I have a problem with 'INVENTION'

I have a problem with 'Invention' !!

I don’t like the word invention simply because according to my theory nothing can be invented and therefore nothing in this world can be owned. Everything that we do is a discovery!! No matter how big or sophisticated it is. Everything is a projection of the human senses controlled by mind.

Dictionary view for invent is : to design or create something such as a machine or process that did not exist before or to develop a new theory, style, or method that did not exist before. In other words you cannot invent anything that already exists before. Fine. Then did our ancestors really know about fire before it was discovered? Then can we call fire to be an invention?

This is my theory. Nothings that we do or create is our idea. We are not born with an idea to create a television or an extra ordinary time machine. On our journey in this world, we see, touch and feel a lot of things which is processed by our mind. Since each person’s mind is different, the interpretations could be many. There are many factors which affect the though process of a mind. They are all external, they are already present. So in other words, can we infer that discoveries lead to discoveries and not an invention?

Lets look at this story. A young man was wondering through a jungle and he finds a caterpillar. He noticed the ring like thing on the body of caterpillar. He noticed how this is allowing the caterpillar to be very flexible. He came back to town with an idea. We installed ring like structure to the commercially available rubber water hoses. This allowed the pipes to be more flexible and strong. You might have come across these green water pipe with rings in between. So should we call this an invention? I mean could this young man own this? Of course he can claim that he was lucky to come across the caterpillar and his mind had lead him to think this way. What if the young man was lost in the woods and he was scared? Would his mind think about how the caterpillar was sophisticated? I don’t think so. Being at right time, right place and right frame of mind is what leads to discovery and not inventions.

The other reason why i don’t want to call anything as invention because you can patent it and own it. I hate the idea of owning discoveries (I don’t want to use the word invention any more). If someone even comes close to making something which is patented then he is pulled to court. Crazy. This leads to stagnation of an idea. An idea should grow as much as it can. It should not be kept in a high security prison called Patents. I mean patents is fine, if and only if it means that this was first discovered by so and so and nothing more. There shouldn’t be monopoly. Monopoly is against free thinking. A discovery needs free mind and patent kills it !!

I am great believer of Open source. More and more clients and companies are moving towards open source software’s because it is more flexible and economical. There is no monopoly. Its free from the prisons of patents, lawsuit and so on. That’s why it’s Free Source.

There are only discoveries in life. Some big, some small. some simple, some sophisticated. Nothing less, nothing more.

Pro-active to Re-active Expressions !!

Dogs!! I never had one but I love them for one reason. Go home after a long day and these cute ones will jump all over you as if they are seeing you for the first time after many weeks. Wagging tail furiously, licking your face and doing crazy dance suggesting how much it missed you all day. This it does every single day no matter how good or bad it feels. Then you look at you wife or husband, switching tv channels watching their favorite serial or movie, kids fighting in the background, as if you never existed. Makes you wonder why the most intelligent species on this earth has become so busy and self occupied that expression of love or care has just become a give and take business!!


Love is not restricted to Valentine’s Day or on you birthdays or anniversaries, or the day you receive expensive gift. You don’t have to wait that long or choose a date to say how much you love someone. We have replaced human expressions of love with materialistic expressions like diamonds, chocolates or expensive watches. Well, you can’t blame us when our history states that Shahjahan built Taj mahal in memory of dead wife. Well one of his 3 wives. God alone knows which trigonometric equation he used to express his love for 3 wives and 16 children. Anyway, did he have to wait that long to build this wonderful beauty? A wise man had once stated, “You don’t realize what you have until you lose it”. Similarly you don’t realize the value of expression until it’s too late and then you stay with guilt and burden entire life.

“Well I am like this, I have tried but I can’t change”. Is this your conscious telling you? Agreed, that there are positives and negatives in everyone. Also agreed that, the expression of love differs from person to person. Like Archana once stated in her blog, “You can’t be loved the way you want to be loved always. There are different ways to express.” However, there is no point in hiding behind the fact that there is no replacement for words and touch. I am not talking about Shakespeare here. Simple words like I miss you, thinking about you, I love you can do wonders to a relationship. Mean it when you say it and use it at a most unexpected time. Don’t wait for each other to say it first. It is reactive expression. “Pehley aap pehley aap kehkey gaadi chali jayegi”. Are you reactive? Do you find yourself saying, “Let him/her say it first then I will”, “Why should I always?” A reactive expression sounds like a bad business. It’s a business because you are looking at what you get in return and you don’t want to invest until then. It’s a bad business because, always one person finds him/her expressing a lot and other only reacting. This lets a lot of doubts get into the persons mind. “Am I loved the way I love or am I just listening to my echo?”

Hence the need for proactive expression. Whatever you do, do it proactively. Take the first step. Offer the help, don’t wait for the other person to ask. Express your feelings don’t always expect it from others. People change but change should happen from within. There is no point in someone pointing out and then holding that person responsible all your life for bringing in change in you that you didn’t wish to have. Don’t hide behind the screen of “I am like this, this is me.” It doesn’t help the relationship grow.

You don’t need commitment to do what you love but you need it a lot to do what you don’t like, but you have no choice. For example, you don’t need commitment to go to movie but to get up early morning every day and report to work every day, needs a commitment. Similarly in relationships if you are committed to make it work, then one can’t hide behind the fact that they are what they are. You must have listened to some old saying, “Relationship is like two wheels of the cart. If one stops reacting, or if one is too fast, you go around in circles.” And if one wheel starts going in opposite direction, the cart will break……….

Express proactively. Watch, learn and grow!!

Disclaimer: All the words and sentence, if anyone is able to connect with them is purely coincidental and unintentional. This is inspired by the picture posted at the beginning of this post.

Promo....

D.I.W.A.L.I: Dear Idiots, Wish All Lots of Intelligence !!

Yes, that’s right. This is what I wished this diwali. Had I gone crazy? Well, definitely a loud, ‘Yes’ is what I can hear. Yes I was saddened how things had turned up in office but that was not just it. Loads of sms and emails wishing all a happy and ‘SAFE’ diwali. What ‘SAFE’ ? The only safety this diwali was in getting buried 10 feet under !! Thank God you didn’t give us the idea to invent a diwali rocket which drills down to earth and blasts !!

Men are crazy little devils and girls are sweet angels !! I am yet to find a guy ( I don’t think this was guy. I can bet my life on this, but then I think of Romeo, Majnu and their 1 gram brains) who incepted this idea into the world. As kids boys like fast cars making noise and girls like quite Barbie dolls. As they grow up, boys like speed, sound and action, girls like peace, calm and serenity. Hmm.. this idiotic generalization is slowly becoming so very untrue. I can see girls riding fast cars, bikes and speaking awesome vocabulary in roadies. However, lets assume that this is true. Now, imagine if this is reversed. What if girls start liking cars and boys start liking Barbie dolls? The car would be found in the bath tub. You know she actually didn’t mean to do that, she was just trying to clean the car. Dumbness associated with madness is the most dangerous thing in this world. I realized this last Saturday night. Could have been easily my last !!


I don’t blast crackers anymore. May be I have lost interest or maybe I don’t like the smell, but I don’t buy them anymore. The noise and the sound pollution it causes is beyond the imagination. The ill effects, don’t talk about it. I am still suffering. On the Saturday night, the street was filled with ankle deep waste papers left over by those crackers. I could not see a thing in front of me. It was covered with smoke. The entire street. I had to go out to get something to eat. I am looking at the street for any bombs being just lit to blast. I dodged few. I had to concentrate very hard on the road. Suddenly I hear this hissing sound and I knew, I am done. Somebody has lit a cracker and its right behind me and this is it, defining moment of my life. Surprisingly the hissing sound came from top, the cracker is falling down, it crossed my eye sight, reached the ground, bounced once. All this is being played in slow motion. I don’t know what’s with human mind. In a life threatening situation when you know that this is it, there is no where you can go, nowhere to hide and nothing to do but watch, things just freeze and then there is a slow motion of events and then there is flash back of your entire life. All this in just seconds. Ask someone who was saved just seconds before drowning. So the cracker hits the road, bounces once, the hissing increases, its just about to explode, bounces twice right at my feet and fusssssssssssssssssss….. A big relief to me. I am looking at the cracker and can’t believe my eyes that it didn’t blast. I don’t know whom to thank, but right now I am in no mood to thank. I am in a mood to blast the person who sent this cracker flying over my head. So I look up to the terrace of the 2 storey building and am shocked at what I see. 3 beautiful girls with a candle in handle, giggling away in glory as if they have accomplished a successful bomb drop mission, ready to drop another one !! What should I say? Should I say, “Chooow Chweet, hooow innocent.” Or should I use my Bangalore vocabulary? Anyway I was too shocked to even move out of that place. I was not shocked at their beauty, I was shocked at their dumbness. Just then a old man, who was observing this across the shop shouts at the top of his voice and the girls just look at each other as if they are surprised. I felt like flying to the terrace like a bat man and drop them from there like a jocker. So the girls shouted back at that old man and ran away. Probably to pour oil on the burning man I guess !! :P

Thanks to the pollution and the weather, almost everyone I meet in Bangalore is sick with cold or fever since two days and obviously I haven’t escaped this either. I am suffering from fever and cold since 2 days and cant sleep at night because the crackers are being burst even after 10 pm till midnight. I felt like sticking a rocket to the persons rear, firing it up and saying, “The party is over my friend. Come back next diwali. I hope you enjoy your solo flight !!”. Folks, its over, stop bursting crackers, please be sensitive, if not for animals at least to your neighbors. Someday you will have a kid in house who will scream at every cracker you burst at night. Imagine how much pain small kids go through due to this sudden sound and air pollution. Many kids lost their eyesight. I don’t blame the kids. I blame their parents. A 10th standard kid committed suicide because his parent refused to allow him to play with crackers. What’s up with the kids nowadays?

We see the following things rise in our environment during diwali, cadmium, lead, copper, manganese, zinc, sodium, magnesium, potassium, nitrates, sulphur, phosphates, carbon monoxide. You name it and you have it. Is this what you would like to give to innocent kids?

Your choice.

“Give them sweets or kill them by feeding these metals”

“True, it’s the festival of lights, please spare the light of your life”

“Celebrate darkness to light not light to darkness.”

Check out eco friendly cracker.

My Story, Ur Story, Our Story: A tale of Tree, Creeper and a Bird !!

Far away in the jungle there lived a beautiful green creeper,

Covered the bark and branch of an old tree like armor

Creeper had beautiful bright fruits on it

A hungry tired bird rested on the branch for a bit

The bird from mystery land eats the fruit

Takes the seed in its beak and flies away on a pursuit

It sits on a small charming plant to rest

The seed is heavy, so drops it and flies to the west

After many years, the old bird comes across a beautiful tree

Decides to sit on the branch strong and dandy

“I haven’t seen anything beautiful than this” the bird claimed

“oh sweet bird, did you forget us?” The tree blamed

“Long ago you had rested on my tiny shoulders,

In return you had gifted me this seed, and now we are lovers”

The beauty you see around me is from this wonderful creeper

She is my life and our bounding has grown deeper and deeper

We have been through many tough weather and seasons

We have grown together even though we argue on many reasons

She makes me look special and I provide her the support

We are best friend, thanks for the seed, which you did once transport !!

Listening to this the bird replies,

“Oh my child, I am a messenger in disguise

He had sealed your fate long ago

I just carry out the His orders, now you know !!

Let no rain, sun, wind separate you both

Let love, peace, sanity help your growth”

The bird plucked one fruit from the tree and said,

“Marriages are made in heaven, but here on earth you wed”

Note: To all who have found there creeper and tree. To all who are waiting for the bird. To all who have grown beautifully complementing each other and set an example !!

RAINY AFFAIRS…… !!

The rain drops falls on the green leaf. The leaf bends as the rain drop slides over it. The drop reaches the tip of the leaf. The sun shine reflects from the drop. The rain drop looks like a droplet of glittering gold. The leaf cannot bear it anymore. The drop slips down on the still water, bounces and then falls again creating many ripples. The dead yellow leaf floating on the still water now dances along with the ripple. The water becomes still again, the yellow leaf tired after dancing is floating. The leaf is about to recover, just then another drop of rain falls on the leaf. The show continues…..

A child playing with water. The stream of water fascinates him. He creates a paper boat with love. Set it on sail along the stream of water. The boat dances down the stream. The boy follows with the wide smile and jumping with joy, clapping hands. The boat collides with the rock and turns upside down. The smile fades. Just then, the frog lying lazily on the rock jump near the boat. The boat turns back and starts dancing down again. The smile returns. Mom calls the boy inside home. The boy runs away. The boat reaches pool, it tired and wet, dives to the bottom. The frog is back on the rock.

The clothes are hanging and swinging to the music of the wind. A woman runs to catch them before it rains again. One of the mischievous clothes jumps and fly’s away. The woman follows it. The clothe hides on the top of the bush. The woman reaches out to catch it. Just then the wind blows and the clothe escapes flying high. The frown on the face, she looks down. The clothe swings in the wind teasing the woman. The wind stops, the clothe floats down swinging from one end to another and falls on the feat of the woman. The smile returns.

A small girl with her yellow raincoat and pink umbrella swirls it splashing the water. She jumps on the puddle of water. The water escapes from the puddle and falls on the neighboring puddle. She giggles. The girl follows and jumps on the other puddle. The water escapes again. They play this catch me if you can until she reaches home. A woman talks to her and the girl is looking down at her shoes. The smile is gone. The woman returns inside house. The girl jumps on the nearby puddle, and both the water and girl giggle to glory.

White smoke is gushing out of the chimney from far. It reaches out meet the rainbow. The bird is curious fly’s towards it to watch it. Somewhere in the fields a peacock spreads her beautiful feather and makes a jig to compete with the rainbow. A flash of light and thunder. The dog runs to take shelter. He looks at me and wags his tail, curious to know why I was spreading my arms and enjoying the rain drops on my face and palm. The rain drops pierces through my face and my soul. I am neither in future nor in past. This is a magical moment, wherein the heaven comes to meet me. This is one of THE moments of my life time!!

DAWN 2 DUSK !!

Dawn to Dusk is the story of my life

‘Me, I, We to They’ is a long strife

Hey it’s ‘Me’. The center of everyone’s world

Just arrived, with my fingers all curled

Never felt so fearless and bold

‘My little sweet pie” she told

Sucking thumb was so much fun

They fooled me with pacifier, but hey thanks’ a ton!!

Dawn to Dusk is the story of my life

‘Me, I, We to They’ is a long strife

I am the world’s greatest man

Nothing is impossible, always thought ‘I can’

Everything starts and ends with me,

For all the locks in this world, I am the only key

Dawn to Dusk is the story of my life

‘Me, I, We to They’ is a long strife

‘We’ is such a fantastic thing

I felt like having a pair of wing

There is something in life and love

Even my little jimmy agrees, ‘bow-wow’

Dawn to Dusk is the story of my life

‘Me, I, We to They’ is a long strife

‘They’ have been so good to me

In this world, they gave me everything without a fee

Who am ‘I’? It’s all about ‘them’,

I am just a dying leaf, they are the stem.

Dawn to Dusk is the story of my life

‘Me, I, We to They’ is a long strife

reb-RA-ding Rs. 007/-

Well, I know i know. Its been long loooong looooooooooooooooong time. And I have not been here, nor read any of your blogs, since long loooong looooooong time. So throw the rotten tomatos or eggs at my blog, I will take it(well, its your monitor anyway).




So, I have many things to write and share but I think I will just take it slow instead of finishing it in one post and confusing the s*** out of you and me !!



“What on earth is that title? Are you mad?” - That’s one of my friend here giving me a wierd look.



“It is creativity my friend.”



“You are right. I dont understand and I am sure none of the people outside mental hospital will understand either”



”What? Whatever”



So, have you got to watch, listen and talk about the new Rs symbol? I am sure you would have ( sun sunkey kaan paak gaye, uh? )



I like this symbol. Well i didnt know the meaning, but somehow I felt it kewl !! U know what I mean. So, since I find it kewl, I know I cant just sit quitely without doing something about it. So, I did this. I know I am the biggest brand(poda poruki, barri oolu). Let me finish. I know I am the biggest brand untill I step out of the house door, I decided to use the symbol this way and share it with my friends. Now, whoever has got ’R' (Raj is even better :P) in their name, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, spread the kewl symbol !!

Get set GO>>>Download font and use it

MY…..

My life is a never ending dream

The one that makes you beam

There is peace, calm and never ending ocean

Away from all the day’s commotion

Some don’t want you to dream

They disturb you with a scream

They are like an alarm clock.

Make sure you hit the snooze and always block.

My view is a jumbled up symbols and punctuations

Stars, questions and exclamations

Philosophy, Science if not miracles

Listening to the mind, my sweet heart giggles.

They will think you are crazy

Dull, brooding and lazy

But hey, isn’t questioning and reasoning, man’s greatest tool?

How did you think we invented wheels and discovered fire, you fool?

My mind is a mixture of past, present and future

I could never get a better teacher.

My heart powers my mind, pumps in the fuel

Keep it pure: will help your mind to overcome and endure

Some say nothing else matters

Be in present and imagine pleasant pictures

But hey, careful: Past provides experience and wisdom

Future provides hope and Present is all about freedom:

Oh “MY …….”

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” - ROCKY

He is the guy who TRIED !!

He is not the guy who cried.

Look at the guy, who tried.

Angry faces, shouting loud

Changing plans, nothing to be proud

The time bomb, on his back

Inside a heavy sack

He is not the guy who cried.

Look at the guy, who tried.

Pointing fingers, no one to care

Make a mistake, you dare

Slave of the rude master

Death was never so faster

He is not the guy who cried.

He is the guy, who tried.

They set him on fire

Called him worthless to admire

Beat him down to the floor

Pushed him out of the door

But hey,

He is not the guy who cried.

He is the guy, who tried.

The end is so near

Crowd gathered around in fear

One question on everyone’s mind

How could this guy be defined?

He said,” I am not the guy who cried”

Look at me; I am the guy who tried!!

Someday I will Just FLY !!!!

Someday I will fly high,

Don’t ask me why, I can’t lie!!

You act like you own me,

Eveready to loan me.

I am neither your favorite toy,

Nor the next door cute boy.

Someday I will fly high,

Don’t ask me why, I can’t lie!!

You are not my teacher,

You sound more like a preacher.

I know standing on my way fascinates you,

But hey, Raj with an ‘a’, Raja is king, got any clue?

Someday I will fly high,

Don’t ask me why, I can’t lie!!

I am neither the apple of your eye,

Nor a cute little sweet pie,

You ask me to be doctor, engineer and what not,

But please, allow me to be me, thanks a lot!!

Someday I will fly high,

Don’t ask me why, I can’t lie!!

One day I wake up and realize,

I am just one face of the dice.

You roll me and toss me on the board of life,

To fall face up or face down is my lifelong strife.

Someday I will fly high,

Don’t ask me why, I can’t lie!!

Judiciary Or Mockery !! This is also my India :(

Dec 10, 2009, Times of India, main page. “All 17 acquitted in Dinakaran case.” I could not get any more frustrated, angry and helpless. I mean sometimes for this reason, I feel like quitting reading the news paper in the morning.




May 10, 2007. My early days of blogging in Ch1blogs. The previous day I had blogged This happens in India, sharing my happiness and pride. The next day was a total opposite. I had shared my frustration and anger because of an incident. This also happens only in India. A mob supported by the local politician burned down entire news paper office killing 3 young people in broad day light. The incident captured on tv and pictures. Captured while the culprits were executing this horrendous act and yet. Yet, today’s news just broke my heart.



“All 17 acquitted in Dinakaran case”. Reason? The witnesses who had come forward initially, turned hostile. If my heart could break like this, imagine the situation of the family members who lost their probably the only bread winner. The person they loved. I know the politician might have given a token money to them, but can they return the life? Can they return the emptiness they have caused? And for what? Just a dispute between supporters of two political brothers, to show who is stronger than the other.



Imagine the condition of those police officers who filed so many charges and yet the judiciary let them down making a joke out of their job. Instead they will be blamed for negligence. The two parties who were responsible for this later patched up. But not before, they made many profitable investments in the name of power show and revenge. So, you see. They made a million bucks of 3 innocent life’s.



I am angered because our system is so pathetic that it can’t protect a witness. I mean, where did all the talks about witness protection plan go? Well, I know why? Because If you do that, then who will protect you from your own ill doings?



The need of the hour is a solid witness protection system. Until that is done; all these devils will play with our judiciary and created a mockery out of it. Really shameful!!



My heart is with the relatives of the people who lost their loved ones in this act. I can only pray that, you receive enough strength and courage to re appeal and wait not until justice delivered.

PULLING OUT THE STOPS: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres led by Madurai Mayor G. Thenmozhi (marked by a circle) at the gates of the offices of Dinakaran and Sun TV in Madurai. DMK Corporation Councillor A. Manickam holds up a burning copy of Dinakaran.
 

SHOCKED PROTEST: Sun TV Network employees stage a road roko on the Madurai-Melur Highway with the body of a security guard who died in the violence at their office.

DEATH AT WORK: The sisters of Vinod, a computer engineer, who died in the violence, grieve.


Pics courtesy : Times of India

2 B or Not 2 B, in the present !!

Well, talk about absent mindedness and my cousin is the first one to pop in my mind. He has done everything in the realm of absentmindedness. Used move(pain relieving balm) as toothpaste, Iodex as jam, kept the books in refrigerator and milk packet in oven, blasted a cooker and almost kitchen by not keeping any water and leaving it on stove for hours. You name it and he will claim the credit. However, I think a small amount of absentmindedness has rubbed on to me as well, considering the fact that blood is thicker than water.(keep guessing what this means, because I really don’t know much.)




So, let me tell you this incident that happened few weeks ago. Every day at 7 :45 pm ( not even one minute less or more), I go to cafeteria to have my dinner. So as usual, I came out of my working area and then went straight towards the elevator, swiped my access card and waited for elevator. After 1 minute, I see that the elevator never stopped at my floor and jumped to the next floor. With so much of anger, I took my card towards the display to swipe it again. There, that’s when I realized what I was doing. I felt like digging a hole and burying my head in it like ostrich. A had a quick look left and right, thanked God that no one watched my antics and then looked at the cctv camera and gave a wide grin, just in case they had watched my show. ( I could imagine the security guys watching the footage ROFL)



Anyway, the same week, I had enacted one more show which left me hours in washroom. I drink a cup of milk( well technically it’s a cup of milk in a 3/4th cup , half filled. You know what I mean) at 12 noon from coffee day in 3rd floor. Now, I work at 5th floor. So as usual I took the staircase to 3rd floor, got the milk cup and headed straight to the elevator. Two guys with a cup of coffee in their hand and Microsoft .net theory in their mouth followed me. We all entered the lift. I leaned back on the wall at the far end of the elevator and the other two guys were busy with their .NET stuff. The elevator stops at 4th floor. Now, this is where everything goes wrong. Enters a beautiful female. She takes the position, right in front of the lift door. I looking at these two guys. Surely, the conversation has now moved over from .NET to WHATNEXT, in no time. So I am busy looking at their reaction( I promise in all my hosh that I was not looking at the girl) and forgot about the milk cup in my hand. I raise my hand to settle my hair which is now partially blocking my view. Dosshhh. The milk cup slips from my hand and my black trouser now looked much like Jeetendra’s white trousers. The girl turns back and gives me that, “what the hell were you doing? Checking me out? Boyz, huh” look and leaves me the way to get out at 5th floor. It took half an hour to clean my trouser and dry it like Mr. Bean.



Ok, these are nothing. I mean, I have done a lot of these in office. Not that I am proud of these, but you know. Things happen :D. Well the main story begins now. Last year, December, I was at my home town. The entire family of 71 odd had gathered in my grandmother’s house to take part in her 1st death anniversary. So my uncle gives me his 2 wheeler ( Hero Honda CD 100 in which the only part that runs properly is wheels), and he tells me to take my cousin to his house and get some coconuts. So I start the bike and with my cousin we head to uncles house. We reach there in no time because its just 2 kilometers away and I took the liberty to test the wheels ( as if it is a brand new racing bike in town). Anyway, so my aunty greets us and my cousin collects coconut and packs it in gunny bag. I started the bike and we zoomed off. This time I wanted to better my lap timing so I rode like devil. However, I spoke about how I missed my hometown and all that while I was riding. So I reach my grandmothers house in 2 mintues and all my relatives are gathered at the entrance of the house. For some reason some are smiling, some are laughing and some little kids are rolling on floor laughing their guts out. As I slow the bike to stop, my uncle asks in his usual booming voice.



Uncle: “Where is Kiran( my cousin) ?



Well, for a fraction of second I thought. “Can’t you see?” and I turned back. To my utter disbelief, Kiran has vanished. My heart is pounding at the rate of the silencer which is cooling down. I mean, how on earth did this happen. I know I rode like a devil. Did I drop him somewhere in the middle of the road? I looked at everyone with a faint smile and an expression which is mixed with shock, disbelief, more questions and fear. Finally, one of my cousin controls her laughter and she kindly gives me the explanation.



Cousin: Aunty called on my mobile sometime ago, just after you left the house there. She narrated the incident. This is what happened.



Recap.



I started the bike. I am looking absolutely straight with the only aim to race the bike and improve the timing. Therefore, as I feel something heavy on the back seat, I ask like a hero, “Ready?”



Kiran has actually kept the coconut gunny bag on the seat and then was planning to sit. When I asked him if he was ready, this idiot thought I was asking about coconut bag and he said yes.



So when I heard the word, “Ready” I just zoomed off. It seems Kiran pulled the bag out as I zoomed off. I didn’t even realize this.



I mean, while riding back, I was wondering why Kiran was not responding to anything I was saying about me missing my hometown? I was speaking so much and he was not speaking a word. Perhaps, the current revelation explains that :D. He didn’t exist. :D. Now, including the kids laugh when they look at my face. I mean for kids, they were so much amused that such a thing can happen for real and not only in movies :D



So, that’s about absent mindedness. But you know, I always say, “badi badi desho mey, choti choti bathey hothi rehthi hey !!”



Look @ Einstein’s reaction for what i said,

2 Sleep or Not 2 Sleep ?

Ok, we all know some people tend to fall asleep when they are travelling in bus, train, ship, aero plane, bicycles. Yeah right, bicycles and bikes too. You might argue. How could someone sleep while riding a motor bike. Well, ask my friend. No one dares to take a lift from him, no matter how much he offers. The guy sleeps while riding and has recorded the maximum number of accidents. A doctor had asked him to take a car instead of riding a bike. The RTO officer rejected to give the 4 wheeler license, when our sleeping beauty dozed off while taking the driving test leaving the RTO inspector shouting for help. No, that part is not entirely true. In fact his wife said, “Well doctor, he is fine with bike. Don’t ask him to drive the car and thereby increase the casualty.” We all nodded in unison. I know it’s not normal. He has got a complicated breathing problem for which he is taking the medication and practicing the breathing exercise. Hopefully, he won’t fall asleep while doing those pull your tummy in and out form of yoga.




Anyway, climb any cognizant bus and you will hear this strange rock music with sub woofers at the back seats of the bus. Yeah, our associates are not bad at sleeping and snoring to the glory either. Most of them are girls. Most of the time, you will find them getting up from their ‘alice in dubious land’ dream and looking out of window, rub the eyes, look out again and get shocked when they know that they have missed their stop. Then there is 100 mts dash to the front of the bus shouting, “Anna stop, anna stop”. Anna doesn’t know what on earth has happened. He gives this smart smiling look with a contrasting thought, “you want me to stop at the middle of the road? Which world were you in?”. Anyway, talking about drivers. Have you watched these Sathyabama college buses? Well, not buses, hell transporters you might say. One of the students told me that, these drivers will not stop for a group of boys but if a single girl waves her hand, they will stop immediately. Oh how I wish, women take up bus driving.



Gosh, this is the second time, I am moving away from the topic. Topic? When did I start? Well, I didn’t. In fact I don’t have any agenda in this post. It looks like I am stuck with this self created,1000 thoughts image. Got to shake it off somehow. Anyway, talking about ‘Sleepwell in Shuttle’ (Is this proposition, preposition, opposition? Miss office communicator or Megz might be interested.) Well, boyz are different. I know few trainees who just hit ctrl+alt+del and doze off in front of their monitor and the team lead working next to him/her is only amused at the guys/gals guts. Now that, I have told what I didn’t intent to tell, let me tell you the real reason to start this post.



On one of our limited engineering vacations, I and my cousin decided to go to my aunts place, shimoga in Karnataka. Now, let me overload you with few facts. I had been to shimoga from Bangalore in train only once, few years ago. My cousin had not been to shimoga in train from Bangalore. So that means, I am the senior traveler. The know all guy. The last time I went, it was a direct train and was a 4 hr journey( which I am not sure ). All the stations in and around shimoga look the same and has the same architecture. Harihara is a place at least 2 hour away from shimoga, by road.( which doesn’t really exist).



Now, my cousins father, drops us at the station at 6:30, cold Bangalore morning. He gets us tickets and we happily boarded the train. We are a little saddened by the fact that, the birds were not interested in our compartments. We found few flying across towards the neighboring one. Anyway, my cousin had a book to read and I had my 1000 thoughts to think about looking outside the window. After some 3 hours the train makes a comparatively longer stop at some station.



My cousin, “how long to shimoga?”



Me : Well, it’s been only 3 hours. Probably 1 more hour.



Cousin : “Are you sure?”



Me : “well I have travelled once. Can I be wrong?”



Cousin : rolling eyes. Goes back to book.



After 1 hour, still no shimoga.



Cousin: “Perhaps we should ask someone.”



Me : “Perhaps you should ask someone.”



Cousin : Goes back to book



After 2 hrs.



Me: “I think you are right. We should ask someone.”



Cousin : “right. You should ask someone”



Me: Ok ok. I am gonna ask.



I walk to this guy gorging on groundnuts and.



Me: “How long to Shimoga?”



The nut guy : “Shimoga?”



Me: Dumbo. “Yeah!!”



The nut guy: “Where are you coming from?”



Me: “Bangalore”



For some strange reason the nut guy starts smiling, then laughing, then rolling out of laughter and before he could do anything more, my cousin comes in.



Cousin: “what the hell is happening?”



Me: “well, the guy, was eating nuts and now it looks like he has become one nut case now !!”



The nut case: “Hero. You are in the wrong train. This is going to Harihara. Will reach in another 10 min.”



Cousin: “What?”



Me: “what?”



Me (Looking at cousin) : “This guy has gone nuts. Well, your father couldn’t be wrong. Could he?”



Cousin: “Well no. it’s the right ticket and train.”



After 10 mintues.



Me: “Man, this is Harihara. But this station looks familiar man. I have seen this last time. I think we have to get down at harihara and then take a auto to shimoga. I think that’s what I did last time.”



Cousin: “Ok then, let’s get out of station”



We start walking and walk straight into the ticket checker at the gate.



TC: “ticket please”



Cousin: “here” ( proudly gives the ticket)



TC : ( looks at me and then at the ticket 4 times. I was about to say, “sir, its ticket not a id card” ) : “yavanige hutidiya ley, sulle maganey” ( well I don’t want to translate this. The people in this part of Karnataka address both their friends and enemies with the same gaalies, which if you hear, will either commit suicide or blow the head off. My cousin who doesn’t understand too much of kannada looks at me for explanation. I was about to tell him that, the show has just begun. That was the introduction)



Me : “Sir?”



TC: “You buffalos. This is ticket to shimoga and you have come to Harihara”



Me : “Sir. I am confused. How did this miracle happen?”



TC : “Ley maganey. When this train reaches the junction station in between Bangalore and Shimoga, half of the compartments are removed and attached to the train going to Harihara. The other half continues to Shimoga. You have sat on the other half and you didn’t even change the compartments in that station.



ME : “What?” (Hmm that explains why the train stopped for so long after 3 hours. This happens only in India)



TC: “Now that you are here. Technically, you have travelled from Bangalore to harihara half way, without ticket. So, pay the fine”



So, we pay the fine. Walk outside and ask this auto guy.



Me: “Sir, Shimoga?”



Auto guy : “Shimoga?” Starts smiling, laughing and before he could roll. “It takes 2 hours in bus. You think I am fool. Go take a bus” Another shower of praises followed.



We take a bus which is probably not upgraded since independence and we travel on the road which was never there. In fact it was like some stretch of land on mars with holes as big as those craters created by asteroids.



Anyway, finally, as the sun set, we reached Shimoga and aunts house only to be made fun of. They still make fun of us, every time we meet.



So, you see. You don’t have to sleep to miss the stop. You could have the right ticket, right train, eyes wide open and yet miss few things. Probably that’s what I like about India. It never stops surprising you !!



My cousin? Well, he never travelled with me again.



Me? Well, I had once booked a train ticket to my home town from Chennai and was boasting about it till the last day because nobody was getting a ticket. On the last day when I was showing the ticket to my friend boasting about it, he started to smile, then laugh, then rolling on the floor. I looked at the ticket closely only to find out that, I have booked a ticket in the train, which goes all around the south India before reaching home town after 24hours. No wonder, so many tickets were available on that train.

To BRIBE an innocents life!!

26/11 will be etched in our memory and probably in minds of many generations to come. There is something different about this when compared to all the previous attacks. This one, emphasized the fact that no one national or country is free of terrorist acts. This also, made us stand up and fight instead of boasting about our resilience.




Once resilient means show of inner strength. Twice resilient means cowardice.



We have been hurt more than once. This time, we will not forget, will not forgive, we are still waiting & watching!!



Everything said and done. Some of our own people are equally responsible for what has happened.



We as citizen on India have a greater responsibility to stop terror. One must not forget that when you accept bribe for unlawful acts, you are no less than the terrorists who kill innocents. Because, every bribe taken, aids the bigger plan of terrorists. Headly, couldn’t just come to India and do so much, just by him. There are Indians who have helped him. Some unknowingly and others were bribed.



A RTO inspector who takes bribe to provide DL for a person, who doesn’t pass the test, is in fact trading some innocent’s life on the road.



A traffic cop, who accepts the bribe to allow the drunken driver to carry on riding, is also trading an innocent’s life on road who could be absolute teetotaler.



A registrar, who accepts the bribe to register an illegal land, is allowing the land mafia to peek its ugly head.



A flat owner who accepts black money from the buyer, who doesn’t have required papers, could be allowing a terrorist or an illegal business to flourish at his place.



One was arrested at Indira Gandhi airport suspected to be a spy and several defense and sensitive documents were recovered. The nuclear installations were then put on high alert. Someone from inside was surely bribed to get the documents.



The two important arrests made recently whose footsteps retraced lead to various important installations in India. They were provided the multiple entry visas by Indian consulate in Chicago, apparently overlooking the rules stipulated by Home ministry. Could this be a mistake or sure case of bribery?



Not all break laws. A Mumbai based property dealer rejected Headly’s plea to get a house for him, for not furnishing the required documents. Arguably Headly had asked the broker to shut up and mind only the money he was providing to make this deal. However, the broker simply put his foot down. Talk about business ethics, integrity and this is an apt example.



After 26/11 there has been increased effort by Indian and the intelligence agencies of the nationalities which were affected, to share the information. Thanks to this, we probably have averted a major 26/11 this time. However, it has come to light that a lot of Indians have helped these two terrorists to move around and plan within India. Some might have unknowingly helped but many others were bribed to do one or the other unlawful favor.



Then why do people accept bribe? Perhaps, like global warming, the answer to this too lies in ones selfishness. Selfish because, we have been knowingly continuing with unwise, illegal practices because of a belief that we may never personally have to pay the consequences for the results, but that eventually someone else will.



Perhaps, it’s time to realize that all laws are not meant to be broken. Find out the reason why laws are created. Let’s follow the law, because each law broken could cost some innocents life or a broken home!!



For people who are selfish and don’t think twice before accepting bribe, God forbid, if there is another 26/11, it could cost your loved one’s life. The life, which you can’t bring back, no matter how much you bribe, because God it seems can’t be bribed. Be the GOD!!



“May the soul of innocents and heroes who lost their life, rest in peace while we stand tall and face the devils. Also, may the broken hearts and homes of those who are left alone, find peace in their fight and struggle to meet the future!!”

SHE CHOSE HER over HIM !!

When her little younger daughter turned 20 days old, her husband told her that she could either abandon the child or leave him. The reason being he wanted a boy.




She chose her two little kids over married life!!



She took up the odd job and tuitions to raise her daughters.



Sometimes her kids had fever, but she would give them ginger tea or make them drink water so that she could save doctors fees of Rs 40 to 50 which she would use to buy stationary for school instead.



She would undo the hem and iron it when her daughter’s school skirts became short.



She would work tirelessly and her little daughters understood that.



Her little daughter, now grown up would earn her pocket money by doing some modeling assignment which eventually led her to the Miss India Pageant.



The little daughter, now 23, who was rejected by her father and loved immensely by her mother and sister, is none other than Pooja Chopra, Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2009.



The world salutes her mother. The woman, with determination as strong as steel and a heart of gold, Neeru Chopra !! The true MOTHER INDIA !!



At the same time, I can’t come to terms with the cruelty of few coward Martians who neither know love nor can be loved. But destiny is a strange thing. Like shahrukh in OSO, “Aur aaj, is baat ka bhi yakeen ho gaya, ki humari filmon ki tarah humari zindagi mein bhi end mein sab theek ho jaata hai.Happys Endings. Aur agar, aur agar theek na ho to woh the end nahin hai” ( I got to know this today. Like in movies, in the end, our life too ends in a good way. Happy ending. If it is not good, then it is not the end. )

They Called Me CRAZY !! GO CRAZYyy>>>

I patrol the New York’s party and bar scene,

Saving drunken women from men who are opportunistic and mean.

They called me crazy.

I am Terrifica.

I travelled backwards from year 2039

To save earth’s future and make it fine.

I show up at grade schools, hemp festivals with perfect synergy,Create video documentary on environmentalism and renewable energy

They called me crazy.

I am Captain Ozone.

I am the one man vigilant force roaming in the dark at Kent and London,

destroying the wheel clamp from cars of unhappy drivers with angles grinder and no gun.

They called me crazy.

I am Angle-Grinder Man.

I wear red tights and a red and yellow wrestler’s mask,

Fighting crime and corruption is my task.

I use my image to organize labor rallies and protests, and file petitions

They called me crazy.

I am Superbarrio, and Mexico is my station.

I shovel snow from the steps and walkways of the elderly in the winter,

Straighten out swings and keeps playgrounds tidy in the summer.

I prowl the streets at night when there are none,Keeping an eye out for vandals and hooligans.

They called me crazy.

I am the hero of Iqaluit, I am Polar Man

We give Christmas gift to the homeless.

They called us crazy

We are Team Justice.

I aid the homeless and others in need

They called me crazy.

I am Geist of Minnesota

My mission is to save motorists from receiving

Irritating and expensive parking tickets

They called me crazy

I am the Parking Angel

I lost my big multinational company job in this economic downturn

I now raise fund for children and the homeless who have none.

They call me crazy

I am Mr. Ravenblade

Yes they are crazy, because a crazy can change the world and the rest only talk.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” - Mahatma Gandhi

This world needs more and more crazy people.GO CRAZY >>>

Happy Birthday SRK !!

“If I can, You too can “

“There’s always been a patriarch for every field. He leads, people follow. He takes new paths — praised if he’s successful, derided if he fails. But then somebody has to do the job. Somebody has to invent for the others to reinvent. Somebody has to stand up for our fifty six year old philosophy — for the people, by the people, to the people. Shah Rukh Khan did just that. He invades areas where no actor has ever been.



A clear brand philosophy and a brilliant understanding of mass psyche has been the strength of the SRK product. He is probably the best brand ever churned out by Indian industry. Outrageous and outspoken in his interviews, he played to the masses and boy did he play it right. Then there is the proverbial pinch of salt. With which SRK takes himself. While his work reflects his passion, there has always been that wry black humour that grounds his reality. He has consistently stripped the idealistic glamour from his profession by branding himself a performer.



Shahrukh Khan had stepped into the film world as an outsider, a young man bereaved from the loss of his parents, seeking solace, work and passion in an alien world. Today, this outsider is the most familiar member in every fan’s household. A journey that led from a suburban housing colony in New Delhi into the homes, hearts and minds of innumerable fans all over the world, a journey that transcended boundaries of nations, and the artificial barriers of culture.” — Mushtaq Shiekh, Author (Shahrukh Khan : Still reading khan)



Thank you SRK for giving millions hearts the hope and inspiration to succeed against all odds.

“One Night” short story contest - English - ‘8:00pm-Nothing2Everything@8:00am’

I did pocket the black ball and it’s the fourth game I won. I looked at my watch. It showed 8:00 pm. I wondered when I had changed the 24hr mode to 12hr mode. The date displayed was 25-10-2020. Somebody has messed up with my watch, I thought. I decided to probe into this matter once I reached my room. It must be my roommates. It’s been 4 hours since me and my friend Ravi got into the Pool Shack. No matter how much Ravi tried, he never won a game of 9 ball pool. Few mugs of beer had reduced my response time by few minutes. I looked at Ravi and waved him good bye.


I made it to the ground floor of Pool Shack. Missed few step in between; hit a guy coming up, carrying a red heavy bag, who looked more sloshed than me. I wondered why they didn’t have an elevator. I felt an elevator is a must when they serve alcohol at anywhere above and below the ground floor. It is generally cold in Bangalore in mid October, but strangely I was sweating already. I thought, may be the beer was messing up my body temperature control mechanism as well.


I crossed the busy airport road and reached the hospital end of the road. It was pretty unusual, because I have been here so many times but never really observed the other half of the road and the hospital. Perhaps I would be too eager to go to Pool Shack and get sloshed. Therefore, never really paid attention to anything else.

I think I heard a siren crying its heart out from few kilometers away. At least I thought it was few kilometers away or perhaps its somewhere in the vicinity and the beer in me is messing up my natural Doppler theory. I looked right and then turned back to check if it was an ambulance coming towards the hospital. The crying became more and more irritating and loud. Now I could hear the sound of chopper as well. I wondered if this was a hi-tech hospital and it has got choppers to get the patients. But the siren sound nullified that theory. I looked in all directions. People on street stood still and they were as amused and confused as my 1 year old nephew in wet nappy.

The sound grew louder and louder. Few kids on the other side of streets were pointing at the sky behind me. I turned around and I couldn’t believe my eyes. 5 choppers flying in a perfect circle formation. In the center of this formation, I could see a white chopper. No, it couldn’t have been chopper. It was triangular in shape. Like those stealth planes we see in television. Now I knew what was crying so loud. It was almost deafening now. People rushed to the roads. Traffic came to stand still. No one moved an inch. Even the street dogs hogging on the free food inside the corporation dust bin, stood still in amusement with straight ears.

The triangular thing hovered over the shack point. The choppers which looked like they are guarding this thing matched its movement. The triangular thing, threw a wide ray of red light. It looked like it was scanning the entire area. It aligned itself to the Pool Shack. The beer effect in me had vanished looking at this spectacle. It seemed to be more evident now that the Pool Shack is going to be attacked. Everyone ran for cover. I tried calling my friend, but the network is jammed. I couldn’t just believe what was happening. I crossed the road and searched for my friend. I couldn’t see him. People were running all around. The triangular thing sent out 3 straight blue lights down towards the Pool Shack, forming a cylindrical shape of probably 2 feet diameter. The light pierced through everything. I put my food forward towards the Pool Shack and suddenly, there was a deafening screeching sound. There was some kind of activity within this invisible cylinder. The entire space within the cylinder exploded into flames, but neither the flames and nor the particles came out of the cylinder.

The entire formation of flying choppers vanished out of sky in no time. Before people could rush to the spot, there were NSG commandos who had cordoned the area. I never realized this.

I ran to my room and switched on the TV. My mobile was now working. I called Ravi. He had followed me outside the Pool Shack to get a cigarette. He shared the same story. I flipped the channels and stood still when the reporter in a news channel announced, “Defense minister of India, will address the media in a short while.” The defense minister looked jubilant, contrary to the recent occurring.



He announced, “Today, at 20:08, India successfully tested its, Unmanned Arial bomb scanner and laser guided diffuser called Garuda. Garuda is placed at strategic locations. It takes less than minute for Garuda to detect, track and destroy the bomb. It also leads the choppers carrying the commandos who then cordon the site and aid the investigation. Garuda detected the bomb at the Pool Shack, Airport Road Bangalore at 20:02. It not only guided the 5 NSG choppers to the blast site, but also cordoned the bomb with its bomb isolation technique. The bomb which was attached with a timer device went off before it could be defused by Garuda, but the high tech laser bomb isolator was used by Garuda to form a controlled explosion. Many defense scientists have been working day and night on Garuda project which was started on 2009, took 11 years and it has been completed at the cost of 200 billion rupees. This is a great success for this developed country which is surrounded by enemies on all sides. Further details on this live test will be provided in few hours. Thank you.”

I somehow knew that bomber was the guy I saw carrying red bag while coming down the Pool Shack. I was too tired to be sure. I was too tired to think anymore.

I was shocked, amused and tired of all the incidents. It was too much for this tired sloshed mind. I went to bed. I couldn’t sleep peacefully. All the events replayed in my mind. I could hear the sound of choppers. It was faint and then loud. It couldn’t be a dream. I woke up. I looked at my watch. It was 6:30. I couldn’t take another similar incident anymore. My heart was pounding faster than my head because of hang over. I ran to the balcony. 4 choppers so close to my third floor apartment flew across the blue sky. I looked at the beach and the blue sea and then at the horizon. I just couldn’t believe this. I ran to the door, grabbed the news paper. On the front page, I read, “39 killed in Baghdad blast”. I glanced at the date on the top. 26 October 2009, Chennai.

It took me time to recap the entire previous night episode. I had been to Pool Shack to play pool. It was on the OMR road opposite to the Life Line hospital. Just when I was crossing the road an ambulance with loud siren had just turned into the hospital gate. Someone burst the rocket which was left over during diwali. The rocket sparked brilliant colors in the sky. Few kids jumped in joy. I took my mobile out to call Ravi, so that I could make out the address. There was no network. That was followed with a big blast of crackers which made a deafening noise and smoke. I wondered why on earth where they doing this in the vicinity of hospital. I was sweating profusely though it was October end and I thought that if was in Bangalore at this time, it would have been cold.

I was tired, sloshed when I reached home. I changed my watch to 24hr mode. I flipped the tv channels and halted at a news channel which showed the breaking news, “Blast in Baghdad”. I switched off the tv and went to sleep.

As I sat their realizing and re tracing everything, I wondered how amazing is human mind. It had weaved a dream for me with all the things which were totally unrelated. I could only admire this marvelous mind which had created EVERYTHING from really NOTHING that happened at 8:00pm. I looked at my watch. It was 8:00 am. I told myself, “huh,8:00pm-NOthing2Everything@8:00am”

Time to stop dreaming and work!!

Yeah you heard me. Stop dreaming, go back to work!!

“Why Drink and Drive, when you can, Drink and Dream”