13 January 2009

Rahmaniac Moments!

And the Golden Globe for Best Original Music Score goes to AR Ruumen!

They might have bungled the name. They might have been as surprised as everyone else knowing Clint Eastwood was in the nomination ballot. In the end, it was hindi music that resonated in Beverly Hilton last evening. AR Rahman representing over billion people accepted the award for his individual genius! A Rahmaniac moment that is now part of another proud Indian moment!

No! It is not an approval from west that we seek. It is more of an acceptance of talent at global level!

For 16yrs, Rahman has engulfed us with his music and strangely each one of us has our very own life moments entwined with Rahman’s music. At the end of day, it is not the awards that one remembers but how his music intersperse our very own life moments. Nostalgia wouldn’t exist without them.

I remember my first “Rahmaniac” moment.

It was 1992. For the first time in the history of my hostel, Eighty kids ranging from 7 to 17, are completely silent and transfixed at the TV screen for four minutes and twenty seconds. The song that was playing on screen was “Chinna Chinna Aasai(yeh hain chota sa)” song from Roja. A new kind of sound. A new kind of rhythm. A unique interlude. At the end of it, we were all smiling at each other. We knew we were transported into a new realm that we had not experienced before.

Every fun moment from there on with friends involved his beats, rhythms and mesmerizing tunes. There was water bottle throws with “Humma Humma”(Bombay) during India losing their world cup matches.  The blaring “Urvashi…Take it Easy”(Kaadhalan,Hum Se Hain Muqabla) from the corner tea shop directed at girls walking into college. Mindless Dancing on top of the theatre seat to “Tanha Tanha” (Rangeela) feasting on Urmila Matondkar running on the beach (a la desi Baywatch moment)! Whistling non stop to jiving girls in "Usilampatti PenKutty" in college festival! And finally, our very own “slumdog” moment with “Pettai Rap” in dorm room! College wouldn’t have been so memorable without Rahman!

When you are in love, Rahman’s melodies have a way of exploring deep into your own emotions that seems to move with the waves of his keyboard. The stillness and depth in “Nahi Saamne” (Taal), the sereneness in “Swasame”(Thenali) , the high notes mixed with aching voice in “Khamoshi Raat”(Thakshak) forms a perfect background to your own love story.

The summer of 2006 was unusually hotter in Atlanta than the previous summers. Taking refuge in the mall theatre, we settled on a heist movie, "Inside Man". There was a bunch of desi college kids who sat on the side row and wouldn't shut up even after the trailers started. However, as the movie started, there was a surreal, out-of-body experience for both of us. The sound and image on screen did not match each other. The sound was "Chaiyya Chaiyya" song going full blast in Dolby surround sound but the images are that of a van moving in Brookyl bridge with Clive Owen in it! As we looked at each other, the common indian bond stood up with pride as we clapped together, as if to tell everyone, "THAT'S OUR SONG"! 

A quintessential memorable moment made possible by Rahman! 

Perhaps the most profound Rahmaniac moment is how Rahman leaves you with a lump in your throat every time you listen to “Maa Tujhe Salaam”(thai manne vanakkam-Tamil)! After 22 years, I was displaced from my India to US . Without Rahman soothing this displaced soul with "Yeh Jo Des Hain Mera"(Swades), "Tamizha Tamizha"(Bharath Humko-Roja) and many others,life outside India wouldn’t be same!  

There are few indians who transcend and transport you by their sheer skill, patriotism and above all, weaving art from "heart"!

Tendulkar, Manirathnam and Rahman are those individuals for me! 

Go Rahman! 

Grab the Oscar for us! 

And even if you don't, A BIG Thank You for being part of our very own moments!

08 March 2008

Tagged to Tell!



I am finally getting to a tag by Priyamvada. I apologize for the delay but I hope this makes up for it!

The most enticing part of this tag is that you really don’t have to think, “again”!

It is a link to post five of your previously written blogs relating to the keyword “5 people who you have already met on earth”...or is it five people who irritate you the most….umm...i think it is…five people you love to hate…lets just settle with five groups of folks...you are stuck with...some with choice...some without your choice. (Alrite...the keywords are Friends (your choice), Family (not your choice), yourself (stuck with it), your love (she is stuck with u) and anything you love (your escape pods)).

You always start with Family and Friends just to make them feel good for putting up with your bullshit!

The one that gives a window into my life is the one I wrote when I reached my big 30.



After watching the great many “last rites” scenes from “Gandhi”, “Indira Gandhi”, “Rajiv Gandhi” and “MGR” funeral, and also feeling morbid when I was admitted for Kidney stones (two jugs of beer apparently for the cure), I wrote “How many would attend your Funeral ?. Apart from these two, I rarely write about family or friends unless a tag from respected blogger forces me to oblige, like this one .

I don’t think I have written anything about me in a blog but the intelligent reader can always figure out who I am from all of my blogs and you all hope I become too famous so you can write a biography and make some money off it! (ohh...i love being narcissistic).

Blogs about love! Now, who can escape not aching in love, not wanting a certain kind of love, not cherishing the polarities in your love, not pining for your lost love, not pondering why certain triggers makes you breakdown in pain!

Love is a paradox with simple solution of accepting your self, loving your self and above all forgiving your self!

I am a pure Gemini which means you never know which twin you are going to meet at any given point of time!
Like any true desi, I love Cricket and I love Cinema!

The milestones in my life is remembered by the movies I watched in those years. I love to share my thoughts on movies that have been satisfying and not so satisfying!

I enjoy writing on things that are not so significant but they fill up our daily life!

I am also a passionate patriot (maybe Obama will borrow this line ;) )! I wonder about Desi and Un-desiness, the immigrant vacuum, the search for home, the search for Utopia, the root cause of racism. It is these epiphanies in your life that makes you move on with wonder and hope inspite of all the cynicism surrounding you!


Hope you enjoy these blogs as much as i have enjoyed sharing them!

I am supposed to tag 5 more people for this topic! All my old blogger friends rarely blog nowadays (like me)! Nevertheless, i will tag them to see if they come out of hibernation.
Pincushion,
Jessica,
Lotus Reads,
Purple Breeze,
Phantasmagoria.


01 March 2008

Blindness of Color! Part One



It’s a poignant moment in the movie. You are enthralled and wondering who will be revealed as the traitor. And suddenly, you hear a huge laughter behind your seat. You turn to find three South-Asian college kids talking so loud that you wish you had your baseball bat with you. You tell them to be quiet which they don’t listen but the incident remains with you.

You are at a restaurant where the African-American waitress doesn’t give you the service you deserve. In fact, she is not only giving you a poor service but also condescending. You realize your evening with the family has just been ruined.

You enter the best retail store for suits. Three Caucasian men pass by without offering to help you but you notice they are attending to people who have entered the store after you.

You are standing on a red light and an illegal Hispanic driver halts to a screech and hits your bumper. He has no insurance and your insurance company raised your monthly rates for no fault of yours.

Every instance above has nothing to do with race but somehow they end up being everything to do with race.

When you live in a multi-cultural environment, there seems to be an invisible scorecard against each race. Our lenses are filled with collective prejudices and stereotypes which seem to make a constant impression on our psyche no matter how much we try.

For long I have wondered,
What is defined as racism?
Who should be called as racist?
Why do we judge people?
Is it Narrow mindedness?
Or is it harsh truth?

As you dig through the layers of your psyche, you reach the core of your existence and analyze how you judge people. What is the key factor that determines your judgment? What makes you trust someone and loathe someone else?

Like a man who didn’t turn back and realized he had a tail all along, it hits you!

Patterns!

Patterns of behaviors.
Patterns of faces.
Patterns of experience.

It is patterns that make you like certain faces instinctively. It is patterns that make you wary about certain others. Instincts are developed by past patterns.

Every experience deposits goodwill or ill will. You soak the person’s color, origin, height, weight and his “energy meter” with you with each experience. As you grow, this pattern database grows building your internal “prejudices/stereotypes” based on your “limited” experience. Among these interactions with other race (even your own), some are people you know and some you don’t. When you don’t know the person, the only attributes that gets into your database are his/her physical features including color.

What every person belonging to any race doesn’t realize is that, there is a social ripple effect when they behave badly. When they behave badly in public, the ripples are larger. They might be sowing the seeds of discontent for first time in someone’s mind or reassuring someone’s already prejudiced experience with that race. It is not necessary that racial judging happens only with someone from other race. People in the same race loathe at the behaviour of their own kind as they worry they will be branded the same way. Bad public behaviour accelerates racist tendencies more than anything in this world.

Is it possible not to judge someone by their color when you know there is a big reservoir of experiences and opinions from your own life regarding them? Not initially. That someone has to prove beyond doubt that they don’t fit the pattern in your head. You are forced to prove to them that their idea of generalization is wrong. I don’t blame them for assuming “I will also fit a certain pattern according to their experiences or knowledge or lack of it regarding a certain race”. But I will be disappointed if they continue to judge me based on it, inspite of proving otherwise. Now, that person is what I would call a “Racist”. Someone who can’t get beyond his initial prejudices, and see the person for who he really is!

Perhaps that is the challenge. To be open minded inspite of our personal experiences and give every individual a chance they deserve irrespective of where they come from and retain the awareness that every seed has the potential to grow different and bigger and stronger than its previous generation.

We can’t get rid of the patterns but we can be aware of the fact that your patterns and reasoning have holes in them. You don’t have to judge every individual based on it and give everyone a fair chance!

At the end of day, we are all Humans!

03 November 2007

Ambivalent Hearts!

Is it staying for others or leaving for oneself?

Is it fear of change or search of dreams?

Is it killing a baby or Right to a woman’s body?

Is it killing for human crimes or crime on human life?

Is it technology for connecting people or tool for disconnecting society?

Is it acting on your instincts or denying with reason?

Is it Love marriage or arranged acceptance?

Is it happy ignorant people or smart unsatisfied Minds?

Is it exhilarating passion or calm daily existence?

Is it achieving a goal or enjoying each moment?

Is it Heart or Mind?

Is it Love or Sex?

Is it People or Money?

Is it Character or Skill?

Is it Past or Future?

Is it Questions or Decisions?

Is it right or wrong?

Is it me or you?

Perhaps, it is not supposed to be clear. Perhaps, the mystery is the ambivalence. Perhaps, life itself means existing in ambivalence, choosing a balance between choices; sometimes left extreme; sometimes right, and in the end, choosing a path which feels right in the moment without regrets.

28 July 2007

Tagged - 8 Random facts about me !

When the tagging-cycle continues and reaches you, you always wonder, how did they come up with the number ? 5 things you remember, last 7 times you messed up, 9 places you would visit if you had money. But with this one, i love the number 8. It's an even number. It somehow doesn't sound threatening, almost, takes a backseat. It sure sounds a lot but has a humbleness to it. So, before i digress more, and knowing atleast there is one person who will read this who tagged me (thanks Priya), let me jump into it.

Random Fact 1 - I talk the way i write. I write the way i think. I talk whatever i think which lot of folks around me don't appreciate much ;)

RF2 - I abbreviate wherever possible.
"How's ur day going buddy ?"
"SSDD"
"Mine is MSSDD"
"Good for u..YMFTYT".
For notes, refer below.

Randon Fact 3 - I grew up without my dad and my wife grew up without her mom. That difference is glaring to our friends as they ask her about taxes, how to hook different cables behind the HDTV and directions while they come to me for "Why do u think Tamilians always talk in English with fellow Tamilian ? " kinda stuff.

Random Fact 4 - I have very less BS tolerance. Towards most things in life. Movies, People, and Procedures (except INS, you can't mess up there).

Random Fact 5 - I used to have huge authority problems and blamed it on my rebelliousness but it is slowly vanishing as I am the Boss now and have begun to appreciate even Bush ;)

Random Fact 6 - I hate others judging anybody and feel it is my responsibility to judge others :)
I blame such dichotomies on Linda Goodman's definition of Geminis.

Random Fact 7 - I don't do well with quiet people even though i am extremely attracted to their ability to be quiet which often times i have realized it is because they are stupid and dont have much to contribute(although the exceptions are of the "I am so full ..so i dont have to spill" kinds).

Random Fact 8 - I HATE those who don't laugh at my jokes and think i am not that funny. I can forgive them even if they hide my tv remote but not laughing at my jokes gets me really riled up ;)

Now, since I haven't blogged much this year and not sure who is reading this anymore,i propose the first 8 readers of this blog to continue the tag and not break the holy circle of Third Series Worshippers :)


Here is all the wonderful expansions:
SSDD - Same Shit Different Day
MSSDD - More of the Same Shit Different Day
YMFTYT - You're More Fucked Than You Think
BS - Bull Shit

Ensoy!

12 June 2007

Sivaji - Catch Me If you can afford !

For all Rajni Fans in the US, the wait is finally over. It will truly be a worldwide release! Sivaji in India, June 15th. Sivaji in US of A, June 15th! Whoohoo! As a die-hard Rajni fan, I rushed to all the websites offering tickets for “Thalaivar” movie. The ticket prices made me jump out of my seat with joy. I was hoping the organizers would be stupid enough to raise the regular ticket price of 8$ by only 3 or 4 dollars. No. They have restored my faith by doubling it to $16. Whoohoo! Not only that, they have had the better sense to triple it on opening day. That Serves those movie-crazy-Tamilians right. Especially the Rajni Fans who would jump off a cliff for “Thalaivar” if they have to.

Here is the Ticket Stats. It will cost you $21 per ticket on opening day in Atlanta. It would be $16 for rest of days. And I am even more thrilled that the organizers have found another venue to spread the wonderful class system based on your affordability. Here comes “VIP Tickets” for $26 and your kid sure deserves a “VIP Kids seat” for $13. I do not know if the VIP seats will be any different from “regular” seat, but the internal grapevine tells me, the VIP seat holders will be given special tissue paper to wipe their own seats, while the regulars, even if they bring their own tissues, will not be allowed to carry it inside. That’s the spirit!

I do see some of my friends whining and screaming about the atrocious prices for Sivaji and even threatening to boycott the movie. So long Suckers! I already see the first day booked fully in NJ. Who cares if you boycott? We can always count on Rajni fans to pay $26 per ticket when the cost of DVD will be only $20 when it comes out after two months. If we can’t milk an easily available, gullible, Rajnikanth fan (that’s 90% Tamil population in US), then, as businessmen, the organizers have no financial acumen. After all, in the world of fans, the Rajni Fan stands alone on top! So what if you pay $8 for a Spiderman movie that cost $300 million to make? This is a Shankar-Rajni-Rahman combo. Nothing but wind...errr...i mean…Nothing beats it!

The blame should go to the unappreciative Tamil audience in US. The folks who bring Tamil movies get burnt every time they try to show a decent movie (Paruthiveeran…hmm...can’t think of any other worthy candidate in recent times...but that’s not the point I am trying to make). While so many struggles go behind the scenes to bring a Tamil movie to US, ungrateful Tamilians don’t even bother to show up! They have the temerity to rent pirated DVD’s for $2 and worse, make copies of those pirated DVD’s and distribute to family and friends! I remember watching the movie “Kushi” where there were only 5 people in the whole wide theatre. Later, I realized I counted myself in 5 different seats. I do have the tendency to switch seats so I don’t feel haunted (and it was a time after Sixth Sense). So, I am very happy that finally the Tamil movie organizers have arrived at a moment in history where they can squeeze all those dollars that were cheated by these Tamil-movie-lovers-of-US. Perfect timing!

I say, let us raise the ticket amount to $40. After all a Rajni movie comes only once in 3years.And it doesn’t even require a story. So, it is a guaranteed success. Maybe after this, the Tamil-movie-going public in US will realize they need to patronize the hard working Tamil cinema organizers! Vazhga Tamil! Vazhga Rajni! Vazhga Sivaji thantha Koperumangal!

P.S: Are you asking what about me? Heee…Heee…I am going to wait for the original DVD and watch it in my big screen in basement. Admission to anyone who brings their own beer and doesn’t borrow mine!

03 April 2007

Hype-O-Critical!




“Good is not good when better is expected”, said Thomas Fuller.

It is the curse of Heroes to rise up when the time demands. They became Heroes in the first place because they did so in uncompromising fashion when you were just a kid. They did it not once, but consistently over a period of time with unflinching integrity and panache. They made you feel proud. You related directly to their heart and the way they executed their skill with passion. They transported you into a whole new world, and made you notice the nuances.

And then, you grow older! Sometimes Wiser!

You see different people executing the same skill of your hero in a better fashion. But you still want your childhood heroes to rise up and match the rest you know from other parts of the world, so you can thump your chest to say “He is my childhood hero! I used to walk miles to see him display his skill! He was a part of my growing years!”

As you witness their current form, you realize, they have aged. Their perspectives have changed. Their execution leaves a lot to be desired. Their reflexes are not as sharp as they used to be. There are flashes of genius in their new avatar that reminds you of their peak, but then, it lacks consistency. It dawns on you that you were just trying to re-create nostalgia for a period of your own life that doesn’t exist anymore!

The failure and reaction to first round knockout in World cup cricket raises bigger questions about our inherent cultural deficiency, than the failure in a cricket game. It goes back to our resistance to change, in all walks of life. Lata Mangeshkar was singing until sixties. Azharuddin was forever the captain before being shown the door. Karunanidhi is still the chief minister and so was Jyoti Basu. It is the lack of breeding the next generation, worse, not wanting to let the next generation in which is the root cause of stagnant growth.

It showcases how tolerant we are towards performers who were once good but not anymore. We hope that Shah Rukh can act with same energy as in “DDLJ”. We wait in anticipation that Tendulkar will be playing the “Desert Storm” innings against Australia again. We pray for another “Nayagan” from Manirathnam. Every time they disappoint us with their performance, inconsistency, and lack of skill, we lack the most important quality to accept reality- Candor. The simple ability to, “tell as it is”. To be honest. To encourage dialogue. To accept responsibility.

Maybe we can blame the 24hr news network or worse, multitude of 24hr television stations who are forced to feed the public with sensationalism. But, when you throw the 4th estate also into it, we end up being not only hypocritical society but hype-o-critical. Hype the news. Be vociferous in your criticism but do not commit the sin of “telling as it is” because that would make people be reasonable.


Candor has never been a part of our culture. We have been raised with the notion of not raising our voice in front of elders. As students, we have been asked to sit quietly instead of pestering with questions in classes. Deep down, the message is hammered into our psyche that, if you question, you disrespect. If you speak your mind then you are committing the sin of offending someone. More so, if we offend our past heroes, for their present performance.

Unless we change this basic paradigm, we will remain in mediocrity for years to come. The real journey to be a civilized nation begins only when we take responsibility and accept the truth. By denial, by elevating personalities and performances where it doesn’t exist, we fool ourselves in the long run. If we don't learn soon, we, as a nation will be forever living in delusions of grandeur, vacillating between adulation and mob-behaviour.

17 March 2007

C & C Indian!

It is not difficult to find a C&C Indian. One out of every 3 Indians belong to that category. And the remaining two, have no choice but to be part of that club lest they decide to be a wannabe with some other culture. The reason is simple. The psyche of India is very much intertwined with C&C.

Cinema! Cricket!


It is the mirror of our culture. It is the mirror of our identity. It is a part of our joys. It is a part of our frustrations. We adore film stars. We admire film directors. We worship cricketers. We criticize our stars. We ridicule our directors. We hurl stones at our cricketer’s homes. We are emotionally invested in them without objectivity because they are a part of our psyche growing up.

Perhaps it has something to do with the kind of existence a C&C Indian has had.

He is usually born in to a Middle-class family. They struggle to pay the bills during month-end. He belongs to an education system that is based on rote and marks obtained. Added to that, he has to contend with a reservation system in college Admissions. He can’t pursue higher education until he earns enough to feed his family. He can’t be cavalier with anything in his life UNTIL he finds out he is free in the three hours spent in a dark theatre. He identifies himself in a character shown in big wide white screen--Bollywood! Not to be left behind, there is also Tollywood, Kollywood and other woods that I am not aware of. But the important point is, he is FREE! He has escaped and found himself in a visceral medium. He has had found hope. He has experienced freedom through a character that gives him company during his survival days long after the movie is over. He celebrates his victories by going to a movie with his family. He escapes with his broken heart in a lonely theatre. He bonds with his friends playing Antakshiri (Movie Songs game). The Cinema, just became a part of his life.

On the other side of the spectrum, the only “freedom” he has experienced is with a cricket bat or tennis ball. Buzzling streets, screaming auntie’s whose glass window just got broken, rival street teams, records in pitches, an open field where all his survival-existence is forgotten, living in the moment, for the moment. And when he watches his national team play and win, it is not a victory for 11 players being controlled by BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket in India) but, it is a victory for him to move on with his life for few more months with hope and joy in the happiness of that victorious moment.

NOW, you know, why it is so important that the Indian Cricket Team Wins or India produces movies that make us escape/experience the moment for years to come! Most importantly, why the Indian Cricket Team should not LOSE without a fight or we do not produce movies that absolutely suck. They give us Hope. And, not just to the survival mode middle class indians. But to the entire haves and have-nots of the billion people whose main source of identity is still generated by these mass mediums.

That’s why a Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dravid, Manirathnam, Ganguly, AR Rahman and World Cups are very important.

The Indian cricket team just lost against Bangladesh in World Cup. The right word would be “SUCKED BEYOND BELIEF”. But then, it is not new to C&C Indians. We are "OPTIMISTS BEYOND BELIEF"! We will take sick leaves to watch you-AGAIN. We are disappointed by GURU not being another Nayagan. We are not so thrilled with Rahman music anymore.But then, we will not stop supporting you or losing faith in your abilities.We will read every word with intent in Cricinfo about you tomorrow. We will wait for deleted scenes in GURU to justify your lapses in screenplay. We will order the next cricket package in pay per view sacrificing the remodelling of kitchen in our homes. You are a part of our Operating System. We can't help it. We just hope the next generation of C&C will be too. But please, DELIVER!

15 December 2006

Free "fucking" Fall!



When your mind is fucked up by the thought of her, wondering how it was nothing but fuck and slowly, over time, it became more than fuck and at the same time, fucking became making love and the journey within the making love included fucking, going back and forth, losing breaths, missing heartbeats, lost in sensory perceptions, heaving together, sighing together until you are so fucked, you don’t exist and she doesn’t exist, both bodies hanging and floating in mid air, and as you stare into her closed eyes, in that moment, it suddenly dawns on you, she has fucked your heart like no one has, ever, and a deep immersing wave showers you with the realization that in this crazy game, you both have fucked each other to such an extent that the rest of non-fucking moments is going to be so-fucking horrible reminding you of this fucking moment that has made you experience ecstasy, feel the soul, stretch your bodies to its limit yet feel full in every way, a wave that finally eclipses all kinds of needs buried before only to sow an even greater undeniable need, that of her, for the rest of your fucking life that you might have to spend without fucking her, making you realize how fucked up your life is and how many other lives you are fucking along with hers, unintentionally in the first fuck and intentionally in every subsequent fuck, losing yourself more, needing her fuck in every nerve, pretending to be a fucking good guy until you are sucked back into the fucking game with her, indulging with more vigor, not knowing what the fucking point is, yet knowing it makes all the other fucking shit going in your life bearable, not giving a fuck about society, family, and all the fucking bastards who offered advise without having a fucking clue, “fuck them”, “Fuck her”, this time with anger for making you a fucking dependable animal on her, for making you feel the loss of her engulfing smell while she is wrapped around you, for making you feel like, you are all the fuck that matters to her, for meaning her words in every thrust and for proving her heart by making each fuck unbelievable , never saying no and always feeling more than you can ever handle, more than you ever wanted to handle until you sink deep down in your self only to scream aloud but stifled inside your throat like a fucked up moron whose heart is split, silencing all the fucking desires, trying to forget all the fucking memories , suddenly not knowing what was your old fucking self before her and the pain of ripped heart splintering through you, swarming you with an ache, sinking you in an abyss, plunging you in moral quandary, not wanting you to raise the question of how can this be wrong when it feels so right, evaluate what should be done, what can be done, not having the courage to bury the old, accept the new, not sure if you would want that old when this new turns old, but knowing she has fucked you up totally and trying to make sense of all this fucked up emotions which was never there before, never experienced before that even after months of trying to be fuck-sober , she rises in your heart in un-fucking moments giving you a panic attack, making you unstable, bleeding for those fucking-times of smiling together, holding together, aching together ending in blissful-complete-moments, making you cry for that one thing she gave you more than all the fucks put together!

She LOVED you for who you are, as you are and now you know, so do you!

She finally gave the ROYAL FUCK of it all, without fucking, when she left you!

11 December 2006

Art, not for the sake of Artiste?



From Michael Jackson to Mel Gibson, Borat to Michael Richards, should you judge their creations because of the shortcomings in them?

Do you stop buying MJ’s CD’s because you believe he could be a child molester?

Do you stop watching Mel Gibson’s movies because he is anti-Semitic?

Do you stop laughing at Michael Richards jokes in Seinfeld because he thinks less of African-Americans?

Where does one draw the line? The immediate reaction is of NO. I love “Beat it”. Why would I not listen to it? Brave heart is one of my favourite movies. Why can’t I enjoy a creation of art for the sake of Art? Who am I to judge someone else? But the moment you think you are enabling someone by paying for their skill, who, then uses that money to do horrible things, where do you stand morally, ethically as a human being?

If Nike makes soccer balls employing kids in Pakistan, do you PAY for that merchandise? If a diamond has been bought in a conflict zone which has the blood of poor miners, do you not care and pay thousands for them? You cannot stop the whole world but you can always say NO from your end, within your circle of influence. Granted you may not know all the hands an item has exchanged before buying it, but once you know, it matters what you do with that information. There was an “extrapolated” ad a few years ago to tell us, if you buy gas, you are enabling the Sheiks, who enable the terrorists, so stop filling gas. NOW, that is extreme activism. I wouldn’t go to that extent. But you do have a choice.

Perhaps the bigger question is “Why relate related-things in unrelated activities?” Say, Sports and Politics. Should we allow India and Pakistan to play Cricket when our soldiers are fighting the very country in the border? It may not matter so much to me but if I had my brother in Army fighting in Kashmir, putting his life on the line for the country, while a bunch of civilians want to enjoy Sachin hitting Shoaib Akhtar for a six, it belittles and makes his sacrifice and the sacrifice of thousands of lives less meaningful.

Like everything else, if the insult is directed at me/my country, then you decide to take some action. If Mel Gibson had said, “Stupid...f***king Indians!”, I wouldn’t be caring to question whether I should be watching his movies or not. But when it he curses about some other race, if you don’t join them in their protest, how long would it take for him to move to the next? If you don’t punish the artiste by ignoring his art, especially artistes with influence, you could be next on their list!

Maybe it’s time to sacrifice our few moments of pleasure in arts for the greater good of generations to come!

20 November 2006

GURU-Music Review



5.30am. Bangalore. India.
Eyes wide open. Sitting in the edge of my bed after committing a merciless murder. The death of an innocent cockroach which was trying to climb into my PJ’s looking for a warm space which it definitely would have found had it not been for my quick thinking on the feet (pun intended ofcourse) that wanted to test the strength of this tiny insect which is supposed to have survived the stomping of Dinosaurs. Not True. It died instantly.

The Audio CD of GURU that I had purchased yesterday from Landmark was staring at me, taunting me with the question,”Are you a true Rahmaniac not listening to me even after six hours of purchasing me? “. I was seriously having a conversation with the CD explaining the fact that ever since I arrived in India, am still trying to find my personal space and it was because of that I had ignored it for few hours and it should not judge me for the genuine lapse. I was glad it finally understood. I don’t want to be counted as a traitor (such feelings are common when someone wakes up so early when he has never done that before in years).

The disappointing trailer of GURU made me depressed wondering, ”Another Mani failure in Hindi ?”. But I know I will never change camps based on box office but only based on heart-office(Nenja Nakkitta pa- You almost licked my chest with that sentiment-translation for the tamil-handicapped). I popped the CD in my laptop after making a quick decision not to tinker with iTunes to load in my iPOD (where else can I boast I bought a new 60GB-iPOD-Woohooo-it ROCKS).

Awaiting with bated breath for the GURU experience. Mani-Rahman-Gulzar combo after Dil Se. Let the Journey begin!

First Song. Hmmm…Nanna Re..Nanna Re..fast beat..hummable so quickly..surprising. Rahman songs usually take about 4 or 5 listening to actually get into your system. Shreya Ghosal singing with joy. I can sense the attitude.Nice…lots of drums…Rahman SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)…beautiful percussion..predictable..which makes it sweet…since I have been missing the familiar Rahman signatures…wow..the song…is changing tracks going up and down..like Saawariya from Swades song…okay..the Nanna Re..Nanna Re..is getting to me…Clear crisp Na..Re..repeatable rhyme. Song over.Feeling good.

Second Song. I read in the CD insert that this song called “Tera Bina” is dedicated to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan by Rahman, remembering our maestro’s association with the maestro from other side of the border. I still remember that album and especially that line “Rishthe banthe hain badi mushkil se..lekin tootene keliye bas ek hi lamha”(Relationships happen with so much difficulty but it only takes a moment to break it..awesome line).So, the expectations are high. Let me see.

Mind-blowing start. “Dum Dare Dum Dare..Mast Mast..dara..Dum Dare Dum Dare ..ohh hum dum”. WOW! I am able to hum it in the first line itself. A familiar tune but sooo lovable and gets into your system instantly sounding fresh. I love the chorus of Dum Dare. The interlude is starting with Sa Re Ga ma..typical..quintessential Rahman.I am swaying..slowly..unconsciously…moving from left to right..and moving back and forth..moving my hands..animatedly…ohh the dum dare..again..niceee…a sitar interlude..the background..aaaah..chorus..and a different sound of a rajasthani lady like voice..lending rawness..Rahman has sung this…only he can sing like this….the song is changing track without losing the flow..engulfing you in all-encompassing-beats…simple..tune..beautiful rhythm..once again familiar tune..but the interludes and percussion in the middle making it a worthy tribute indeed…this Album is heating up..really good..let me go to the next one.

Okay. Starting like a dialogue.BHAM! A real heavy clean bang on the drums.I know this song has been sung by Bappi Lahiri the Disco king of 80’s. I loved Bappi Lahiri music and his clothes too for those who try to put him down by his wardrobe collection. IT IS COOL! Whoa! Joye..Joyee…sound in beginning. Another repeatable line humming. This is the third song with that same kind of lyric-style. Maybe it’s a concerted effort on the part of Gulzar-Rahman-Mani to have this on all songs. Let me move on with the song. Ohh..one more repeatable line..”Yammo..Yammo le”. Sounds like Abhishek is selling something in the movie for this song as is evident from the lyrics. Amazing interlude. Simple strings. Talking to different people in the lyric.I didn’t knew Bappi can sing so well. I am glad they didn’t make Abhishek sing for this song. Another repeatable line “Joyyein..Joyyein..”. Lots of chorus. Sounding naughty. Chitra jumping in.She is sounding so young. Bappi singing like talking but doing a great job as he breaks into tune seamlessly. “Yammo..Yammo le” is getting addictive now.Song over. Short and sweet. There seems to be a theme emerging in this album. Moving to next one.

Song is called Mayya Mayya. In the CD Insert Mallika Sherawat is shown for this song with Arabic costume (Nice Choice. Keeping up with Mani’s lucky charm of one item number song with hot actress). I think this song would probably come in the movie when Ambani went to work in Turkey in oil fields.Sung by Maryem Toller, maybe Turkish singer.Sublime heavy beat.Haunting Flute in background.Sounding familiar. The violin is reminding me of Thiruda Thiruda(Chor Chor). Ohh…no..the interlude dialogue sounding like Dil Se-Tu Hi Re..but..still lovely…I can think of Rahman bits from so many songs..but who cares..it is flowing..beautifully..i am dancing to the rhythm….omg..Rahman..songs are rarely so likeable in first listening..guess he is going all out…the trailer music coming inbetween..”arree malida..malida..”..beat picking up..in speed..with “maiyya..maiyya..”…a mini symphony going on..in the interlude with fast dialogue..and ..the colossal of instruments..all playing together in synchronous..fashion..with high pitch..ending..followed by haunting flute….WOWWWW! I think I am going to be listening to the mini-jugalbandi between instruments in the end for a long time while driving to work…Rahman has not experimented much and I LIKEEEE it but at same time..brought his signature in all songs…Next one…please…

After all the dhoom-dham..this song begins with a simple shehnai sound..(okay am not a musician..so if the the instruments are wrong..let me know)..wait a second..i have heard this…damn..it sounds almost like the “Poongodiyin punnagai..” song from Iruvar(another Maniratnam classic in tamil about two political rivals)..neway..just the starting bit..with a typical Rahman synthesizer..the one that comes in “Azhagiya cinderella” song from another Rahman tamil movie…another repeating line..”Aye..Hairathe Aashique..”…Hariharan…its got to be him..looking at the CD..Yes..it is Hariharan and Alka Yagnik…Ghazal style..niceee pause in the song…with a crisp clear tabla..kooooool….slow..swaying..with.. “Dum Dare “ repeating line from third song…coming in this song….with slight change..cute…okay..70’s style…interlude..interesting…going back to standard beat..Alka Yagnik..playing with Hariharan through the song..looks like the Hero and Heroine are playfully romancing..in the movie..the pause in the song..makes ur heart skip a beat..”Dum Dare..” humming with the Shehnai(or maybe clarinet..i think it is clarinet)…the song getting in the same tune even in third para..Alka surprising is elevating the song with nice elongation of words..Hari is doing the same..cute…beautiful melody..and Rahman singing DumDare..sounding good..now..the Dum Dare line being sung half by Rahman and Alka..and ending….good..not great..heard before..sounds like the “Naina..Naina..milaike…” from Saathiya..

Udit Narayan is singing this one called ”Baazi Laga”…sounds like music from 70’s…the ones where bunch of guys go in scooter and sing with women sitting behind…different flavor..lots of chorus..Udit sounding..happy..as usual..in this song..talking about money..the clarinet is sounding like blues..music..familiar tune..this maybe my least favourite in songs so far..but then..knowing Rahman..after 6 or 7 listening I would be hooked to the interludes..okay the song is picking up beautifully..some little boy singing “lalalalaa”…could be Udit’s son..who knows..standard tune..even though it sounds fresh..okar..the crescendo..rising now..and ending with a bang..okay..song..for now..

Last song…should be a slow one..since I sense there is a pattern here..yes..slow one..keyboard..ohh..beautiful…lyric..saying..
“We are awake for such a long time..let us..sleep for a while..
There is little darkness left..let the morning rise..
The half unfinished dream could not be completed…
Let us sleep one more time to finish that incomplete dream…”(literal translation..it sounds like metaphor for low point in life..in the story..)

Wonderful…Big Sad Chorus..Humming…engulfing you in epic proportions…Music talking all the emotions..making me sad..Mani is going to crush me with this song…tugging at my heart…the sound of Iruvar..when Prakash Raj talks..in the interlude.. ohhh…Rahman now singing the same…more slowly…making me choke in the throat…high pitch…same lines…wow..i can sense the epicness of this movie..with the those moving lines..being sung like a National Anthem…My expectations have gone through the roof..listening to this…about this movie..maybe another “Nayagan” ? I really wish…it is…I pray it is…Big chorus..of the tune..with “aah..ahhh” sound…symphony style..sad music…WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! What an END to the Album! Certainly the USP song of the movie when I come out of the theatre I think. Abhishek probably dies with Aish. Reminds me of “Thenpandi Seemaiyile” song..from Nayagan..where the entire movie flashes before he dies. I am assuming pretty much the same happens here.

Now..all I have to do..is wait for the movie to see how the other Genius (Mani ofcourse) has interpreted these songs…That’s it folks..buy the original CD..i hate to see Rahman losing his hard work in illegally downloaded songs and pirated cd’s. If you are true fan of Rahman, that’s the only way you show your loyalty. Cheers!

04 September 2006

ET to ER!


You never know when it hits you. A whiff of earthy sand? Gentle caress of frail cold breeze? Silent pause in your favourite movie as two lips melts in each other? Or the extended humming in the interlude of a haunting melody?

There are all kinds of Emotional Triggers(ET) that swarm you into Emotional Restlessness(ER)!

When the trigger is pulled, it’s like the sudden spilling of open paint boxes on your psyche. The rope called sanity that you were holding until then slips through your fingers. The heart gets congested with flooding memories that you thought you had escaped from. Breaths begin to fall stumbling one after another, irregularly, as your mind gets gripped by an unknown ache that you know so well. You can see yourself falling from the skyscraper in slow motion with only one way to go…DOWN!

Maybe they are emotional black holes that lurks deep inside us moving from one ventricle to another, until the emotional trigger shoots them, causing our heart to shrink sucking our feelings of happiness in an instant. You feel the internal heaviness as you become restless and replay old memories, lost opportunities and hopelessness as a unique cocktail of all of these emotions in different proportions are served, each time. You begin to dodge these landmines and tread carefully in each of your activity for the next few days. You stop listening to music. You stop going to that particular place. You avoid talking to certain people. You shut your self until you feel normal again.

If Life is made of moments, then each moving experience, plants a trigger in us. A ticking time bomb. You never know, when, one of them will blow up and make you restless. While some of them last only a few minutes, there are this special feeder bombs that take hostage of your entire day or even weeks by feeding on our weaknesses, desires, dreams and our uncanny ability to imagine idyllic possibilities. It’s a hook, line and sinker with no control!

The wiser ones say time heals. You certainly hope time gives us acceptance, if not, clarity. Maybe the culprit is choices or the lack of courage to exercise any of them. Either way, you just hope this process of cleansing in painful overwhelming of ER eliminates the power of feeder bombs and leads us to a place where you are less immune to ET.

Peace in the knowledge of self! Peace in our actions! Realizing that, it is futile to succumb in emotional quagmire by making someone a priority when you are just an option for them! Realizing that it is futile to regret, when we can choose to move on and be happy! When you have hit the bottom, there is only one way to go. UP!

28 August 2006

Window of Offensive Opportunity!



“I have seen it done better!”

A Sly remark. Unjust. Unwarranted. Quick. Sharp. Your nerves boil in an instant. Just when you thought you could stand that person, they had to make you feel unskilled, incapable, unworthy and above all, disrespected. While your mind is blanking out with these thoughts, the offender has moved on to next item on their list. The conversation has moved on. You just lost your “Window” to get back. You lost your “Window” to ask “How can you? “. You lost your “Window” to say “How Dare You?”

Maybe you are not accustomed to being rude to someone. Perhaps you have the tenacity to stay above the fray. Maybe it's your inability to come back quickly with a witty comment or equally offending statement. I am sure you even tried using that “window” of opportunity once but it back-fired big time since you had only one repartee in your bag. And the verbal attacker made sure the rest of the argument is about your response than the original insult.

More often than not, these verbal attacks come from family and friends. Peers and superiors have a different way of bullying but it is the close ones that hurt the most. When you let a verbal abuse slide with reasoning like love, age, respect, it wrecks your peace of mind, self esteem and self respect. You are squirming all day inside replaying those dialogues. And worse, you say YES to all those things that you wanted to say NO with them. The pile of frustrations and disappointments mount and one day, you burst out “F*** OFF!”, when all they said was “I thought you didn’t like coffee!”

Instead, if you get back within that window of few seconds, quickly and immediately, protecting your self respect with verbal self defense, then you take control of your life. You don’t pile the shit. You clean the mess, then and there! Standard responses like “Is that So? “, “Really?”,”And you know me so well to judge me, is it?” always helps, especially if you can’t think on your feet.

The next time your Mom tells you, you are no good; tell her, she needs to watch her mouth! The next time your brother says you are no good, tell him to mind his own business! The next time your hubby says lose twenty pounds, ask him to take a look in the mirror! Life is not worth living, putting up with verbal attackers. Use your window of offensive opportunity to DEFEND your own SELF!

17 August 2006

Clanking the "KANK"!


The most awaited movie of the year in Bollywood has finally been released and ready to be ripped apart by critics and viewers alike. There was no lack of motivation to see this flick as my wife digs Abhishek and I dig Rani Mukherjee (now stop thinking nasty), and above all, our living room was hostage to two wonderful kids of visiting friends, who made our hearts pound faster with each thud on the hardwood floors.

The 8’oclock show started promptly at 8.30pm and we were excited to find the ‘first’ seats (Row 1, Seat no.1&2 right under the 20ft. screen). My loyal friend called in to convey the happy news at that exact moment,
“The Movie is only three and a half hours long! Enjoy!”

Dhoom-2 trailer and Kabul Express trailer followed and I was quite amazed by the glimpses of Dhoom-2(Svelte Aish,Smoking Bips..Train in Desert..!). Maybe, just maybe, our guys are finally reaching international standards in Editing, Sound and other technical areas. Now, if only I could say that for screenplay (there are exceptions ofcourse).

The Movie started amidst usual noisy desi-aunties looking for diapers under the chair and uncles looking for a spot to spit their worn-out paan! Enter Shahrukh Khan in the usual Johar-movie-style entry (Basketball, Cricket…now Soccer) with a penalty kick and lifting of his jersey after the goal (now…who wears so many layers under the jersey?). Rani enters the movie looking pretty in Manish Malhotra designer-Saree but also glum as she is wondering if she should wait for the perfect species to mate or go with available meat (Abhishek)! Shahrukh tells her to be sensible and not wait for the elusive Himalayan Goat curry! Meanwhile Amitabh comes on the screen as the Desi-Pimp-with-Angrezi-Memsaab! Abhishek, on the other hand, is introduced as Desi-Party-Dude-deeply-in-love-with-hot-desi-teacher Rani! Preity Zinta makes her initial presence as the bitchy-wife-uncaring-mom-ambitious-woman routine as she misses play boy hubby’s match winning goal (and this is just first 5mins of movie...don’t lose the patience)!

After 4yrs, Rani “tries” to enact how married couples behave after 4yrs.She apparently vacuums and cleans every inch of her NY apartment which only costs a measly million bucks. Paying hundred bucks to a cleaning lady is impossible! Meanwhile Shahrukh limps (whenever he feels like) as his football dreams have been shattered by a car accident right after he told Rani to forget Himalayan Goat Curry (1-very significant piece of information to remember in the movie)!

Blah..blah..blu..Glu..Glah..flu...after two hours, Rani runs to Railway station in middle of night after a fight with her party-paneer and voila! At exactly 5 mins before,Shahrukh has a fight with his home-made-halwa and both unhappy spouses meet at Grand Central! They see each other and Shahrukh confesses his love for Rani uttering those memorable words “I even remember the date and time of falling in love with you (refer 1 above)”! It’s not like love at first sight or a slow realization of deep connection. It’s more like “you are looking for spicy goat curry and I am looking for Bengali Rasgulla”!

While on the prowl with Chandigarh-Mami, our old-Horny-desi-pimp, Amitabh, finds the wild irresponsible, irritating, not-moving-your-ass-to-find-a-new-job-standing-in-middle-of-road-Indian buffalo, Shahrukh , canoodling with his Bengali-Bahu-Himalayan-explorer, Rani! Pimp gets a heart attack, and Bengali-Bahu feels guilty, the “new lovers” decide home-made-food is more important for survival than the five-star-khana they have been relishing and decide to end their quest for hidden-treasures!

Preity slaps, Abhishek throws, and Chandigarh-mami hits a same-side goal! Mini-Olympics ensues and they are banned for substance abuse (that too enjoyable abuse…if it wasn’t good, they could have returned to Olympic village happily in their original choice and didn’t have to reveal their happy-ending-episodes)! The spouses get more pissed off hearing their episodes as they had more opportunities than these losers and still they beat them to the punch! After tears, more tears, extra unnecessary 5 reels, the most awaited moment of the movie arrives! THE CREDITS! My spinal chord, which by now, had locked into an awkward position got relieved by the hurrying Punjabi lady’s handbag slamming at the base of my pituitary gland!

Now, to be fair, I did enjoy the movie! Some of the dialogues were really good and some of the portions were glaringly missing like making the case for Rani to look outside marriage and the reasons for feeling Shahrukh as “the one” for her! The makers got confused into making this about “looking out phases” in marriage and love story! Nevertheless, a very good desi attempt!

“To be or Not to be?”
“Depends on whether you are Rich & Thin or Fat & Middle class :)”

03 March 2006

Filler Spoilers!



You know, Indian team is not bad. You know, Kaif played awesomely. Really Awesome dude! You know, Kumble was even more awesome. You know finally the south Indians are displaying that killer instinct like Punjabis!”(Score: You Know=3, Awesome = 3)
.
.
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Score after 5 minutes, You Know = 20, Awesome=13! You sure have come across someone, who has this uncanny ability of spoiling the conversation with their excessive usage of supposedly cool quirky fillers! Most of the times, we are the culprits!

The strange thing about these fillers is that, you realize they are seasonal. They are also highly addictive. They embed in your conversation without your knowledge. And before you realize, they have crept into your daily lexicon and taken up the position of every third word in your unfinished sentences that you utter non-stop to the apparently-intent-listener who is actually thinking ,“Will you shut the F*** Up?”.

Ofcourse it can be argued that it is just your lack of ability to speak proper English and that while you grope in mid-air for appropriate connectors to sentences, you spill these fillers which kinda-sorta fits in that place and makes sense to the listener. But the spoiler part is, when you use them in millisecond gaps that forces the listener to re-sort your words in that short span to understand what you are trying to say, as by now, they know, if they don’t do it, they will be buried under the pile of You know, Awesome stuff!

Perhaps the reason is not their lack of conjunctions, but the speed in which they think, that forces them to jump to 3rd sentence in their head while they are coughing up the first one. The culprit for incessant filler-words could be the time delay between Brain-Mouth-co-ordination. Either they have to trust their temporary memory to hold the 2nd, 3rd, 4th sentence until their windpipe can breathe some air or end up choking to death on trying to spit too many words! Jeez! Fillers save lives! Now, that is Suweeeet!

Maybe I should change the title to “Filler Saviors”!

Being a loyal Capital One customer, I have to ask you, “What’s your Filler?”!

24 February 2006

Known Unknowns!



Why do you always feel it takes less time while returning, than while going, to the same place? Does it have anything to do with the concept of home? Returning to Safety? Or is it because your mind was working hard, mapping the path, forming new neural patterns while going and once formed, it relaxes while returning in the same path, so you feel it was quicker?

Why are you compelled to watch a movie you love when it comes on TV, even though, you have that DVD staring in your face from your rotating-DVD-rack? Is it because you feel a free meal is being missed? Is it because there is no other interesting program on other channels? Or Is it because when you were channel surfing and hit upon a particular scene in that movie, it brought back happy-memories that you want to re-live?

Why does the traffic light changes from Red to Green exactly the moment you stop in the red light, when you waited all along from the corner of the street, staring, willing, hoping, it would change to green so that you may not have to apply the brakes and come to a full stop ?

Why do you always miss that left leg sock when you are getting late to work? And why is it that no matter how many times you tell yourself in that moment that you should make sure all these leggies are in one place, you never get around to doing it, until you remind yourself again, the next time, you are in same situation?

Why do you have to search for only “those” things crazily that you kept them in a “Safe” place? Why these safe places are the hardest to find? They might have been chosen because they are hardest to find for “others” but somehow, if “others” didn’t know about it, why would they “look” for it?

Why do Men, no matter how much they are coached, no matter how many times they are told, always feel it necessary to give an objective opinion, when they are asked by their women, “Do I look good?”.

Why do you always feel the gas-station owner is cheating you when you see the numbers rolling near the dollar sign while filling gas? You can almost visualize the numbers rolling slower in some other gas-station except that you can’t remember which one. And the same feeling creeps in when you are in Taxi, whether you are going to Airport or coming from one!

Why do Men always misread the civil, slow, interesting conversation between their Mom and Wife as final signs of bonding, when in reality it is a verbal duel between two possessive intelligent beings engaging in unintentional, intended put-downs, that they both smile and endure while thinking of next missile?

Do you really want to figure out the reasons behind these 'Known Unknowns'? Because,once you do, am sure, there will be new category called 'Unknown Unkowns' to tackle.

Even though i am borrowing from that famous Rumsfeld quote,
“There are known knowns; there are things we know, we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things, we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know, we don't know. ”-there might actually be some truth in it!

I guess we should just let them be because the moment you think you have conquered it, I know, you will be scrambling like a chicken with it's head cut-off in the closet, looking for that right sock!

Pic Source: http://gregmonaco.blogspot.com/

14 February 2006

Un-Technology!



Instead of sleeker iPods, SUV’s that look like trailers and Mother-Of-All-Bombs, I wish scientists concentrated more on issues that affect us profoundly.

A new drug that alters your gene to change the color of your skin! No more Racism!

A new “pound-less” pill that lets you lose weight overnight! No more Prejudice!

A new tonic that alters your behavior to cure your smoking/alcohol addiction! No more Self-screw-ups!

When I was in my Eleventh grade, I had to give a speech on “Greatest Inventions of 20th Century!”. As I was preparing for the topic, my hostel warden, passed by. Since I respect him a lot, I asked him what he thought was the greatest invention of Mankind in 20th century.

And he replied, “Invention? I don’t think anything has been invented completely by Man!”.
I was taken aback and asked him “How can you say that when we have cars, airplanes even the fan that is revolving on top of us.”
“Well, what is the fan made of?”
“Hmm…Iron...maybe steel.”
“Where did u get that iron from?”
“From…Earth”
“So, you have harnessed something from nature, changed its shape to use another part of nature (air) to make it work. Maybe you can say mankind does invent things partly. To me, it’s all discoveries of nature!”
I remember that conversation to this day. And every time we get cocky about our new and greatest “invention”, nature slaps us on the cheek with a Tsunami or an earthquake.

I think, we, human race, have drifted from worshipping and understanding nature(stone age till time before 16th century) to harnessing nature(Industrial Revolution) to the current stage of “Manipulating Nature”(Cloning, messing with genes etc.). We study History mainly because we may not commit the same mistakes again (even though it keeps repeating itself) and understand our roots better. And one thing that is clear today is that in spite of the technological advancements, people seem lost. Clueless. Unhappy. Less connected in an “always-wired-mobile-everything-everywhere” world. I think we have safely reached a stage where enough energy has been spent on inventions that satisfy our external needs without filling the void that is inside.

We need technology that eliminates hatred. We need technology that doesn’t discriminate someone based on their religion, race or sexual preference. We need technology that makes it a level-playing field for rich, poor and the ones in between. We need technology that protects, enhances, and serves Mother Nature. Not provide new tools to cut forests, new tools to dig oil from oceans, new tools to destroy habitats quickly. We need technology that connects, not the minds, but the hearts!

It is time, technology (Science) works for the development of our spirituality and not for materialist pleasures that leaves us empty in the long run!

07 February 2006

I(a)m-Perfect Lover!


I haven’t been tagged since the time I got out of school, where my glasses were color-coded with wordings “I am” on left and “Blind” on right. I have decided to ward off my “MSM” memories and start my list on Shpriya’s request for 8 qualities you would like in your perfect lover(for those of you still wondering what “MSM” is, its “Mommy Save Me!” memories) .

So here it goes!

1) Someone who has enough imperfections in her that I can help her to overcome but not so much that I need an in-house therapist!

2) I should be able to pick my nose, bite my nails, dust my dandruff and scratch my balls without wondering if I would be “denied” for those reality “bites” or “scratches”!

3) Someone who laughs at my jokes- Genuinely- even if they are not funny and even if I am repeating it for the 1472nd time.

4) Someone who knows instinctively my “Happy Hour” cycle. (Alrite! Alrite! More like “Happy 10min“ cycle )

5) Someone who can come up with creative slurs to cuss, to keep me on the tip of my tongue, so I can spit back with more imaginative ones, both of us enjoying the creative cussing process, forgetting the reason why we fought in the first place!

6) Someone who knows my tangents as I deviate from one topic to another, over the course of the day and even weeks and knows exactly what I am talking about when I start most of the topics in mid sentence-“I think it’s bcoz she wanted to take care of his mom.That's why she wasn’t part of that group!”

7) Someone who would always say “I will try it at least once. If I don’t like it, then it’s a no-no!”. To “everything” I ask of her.

8) Someone who wants to find a cure for Aids but she shouldn’t be a doctor. Someone who wants to feed the hungry in Uganda but she shouldn’t be in a missionary position (oh…C’mon! I meant the Nuns).
In other words, someone who thinks about the less privileged and be extremely happy that she is channeling all that worldly service minded energy…on ME!

Honestly, there is no lover who is perfect all the time but you always have those perfect moments with her, when she fills you with that strange mixture of love, lust, passion, need, desire and generosity, transforming you to make you feel like a complete man while she soaks in the immersed feeling of complete woman…(tick…tick...tick...)...“Now go pick up the trash that’s stinking up in the kitchen” ;)

17 January 2006

Poetic(?) Discards!



While in “Down Under”,
If you fall down under,
Would you call that,
“Down down Under under?”

In your sleep,
In that dream,
If you’re sleeping,
Do you dream a dream?

When every Buyer,
Has got a seller,
What do they mean by,
Seller Market doing good,
Buyer Market not so good ?

When you are a 7 wanting to be 10,
In skill, looks, personality and life,
You got to remember,
You can only cook what’s in the pan!

If all Men cheat,
And ignoring the small percentage of gays,
Doesn’t that mean,
Most women cheat?

When Jesus loves all men,
When Mohammad preaches love for all mankind,
When Buddha worked for the peace of human kind,
What’s your problem with “Brokeback Mountain-Jerusalem Edition”?