all Gyan BIG & small

After a really really long time, coming back to the blogging world, and hope to post regularily. While I am at it, I am also trying to clean up some of my old post (for colour and font issues) due to the new template :). While I must have lost most of my readers, I recollect that a blog is not written with the intent of gaining readers, rather as a place to express one's own ideas. Cheers!

When was the last time we really did not google and made up our own damn mind about any issue, or not go with the “popular” data consensus of the first 10 results? I see this degenerate thing of “believing” that if it’s on Google it’s right , or even worse – think that “if it’s not on Google, then its wrong” – Want a sample – try googling, “Is sex real?” – hehehhe, and Voila you will get some really bad links, but the point is, we just skip past the question and even ignore it . Now let’s google – “Are women idiots?” - and yes before you can reach for my throat, yes, google “Are Men Idiots” too, and yes, you can have rather strong arguments about each, with psycho analysis, and based on what you want (being male or female), the data magically seems to build up – while we know that the intent of the questions could have been much different that the way they are worded. Now with the “data”, again we forget why the question was asked, and go down the path of glorious distractions,...

That’s my theme for the blog marathon (if I can call it that). Let me go back in time – once long ago, really really long ago, when man was still in the Garden of Eden, and springs of water came up from the land to water the plants, and all the man had to do, was to enjoy God’s presence and enjoy all that he was given – there was no leverage! – And then quoting Milton – “Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of EDEN, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top Of OREB, or of SINAI, didst inspire…..” And man’s solution to the Woe was primarily based on leverage – A leverage of future possibilities for an exchange price for the present. So - I will write about leverage of time, of money, of love, or relationships, of God, of religion, of politics and much more. So – my audience - what is the first ‘leverage’ topic I shou...

That’s the word on my mind these days! I wonder how and why we subscribe, chase and almost kill ourselves and everyone else, with an overdose of everything. Quality is fast being replaced with Quantity – Yes, I want those 300 links from Google, but after the endless surfing, often wonder – how I wish someone just gave what was needed – Just exactly to the point. Walk to a coffee shop, tired and zonked, and you ask for a simple double shot – “sir – would you like chocolate sauce with this? Add extra shot of coffee (hehehhe yes – that happened for real), want whipped cream on this – ewwww !!! - and you wonder, where were those days, when you just got that one shot of coffee. Yes, there are days you want to indulge, but then - most days are normal and you just want your good old simple stuff. The breadth, width, height, density and viscosity of information often kills the beauty of the entire being / thing / transaction. (This statement is an example of it – I could have simply said – hey...

....And I write this from a place you are violated in every sense of the word, by heat, by strong cigarette odour, stinky armpits, no personal space etc etc. But what really tests your resolve, is being bombarded with music on FM phones in every direction and with loud chatter on the phones. Yes, we all grew in an economy of - 'the more(you get), the more your value for money', but all of us some where forgot what cacophony, life has turned into, and that too quite literally!!! Be it being rudely woken up to Ayyappa chants, or a competing sound from the masjid or now even churches - you are sleep deprived!! And the worst part - if you as much as make a suggestion to reduce the volume, all hell will break loose. Of the few things that I really like to see my Country change, is getting a lil more quiet. I wonder if we are rapidly loosing the ability to listen to anyone or anything, as we are always hearing way too much than we ought too. Ecoutez le silence !!!!! S...

Yes, as much as I am bugged reading all the news about this clandestine (had to use that word) wedding, I chanced up on well written??? article by PTI / Rediff, and it made my day - I am ROFL :-). Yes, there is an explicit disclaimer, that the article (by PTI / Rediff) cannot be distributed and republished etc etc, but there is no disclaimer that I cannot make a mockery of the amazing sentence constructs. So bite me if you get offended. Here it comes, the original news post along with my comments in (brackets): /// The sangeet ceremony of the newly-wed Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik earlier in the week, was on Wednesday held at a city hotel in Hyderabad. (John Says: "who tied the knot with ..." also almost suggests, that both together tied it to someother person (shaoib's apa??) Oh - btw, as MCP or sexist as I might sound; - 'Sania tied the knot' - I always thought, that the 'groom tied the knot',...

We speak of building world class products, but the bid goes to the cheapest bidder; we speak of hiring the best talent, but the offer goes to the one who agrees to the cheapest salary in that bracket; we give gyan about world class services, but acquire the cheapest machines; we speak about getting the best partner, but only like that one that is most comfortable to what we think ? .. .eh ? so basically, the world sucks, because it mostly has all the cheapest guys in the wrong places; most relationships are sore, because - most got a cheap partner, and about everything else - we do not have the time to think - afterall time is "expensive" - did I say expensive - /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\__________

And finally, I am on the Facebook- something, I resisted a long time - why - just not the virtual networking types. I still pick the phone and call the person I want to get in touch with. Nothing replaces the voice I say. However, it's surprising to see some many living out "virtual lives" out in the wireless world. ....And in these virtual worlds too,(though I am just a few hours old) I observe people fighting the same battles - expectations, joy, broken hearts, stalking, disappointments and crushes. Now one might argue, hey, these are the same humans online - are they really? - I still rather hear the angry / sweet voices, would like if some one would hit me in person than send a virtual punch, and a real kiss :-) - any takers for the virtual form? Hehehehehe Yet still,the unwired world is "connecting" more and more by the second ~To life Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone Essar

By far the best response I seen so far - it's as absurd as the demand for telangana is. Click Here

Mr.Monk finally comes to an end after 8 seasons. This is one of the nice memories I carried from the US. Watched couple of episodes, and got hooked on to it so much – I got the first 6 season DVDs shipped to me from HongKong. (Yes, not sold in India, not beamed and all that crap) And finally, I found a way to watch (online) and keep up with the last 2 seasons of Monk. I feel sad many times, that this (among some of my favorite shows) doesn’t get beamed in India and can’t access it legally online – so, some IP masking and shit like that – today, with a lag of 8 days (another internet rule / restriction), I watch the final episode. Now that the final episode is done, I feel a little like Monk himself – everything solved and nothing more to work (err watch :-) ) It truly was a brilliant series and gave me many refreshing and happy moments. Kudos to all entire crew and cast of Monk.

…And I write after a really looooooooooooooooooong time. So much happened over the last 8 months Tasted recession first hand Mourned along with a few friends in their loss of loved ones Few cousins / friends got married Some good friends became very sick My niece and nephew are growing (fast if I may add) Gained a ‘LOT’ of weight – (yes – I should lose tons) Mind thinks about “Wonder land” And now, I look ahead and wonder – really wonder, with that sense of wonder, which we seem to loose with every growing day – wonder about a lot of things, and some nice new yearnings, a few sweet nothings about my ‘old ‘ self – all the past years – the gone by days of endless dreams and energy - and I smile seeing “experience” replacing intellectual argument, and solitude replacing ‘spur of the moment’ actions and so on. Yet – there is that old cerebellum that refuses to sleep, or be satisfied, and it thinks, dreams, questions, asks, fingers and still emits those shimmering sparks, that make me again...

It’s at moments like these that your ire notches up a few more degrees than you thought was your worst, and being precluded in a world that you don’t want anyone to interfere with and most of all have ‘pep talk’ when they have no freaking clue about what ‘reality’ is, you get tested with your patience on some ‘I care about you’ talk. Please – if you cared enough, or even knew me enough, you would stay right in your own place, for you never really knew me or for that matter anyone else than yourself, for you so freaking live a life that revolves around your own damn self – megalomania ! And do I sound like a jerk? Well, did I ever say I was not ?

Why does one always look at the past, and even the one with the most pitiful existence, have some wonderful moments to remember back, while at the same time, everything about tomorrow, is looked with spite, loaded with fears and speculation. The answer my friend is – when we look at the past, we always see beyond ourselves, and our situations (present and past), while when we look at the future, we somehow can’t look an inch beyond ourselves! Whoa!

As the clocks keep ticking ahead, and to most in my immediate circle (me included), the clock somehow seems ticking faster as you approach or just about cross 30. At this probable midpoint in life, often wonder how the vantage of time has fared. It’s a one off game between the ticking clock and the suspended slices of time till now. I would start the timeline from high school, (or teen age years ~ ah, that sounds sooooooooooo good) , cos till then, the ticking clock was controlled by everything and everybody else than us. And the day arrived, when each of us said (in our teen age years) – Hey! – I know what I am doing, I really do, and bloody stop interfering with my life – I can control it, and know hellya much better than you know. After all, what the hell do you know about being in my generation and being in teen years (hellya, yes!). The clocks slowed down, rather got scared looking at the fusillade of energy - the days stopped at 23:49, and started at 00:16, and the clocks got con...

So, just made it on the after a mad sprint across 3 platforms, and hopping into the last bogie just as it was about to leave the platform, and thanks to some fervent prayers, the train left 4 minutes late. Now the fun part, my ticket was upgraded, and now retained on the same class. However, another girl got upgraded. The catch, she is newly wed, and her hubby beside her did not get upgraded. The sincere TT says, its against the rules to exchange tickets across classes, and I bet he will be around to check if we do swap the seats. Fun Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone Essar

That's all the time I have to reach the railway station, after losing a good 20 mins at a railway crossing. And it's raining. And traffic mamu wants to clear one big lane at a time. Will post a "from the train blog" if I make it in time. If I should think of some consolation, my waitlisted ticket got upgraded to first class. But I guess there is never a free meal! Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone Essar

An uncle that I respect much, while discussing (~ read give gyan) about my girl hunt, said – "John – before a man really gets to commit and is ready to be married, he has to be broken apart in every sense, and be built back, and this is the only way, it really gets done. The longer you resist, for whatever reason you think it’s worth it, it just gets painful” Well – I just smiled, and thought, ya – there are few things I need to let go, but being broken apart and then being rebuilt – hmmm… naaaaaaaaah. I still wonder about the above, but today, I have done something I thought I will never do (or rather never wanted to do) – Send across my “profile” to a prospective girl! Yes – I did it, and all my dear friends – you can go ahead and rag me now. Well, the only salvage point – I sent as few details as possible, and 4 pictures that were shot by random friends – pictures that are as close in resemblance of me – well – I am not the poster boy, and let not my pictures (if at all) paint ...

God made Adam before he made Eve because he didn't want any advice on the matter. ~ Patrick Murray

There was a time, when being broke meant being broke. You had no money in your pocket, your bank and no hope of any deposits mysteriously appearing out of no where. Come this modern era, I wonder if any of us are / can be really broke in the classical term. You have an overdraft, a nice big credit limit on a few cards, and a whole range of managed funds - in simple terms - Cash Flow. After being on half pay for almost half a year, and a fast dwindling bottom line, and more than expected expenses - my monthly balance sheet shows a big 5 digit figure in the red. Yet, I am making some 6 digit investments in small time businesses(assuming they will payout in the short term), watch movies at IMAX, reading and buying books. I wonder, today looking at the red, if I am broke - in pure accounting terms, if my other assets get frozen, I can file for bankruptcy - hmmm The modern day definition of being broke is that your cards get frozen, bank account reads zero, and you have no money...

.... And when I say 'whatever', it means, I am at the end of the line. Whatever Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone Essar