Devil's Advocate

Lets get some facts straight-

There's methyl isocyanine filled in the air. People are gasping for air rarely knowing that it may be their last breath. Those who died, didn't have to suffer the trauma of living a life of disorder of the worst kind and frailty. Those who did survive, well, their lives epitomise living hell. Justice is still a far cry for them. Warren Anderson is living a life of luxury. Mothers are forced to give birth to children with serious heart disorders. Its been 25 years since the Bhopal gas tragedy. Governments have come and gone. Much water has flown under the bridge but for those suffering, its still poisonous and they are condemned to drink it. Union Carbide has since long wrapped its business and fled. Yes fled. And what have we done? Well for starters, we have continuously pacified those agitating outside the Jantar Mantar for quarter of a century now. Pacified.

Even Jesus would never

Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question

Is your money that good

Will it buy you forgiveness

Do you think that it could

I think you will find

When your death takes its toll

All the money you made

Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die

And your death'll come soon

I will follow your casket

In the pale afternoon

And I'll watch while you're lowered

Down to your deathbed

And I'll stand o'er your grave

'Til I'm sure that you're dead

Tum nahi samjhogi Anjali, kuch kuch hota hai!!!

Circa winter solstice of 2012 and the world is going to end. The Mayan calender says so. The Bible seems to indicate an Armageddon up the sleeves. Nostradamus warned us in advance. All the major religions have a hunch (so to say) that the end of the world is near (forgive my ignorance but why didn't Hindus have a doomsday prophecy?! Laggards.). Doomsday sayers are having a ball. And the world ends in a couple of years (too bad for all those dying virgin. My sympathies!). And yes, news channels never had it better. Aaj Tak, India TV (#fail), Star News and all those pseudo news channels who have nothing better to report lest the plunging hemline of Kareena being the cause of markets falling and how the planetary motion is going to screw my life. Every other disaster, major or minor alike, is being treated as a precursor to the END. And the ripped off scenes of 2012 is only adding to the titillation of masses gorging on these news(?) pieces.

MBA..... For the last few years it has become a glamorised degree, what with all those MBA grads minting money. It has come to a stage where it is considered a sort of a panacea, a cure for all societal ills, including getting a girlfriend!!! But is it as lucrative as it sounds? Perhaps for all those herders who run MBA collages(?) in a two room flat! But I'm not going to write about the industry it has become. No sir. This post will be aimed at all those who are aspiring to join a top notch b-school and land in a million dollar package. Well dreaming is good but living in an opium eaters paradise is a felony in itself (pun intended!!!). And since I've completed 75% of mine, I suppose I have the moral and intellectual right to comment on the rats ready to join the race. Here's a list of reasons why you should NOT join a B-school. Don't feel offended, don't take the post personally (even if you do, I'm not going to apologise. And don't even think about threatening me, my neighbour's dad is an SP). So here it goes. Read on.....

The Internet recently celebrated its 40th birthday. From being a niche research baby of the American Department of Defense and all those men who roamed about in a lab in white coats, the Internet has come a long way where the Google homepage has become a shrine, a page which is visited by the masses religiously. If Internet was a religion, Google would be its god, undoubtedly. I, for one, cannot imagine my life without a net connection (a high speed one for that matter). But a 40 year old spider's cobweb also brings with itself a whole lot of nostalgia. Some sweet memories of using the Internet in the cyber cafes still linger in my otherwise volatile memory.

Like millions of other kids, I too grew up in the post liberalization era. Cable TV was (and still is) a staple diet. Everything American was cool!!! And with all those movies playing out on Star Movies, the one's which showed that two computers could connect and communicate were watched with gaping sighs. And then it happened. Internet was ushered in my city in late 1998 in the form of those (in)famous cyber cafes which, time and again have been blamed for corrupting the minds of the impressionable youth (as if we ourselves don't want to get corrupted!!!). 

But back then, the Internet was the cool thing. It was obscenely expensive. Surfing rates were as high as 100 bucks/hour. Surfing speeds, if one was lucky enough, during peak hours would peak out at 10 odd kbps!!! Some speed there compared to todays easily accessible 1 Mbps networks. And since we'd have limited financial resources at our disposal, it usually required 4 people to pool in money to enjoy an hour's worth of drive on the information highway!!! 

But the major credit of attracting men towards the Internet was Pamela Anderson!!! Being the sex starved nation that we are, people would flock to the cafes to get a good look at her incredible anatomy. So you see, the Indian government should confer upon her some award for hooking an entire nation to a phenomenon. If Internet had a brand ambassador, Miss Anderson would be it. And its not as if this is true only for India. No sir. Its true for most of the world. The Internet's traffic, 80% of the precious bandwidth is still hogged by adult content (now don't expect me to put a link for that!!!). Also all those unknown hackers who have wrecked havoc should thank Miss Anderson as they would embed their malicious codes in her photographs and some unsuspecting lecherous prick would download it, just to find that their system is fucked!!! 

Only later did we realize that apart from all this, we could actually use the Internet for some good use. Like ripping off material from the net to make reports. MBAs would be doomed had there been no net. My acknowledgements read till date- I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude towards Larry Page and Sergei Bin without whom this report wouldn't have materialized. 

Here's for Pamela Anderson..... the Internet owes you much.   

PS: I hope I satisfied some souls there!!!

War is old men talking and young man dying.....

The last few days have been particularly bloody for the American soldiers in the Middle East recording the highest number of casualties. Feels bad for the poor souls who are carrying out the wishes of their political masters in the name of patriotism. Here's to the spirit of freedom penned by the great Dylan himself.....

Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just don't want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
While the death count gets higher
Then you hide in your mansion
While the young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

At the same time feel for all those unlucky one's who had been born in such tumultuous times on minefields, literally..... Dylan again.....

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways,
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests,
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans,
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin',
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin',
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin',
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world,
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin',
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin',
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin',
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter,
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony,
I met a white man who walked a black dog,
I met a young woman whose body was burning,
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow,
I met one man who was wounded in love,
I met another man who was wounded with hatred,
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what'll you do now, my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin',
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest,
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters,
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison,
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden,
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,
Where black is the color, where none is the number,
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin',
But I'll know my song well before I start singin',
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Boredom and nostalgia had attacked me at the same time, and believe me, its a cocky mix!!! It so happened that I wanted to get a ticket to Pune, and having nothing else better to do and missing the good old days of getting a ticket from the reservation office, decided to head straight for the same. My lazy ass retorted to the idea, but I had the rush of nostalgia already filling me up with the excitement. And so I went.....

Standing five minutes in a queue and a bit of observing (mainly the ladies-only line!!!), this peculiar thing about our country struck me. A male foreigner was standing in the ladies only line. Given that the ladies only counter is shared by senior citizens and foreign tourists alike, but such an arrangement is done because of a few considerations for the womenfolk. Now it raises a few questions, viz.

• Are foreign males considered at par with Indian women? (Due pun intended!!!)
• If they are considered harmless, then the same should apply to Indian senior citizen males.

Atithi-devo-bhavah has long been the Indian motto but I'm seriously fed up of the second class citizen treatment meted out to us Indians in our homeland which is appalling to say the least. The dollars seem to shut the brain signals of Indians coupled with our fetish for the gori-chamdi (fairer skin). Go to Rajasthan, visit any of the monuments of historical significance. You, as an Indian would be subjected to cordoning off of certain sections of the same monument of which the foreigners will have complete access. Worse still, many of them would have a policy of entertaining only foreign guests. Worst still, we will be subjected to all the routine security checks whereas the foreigners will not be subjected to any checks. And this comes off of an eye witness. This at a time when a former president of our country is subjected to security checks from an American airline. Looks like the terrorism bit has become the forte of Asians!!!

As an Indian citizen and a tax payer (to top it), I should have the access to all the national monuments. As much as or more than the foreign tourists. And stop giving the tired excuse of they bringing dollars. If the guys at tourist spots are welcoming to Indians too, I do not see why a billion plus people would not visit places.

And it happens all too regularly. Come down to Pune. Go and try getting a picture clicked in front of the Osho Ashram (yes the same ashram which caters only to firangs and Indians with deep pockets!!!), and the guards take an exception to it. As if the road in front of the place belongs to these guys!!! So much so for roaming freely in your own country!!!

I'm not against foreigners visiting India. Heck no. But I'm opposed to this idea of bending backwards and welcoming foreigners. Of treating my own countrymen as second rate citizens. What a farce.....

One of the best movies which mirrors the society more than adequately...... as is always the case with Tarentino, the characters of the movie are greatly etched and keep coming back..... great background score and awesome screenplay..... one of my favorite-est lines of the movie, worded by the Jules himself

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the
selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity
and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. For he is
truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children."

And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

• It starts with one of my friends shouting and making all the noises in this world to wake me up. Or this pious act is sometimes done by my cell.


• At least two large cups of tea (just writing 'bout it makes me crave for it!!!) for breakfast. I don't care if I don't have anything to eat, but no compromises on my daily dose of caffeine.


• Now all this exercise will be futile without me smoking. I need my share of nicotine, man!!! And stop judging me, I'm not a rapist!!!


• Some nondescript events here and there (like attending classes and all) and its lunch.


• Lunch should be heavy. Heavier the better. Being the Bong that I am, I live to eat.....


• An afternoon nap is inevitable (provided fate has not scheduled a class or two).


• Its evening and my caffeine+nicotine craving is back. But this time, its not the mess. A tapri (roadside tea stall) is the single-point-of-meeting for all the lazy asses. Just for the records, all you high nosed people who have tea in the typical Victorian fashion, its NO good (#fail I say).


• And before we even realize, its dinner time. Time for the pigs to feast on the grub, once again.


• Night is for everything (yeah yeah that too, you dirty mind) but studies. Invariably it would be a movie(s) or seasons of some sitcom (its the fifth rerun of Friends for me!!!). If movies fail to do the trick, we sneak out of our hostel for the graveyard shift of tea and maggi :)


• Now what? Sleep.

That's pretty much what a typical day of mine pans out like. Yes we would have submissions, evaluations, exams et all, but the happen. They just happen. If it was not for the 11th hour, we would have never finished the job on our hands.....

Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two- Buddha

Zeroes and ones, on and off, right or wrong, black or white, yes and no..... what is the lowest common denominator amongst these seemingly disperse phrases? It's binary. Dealing with only two options at a time. Various constraints, factors, forces et all zeroed down to two options. How easy it is for our cognizence to play with two variables at a time. Heck, the same is true even for machines. Look at all those processors churning out data at teraflop speeds whose efficiency we've come to appreciate. Why are they so efficient? Because they have to deal only with a '0' and a '1'. Eliminating and filtering all those 'choices' we are so fond of choosing from leaves only the dust of confusion clouding everything around us. Boolean would have been a better choice.

Life is not only about black and white, it's also about shades of grey. Or so we are made to believe. How good was the time when we had heroes saving the world and those villians out on the street to destroy everything. But no, we want complications to fill our lives. Now we have a thin line between the two. Grey. Two is not good. Throw out the binary out of the window. 'Bring multiple in and enjoy the chaos' seems to our mantra. Or how else would you explain our gratitude towards the notion of 'spoilt for choices'?!! Anyways, instead of treading through our choices carefully, we make decisions in haste. Wouldn't it be better had we to choose from only a couple of options?!!

Choosing that new bike, deciding which restraunt to freak out during the weekend, what to wear and the list goes on, we want our options!!! Narrowing down to binary choices simply wouldn't do. So why this utter complications and chaos in our lives when we can simplify it? Are we wired genetically in such a manner that we simply cannot keep complexities out of our lives or do we derive some sort of a kick out of it? Answers to these profound questions is something which I don't posesses as of now (because I'm more than happy with my little binary world!).

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.

FYI: 10 is 2 in binary.

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Would You Like Fries With That?
Tom Steele Answers The Tough Questions - The McDonalds™ Analogy
(http://tom-wfbc.itmblog.com/2009/09/23/would-you-like-fries-with-that/)

Why guys don't want to be friends with a girl who breaks up with them…

I know a girl who broke up with a guy and she told him she wanted to “still be friends.” He said, “No thanks.” She wondered why he couldn't fall back to being just friends after they had a romantic relationship. I came up with the ”McDonald's Analogy” to try and explain it in a simple way that would help all women understand this tough question.

Imagine if you went to McDonald's a lot and ordered a Big Mac Combo meal. A Big Mac, Large Fries and a Coke. You really like this meal. One day, you pull up to the drive through and order the Big Mac Combo meal and the girl tells you, “I'm sorry - you can have the Big Mac and the Coke, but you can't get fries with that anymore.” You think about this for a moment, and sure - the Big Mac is the centerpiece of the meal, but McDonald's has some really good fries and you like their fries with your meal. So you say, “I've been able to get fries with that before, why can't I have fries with my Big Mac combo anymore?” The girls says, ”Well, I just think it is better if you only have the Big Mac and the Coke from here on out.”

At this point, a lot of guys are going to go to Wendy's or BK and see if they can get fries with their combo at that drive through window. But there are some guys who REALLY like McDonalds Big Macs and they might think, “If I keep coming here and ordering the Big Mac and Coke, maybe she'll change her mind and give me some fries with that later.” So they will keep on getting the combo without the fries until the deal breaker happens: One day that guy is going to order the Big Mac and Coke and then he's going to pull up a little bit to pay, and someone else is going to pull up to the drive through speaker and order the “Big Mac Combo” and he is going to hear the girl say, “Would you like fries with that?”

That's why guys don't like to be friends with a girl who breaks up with them.

Here's to one of the timeless and classical debates (maybe controversial too)- aptitude or attitude??? This question becomes all the more pertinent for people going in for professional courses like MBA's (which has become a bastion for all the jobless- due pun intended) or those looking for jobs. The old school folks will prefer the aptitude route for it's so called ability to quantify(?) the skills of a person. But seldom do they take cognizance of the fact that such tests can be be-fooled by rote. We all have come across bookworms (no offense guys)  who would bury their heads in books and mug up stuff all-day-long. But is it enough? Does it suffice the objective and obligation of us being social animals? Aptitude tests are designed to find out whether the person has the innate, acquired or learned or developed component of a competency. But are these tests really designed to find such qualities? Of all the aptitude tests that I have come across, one fact stood out, glaring down into my eyes (as I bravely attempted to answer the questions)- that it would have been better if my parents would have brought me up as a bookworm.

And since I have lambasted aptitude so much (also because of the fact that I HATE them), here's my share of praises for attitude. This has been my firm belief since long that the only difference between a successful and a non-successful person is their attitudes. I will defend my attitude even at the cost of being called arrogant. It is the attitude which has made seemingly common people stand out of crowd. Unlike aptitude which dwells upon the amount of formal education one has acquired (read mugged) during the course of endless years, attitude will be a better yardstick to judge people for their abilities. I suppose quoting the example of Bill Gates would serve as a testimony to all these facts. MIT threw him out because he, supposedly, did not possess the right aptitude. But look at the results. MIT now runs machines on the products created by the company whose head was kicked out by the same university. Some irony there. And why did he succeed? Attitude. Period.

So where are we getting to? All those hackers and script-kiddies who would run havoc on networks around the world would have been fruitfully employed had some people given up the notion of aptitude's superiority over attitude's. Just look around sirs. The world has changed. Why should we confirm to the yardsticks that have been set by you? The IIT-JEE is invariably the toughest aptitude test in the whole-wide-world. It ensures that the sharpest(?) minds get through. But how many patents do these premier institutes hold? How many SUN Microsystems or Googles have they produced? None. Instead they produce engineers who sit in yet another aptitude test called the CAT to get into IIM's. Where are we heading anyways?

It seems that life has become a vicious cycle of endless aptitude tests!!!

I'd come across a very good blog on Mumbaikar.com written by Rati Agarwal which beautifully portrays a relationship between a wife and a husband. Read it and enjoy :)

My Happy Ending

I saw you again today in the lift. You looked lost somewhere which gave me ample time to take in your beauty. To take in those eyes, deep deep eyes. That chiselled nose, and those lips. I loved that chin of yours, tilted to that stubborn angle. You seem like a matured guy with a kid inside. Seeing you makes me want to love the kid inside and to be loved by the man.

Ah! Me and my fantasies again. I should admit that for a married woman I have not lost the imagination. At times I think of speaking to you, to tell you a lot of things, to tell you how lonely I am. To tell you that the guy, this society calls my husband is no where related to me. Emotionally we lost contact years ago and after the three miscarriages, he lost interest in me physically too. I am like the phone number which cannot be deleted from your contact list and is never dialled. The unpaid maid who sleeps in the master’s bed.

Ah! Leave it. Now days I don’t like thinking about him or cry on my miseries of life. Now I have you to fill my dreams and thoughts. To fill the void created and thats whats makes life beautiful. In the past two years I had lost the urge to dress up or try and look good. But now days I can’t stop staring in the mirror and blushing like a love sick teenager. At times I make faces in front of the mirror imagining you to see from somewhere laugh and talk to me. You at times feel like the manna from heaven sent to make me happy again.

Can’t forget the day you came to our flat, talked to Ashok, and told him you were shifting to the flat next to ours. And borrowed the stool. I was there, looking at you from behind the curtain. From that day onwards my heartbeat has not been back to normal. Even Ashok noticed some changes. He actually after years of ignoring said that I look different and asked the reason. Why should I tell him, that it’s because I am in love again. I feel pretty again. The love songs make sense again and every time I open the door, my eyes search for that known face again. It’s like am alive again.

This is no bollywood movie so I know that there will be no happy ending. May be you will never know my name let alone like me, u will not even know that I exist let alone touch me. But you know what I have no hopes and no demands, because after a long long time I am happy, happy, not for him, not for you but happy for myself and in the end isn’t it all that matters. My happy ending.

Humans just don't get tired of harping on the merits and needs of planning deeds. Since our cognizance is wired in such a manner that we love creating a shell, a comfort zone inside which we feel safe, feel cozy et all. So what does one do to create this shell? Obviously plan. We love to brag as to how planned our lives are, that how well we've mastered the variables that affect, that constants is what we deal in. But this assumption cannot be farther than the truth. The truth that split second decisions shape, make (or break for that matter) our lives.

A gleaming black Merc S-class stops in front of the gate. The guard at the gate jumps off his seat (literally), opens the gate and what follows is something which I would term as utterly disgusting. The guard actually salutes the person sitting inside the car. Now the distinguished citizen inside the car was definitely not the President of India nor was he associated to the defense forces (or his car would have declared so!!!). The disgusting part? That the salute is now cheap enough to be available for every tom-dick-or-harry who has the coffers to buy obscenely expensive cars or so to say for people who are rich.

Now I'm not biased against the riches. But the salute should be reserved only for our armed forces. These so called educated and responsible citizens should apply their common sense(?) and ask these guards not to indulge in saluting. Poor souls do it to feed the egos of their shameless pay-masters. This act stinks of feudalism and of the worst kind. Standing up in respect for someone is acceptable. But to go ahead one step as to expect salutes is simply inexcusable. Are the corporate head honchos who are battling in the boardrooms doing such an gallant act as to merit a salute? I don't think so.

Feudal tendencies still rule the roost in free India.....

Gangs of New York..... a film full of gore for some..... a masterpiece for some. But this post is not going to be one of the innumerable threads which discuss the the film-craft of Scorsese, rather it's going to discuss the larger underpinnings of the movie. Of how the dream of equality of men was a farce then and how it still is. Of how outsiders were not welcome then which is true till date. Of how men feel threatened from people coming in from different countries to earn wages. Of how hoping for a better future is reserved for some.



So why do I feel in such a cynical manner when the whole world is talking about holding high the dignity of humans (?), of justice and equality. Following events materialized in the recent past and I hold them testimony to the fact that we still are living in a draconian era.

• A few days ago the news of Indian students being bashed up in Australia was the only thing media.
• Obama warning the US companies against Bangalor-ing the jobs.

So how do these seemingly incoherent mutually exclusive events link up? In both the cases the natives were threatened by cost arbitrage i.e. people from third world countries gobbling jobs because they do it cheap. What was true in 1846 is true even today. The worst part is that so-called-statesmen (yes I am referring Obama) who assume offices on the pretext of bringing about changes but what they do instead is to beat-around-the-Bush (pun intended). Even the Australian government went about lip-service only condemning the attacks. The attacks went on unchecked for many days.

So is all this high talk just a farce? By the looks of it, YES!!! The movie had just showcased the gangs of New York..... the world has many..... My only hope is we learn from the movie even if it is considered gory, obscene because Roman Polanski said

“You have to show violence the way it is. If you don't show it realistically, then that's immoral and harmful. If you don't upset people, then that's obscenity.”

And yes, countries are born in the streets!!!

Aim for the stars!!! Aim high!!! People want YOU to succeed. Outperform. Deliver. Be geeks in our respective fields. Expand our horizons. Dream big. Even become CEOs of companies. Drive around the town in expensive Mercs, Audis and their ilks. Sorry, not interested. Period.

The pretext that people assume is that everyone wants to be successful which is sort of true. Well sort of. One of the fundamental flaws in this logic is that people are preaching their version of success to hapless souls. It's akin to pushing something down the throats of kids because they are not allowed to question. It's good that preachers want to see us go ahead in life. But the idea of success is different for different people. What maybe success to one maybe mediocre stuff for another. Here's what I think about this whole brouhaha about preaching- people want to be successful. They even try hard. But somewhere down the line they're unsatisfied with the results. So now they have us as their targets. Those endless lectures on how to be successful, what to do, what not to do!!! Take a hike......

Success is now measured in matrices now. I suppose we have templates in excel now. We even have sure-shot formulae which have a certain input, a process, and an outcome. Can you guess the outcome??? It's success. Wallah.....

And what about happiness? Ain't I supposed to be happy? Picture this- I want to lead a decent lifestyle. A good enough package will do. I don't give a damn if I'm a line manager for the rest of my life if my ends meet. But no, I'll be rounded up and be informed that this is not good enough. That I need to look at life with someone else's filter. That I need to aim higher. That I need to write down on a piece of paper where I will be in next 10 years.

To sum it up for all those who preach- Those who can, do it. Those who can't, teach (preach in this case!!!).....

I was watching a video of George Carlin yesterday (yes the same fellow who uses the 'f-word' more time in a day than breaths) and this is what he quoted:

I am fed up of being told who to choose as my hero!!!

And it is pretty tough to deny this flawless point. Pick up a newspaper, magazine, log onto a website, switch onto a channel. What do you find (apart from all the gore or terrorism related news)? That this is how an ideal idol should be. He/ she should be your hero. You should have morals/ ethics like this/ that person. Yes, whatever!!!

I do not need to be told who to look up to. I do not need to turn onto these self help gurus, who in my opinion are in dire need of some self help themselves. Better they read their own crap before they start preaching. I am fine the way I am.

I have my own heroes and I'm happy the way things are!!! And yes, George Carlin, your logic IS flawless.....

Conformity is your enemy!!! Time and again we've been asked to stifle our creativity. We should not challenge our teachers. We should not wear this, we should not wear that. This outburst is because I am fed up of being told what to do!!! Rather what not to do..... how to do..... et all!!!

Code of conduct is just one of the numerous ways deviced by college authorities to maintain discipline which in fact is a way to make us sit back so that they don't have to answer all our numerous questions.

Formals or no formals, code or no code..... I will remain the way I am..... Defiance is the order of the day.....

Here's what conformity to me means

Freedom of expression is a farce..... mithya

The rabbit's finally out of the bag!!! But with a caveat.....

Yes the Hon'ble supreme has finally decided that it's judges will have to declare their assets and liabilities. The rabbit. But they will not be answerable as how how the wealth was amassed or how it depleted. The caveat. But it comes as a welcome move no less. Public representatives, government officers et all had to declare their 'wealth'. It was only logical that the judiciary too followed suit. It would have been better had they showed the executive and the legislature the way, but even this is not bad either. For the common man in India, the judiciary is the epitome of truth, ethics and morality. The two aforesaid pillars of democracy namely the executive and the legislature had long given to the rot of corruption. Judiciary is the beacon which we all look up to. Sporadic cases of some people in the judiciary being dishonest have done the rounds. But they did remain sporadic.

The current decision by the Hon'ble Supreme court will only act to bolster the faith of the common man, who is so easily manipulated by either the neta or oppressed by the babu. True we all, including the judges fill in our annual income tax returns but it's only for the babu's eyes only!!! Getting to know of the assets of someone who is a respected public figure, his decisions open to public scrutiny will only result in transparency. The judiciary still worked as a black box in some areas but introspection and a spate of recent decisions has made it more transparent.

To sum up the importance of this landmark decision, here's what Soli Sorabjee had to quote: "salutary and important''!!!

Test cricket is not dead. It's still going strong. In some ways, it's more exciting than your so called fast paced ODIs or your mindless slogging in a T-20 match. So lame. Ashes 2009 proves just that. Congrats England. Kudos to the Aussies.

Coming back from an innings defeat in the previous match, the English batsmen showed what determination can do for you. Their determination left Ponting with the dubious distinction of being the only Aussie captain after Billy Murdoch to loose two Ashes series in his stewardship. But distinctions apart, such a closely fought series was needed to put the waggling tongues of the pro T-20 dudes(?) to rest. Time and again people have tried to write-off test cricket and each time the great game of uncertainties has risen to the occasion and proved why it separates men from the boys.

Ashes is more than cricket. It's the repute of two nations which is on the line. One who ruled the entire world not in the too distant past. One who was once branded the continent of the convicts. Akin to a India-Pakistan cricket, Ashes is big money too. And be rest assured, such closely fought series will keep on raking in the moolah. And such a filmy climax was only apt.

The series was bitterly fought with all those controversies starting with the first test itself. It's the last Ashes for many stalwarts from both teams. Freddie has called it shots. His hanging-up-the-boots surely marks the end of an era of a great all-rounder. We'll miss those short-pitched balls of yours!!!

'nuff said. Time to soak in the nostalgia.....

What is the price you are ready to pay for your freedom? Your life?? Nah, the government is not interested. Your privacy? Looks like someone's interested over here!!! Our society is fast becoming a vigilante society. More so since we've had the 7/11s and the 26/11s of the world. The war against terror is on. Terror has permeated into our cities. Intelligence is of paramount concern today. Agencies worldwide are trying to gather greater power by all means possible. Even if it means at the cost of privacy- your, mine, ours alike. With each passing minute surveillance techniques are getting more and more sophisticated. Getting to know that spy satellites can read the time off someone's wrist watch is passe. Everyone knows about killer drones. The fact that a cellular phone is a homing device evokes no emotions. What's next?

Next is happening right now. Companies like Google are indexing the way you surf the net- an insight into your psyche. Couple it with information like your Social Security Number or a Unique ID(UID) and the terabytes of data from The Human Genome project and you have a system in place wherein your privacy goes for a toss.

But why am I creating such hoopla suddenly? The reason- The Enemy of the State. After the movie got over, one of my friend pointed out that if Social Security Number is a boon, it also is a pain in the ass. Why? Because all your social activities- right from your driving license to vehicle registration to bank account to cell phone to medical to what have you is connected to this one number. Result- a glaring vulnerability. It's akin to a double edged sword- the government can (mis)use it, so can the hackers. Watch the movie The Net to see how your identity can be stolen. Just at the click of a button.

So what shall we do? Security of a nation is necessary. So is your personal freedom and privacy. Certain rights cannot and should not be compromised to ensure freedom. What good is a freedom which keeps a tab on what is going on in your bedroom.

The gestapo is watching. There is no escape lest you, the common man is aware of your right. The Indian Establishment has already started the process. Unique ID Number is just one of the ways forward in a slew of many such steps.

Lost count of the days..... eat, sleep, eat some more, sleep some more..... this has been the regimen we've been following for the last few days..... boredom has a new dimension for all of us..... debating nondescript and trivial topics is no more helping..... seasons after seasons of TV series are over.....

The above paragraph sums up our mood. As a child I would dream of days where I would idle around doing nothing. Eating and sleeping would be my only jobs. But I was entirely wrong. Sitting idle and doing nothing is the worst kind of punishment anyone can be subjected to. Gawd how I miss those lovely days when we would be scurrying around with loads of assignment. Gimme back those days......

On a passing note, I would like to take this opportunity to vent out my no-so-misplaced anger on news portals like The Times of India and its ilk. Blowing a pandemic situation out of proportions seemed to be their motive (maybe they had some vested interest). And now their home page is devoid of all swine flu related news. As if the virus has suddenly disappeared from the face of this earth!!! Some journalism over there.

So long for this post. Gotta go downstairs and have something to eat 'coz it seems to be the only solace.

PS: For some more blame game, follow the link.

It's that time of the year when suddenly we realize we're Indians. That apart from our rights, we have duties too. That we need to imbibe patriotism into our future generations. That 'The Tri-colour ' will be hoisted. That we'll be singing 'Jana-Gana-Mana' prolly for the second time in a year (the first being 26th Jan). That we need to show our solidarity towards our armed forces. That tv channels will air movies oozing with patriotism. That we'll have those small plastic Tirangas which will be lying here and there once our nostalgia is gone. That suddenly zara yaad karo kurbani (remember the sacrifices made) is in vogue for the second time in a year. That post lunch, it's a holiday.

What are we? Proud citizens of a great nation or aloof citizens who are proud of their legacy only twice(?) a year?? Why such hippocracy is shown to a truly national event??? Doesn't it deserve the same level of joyous celebrations that we display on a Diwali or an Id or a Christmas???

Happy Independence Day!!!

Jai Hind!!!

Nothing happened the way it was supposed to happen. Nothing worked the way it was supposed to work- Robert Neville (I Am Legend)

The Americans decide not to pay their home loans, we get recession.
The Americans decide to eat pork, we get swine flu.
Period.

Day 1: Bored.
Day 2: Borred.

This is my first experience of being in a pandemic and to tell you the truth, I'm shit scared. And a whole lot of boredom has dawned unto us. The Maharashtra government has declared the educational institutions to close down. My college is closed. People ran off to their natives. There are some of us (survivors) who decided to stay back, not coz we are brave or something, but because we did not want to be the vectors of the deadly virus and take it back home.

It sometimes gives me chills when I think about movies like I Am Legend. In my ignorance, I made fun of the characters. But to live in an almost empty campus and roam about it is no fun.

Gawd forgive my sins for I made fun of a good movie!!!

The following lines are from Gulaal which aptly describe the current abyss into which we as a society are spiraling into. Couldn't find a better description of our times. The play of words intertwined with the soulful music is a must hear for every patriot.....

Yaara Maula,Yaara Maula
Haan Haan Yaadon Mein Hai Ab Bhi
Kya Surila Wo Jahan Tha
Hamare Haathon Mein Rangeen Gubaare The
Aur Dil Mein Mehekta Sama Tha, Yaara Maula..

Wo To Khwabo Ki Thi Duniya, Wo Kitabo Ki Thi Duniya
Saas Mein The Machalte Hue Zaljale
Aankh Mein Wo Suhana Nasha Tha, Yaara Maula..
Wo Zameen Thi, Aasmaan Tha,Hum Ko Lekin Kya Pata Tha
Hum Khade The Jahan Par
Ussi Ke Kinaare Pe Gehra Sa Andha Kua Tha

Phir Wo Aaye Bheed Ban Kar, Haath Mein The Unke Khanjhar
Bole Phenko Yeh Kitaabe, Aur Sambhalo Yeh Salakhein
Jo Gehra Sa Kua Hai, Haan Haan Andha To Nahi Hai
Iss Kue Mein Hai Khazana, Kal Ki Duniya To Yahi Hai
Kud Jao Leke Khanjhar , Kaat Daalo Jo Ho Andar
Tum Hi Kal Ke Ho Shivaji, Tum Hi Kal Ke Ho Sikander
Humne Wo Hi Kiya Jo Uhone Kaha, Kyunki Unki To Khawahish Yahi Thi
Hum Nahi Jaante Yeh Bhi Kyu Yeh Kiya? Kyunki Unki Farmaaish Yahi Thi
Ab Hamare Laga Zaayka Khoon Ka,Ab Batao Kare To Kare Kya?
Nahi Hai Koi Jo Hume Kuch Bataye,Batao Kare To Kare Kya?

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants- Thomas Jefferson

So does that mean that what happens in the name of patriotism is right?!!

Sample this- Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious- Oscar Wilde

Who do you trust??!!!