the people why the government has to spend on them? How these so called educateds better than corrupt politicians?

We have to take responsibility for the present state of affairs of our country. Hope the youngsters will take interest in socio-political aspects and work for the welfare of India.

Mixed nuts

2007-12-29T06:32:00.000-08:00

Steve Martin remarks in the movie Mixed nuts that at Christmas time we look at everything in our life through a magnifying glass. My Christmas this year was sumthing like this. Everything seemed to be blown out of proportion.. I missed my friends so much. It was like as if I have no one else.. everyone was just too distant from me.. my Christmas tree died this year.. and I didn't want to buy a new one.. so I didn't have a tree.

Christmas is a very special time for me coz I've been celebratin it for as long as I can remember.. with gifts n trees.. n I'm the santa. My tree is very famous amongst my neighbors and relatives coz no one else has one!! It's the first time that I wanted Christmas to be over. I was actually wishin that it shudn't even have come!!!

I wish I cud post this as anon..

2days for new year.. n I'm not yet over Christmas.. to top it my civil service notification has come.. and now suddenly I don't wanna give the exam this year.. I have only 3 shots at it. I don't think I'm fully prepared for the prelims.. Mains to bahut duur ki baat hai..
whatever..

Happie New Year
Cheerz..

Poli-ticks

2007-12-21T08:47:00.001-08:00

Politics:: (read Poli – Ticks) Poli meaning 'many' and Ticks meaning 'blood sucking insects'.

1. Salary per month: Rs.16,000.
2. Constituency allowances: Rs. 20,000 per month.
3. Allowances for attending parliament and Panel meetings: Rs.1000 per meeting
4. Road travel within the constituency: Rs.12 per km
5. Free air travel: 34 per year
6. Unlimited first class Rail travel
7. Free accommodation with 50,000 units of electricity and 4000 kilo liters of water.
8. Office expenses: 1, 68,000 per annum.
9. And many more sumptuary allowances at various rates.
10. Pension: Rs. 6000 per month.

These are some of the many benefits given to a MP in our country who are the most corrupt, illiterate and have no national consciousness or a vision for their country. Rajiv Gandhi had said that only 17 paise of every rupee spent by the govt actually reaches the people it was meant for. The rest …. Well.. You know where it goes..

MPs are also given the position of cabinet ministers. As we all know that these posts are distributed on the basis of favoritism and who can give more support to the govt. and not by who is more qualified to handle which ministry. Check out this page and find out who is actually qualified for the ministry that's under them.
Obviously you find huge resumes before each name. But how many of them ( degrees and masters etc) are authentic??? With the minister actually having spent time to study the course…. Bhagwan jane..

There are 17 categories of committees in the parliament. These committees give reports on the working of the various ministries and the working of the parliament etc. Of these there is a Parliamentary Subject Committee under which there are 17 standing committees on various subjects. From topics ranging from commerce to defense to labour and social welfare. The people who fill these committees.. I don't think they even know the words 'Inclusive Growth' let alone its meaning and its impact on Indian economy. But they are so ecstatic about their govt's new idea for the XIth plan!!!!

Some of the privileges given to MPs are::
1. They cannot be arrested for civil cases during the session of the House.
2. Or for a period of 40 days before or after the session of the House.
3. they can speak anything on anybody giving reference to 'reports' of their committees on the floor of the House that may otherwise amount to defamation or misrepresentation etc.. and not get arrested for it.
4. No MP can be summoned by a court to give evidence as a witness without the leave of the House. Boleto.. it's the House speaker's wish to give permission or not.. and how many times a Mp is asked to do that.. one can imagine..

People like Shibu Soren get away with corruption even after being caught red-handed. All because the bribe was taken inside the parliament and anything that happens in there is beyond the jurisdiction of normal law. The anti-corruption law is also flawed. It blames the giver of bribe and not the taker. Whereas the giver is always the loser. Why will anybody want to part with their money if there is no taker??? The taker of bribe should be held responsible for bribing.
Newayzz..

Bottom-line:: Next time your mom starts scolding you for not studying. And goes on to say what will happen to your future when all your friends have gone to IIT or IIM or where ever.. your simple answer can be.. "They are earning for me.. ma Why worry.. I'm gonna be a MP.. white ambassador car with a red light nah.. make that a BMW…….." its not a bad career choice if you see.. very high returns on investment, and no investments needed to begin with (the more educated you are.. more problematic.. see Dr. Manmohan Singh)..

Hey but that's not about me.. ok.. I'm gonna be a civil service officer. Without us the MPs like I said before.. wouldn't even have known that the words 'inclusive growth' or any other kinda growth words exist.

Tagged again..

2007-12-14T01:15:00.001-08:00

Hmm.. well I've been tagged again.. by buddy Roshan.. here goes..

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it..
hmm.. well i have a scar on the back of my left hand. My doggie Dennis jumped at me and sratched. His nails dug pretty deep.. n now i look like a pirate i guess.. arrgghhh.. Ms.
Capt. Hook is in the house.. aarrgghh..

2. What does your phone look like?
hmm.. i have a Nokia 2300 fully customized it myself.. so i dont wanna let go of it.. it says 'Psycho Chic' on it :D and has 5-6 danglers..

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?
SYLLABI of all my subjects for my civils. Important pointers, maps etc.. in between them are sum of my creative stuff..

4. What is your current desktop picture?
hmm.. well i'll be honest and hope Tentacles of Thought won't put a Copy write suit or something.. its from his post 'Your soul within'. Lovely pic of a girl with a skull on her back.. check it out..

5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
yeah.. why should anyone have a problem???

6. What do you want more than anything right now?
WORLDPEACE!! Seriously.. all this war thing is gettin too much…

7. Last person who made you cry?
the wind made me cry.. i was driving in the mornin.. n the wind was so chilly.. my eyes were watering.. technically crying ryt?

8. What is your favorite perfume/cologne?
Tommy Girl by Tommy Hilfiger.. bestest of the best.

9. What are you listening to?
Tumse hi from Jab We Met :D

10. Do you get scared of the dark?
i used to be scared... when i was miniature.. i had watched Predator. Not scared anymore though.. i know so many ways to kill them now.. all thanx to Mr. Cameroon :D

11. Do you like pain killers?
yeah.. if they can work on my heart.. (not for heart attacks)..

12. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
dunno... neva gave it a shot..

13. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
French Fries.. French Fries.. French Fries.. French Fries.. French Fries.. French Fries.. French Fries.. French Fries.. nothing yummier has ever been made..

14.Who was the last person who made you mad?
sum weirdo.. his question- "will u be friendship with me?".. hmm..it had been so long since i'd heard the line.. i thot their species was extinct..

15. Who was the last person who made you smile?
everybody.. even the previously mentioned weirdo made me smile.. lol actually..

16. Is someone in love with you?
hmmmmmm....
hmmm...
hmmmmm..
Dunno.. can't say

and the tag passes on to Matty..

Tagged...

2007-12-10T19:55:00.001-08:00

Yipee I have been tagged finally by blogger buddy matty. I was actually thinking of taggin myself :P hmm.. so here it is.. 8 facts about me..

1. My name:: SSNAB is the very short version of Sukanya Sri Nidhi Ashok VenkatRamu Bagur. I was born on a sleepy Sunday winter afternoon.. So I'm pretty much the way the day was when I was born. I'm epitome of lethargy according to dad and an example of inertia according to my bro. They are not exaggerating.. I have everything that I need and may need at arms length from my bed.. I write or think of a layout for a new post but it takes me almost a week or two to get typing same goes for replyin to sms n scraps..

2. I'm a collector –period. I collect trash in general and artistic trash in particular. Artistic is by definition crap, but basically I collect anything that I consider can be converted into something- anything. My latest acquisitions are around 80-odd floppy disks. I hope to make something outta them someday. Chck out My Art Attack I.

3. Like everybody else.. even I have a gut feeling that I am born to be SOMETHING. So even I have a long list of the many SOMETHINGS that I think can be/or want to be.. IAS, IFS, fashion designer etc etc.. But kambakht Blogger and Orkut are the hurdles that are keeping me a step away from them.

4. Technically I'm a day dreamer. I think.. I actually dream and conjure up situations. I have bollywood-hollywood inspired dialogues et al. Ex:: I imagine someone to say something and I reply as if it is for real.. This happens on a regular basis and more so if I'm hyper.

5. I'm also a hypochondriac (Fear/Belief of contracting/or having contracted a disease). I see infections every where.. I can't stand if anyone sneezes around me especially in public places. Bus travels are a nightmare.. Being in Delhi.. people keep spitting everywhere.. TB!!!!!! Hepatitis A-Z and what nots… yuck!!

6. I have a habit of giving running commentary on the traffic while I'm driving. Its more like.. I talk to the vehicles around me. Ex:: If a bus comes too close then "BUS!!! Hat hat.. dur jaa be.. abe!!! Go away!!" or maybe if the signal is gonna change and I'm totally uncertain about the driver in front of me then "ruk matt.. brake mat dal.. thok dungi.." Problem arises as I say it all aloud. It scares the people riding with me… :P

7. I'm stuck in front of a computer no matter where I am.. and I have been on d net for.. I've lost track.. atleast 4 years now.. So.. I have more netpals than I have real friends. I have net buddies of more than 2-3 yrs and I'm so lucky to have them as my friends :-) this is for you Peeyush, Zulu, Rohit, Roshan.. :-)

8. Finally.. I'm a philosopher. I have many borrowed philosophies from all around.. "Don't bother to know people, just make yourself worth knowing.." etc.. etc..
But.. All my conviction lies in 'what goes around.. Comes around' in karma.. that whatever we do.. we will get it back.. not in our next life.. but in this lifetime itself and with interest..

hmm.. that went pretty well I guess.. now to pass on the tag.. make someone else do a noble deed.. CRD and Tentacles of thought

Jaywalking & Delhi

2007-12-05T23:16:00.000-08:00

Jaywalking has suddenly been declared as illegal in a city with no pavements.
Laws banning jaywalking is only meant for cities that have an alternative for their pedestrians. Delhi is famous for its markets on streets like Karol Bagh, Kamala Nagar, Janpath, Chandini Chowk etc. or rather these are markets that have come to the streets. So.. now where do shoppers walk? obviously on the road.

The famous Daryaganj Book market. No price for guessing where this market is.. obviously on
the pavement of one of the most busy roads of Old Delhi- Ansari Road.

Old Delhi at its glory..

Karol Bagh..

Nehru Place.. biggest computer market.. on the pavement!

Khan Market.. imagine when it is open.. !!!!

Now where to send all the people who are forced to walk on the road? These were just some images that i could find on google.
Delhi's roads starting from the pavement towards the road are divided into segments -

footpath has a paanwala, a water wala, a chai wala, a tabacco stuff wala, chana and other
stuff wala, newspaper wala, presswala (laundry :P) & a tailor in residential areas..
then come the cycle-rickshaw people. The most annoying breed on Delhi roads. They think that the roads are made for them to occupy. All along the pavement is a universal rickshaw stand. The situation is worse if there is a bus stop. coz...
Then come the auto-rickshaw stand. Its the third barricade.. to prevent people from accessing the footpath.
Then the normal traffic.. obviosuly.. the road was meant for them from the begining.

So..

Bottomline:: we should have two pavements. one for markets and the other for pedestrians. And when the second pavements gets encroached upon.. we can have a third pavement..

Love to Hate

2007-12-03T03:07:00.000-08:00

While searching for some data on Microsoft for my bro i found this website or rather it was a
blog i think. It was a hate site of Microsoft. I have come across many hate sites and
communities before. but this one got me thinking. Why do we love to hate? We'll hate anything and everything. You name it- people, animals, books, software, food, exams list is endless. If Somebody is doing well in their career, we hate them. By hook or crook- they must
have definitely worked hard to achieve it and we must give credit for that. Unless of course if its
Dawood Ibrahim or Osama Bin Laden we are talking about. But mind you even they have worked very hard to get where they are today.

Even i have joined many of the 'hate' communities like 'i hate smokers', 'i hate bathing' (i really
do), 'i hate math' and some more. I guess to a certain limit it makes sense. That we may have a
strong dislike to certain things and want to let everyone know about it.
But what about those communities that breed hatred? Hatred- in the truest meaning of the word. With a single motive to destroy or completely ruin the subject. There are communities
that say 'We hate Muslims/Hindus', 'We hate Indians/ Pakistan'.

Back home on orkut i did a community search of 'hate' and wow! what a treasure trove of 'i hate../We hate..' communities i found. You just can't believe the kind of communities people create and there are people who actually join them!!!

There were some obvious subjects that mostly everybody hate...

to wake up early..
ekta kapoor's K serials..
smokers/ smoking..
math
exams.. etc

Then there were the weird ones.. 'I/we hate... '

Discussions after exams..
you but i love you (???)
when some wakes me up.. (sum1 ought to..)
people with bad grammar!!!
Gandhi..
Manchester United..
Computers.. (aren't they.. like.. using one?)
to trust..
missed calls..!!
myself (:D)
mosquitoes.. (like thrz anybody who loves'em)
desperate journalism.. (maybe they meant Yellow journalism..)
buzz on yahoo messenger
Sri Chaitanya (apparently it is the most misguided evil organisation on the face of the planet)
one community read 'I hate Love'..
Flu and Cough.. :P
orkut !!! (back stabbers!!!)
me as if i care..

The ultimate i think were these 2 communities..

'i hate to hate' ,and,
'hate- Someone, anyone don't care' (huh?!!!!)

bottomline is that I HATE BOTTOMLINES..!!!!!!

Comment..Comment everywhere..But none on my Blog

2007-11-29T00:33:00.000-08:00

everytime i open my blog the number of hits registered always seems to jump by 50s n 100s. what i dont understand is that do people jus come and go and not read anything???
no one wants to comment or has anything to say about my blog??
i dont think tht i write tht bad or that my topics are are unworthy of a dekko.
its funny n sad that we need a special forum on orkut to compel people to comment on
blogs to get a comment on theirs'.

I don' think this is the case with only my blog. everybody(me included) goes blog surfing with a single selfish motive ie; to comment on other blogs and to get one in return. A blogger friend of mine who was outta station for most of the
month got only 5 comments. now
that he is bak and continuously marketing his blog he's got more than 15 comments.

really this unacknowledged cold war of lets-see-whos-got-the-most-comments is very unnerving.

HOWEVER.. it does not mean that i'm a sadhu and don't want people to comment on my blog. Go ahead.. click on the views link and let it all out..

Happie Deepavali

2007-11-09T02:30:00.000-08:00

Hit behind the ear with a sock full of wet sand..

2007-11-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

thats how Wodehouse's sweet old uncle Fred would described my condition. I'm on mission mode. On a marathon study till the end.. gotta finish General Studies. Only today i bought another G.S. book that weighs about 2kg heavier than me!!! No amount of studying seems sufficient. i always end up finding a question that i can't answer!!! its so frustrating!!!

in school i always wondered( sumthng that most of us have) what was the use of all the crappy math(algebra and trigonometry) i still see no sense in learning them.. i thought that maybe when i grow up and get to study the subjects of my choice then i'll enjoy. But now it seems i'm back to sq one!!!! i don't see the purpose of learning by name all the members of the Simon commission that came to India when mammoths walked the earth..

Anywayz.. point is..I didn't see the guillotine coming until today morning. Suddenly its 1Nov today and i have no clue how i've killed 4 months of precious time.. My civils form will be out this month.. that means there is no time!!! the thought of filling the form is so exciting and scary at the same time. Feeling claustrophobic i think.. like there's no turning back i've made a choice.. i've chosen a path.. one that does not have any forks ahead..and cracking the exam is only choice or succumb to my mom's pressure into holy (read unholy) matrimony. yeah.. its true.. i'll become Mrs. Confounded.. u'll find me watching stupid TV and wondering what might have been.. I know i've written that i'm excited with the idea of being a house wife.. but there's proper time for it.. NOT NOW!!! hopefully...

If i do get through the prelims.. YES I WILL.. then again like the sword of Damocles.. i'll have only 2months time to perfect myself for the mains..

think i'm wasting time writing this post.. i could have used it to finish geo!!! oh hell..

My Art Attack II

2007-10-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

To make an antique looking vase.

Stuff Required::
1) An earthen pot or a vase
2) Acrylic paint or plastic paint
3) Lacquer
4) Coir Rope
5) Golden Sequins
6) Copper/ Gold/Silver dust
7) Feviquick/ Fevicol/ Fevibond or any other strong adhesive

Method::
1) Paint the pot inside and outside with acrylic/plastic paint.
2) If any other paint is being used then the earthen pot has to be soaked in water over night. This is to prevent it from soaking extra paint.
3) Blow the copper/ gold/ silver dust before the paint dries. The dust should not get concentrated in any place.
4) Keep the pot in bright sunlight. Acrylic paint takes time to dry. If it’s not properly dry there are chances of fingerprints coming onto the pot which will look disastrous, unless fingerprints are the theme of the pot.
5) Take the coir rope and braid them.
6) Stick or stitch sequins onto the braids.
7) Strategically place the braided rope and stick them onto the pot.

Viola!!!!

A Second Angle

2007-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

The First angle:: We-humans are responsible for destroying earth’s climatic balance. The emission of green house gases is the major cause of it.

Until half hour back even I was a great believer in the first angle. Until I came across this article about a documentary made by British producer Martin Durkin. It’s called the The Great Global Warming Swindle. The documentary was aired in March 2007 on UK’s Channel 4. The documentary says “if the planet is heating up, it isn't your fault and there's nothing you can do about it.” The documentary has been in the eye of controversy ever since its airing.

The documentary claims that the theory of man-made global warming is “the biggest scam of modern times”!!!! Some of the arguments given by the documentary are quite valid.

1)The earth gets heated up due to solar radiations.
2)The earth has always experienced climatic disturbances with, without, in spite of human inhabitation. When ice age ended there were no humans to cause the melting.
3)There was a small ice-age (the river Thames froze in the 17th century)and small heat wave (the temperature went higher than present day readings) even before the industrialization started.
4)Apparently some of the effects of man-made global warming that were predicted have not come true. For ex: if the earth is getting heated up because of man made global warming then the troposphere is suppose to get heated up. But it has not.

Some African researcher has blamed the developed countries of conspiring against the developing nations and trying to hinder their growth in pretext of protecting earth.

The only point that they have raised is that maybe man made global warming is a minor contributing factor. How much 'minor' the contribution has not yet been determined.

They even partially won a legal suit against the documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that is backed by Al Gore, which was circulated amongst schools in the UK. The documentary was made to sensitize young students about the harms n impact of global warming. It claimed certain things like the polar bears were drowning which is only in theory.

Whereas all the arguments presented in the Great Global Warming Swindle have scientific confirmation.

Guess.. we were blaming ourselves for no fault of ours. The mammoth’s are as much to be blamed for the end of the ice age!!

The Great Global Warming Swindle:: http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/G/great_global_warming_swindle/index.html

Blue Line is Saddi Dilli

2007-10-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Blue Line or Killer Line or Blood Line call it what you want. But there is no stopping them. They have such high flying statistics to their credit that no other transport system can match up to it.
There are 3000 owners of these buses (ie; having valid permits) most of them have sub-let the buses. All the 3000 of them ply the buses on their own terms. Most of them are MPs, MLAs and top Police officials!! The death toll is going to cross 100 for 2007 alone. 82 out of the 88 convicted blue line drivers are back on the roads (and that’s official statistics!!)

I was thinking yesterday after watching the news.. People are demanding for the blueline to be taken off the streets immediately it will be such a sad sight to see Delhi’s roads minus the eyesore (they are of an ugly glue green color.. hey thats's nasty algae) Blue Line is an integral part of Delhi's landscape just like the Phat-phat seva or Chandini Chowk!!

Blue Lines are famous for their decorations. The hideous buses are decorated with bangles, dupattas and weirdest are the cut-out of the eyes of actresses. From Aishwarya’s eyes to just some eyes found in magazines will be staring from everywhere. They look no different from decorated buffalos in villages with colorful stuff dangling that very rarely compliments it. The buses are also painted with improved writings like “Buri nazar wale tu kala, teri ma kali, tera baap kala….” Or “yahan to yo hi chalegi”

If these buses go away where will people advertise remedies for ‘Gupt Rog’ and other weird diseases??

I will definitely miss the radio!! Not that I don’t have one at home. But the one which I have does not play the station that is on in the buses. It’s the only place where I get hear “Cibaca Geetmala” and Bhojpuri plays on tape with songs and good melodrama.

The best thing about these buses are your seat is guaranteed. That is if you are Rs.10 ticket traveler. You can threaten to board the next bus if the conductor does not provide you with a seat. Oh!! How can I forget my travelling time to college were spent sitting on the bonnet of the blueline!! Only it gets too hot :P the DTC drivers are very khadoos in these matters. Neither do they offer you a seat nor the bonnet!!

Blue line people are a creators of new dialects. If we remove them a whole set of linguistic diversity will be lost. The term “naveda naveda” or “nyoda nyoda” came from them. Lemme tell you this the newest name of NOIDA in UP. You get a feeling maybe they’ll drop you off at Las Vegas, Nevada in the US!!

Blue Line buses are also a place where you can get to buy some great junk when you are bored at traffic jams!!!! People who have never traveled beyond 1-2 signals, board the buses and sell Chinese stuff. From pain relief oils to English speaking course books etc. Their staple dialogue “ hamare China wale company ne aapke suvidha ke liye …….” This feature is not available in DTC buses.

These were some of the positive points. In comparison there is only 1 negative aspect. That, if you are on the road and not in the buses may die under them and maybe some officials may get suspended for it.

The positive points clearly out weigh the negative points....
With the Commonwealth Games 2010 coming up fast I think Blue lines should be kept at least till after the games. The Blue Line buses are a chalta firta museum of our ultimate loss of law and order, lack of social consciousness and no respect for the law of the land. I'm quite sure its very difficult to find a better combination in one system anywhere else.

"Madam, Buddha has finally smiled"

2007-10-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

While studying India's nuke history i came across the events of India's first nuclear test explosion. The event shows India's humble beginning, struggle and innocense!!!

It was on 18 May 1974 at Pokhran in Rajasthan. Another speciality about the test is that, it was the first confirmed nuclear test outside the five members of the UN Security Council.
On that day, when the blast was conducted successfully, Dr. Ramanna(head of the project) wanted to inform PM Indira Gandhi. The secure phone lines were not working. So Dr. Ramanna instead went to a nearby village and called up Mrs.Gandhi from a payphone and said "Madam, Buddha has finally smiled".

'Smiling Buddha' was the code name of the project as it was to be conducted on 18 May which was Buddha Jayanti that year and also becasue the nuclear devise was called "Peaceful Nuclear Explosive"

1 2 3

2007-10-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

What do the numbers 123 signify to you?? I see them everywhere nowadays. As newspaper headlines, in magazines.. every channel has a heated discussion on this trio. I've been told to ardently follow them coz they are 'hot' topic for next year's civils exam. People who consider themselves even remotely intelligent want to discuss about the 123 deal. What's the big deal? huh!

I wanna know why 123? why not 12345 or 1-10 or 1-100? Its just a name right?? How many Indians vehemently rallying FOR the deal know that 123 stands for section 123 of the United States Atomic Energy Act, 1954 that deals with "co-operation with other nations"??? Anywayzzzzz...

For me.. I think its called 123 coz the US of A-ians can't count beyond 3. They care and bother only about 3 things:: 1) Statue of Liberty 2) The Empire State building and 3) Osama Bin Laden

So.. What does 123 mean to me?

1) On your mark, get set, 1 2 3 GO !!!

2) Mike testing 1 2 3...

3) 1 2 3 Benedryl cough syrup's ad..

4) and hey I always start counting from 1 2 3...

5) 1 2 3.. feviquik dries before you can count three..

6) how can I forget.. the zingy song 'ek do teen..' of Madhuri Dixit. Atleast the counting went beyond 3 here.

Our ex- PM Sh. Atal Behari Vajpayee is a great fan of Hema Malini's Seeta aur Geeta. So taking his cue from his seniors our current PM may as well hum 'ek do teen'.

As for me -nuke deal or no deal it don't affect me unless::

1) i get a piece of the shinny 'U' to keep at home and show it off to my friends, or,

2) i grow 2 1/4 hands, and 1 eye coz of the 'U'..

My Art Attack

2007-09-30T01:07:00.001-07:00

I'm into craft. That usually involves some bits of junk and some bits of creativity. Creativity is needed to pick out the artistic junk from the general trash. Inspired by Neil Buchanan (of Art Attack on Nick) I too have decided to put up some 'junk' creativity.

JUNK REQUIRED ::
1. cardboard cylinders (this can be acquired from used up cellophane tape bases or the base of tissue rolls or aluminum foils)
2. a circular piece of wood or better still is thin melamine circular cut outs (this is generally sold as switchboard base in hardware stores)
3. colors (paints/sketch pens/crayons)ill any other stuff for decoration
4. Feviquick/ fevicol/ fevibond or any other super adhesive
5. some creativity

Now the above junk can be made into three items:: a) bangles b) pen stands c) vase

PROCEDURE::

For Bangles:: Cardboard circles of cellophane tape is preferred.
1. Take the cardboard circles (in case of bangles, the circles should be big/small enough to fit your wrists).
2. Paint the circles with the color of your choice.

3. After the paint has dried any kind of floral patterns etc can be made on it. Sequins can be stuck etc.
4. The inside of the cardboard has to be painted with black to hide any kind of printed matter etc.
Now your own custom made bangle is ready.
Caution:: since it cardboard and paint stay away from water.

Pen Stands:: Cardboard circles of cellophane tape is preferred.
1. Depending upon the width of the Cardboard circles available. Stick together 2-3 of them.
2. Paint them with your choice of color.

Well i got my friends to sign my Pen stand.
3. Decorate on top of the paint with mirrors, cartoon pics, drawings, sequins etc.
4. Now stick the melamine sheet at the bottom of the cardboard circles.
5. Paint the inside of the top most cardboard in black paint.
Your pen stand is ready.

Vase::
A single artificial flower vase can be made. For this only the cardboard circles from tissue roles or aluminum foils (they should be thin and long) should be used.
1. Follow same procedure of Pen Stand.
Caution:: don't put real flowers as they need water and your vase is made of cardboard. :D

An ENIGMA That is The Civi Services Exam

2007-09-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

I now know the secret. People are jealous of our guts. Of us- civil services aspirants. Of those who know deep down that they will crack it no matter what. But the question is why the demoralization starts so early..

School :: It all started when I first took humanities as my stream of studies in my XI th grade. I had got good grade in my Xth boards. Not that I had flunked or anything. I always aimed to give the civil services and planned to study keeping only the exam in focus. After much research I found that eventually I would end up with arts subjects. So I found no sense in grating my head over weird formulae just because taking up the science stream was prestigious. But some how I never actually got around to drive home the point that I was indeed much focused. People always gave that "I know you must have got 50%" kinda look. I din't care.

College:: I didn't bother to take up any honors but settled for a plain simple BA. Again this was a conscious decision so that I could concentrate on my civils. But when you're doing plain BA while everyone else you know is doing an honors course in history or Pol. Sci or Hebrew you have lot of explaining to do. People blatantly demand explanation and then refuse to accept it. It's all pre-assumed. BA- the marriage degree what more could there be to it?

Civils at last:: now that my graduation is complete and I'm studying full time for my civil services I expected people to give me some credit. But to my dismay/ astonishment their reaction was very complacent. They didn't care. Their reaction "oh really... IAS eh?! Even I gave the exam in my days. I attempted it thrice. Soon I got over it"!!!!!!

Conclusion::

If you get through Civil Services its not news coz every year 500 odd candidates do.

If you don't get through, again it's not news coz every year about 4 lakh people don't.

A SPECIAL WELCOME WAGON

2007-09-25T05:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's T20 world cup finals had a very goose pimply effect on me. Especially the team's victory lap when they took flags from spectators. It was such a 'wow' moment. I bet a billion bucks that every Indian who saw it would most definitely have felt the surge of patriotism at the sight of the young victorious fellas with the national flag.

Now after having said all that call me a sadist if you want but I (I dunno why) want the team to be greeted by a truck load of court summons. I want some crackpot lawyer to file criminal cases against the players for having 'insulted the national flag and violated section 65745/87 sub section 389734 clause 349 (a) (i) of the Bla bla Act'. Coz I'm quite sure I saw a flag being held upside down and one of the flags also fell down.

(Hey, whatever happened when Prez Mushrraf's flight to India displayed our flag upside down?? Guess no one bothered they were just happy that he came to see the Taj Mahal! )

I'm not sure, but I think only those players who are sponsored by the govt. are allowed to sport the national flag on their person. So, technically speaking the Indian cricket team does not represent India but BCCI, which is not sponsored by the govt. rather it's a private body. Narain Karthikeyan was also sued for displaying the tri-colors on his helmet. He is also not sponsored by the govt.

The rules & regulations that surround the use of our national flag are very cumbersome. People have the right to proudly display their flag. When a Naveen Jindal or Narain Kathikeyan fight for their flag rights only a fraction of the public knows about it. But the cricket team has mass appeal and Indian's especially take everything thing that happens to them very personally.

I for one love our flag and have dared to put up a pic here.
Check out::
THE PREVENTION OF INSULTS TO NATIONAL HONOUR ACT, 1971
>>Explanation4<< http://mha.nic.in/nationalflag2002.htm

Best Lyrics ever..

2007-09-03T01:23:00.001-07:00

Gin Soaked Boy- Divine Comedy

Im the darkness in the light
Im the leftness in the right
Im the rightness in the wrong
Im the shortness in the long
Im the goodness in the bad
Im the saneness in the mad
Im the sadness in the joy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the ghost in the machine
Im the genius in the gene
Im the beauty in the beast
Im the sunset in the east
Im the ruby in the dust
Im the trust in the mistrust
Im the trojan horse in troy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the tigers empty cage
Im the mysterys final page
Im the strangers lonely glance
Im the heros only chance
Im the undiscovered land
Im the single grain of sand
Im the christmas morning toy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the world youll never see
Im the slave youll never free
Im the truth youll never know
Im the place youll never go
Im the sound youll never hear
Im the course youll never steer
Im the will youll not destroy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the half-truth in the lie
Im the why not in the why
Im the last roll of the die
Im the old school in the tie
Im the spirit in the sky
Im the catcher in the rye
Im the twinkle in her eye
Im the jeff goldblum in the fly

Who am i?

Price of being a celebrity

2007-09-03T01:16:00.001-07:00

Salman Khan may be the bad boy of bollywood with the invisible 'golden heart'. However, considering him on an equal platform with other poachers, a five year sentence for killing 3 black bucks is too harsh and not fair.

Sansar Chand has also been sentenced for 5yrs and Salman Khan and Sansar Chand cannot be compared as equals.

Know Sansar Chand:: Sansar has probably been responsible for more tiger and leopard deaths than anyone else in India. He was born in 1958, and has been involved with the wildlife skin trade virtually all his life. He was first arrested at the age of 16, in September 1974, in a case involving tiger and leopard skins and 676 other wildlife skins. Sansar and his gang members have at least 57 court cases pending against them in nine states in India - Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, dating from September 1974 to April 2005. There are cases - and bail applications and appeals - that have been pending against him for up to 17 years. He is solely responsible for killing 12 tigers at Sariska.

Despite the large number of cases against Sansar and his colleagues, he has only received 2 convictions - for his first case in Delhi in 1974, and for a case in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, in January 2003. In April 2004, he was convicted to five years imprisonment for this case by the Ajmer courts.

Rapist's Paradise

2007-07-23T02:36:00.000-07:00

Most of the democratic countries believe in the policy that it is better to acquit 99 criminals than convict 1 innocent man. I honestly don't understand the logic behind this policy. Maybe because it has no logic. How can the state be a welfare state when it is thinking about the welfare of only 1 innocent man. all the while endangering the lives of many other citizens when they let go of criminals for the lack of evidence.

Cases like Jessica Lal murder, Nitish Katara murder, the Nanda Hit & run case are all hung up due to lack of evidence to convict the criminals. The only surviving witness in the Nitish Katara case was poisoned last week. That too when he is not the key witness and his testimony does not have much value. Even then the cops are clueless whether the accused are the real culprits or not.

Such weak method of prosecution brings to mind the situation of rapists. Rape is a crime far more heinous than murder therefore rapists can't be dealt with leniency. Most of the rapists in our country don't get convicted because the law requires the victim to stand in court -identify the accused and narrate the events. It is a very torturous process for any rape victim to face her offender. In most of the cases the victims cannot sum up the courage to even come to the court. Every woman can't be as courageous as Mukhtar Mai.

Every country should have courts like the ATC that convicted Mukhtar Mai's rapists. ATCs are Anti-Terrorist courts of Pakistan that deal with cases of terror or mass-intimidation. They admit hearsay as evidence, and do not require guilt to be proven to the reasonable doubt standard.

These kind of harsh and crude courts seem to be the only solution to handle rapists. And India especially New Delhi aka rape capital of India desperately needs one. Until some urgent actions are taken to curb it, our complacent judicial system India will remain a rapist's paradise

Khadoos buddhaa people..!!!!

2007-07-20T03:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my counselling for my admission into the LLB course at Law Faculty of Delhi University. There were so many OLD people who had come to take admission. I have no objection if middle aged people with 2-3 dregrees to back them apply for LLB. But outright senior citizens taking up full time courses meant for youngsters is baaaad!!!!!!

what will the buddhaa people do doing LLB? If they are really that interested in persuing law, there are many other law degree and diploma courses available. Securing an admission in DU Law Faculty is very difficult and youngsters work very hard for it. Senior citizens, (they ARE senior citizens-its not a pun) who read 2-3 newspapers a day and have a large group of similarly bored folks to discuss it with will obviously have more IQ than many other young people who compete with them. They don't have any right to hog the seats that rightfully belongs to the youth. They have a career to make and an admission in such a prestigious institution can make or mar their future prospects.

These buddhaa people should be more interested at playing chess or discussing politics or playing with their grand children.

P.S. No offence to any buddhaa in particular. but i guess they are nice on the rocking chair and that's where they should be.

Bridget Jones's Diary ...---... :(

2007-07-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have maintained diary entries since i was in 7th std. I don't exactly remember what prompted me to start maintaining a diary. But I think it was after a counselling session where the school shrink told all of us to maintain diaries and to consider them as our best friends.

I have been faithfully writing my diary ever since. Or at least i thought so.

How many of us our really sincere and honest to our diary?? Do we actually pen down every thing we feel, hear, see, say??? Maybe not eh?

Most of us are not Bridget Jones to write down every horrible event that occur in our lives and preserve it for a later read!! This revelation happened to me today when i sat down to make a diary entry. A friend of mine is moving to another city and I may not see him again. The thought kept bothering me the entire morning and I thought the best remedy to it was to tell my diary about it.

When I got down to it I ended up writing odd details except the stuff that I really wanted to write. Going back a few pages I found that on many occasions I had omitted events and details that I distinctly remember occurring. The details that I had so blissfully ignored had either offended or hurt me. I desperately wanted to write them down, same time I was reluctant to tell my diary about it. I was somehow hopping that it would be some other diary or notebook but not the one which I regularly wrote in. I did not understand why I wanted to lie and hide from MY DIARY!! Run and hide from my own thoughts and feelings and treat them like they don't exist or don't affect me. Its almost like betraying the trust of a close pal. Its not like My Diary is going to tell anybody or anything, then why do I fear my diary so much. We're suppose to gain from our past experiences and personal diary is supposed to assist in the learning process. But that may not be possible when the story in the diary is a big farce.

Despite this revelation and this long article I have not yet completed my diary. And honestly I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to it.

BLUE MENACE

2007-07-13T03:15:00.001-07:00

The blueline bus owners have once again held the national capital at ransom. Tagged as the 'killer-line' they have managed to cause havoc to city life.

To begin with they drive around without any licence. Neither the bus has a permit nor the driver a driving licence. Then they go around flouting every traffic rule in the book. They are responsible for the death of more than 50 people in 2007 alone. The govt has sanctioned only 600 permits but more than 6000 blues ply in the city. and now that the police have cracked down upon them, they have literally disappeared from the streets of Delhi. Leaving 3/4th of Delhities stranded.

The govt has threatend to implement ESMA. But that should not be done. This will only make the bus owners more vain. The govt should not succumb to the pressure of these rogues. It is what they would enjoy the most. The blue line have tried this tactic once before when the CNG was made mandatory as a fuel for public transport. It was because of the firm stand taken by the then State Transport Minister Ajay Maken that the blue line people had to concede. The strength of the Transport Minister was under test when the Auto rickshaw people went under strike on the issue of electric metres.

It is high time that we got rid of the ugly buses and made way for high capacity, eco-friendly buses. The Commonwealth Games 2010 are not very far away and we have a world audience to impress this time. This kind of opportunity will not come again. The blue line have withdrawn services themselves expecting the govt to come begging. They have made the govt's job easier.

The Delhi Govt now need not go through the elaborate Herculean efforts that were being planned to ease them out of the city streets.

The move will also strengthen the Congress in Delhi. Since the revelation of the dubious history of Congress Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil, the Congress has been pretty weak amongst the educated class. Providence has presented this oppurtunity, just hoping that Sheila Dikshit is clever enough to make use of it.

BAAAAAACK to the future??!!!

2007-07-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

I&B Ministry's baby Prasar Bharti is way over its head. Its grossly incapable of generating revenue for its sustenance.

The only way out is for the ministry to collect charity to keep the Doordarshan network afloat. So the govt is now tracing its footsteps back to the medieval ages when there were licences for Television, Radio, cycles etc.

The govt plans to introduce 'licence fee' of Rs.500 p.a on EVERY colour TV and Rs.200 p.a on EVERY black and white TV set in the country. Radio and television manufacturers are also going to be charged 10% licence fee. In all, the govt expects to draw in approximately Rs.24,000 crores from this licence fees. The revenue will be used to fund the hard pressed Prasar Bharti and towards the salaries of its 38,000 odd employees!!!

The basic question is how is the govt going to track down every single television set in the country?? The has to stand on its toes to collect the annual income tax that comes with such heavy penalty, how will it enforce such a licence fee??

The end result is clear. This will lead to another set of Govt babus being appointed. The kind which existed when a licence was required for every thing. There will be one Licence Inspector, some other guys under him who will go door to door harassing innocent people.

one another question that comes up is why Rs.500 p.a.??!!! when property tax is as low as Rs.2000-2500 p.a for an apartment in prime location in the capital, Rs.200 p.a for a dumb old black and white TV is simply outrageous!!

At an age of disinvestment and fierce open competition among private channels Doordarshan is pathetically lagging behind with shows like Stree.. teri kahani!!!!

Honestly i have no idea who watches the DD channels. People in the rural areas most definetly don't watch it. I don't watch it. That's one question most people will be asking. "who watches these channels?" There seems to be no sense in trying to maintain a channel that has no viewers and that too with public money!!!

Gender Issues and Indian Text Books

2007-06-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

I found this article by Kalpalata Pandey. It deals with the extremely sensitive topic of gender issues in Indian elementary school text books.

when it read it i found some points that i had never thought can cause gender bias. some everyday dialogues and events that we have gotten used to but have failed to see the underlying gender bias connotations.

check out:: http://www.caen.iufm.fr/colloque_iartem/pdf/pandey.pdf

Who is more backward... Me or U?

2007-06-04T02:04:00.000-07:00

The agitation started by the Gujjars in Rajasthan has no meaning to it. Their demand is to be classified as more backward and to be considered down trodden!!!! i.e., they want to be classified as Scheduled Tribes.

Its that kind of situation you know.. u don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The core issue lies is the continuance of caste based reservations. Not all SC/ST/OBC are backward in anyway. That includes economic, social, or cultural backwardness. Politicians should desist from making promises to vote banks. They might have been backward at some point of time in history. But that does not mean that their situation has not improved till date.

For Example:: The Meenas of Rajasthan were body guards of the King. It was a prestigious post that was not offered to all. So, to begin with they don’t need to be classified as ST. They have been the only community classified as ST from Rajasthan. So they have, until now taken full advantage of all the privileges the reservation brings. They have hogged most of the Government posts. They get their postings and transfers altered in their favour.

So,
The fight between the Meenas and the Gujjars is very transparent. One can clearly see that the Meenas don’t want to let go or even share the privileges that comes with being classified as ST.

However, focusing once again on the issue at hand- the Gujjars resorting to violence to get their demands fulfilled. This is just open terrorism and it should be dealt with as one. Gujjars are not the only community who are interested in getting themselves classified as ST or SC etc. If they succeed today we might get to see a string of such out breaks from many other communities. No other community should get the idea that they can get away by holding the nation’s capital hostage.

---------------------------
After a heated debate about an issue Sardar Patel once asked Nehru if he was a leader or a part of the mass. A similar question beckons our leaders today. They have to prove to the rest of the nation whether they are leaders who will show a new path and lead or just succumb to the pressures of some despicable people.

Indian Idol.... eh???

2007-06-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

Bharat Ki Shaan eh? who will be 'it' when all the good ones are clearly standing in line for elimination??

The reality show that is being aired on Sony entertainment Television is designed to find the next singing sensation of India. So far, the contestants have gone through two rounds of selection. The rounds were judged by 4 Moguls of the music industry- Anu Malik, Alisha Chinnai, Javed Akhtar and Udit Narayan. There is no doubt that they will have chosen the best of the participants.

However, now the contest has moved on to the Piano Round i.e. round 3 of the contest. Here the contestants have to perform and the public i.e. the viewers vote. So, I think we have to question the authenticity of the results. How many people are actually voted out i.e. by not receiving any votes? This does not seem to be much of a problem here as the contestants are ordinary people. They can influence the viewers only by their performance. Or may be not.

This is what 27 yrs old Pinky Maidasani found out when she was eliminated from the contest. The public definitely did not listen to her sing. A trained classical singer, a music teacher by profession Pinky Maidasani definitely has the voice of a future Indian Idol. It is obvious that people are prejudiced towards physical beauty.

Anybody with a true ear for music will tell Pinky is no ordinary wannabe. She has the voice of a star. But there must something that did not appeal to the audience or maybe they just blatantly ignored her. She is a typical bindaas city girl openly proclaiming her love for judge Anu Malik. She considers him as a guru and inspiration for her music. Or maybe the viewers just did not like her hair colour?!!!!! But no amount of reasoning justifies her being eliminated from the contest.

Not that the contestants will miss out much by not being Indian Idol. In retrospect, there have been 2 previous Indian Idols who have vanished into oblivion. So, in a way Pinky is now free to reach her goal of challenging Shakira, Whitney Houston et al.

Happy Women's Day ??!!!

2007-03-16T07:02:00.001-07:00

we use u as a prop, we use u for our play,

we burn u quite regularly , for dowry they say,

we either make u a goddess,

or a cheap lay,

we've kept 364,

u get jus 1 day..

happy women's day??

- taken from The Mumbai Mirror 9th March, letters to the editor, contributed by Christopher D Souza

:D

2007-03-10T07:52:00.001-08:00

God creates Dinosaurs,

God destroys Dinosaurs.

God creates Man,

Man destroys God,

Man creates Dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs destroy Man.

Woman inherits the Earth.

- Jurrasic Park

2007-03-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

tomorrow i am goin to NDTV 24x7 studio as a member of the audience for Barkha Dutt's show We The People.
The topic of the discussion is going to be if Feminism is still relevant to the modern indian woman!!!

hehe.. No comments..

Chew This...

2007-03-06T04:17:00.000-08:00

Seven thousand fewer girls are born in India everyday.
71,000 children are born everyday in India.
Out of which only 31,000 are females.
that makes the sex ratio in India: 882 girls for every 1000 boys.
The global sex ratio is 954 girls per 1000 boys.
so, 38,000 girls are supposed to be born in India to maitain atleast the average level
that means India is missing 7000 girls everyday!
80% of Indian districts not even villages.. DISTRICTS are practicing female foeticide without any fear of law enforcement authorities.
the sex ratio in harayana and punjab is less than 800 girls per 1000 boys.
only 67.7% females between the age group of 15 to 24 are literates in India.
as against 84.2% boys.
and 98.5% girls of the same age group in China.
Around 45% of women are still forced into marriages before the legal age of 18.
more than 50% of these women become pregnant within a year of their marriage.
girls of 15 yrs or less are five times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth.
In India one woman dies every 7 minutes due complcations in pregnancy.
there is only 1 conviction for every 130 cases registered under the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, which has been in force since 1996.

Interesting line-up for Presidential Election-2007

2007-03-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

The contenders are::

Current president: APJ Abdul Kalam

Vice President: Bhairo Singh Shekhawat

Uttarkhand CM : ND Tiwari

Rajya sabha chairperson: Dr. Najma Heptullah

Lok Sabha speaker: Somnath Chatterjee

Former External affairs minister: Mr. Pranab Mukherjee

Last heir apparent to the throne of the former princely state of Kashmir: Dr. Karan Singh

Former External affairs minister: Mr. Jaswant Singh

And the most interesting of all is Bollywood 'badshah' : Amitabh Bachchan.. :P

Would somebody care to nominate me..

faith

2007-03-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

People should not be allowed to blatantly make a mockery of religion, any religion. Every religion struggles to create a sense of faith in people. It my have had to make some false claims. But at certain times it is unavoidable.

It is a very difficult task to make a common, uneducated man have faith in himself. Religion gives him that confidence and faith to face life, which may not be as smooth.

People who consider themselves enlightened should not go around preaching against any religion in the name of educating men, unless they have an alternative solution. No religion Hinduism or Islam or Christianity.. etc.. aims at keeping its believers in the dark.

They in fact have helped people earn a decent living in terms of econominc stability, spiritual etc.

Reality Bites

2007-02-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

What is common among movies like Deepa Mehta’s Water and Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday or Rahul Dholakia’s Parzania? They all are based on real life stories and not surprisingly all have been condemned by the Indian Society.

Deepa Mehta’s Water highlights how widows in India were considered bad luck, ostracized and alienated in the 1930s. It’s no better to this day but Hindu extremist consider it anti-Hindu. Deepa Mehta was not even allowed to complete shooting the movie in 2000. Now it has got an Oscar nomination in the best Foreign Film category as Canadian movie. It is yet to be released in India.

Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday is based on the 1993 Bombay blast and its aftermath. It has taken 3 years for it to see the light of day!

Rahul Dholakia’s Parzania is based on a true story about a Parsi couple and their son who went missing after the Gujarat riots of 2002. It was banned in Gujarat!!

---------------------------------------------------------------

“How ironical that they don’t want to watch the havoc they caused in innocent people’s lives. The plain fact of the matter is that Indians don’t deserve these movies. They cannot tolerate the truth..”

I have been reading such comments for very long time.. Who is ‘they’??

Ever wondered?? I want to watch all these movies. I and many others like me support such movies. Whole of India cannot be blamed as some factions of our society tend to speak for the entire nation.

Politicians have no business controlling art. It’s a hindrance to Freedom of Speech and Expression! They manipulate our thinking with stupid masala flicks which is what they want us to watch. A tiny fanatical group cannot declare a movie as anti-Hindu unless it is so declared unanimously by every Hindu. If Mr.Modi’s govt had no role in initiating the Gujarat riots of 2002 then why should they be scared of showing Parzania in the state.

What is the truth hidden in these movies that politicians are trying to keep away from the common man is a question everybody ought to think..

These huge way-over-the-head movies with a battalion of actors, no script or a stolen script thrown together with a dozen sorry songs are definitely funded by political parties to over shadow other serious issues.

Renaissance in art has caused large scale political and societal changes over the past century. Hindering the growth and expression of art will only take India back to the dark ages.

Indian Culture-- Endangered species?!!

2007-02-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

India is one of the most culturally rich nations of the world with documented history dating back to 5000 yrs ago. She has long been known for her tolerance towards other cultures and traditions. Indian culture is an amalgamation of the different cultures it has come in contact with in its long history. Starting with the Aryans, the Turks, the Mughals, the British and many other factors to this day have all contributed to the ever growing culture of India. Diwali and Holi was celebrated at the White House.

Indians have never hesitated to accept anything new. Considering that statement the concept of love, love marriage is not new to the Indian society. Then why this hue and cry over celebrating St. Valentine’s day?

Shiv Sena activists come to our university campus and terrorize young couples. It’s ridiculous of them to think that if they prohibit the celebration of one day, the so called ‘western influence’ will be curbed.

RSS executive committee member Ram Madhav has apparently told media persons.. “If a couple is in love, why don't they get married instead of celebrating the day every year?”

I was wondering where all the romance had gone from such a romantic nation.. I see now..

St. Valentine’s Day celebrates love. St. Valentine helped unite people who were in love against the orders of the Emperor Claudius II (the then RSS!!)

To the RSS, maybe days like Karva Chauth is a celebration of love. But I don’t get the point. How can a woman think of love when she is starving the whole day all for the sake her husband’s well being. One cannot possible think about anything while starving to death. If that is considred as a romantic way to display your love then why doesn’t the husband also starve for his wife’s well being? Doesn’t he love her?

All these demonstrations are just publicity gimmicks by the RSS and the Shiv Sena.

Just one piece of advise.. GET A HOBBY!!

waaaaaah??

2007-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

The idea of having a blog and telling everyone about it is just so exciting. And it barely takes a second to dampen the excitement when you start thinking of a topic to post!
Phew! The past week has been excruciating. For some unknown reason, I desperately wanted to post an article this week. I couldn’t go beyond hunting for a topic. I don’t think I’ve succeeded much yet.

I’ve hopped from Mika (Punjabi singer) to Abhishek and Aishwarya wedding. Pals and internet buddies all chipped in with ideas on hell and heaven, adoption laws, inter-caste marriages, global warming, mutation, face transplant….. bla.. bla.. etc..

And finally, here I am boasting about my lack of creativity. With no ideas. Its just to frustrating!
But from the looks of it, its just a phase of .. writer’s block.. yea.. that’s what it is.. Writer’s block even before I start writing!

Maybe…

Its just the lull before the storm. Then my blog will be flooded with my posts.

Watch this space for some awesome posts.. :D

India shinning!!!

2007-01-28T07:10:00.000-08:00

Cruelty towards is so widely prevalant that we have become kinda immune to it. Even if we see it, we dont register incidents in our minds. it could be tiny incidents of young fellers throwing stones at a mongrel or educated people murdering children and eating them.

the question to be answered here is:: IS THIS CALLED BEING CIVILISED?

There was a programme on IndiaTV that showed dogs that were tied up in gunny sacks to be sold. so far so good eh?! but unfortunately they were being sold for being eaten, and not to loving owners. It was found that dogs were bought by some people in Nagaland. Who would not feed them for a week and suddenly feed them one day and eat the dog the next day!!
where is India heading? you may ask.. people killing owls for curing a whole in the heart?!! what could be more ridiculous?!!
Just last month a female bear was charred to death ALIVE!! in kashmir. The enthusiastic and royally stupid i may add,journalist had the presence of mind to video record the entire episode but dint think even once of saving the poor creature from such an unfortunate death. Apparently this was not the first of such cases. five other bears have been brutely burnt in the same manner in the village.
Even the great Delhi University has not spared animals. To ward off monkeys, colleges are keeping Langoors. The poor Langoor is tied up to the main gate with a rope and made to sit on the compund wall for the whole day!
Cruelty of man has not stopped at torchuring just animals. people have become inhuman enough to sexually abuse and murder children and then EAT THEM!! The psychopathic duo moninder singh Pandher and Surender Koli have written history. they have become India's first in every psychopathic way. Alfred Hitchcocks best imagination seems to have failed before these two's work. The amazing fact is that when the duo got beaten up recently at a court, moninder's son has filed for a case on human rights.

i have a question: how can moninder be a human after killing more 40 children?

Mallika Sherawat- the real face of feminism

2007-01-17T02:54:00.000-08:00

Mallika Sherawat is awe inspiring to me. She epitomises every women's dream the world over. Every woman in her heart of hearts wants to do something wacko and out of this world. It could be anything- from bungee jumping to actually realising their dream of becoming an actress. Nobody bothers how one does it, by hook or crook, achieving your dream is the only goal. even if its just for a day.

To begin with, its not an easy thing for an Harayanvi girl to divorce her husband and even more earth moving is her decision to become an actress. She abandoned everybody. Her father refused to support her decision, she finally made it in Bollywood with only her brother for support. In Bollywood where ones lineage matters a lot, Mallika Sherawat made it without any godfather. In fact, she made her courage to do anything, her godfather.

Liberalisation is a very cruel process. It makes many people its victims. Women like Mallika Sherawat are true feminists and also victims of the process. Not many people acknowledge their sacrifices and the other hardships that they have had to face to get to their current position.

Other actresses like Aishwarya Rai etc.. are no less than Mallika Sherawat. The difference is that Ms. Sherawat is bold and makes no issues about her job and that she'll do anything for money. She is famous for her infamous quotable quotes. BUT what ever she says and does is so in your face and deep down everybody knows that she's right.

It'll take a very long time for society to accept women like Mallika Sherawat. She is way ahead of her times. Our society is not ready for women like her, it is in fact scared of her. Until then we'll get to see many more Sherawats who are victims of their own ambition.

Dude!! where are my marks??

2007-01-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Today i gave my Mass Communication exam. and guess what?!? it was for only 50 marks! where did the rest of the 50 marks go?

yea.. beleive it or not even at one of the worlds top ten universities we're made to give exams for half of the total marks.

Now the question is where does the rest of the 50 marks come from? i sincerely hope that it will fall from the heavens coz the lecturer is royally pissed at me and i have no hopes from her. but to my utter horror my lecturer is goin to give me the rest of the 50 marks. She is goin to evaluate my 'performance' in the internals (house exams) plus assignments etc etc..

'Performance' like its some kind of a kidergarten where she gonna call my parents to inform them that im cuting classes!! What the hell!!

For two years now almost all the students of Delhi University have signed petitions under the RTI Act (Right To Information Act) to the dean, the vice-chancellor and other authorities about this opaque system. however there sems to be no redressal immediately in sight. my lecturer is still dangling over me like the Damocle's sword!!!

i still have to pataofy my lecturer in everyclass to keep myself in her good books. suppose desipte my best efforts,for some unkown reason she's still pissed off at me.. then what? she wont even give me a 25 out of the 50 marks of mine she hold!!

How can lecturers be given so much of power? they can arbitarily give or take marks. and poor me! i've got no way to prove my intelligence. im as brilliant at studies as my lecturers shows me to be!!!

Kenopanishad - deciphered!!

2006-12-10T00:53:00.000-08:00

Kenopanishad is a sandhi of kena and upanishad. Kena means 'by whom'. Kenopanishad tries to explain to the stuent of life 'by whom' this world and all its doings are powered. The entire Upanishad is in conversation style. The student of life has grown up and has rejected the world as a field of meaningless strife and the day to day material life as an endless race to catch ones own shadow. Thus rejecting the false, he starts to enquire upon himself.

In the first chapter, the student finds out that neither the assembly of his limbs nor his sense organs nor his mind, or his intellect can, of their own accord, function without a vitalizing principle, the Vital Air (the Prana) behind them all. At this the student feels he has understood the Brahman. However, the teacher explains that what the student has seen is only a little portion of the whole. The teacher also tells that the real Brahman is that power that is behind every sense organ. The Eye behind eyes,the Ear behind d ears,the Tongue of the tongue, The Mind of the mind and also the Life of the life and not the what people have come to worship in this material world.

In the second chapter, The teacher warns the student not have the misconception of having understood the Brahman. He explains that the Brahman has to be realised on ones own acccord and it cannot be explained. In response the student retorts that he has not yet understood the Brahman. But when he looks within himself, he replies that he has partly understood the Brahman.The teacher then brings to light another truth that, all the things that we grasp and understand are based on the principles of/in relation to the already comprehended ideas in our mind. Therefore the Truth is not the konwn but essentially the unkown. In the fourth mantra the teacher explains that the Absolute Truth presiding in us as the self is 'known well' only when it is knowingly understood as the withness of the three states of consciousness. That factor in us, in consultation with which this continuity of awareness and personality, through the different fields of consciousness, is the All-Witnessing Atman.

The third chapter is a story which is a symbolic representation of the Truth. Once the divines won a victory over the evil forces. The victory must have been credited to the power of the Absolute Brahman. Instead the divines thought it was theirs. Brahman appeared before them in a visible form of a spirit (yaksha) but they did not recognize the Absolute. One by one, Agni the God of fire and Vayu the God of air, came to challenge this new appearance in and tried to show off their powers. The God of Fire could not burn even the straw placed before him. The God of air could not blow even the straw placed before him. Finally Indra the God of all the divines came nearest to that spirit to find out who it is that is presenting these challenges to the divines. And before him stood Mother Goddess Herself in the name and form of Uma.

In the fourth Chapter it is shown that Lord Indra becomes the first persont o recognise the spirit as the Brahman and is blessed to become the King of Gods because he was nearest to the Brahman. The Brahman is also decribed, the splendour with which he shone and how he disappeared. The Brahman is well known as Tadvanam, the teacher gives a method of meditation to the lesser students who cannot comprehend the divine.

In conclusion. This is the truth of the Brahman in relation to nature and man. The sudden Reality that strikes Man as the power behind everything must be transformed into a permanant Realization.

Compiled from:- Wikipedia and Kenopanishad by Swami Chinmayananda

GoOglE.. bOoGle.. JoOgLe

2006-12-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

This term i've to submit 10 assignments or projects in my Mass Communication class and 1 for my Sanskrit class. To my utter dismay there is no book prescribed for my course. My lecturer's advice was to spend the entire week hunting for books in our ill equiped library. The better option i found was obviously to search the web. Google being my favourite was the only serch engine i bothered to open. Until now i had never given much thought into search tags and search strings and their importance. I had almost always found what i was looking for without much effort. My friends had earlier discussed at length about their frustration with google not giving search results exact to the search strings. However yesturday was my turn to get frustrated. For my Mass Communication assignments i searched for stuff like tutorials for The Contempt of courts Act and importance of advertisements , importance of cyber laws etc. But google came up with results like "piano tutorials teacher....... laws.. litigation of some case... contempt of courts.... imprisoned fr........"!!! AND
"important clients...... some company.... advertisement very expensive..... importance in country-side..."!!!

Oh!! The ultimate frustration was searching for my Sanskrit assignments. I've to submit a gist of Kenopanishad. (Kena-Upanishad) Its an Upanishad, one of the many sacred texts of Hindus. I had not read it to write the gist so thought of searching for it on the web. So i put 'Explain Kenopanishad' and 'gist Kenopanishad' as my search tags. And....
"Swami somebody... explains the meaning of life..... speech at...... referring lines (1-22)... kenopanishad...."
"gist of speech... atma.. salvation.... life.... swami... kenopanishad..."!!!

In short, i've not yet completed my assignments. HELP!!!

Can you raed tihs?

2006-12-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

Olny srmat poelpe can. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was reading. The phaonmneal of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat leettr be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thughot spelilng was imoprantt !!!