"...like tears in the rain"

Rest in Peace... my old friend.

2011-05-15T16:16:00.002+05:30

You were better than many people I know.

RIP. :(

Fast and the Furious 5 aka Fast 5 aka Please get over Fast!

2011-05-10T23:42:00.007+05:30

I have no clue what the Fast & The Furious series is all about, or even if it has done well. I vaguely remember seeing one of the movies before, and also remember thinking that it sucked.

I am, therefore, pleased to tell everyone that Fast 5 continues its tradition of gloriously sucking. Do not waste your time and money on it.

The only reason why I was interested in the movie to begin with was because of:

I make it a point to watch every movie which stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the hope that one day he will simply not be able to resist to urge to scream out 'If you smellllllllllllllaaaah.... what the Rock... is.... cooking', or atleast lay the smackdown on an unsuspecting foe by delivering the all-powerful people's elbow.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen in Fast 5, and the movie turned out to be complete bummer. The ridiculous plot of the movie kicks off with a car theft, moves over to a bunch of people chasing another bunch of people chasing another bunch of people, and tries to make a villain who looks like a washed-out, aging, inflated version of Steven Seagal look ominous. Without success, I might add.

Eventually, the epic coolness of Vin Diesel suddenly makes the hunted the hunters, leading up to the showdown that probably is Vince McMahon's wildest wet dream:

This is where they should have left it off.

But what followed was a climax that defied every law of physics so hard that it drove Neo to seek psychiatric help, and made Newton spin in his grave so hard that he is probably drilling a hole to the core of the Earth as we speak. If the World ends next year in December, part of the blame probably lies with this movie.

First, friction was thrown completely out of the window, as two cars zoomed across the city with a huge ass solid iron safe in tow, dragged by the cars with a pair of cables connecting them the hard road as if it was rollerblading on smooth ice. And while we're on Newton, a gentle reminder:

'Every action has an equal an opposite reaction'

So when the safe would hit an obstacle, say a tree, the impact would probably tear off the rear end of both cars. But obviously, the laws of Physics simply do not apply to the aura that surrounds Vin Diesel.

Atleast the end was funny, even if they didn't intend it to be like that. But then they went on to completely ruin my day by setting up a sequel.

Go Fast 6!

The go-between moments

2011-05-07T00:28:00.004+05:30

How many times does the phrase 'I don't feel like doing anything!' cross your mind (and your lips).

I'm guessing a lot. If India was to have a national phrase, this would probably be a strong contender (alongside the likes of 'jaanta hai mera baap kaun hai?' and 'wanna make frandship?'). As much as I hate it, this is exactly the state I find myself in right now.

And as is usually the case, it is not for the lack of things to do. On the contrary, I'm probably biting off more than I can chew these days. But here I am, doing nothing. (And yes, this is doing nothing... because this is one of those random pointless posts)

I'm reminded of how it feels after having Fakruddin's Mutton Biryani (Sorry Delhi people, its only available in Pune, and yes it is the best Biryani in the World). Life just stops after it. Nothing goes into the mind, Nothing comes out of it. Limbs go limp, eyelids droop, and you'll probably be left with a silly smile of fulfillment on your face.

So thank god that these go-between moments are few and far, because that's exactly how I feel just lying around doing nothing. And fulfillment is a curse.

Which brings me to another thought: When I was a kid, my grandmom used to tell me about this bird who would come out at night to chase the moon (pardon me if I've told this bit before). Needless to say, it would fail. And then it would begin its attempt all over again. Over and over. Night after night. For all its life.

It isn't a bad life if you ask me. Chasing dreams that will never be fulfilled. But always there.

Otherwise it would have no reason to fly.

How?

2011-04-24T04:21:00.005+05:30

Dear Imaginary readers,

Don't ask! It's as likely to disappear into oblivion as unlikely it was for me to revisit the blog. But here I am, complete with a new look (I was tired of black), and updated side-bars (I'm more excited about those than this post!

In any case, here is a not-so-exclusive story that I had uploaded on facebook a couple of months back, and I thought it would make a good inclusion in this, ummm, relaunch?

Anyway, here goes. If you've stumbled across this blog by mistake, please read and do leave a comment:

What is it about loneliness that makes it so serene and maddening at the same time?

It draws me, speaks more to me with its silence than any amount of words possibly could, comforts me in its emptiness. Because in that emptiness, I am more than the nothingness that surrounds me. I become the centre of the universe. And just as I settle in, I can’t wait to get out.

I suddenly can’t stand it. I want to feel connected to something more tangible. Music helps. My ipod is probably my best friend, belting out exactly what I like to hear.... Porcupine Tree followed by a bit of Dido and the Cranberries, the soul searching of Eric Clapton to the philosophical musings of Pink Floyd. The silence becomes more bearable.

But what about the times when I don’t want to only talk to the silence, or be talked at. There’s something about the human connection, the meeting of the minds that is intriguing. We possess the capability to hate each others’ guts, and at the same time love others beyond anything. We buckle under pain, but forget all about it while dishing it out.

The same tissues and ligaments and bones power our bodies and minds. The same cells. The same molecules. The same neutrons and protons and electrons. Yet we are so different from each other. What is this fantastic difference born out of? Was there a loneliness , an emptiness that gave birth to an outward personality? Tonight, I’ll find out. Or atleast try...

****

My loneliness isn’t just out of choice. I don’t know why people don’t talk to me. Maybe it has something to do with my appearance: disheveled, untidy, and unruly. Perhaps it is my eyes, which can never draw themselves away from the emptiness I spend most of my time with. Maybe its to do with the fact that my fingers can talk faster than my lips. Or is it because I don’t have a name? My clients known me as sM0Ke_&_m1rr0rs, and that is all I have ever needed for identification. My parents gave me a name once, but I’ve forgotten what it was.

I step back from the glow of the monitor, and my eyes wander to the door. Yes, tonight I’ll find out. Tonight, I’ll make some new friends

****

I had only been walking 20 minutes when I saw this girl walking from the opposite direction. She seemed to be in a rush; hugging herself with her arms. perhaps she was feeling cold and wanted to get indoors as soon as possible.

‘That’s a good conversation starter’, I murmur to myself

I offer her my jacket in a gesture of friendship. She only walks faster, almost ready to break into a run. Maybe I came across as rude.

‘Listen... I wasn’t trying to be rude. I just thought you were feeling cold so it might be a good idea to offer you my jacket. I’ll just try with the usual stuff... what’s your name? Don’t ask me mine because I don’t have one. Heh... I know... pretty weird isn’t it?’

WHY WON’T SHE TALK TO ME? My frustration lets itself out in a scream, which finally brings her to a halt.

‘Ok... Hi! Listen... I know I must be coming across as a weirdo... but I’m not. Ok... maybe a little bit... all computer hackers are fucked in the head for spending more time with code than people...’

Now she just stares at me, with wide open eyes, as if she’s seen a ghost. She doesn’t move, but its clear she has no intention of uttering a single word to me.

Why are people so disinterested in making new friends? Do they seek a degree of familiarity? But aren’t we all the same. The same flesh and blood and bones? I’ve seen married people...with all their love and the knowing each other. With all their empty lives, disinterest... and their long, empty, lonely silences.

I walk away, as the girl continues to stay rooted to that spot. Stubborn in her intent. Shrouded by loneliness.

****

I see a taxi not far away parked in an alleyway. I quicken my step, hoping to finally find someone to talk to. I see the driver inside, fast asleep with his back turned to me. Maybe I shouldn’t disturb him, but tonight my mind loathed the loneliness. I have to break free, and if that means waking this guy up, so be it.

‘Excuse me, I know it sounds strange. But would you mind talking to me for a bit? I can’t seem to sleep’

He does not move a muscle. Maybe I’m not loud enough. Or is he ignoring me? Then I came up with a bright idea!

‘Hello? Please wake up! I need to go to South Extension. I’ll pay you extra for the night charges!’

He still doesn’t turn. Do I have an aura around me that compels people to not talk to me? He doesn’t even know me. He hasn’t even looked me. And yet he chooses not to acknowledge me. This time I do not feel anger, but bafflement. Is it even fair to come to a conclusion about a person solely based on his outward projection? Doesn’t it make sense to atleast try and get to know him first? By doing this, won’t we just widen the space between us, becoming lonelier by the day? Surely people don’t indulge in such ridiculous discrimination... then why me?

I pull out my Swiss army-knife keychain and contemplate just going home. Then I decide to try just once more. I move ahead, as the loneliness tightens its noose further around me.

****

I watch a beggar approach me, and suddenly I’m inspired. I pull out a fifty from my wallet, and wave it towards him. He quickens his pace towards me, having never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would ever hold a fifty rupee note.

‘I’ll give you this 50 rupees. All you have to do is talk to me for 10 minutes.’

The beggar just stares at me, and I can see the pain in his eyes. He is an old man, frail and emasculated. He tries to speak, but can only utter hissing sounds. For a moment I thought he was trying to make fun of me, but then the truth finally dawned upon me. He couldn’t speak.

I suddenly burst out laughing. In that moment, I saw the finality, and the sheer breadth of loneliness in the beggar’s eyes. I handed him the fifty rupees, and his eyes lit up, in all probability, for the last time of what was left of his miserable life.

****

As I walked away from the beggar, I was startled by a piercing scream.

I spun around to see a group of people staring at me, horrified. The woman kept screaming, as if the world was ending. In a few moments, the silence that engulfed me had broken unexpectedly in a haze of commotion. I felt many hands grabbing me, and I found my loneliness finally letting go of me.

But I didn’t want it to go. It was my haven away from all the noise and the screaming and the distant sirens.

‘I’ll come back. I always do.’, I felt it say to me. In those words of comfort, and in that promise, I smiled.

****

‘Police arrested an unnamed man near Greater Kailash in South Delhi. The man has been charged with the murder of three individuals: Nisha, 23, a resident of Greater Kailash who was returning home after a friend’s birthday party was his first victim. The police found her body barely 50 meters away from her house. His next victim was Haridas, a 42 year old taxi driver who was murdered in his sleep by the accused. Finally, the accused was seen attacking an old beggar with a knife by a group of people, who overpowered him and called the police. The beggar, whose identity the police are still trying to ascertain, succumbed to his wounds before he could be taken to the hospital.

The police are trying to find out the identity of the killer, as well as ascertain his motives. According to a senior police official, they have not been able to get a statement from the accused.

‘He simply refuses to speak’

New Post

2009-08-17T00:41:00.004+05:30

The "step-bloggerly" treatment of this blog continues.

Yes, I just came up with that term, and if you think it sounds lame you can "frack off" (Obvious side effects of watching Battlestar Galactica for about 8 hours today, but more on that later).

The motivation to return is as simple as it is stupid: I have no status message on Google Talk. So I decided to simply post again on the blog and put it as a status message (refered to as SM henceforth). Speaking of SMs, lets try a facebook-ish game shall we?

What does your SM say about you?

- If it is a reference or an excerpt from a recently viewed piece of entertainment (literature/movies/TV shows/plays/video games), you are acknowledging your admiration for what you perceive to be worthwhile and "cool"; which might lead you to believe (and a desire to make others believe) that you are worthwhile and cool. You probably are too, but only if I think what you watched/read/played is cool. Otherwise you're a fool

- If you have Busy/DND in your status message, you're a bit of an idiot really. Why aren't you just offline? Either that or you are an attention whore.

- Your SM could be a direct/indirect reference to a certain person on your friends list. In my opinion, that's one of the most useful uses of the SM. Suppose you have a fight with a close friend. Your ego will be locked in eternal battle against your desire to make things right. That's where the SM kicks in. You can wave the digital white flag and hope to hell that your friend gets the message. In such a case, you are both clever and a pacifist and the other person becomes the idiot (provided he or she doesn't get it)

- That said, what if this evolves into new heights of egoism where both the involved parties simply wait for the other person to set the ceasefire SM to satisfy their own egos. In this case, everyone goes back to being idiots

- You could also use it to express your own sarcastic (occasionally)/witty (rarely)/silly (mostly) creation.

The bottom line to this extremely random and highly questionable theory is that there is a good chance that your status message isn't exactly making you looking good. Like every other form of human communication, less is more here as well.

With this I kick off another season of blogging with false promises of returning soon. Now I got to get back to Battlestar Galactica. Near extinction of the human race. Religious robots. The search for a fabled world. It has all the makings of greatness.

PS - The title is intentional.

Simming with the Sims

2009-06-21T17:33:00.006+05:30

You'll have to work hard to read this one! (Lots of links)

Sometime back, I had written a small piece on how narrative is so underutilized in Gaming, and how a game known as Braid came across and broke those shackles. For anyone interested, here's the link.

In a nutshell, I talked about how the interactive nature of Gaming should extend to how it tells a story as well. A movie, or a book, or a song will tell always tell the story created by the artist. Ask the creater of any great piece of work, and they will tell you how personal it is to them, or how they relate to some personal experience or the other. In case of a video game, a truely ground breaking game is not one which tells the story that the developers create, but one which is personal to the gamer. But how do you create a personalized story for each of the thousands of people who buy the game? Well... Braid did that, and blew me away.

Recently, Electronic Arts released the third iteration of their hugely popular Sims series: The Sims 3 (duh!). If you choose to continue with the trend of not checking out the links, The Sims 3 is a "Strategic Life Simulation Video Game" (picked this straight off wikipedia). It doesn't have any specific story... you create a character (or a bunch of characters) with a suite of customization tools which determine his/her/their appearance, personality and skill sets and drop them in a virtual city where they interact with other AI controlled Sims.

To the naked eye, it might look like ultra lameness with an extra topping of whipped cream. Why simulate life when you have one of your own to live? The truth is, it's one of the most addictive games out there, because it has the ability to answer your "What Ifs". How many times have you come up with a "What if" in a situation, thinking of how you would react/proceed in a different set of circumstances? What if you were some other kind of person? What if it was some other person altogether in the same situation?

The Sims 3 isn't just about creating a virtual Sim and moving them around, exercizing complete control over their existance. When you give them personality traits and skillsets, the program takes a life of its own, choosing to react emotionally to the actions we dictate. They have their basic and social needs, and dreams and wishes they want to fulfil, all generated based on the monster you choose to create. The true genius and potential of this game is brought out by a story someone has created of two individuals and is telling everyone through this blo g as he plays it out.
It is the story of a homeless family of a father (Kev) and daughter (Alice). While Kev is an abusive, no-good , obnoxious asshole, his daughter is a subdued and gentle person, trying to make the best out of life within the presented set of circumstances. I would really recommend you go through the whole thing. Hoever, while going through this story, these two actions, titled Selflessness and Shoulder bring out the brilliance of Sims 3 and show how it truely contributes to gaming.

To create a set of algorithms which can, amidst all the impractical reactions within the story, can generate such complex human behaviour is nothing short of astounding. It's always nice to experience great story created by some brilliant artists, but gaming will be at its best when it brings out the artist in you. That's the whole point.

Now all I need to do is sell one of my kidneys so I can buy a PC which will run this game.

Random Thoughts #2

2009-06-18T01:39:00.004+05:30

So a friend asked me today: "Do you believe in afterlife?"

At first I said I don't know. Then I told him that I do, and in between dropping him at Nehru Place, and while manuvering two traffic jams before reaching home, this hit me:

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. This is a scientific "fact". However, how much do we understand of energy? Do we account for all its forms? I don't think so.

What if goodwill (yes, goodwill), was a form of energy. To illustrate, suppose you help out an old guy by stopping the car so he can cross the road. The guy doesn't know you, but he may appreciate that guesture. That's goodwill. Now what if its also a form of energy. Over the duration of your life you will acquire more and more of it (assuming, of course, that you are nice and helpful person). Now if the accumalated goodwill was a form of energy, then how does this get accounted for once a person dies. Which is why I believe that afterlife in some way would exist.

Sounds nonsensical, but so did Heliocentricity a few hundred years back. Atom was the smallest particle, until protons, neutrons and electrons came along. And they remained the undisputed kings of tinyness till someone discovered quarks and leptons. Without advocating the existance of God, it's also important to understand that Science is not based on facts, but what we understand (and assume) to be facts. And understanding derives itself from perception, which is nothing more than a point of view.

Over and Out.

Dang!

2009-06-14T01:30:00.005+05:30

14th fackin'-June. The clock ticked over midnight and I rolled over to 26.

Fuck! (Seriously!)

It's intimidating to be 26. Well my Mom just told me that I was born at 11.20 PM. So technically that still gives me a few more hours to hang on to 25. I hope they take as long as the last year to go by.

Let's see, last year went by in a haze of target v/s achievements at work, a LOT of gaming, figuring out that the optimum seats for watching movies are centre aisle 6th row from the front, a memorable trip to Goa, evading marriage proposals brought in by every known relative, taking writing a lot more seriously (this blog is not an indicative), and most importantly, not moving forward at all.

14th June - 11.20 PM

So I began this at the beginning of my birthday, and here I am ending it, coincidently, on the time when I was born 26 years ago.

I woke up today morning at around 8.30 when my grandmom (mom's mom... uhh... excessive usage of the word "mom" here) called to wish me. I remembered that my other grandmom used to call me at 6 AM to wish me before she passed away. Always the first one, before the whole "wish-at-midnight" culture came through... or more specifically, came through in my life.

I heard a begger crying in the streets, bawling that his daughter is unwell and he needs money to take her to the doctor. I asked my dad if we should give him some money, to which he said that the guy is just faking it. That got me thinking... there's no way to know if the guy is faking it cuz no one is going to take the trouble of going with the guy and take his kid to the hospital. What if his kid is really dying? We're all insensitive bastards, and hypocrites too. Because after contemplating it, I went back to sleep.

All this was forgotten when I woke up again. Me and my friends went to Blu-O, the hottest new bowling alley in town. I have to give it to these guys. They found the perfect way of making bowling "cool" again. All they did was play some loud music, give it a classy look, and most importantly, gave everyone the option of drinking beer while bowling. Now that's a paradigm shift right there. It's very empowering to be able to take a sip of beer just as your turn comes in. It doesn't matter how you do, as long as you can take another sip after your shot.

And finally, a specific person not messaging me today at all bothered me all day. It still does. And the fact that it bothers me... bothers me even more. Like I said, not moving forward at all, even when I know that I need to.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2009-02-25T01:44:00.004+05:30

I know I said I'll come back with superheroes, but I'll save it for another day. Here's a couple of things about me:

1. I change my mind every quickly... hence I hardly ever follow through on the original plan
2. I think a LOT (someone once says that if you'll put a candle in my hand, I would see the future)
3. I watch a lot of movies

So if there's a movie I really like, I think about it a lot. And the best part is... I come up with some new interpretation every once in a while at the most unexpected times (like now...)

So here's a thought on one of my all time favourite movies: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

On the surface the title might seem to be just a reference to plot of the movie (SPOILERS AHEAD) i.e. a mind without painful memories (spotless mind) is the happiest (shines brightest --> eternal sunshine)

But I think it goes much deeper.. just like the movie. You can never be who you are without your memories... good or otherwise. That's why Joel seems so lost through the movie (even though his recent painful memories are erased).

I guess a spotless mind is one which can go above all the painful memories as lessons learnt, and leads life keeping the best ones as a references. Joels' memories of the good times with Clementine were the happiest, and those were the ones he chose to go by, even if it was to lead to failure. That's a spotless mind. That's the one that shines the brightest.

Next Up: Will Smith always plays the super hero, be it I am Legend, or Hancock, or even Seven Pounds

Coming Soon

2009-02-18T12:36:00.003+05:30

I need to get back to writing...

For myself, more than anything else.

I will be back soon, with my thoughts on Superheroes...

Edit - Labels Added.

Random Thoughts #1

2008-12-24T21:56:00.006+05:30

One of the most... uh... noteworthy sights is a guy just after he's been told by a girl that he's looking good.

He can't help it but smile. And continues to do so. In his mind, things go much beyond just the compliment, even if that's where the girl has left it. No matter how well he knows her. For those five minutes after being told he is looking smart, the possibilities are endless... and the world is beautiful.

Last Week in Review: Movies

2008-12-24T21:35:00.005+05:30

While I usually keep the box on the right hand side reserved for talking about movies, the three movies I saw last week had some very interesting ideas/insights. While none of them were mind blowing in any way, they did get the cogs inside my head moving.

The first one is The Day the Earth Stood Still. Firstly, I think starring Keanu Reeves as an alien was some sort of an inside joke at Hollywood which Keanu Reeves may or may not be aware of (It will definitely be funnier if he wasn't). In any case, while the execution of the movie was mostly bland, the idea behind it was quite awesome. You see, aliens want to kill all the human beings on Earth because they can't look after the Earth properly and are basically letting it rot. Apart from being an Environmental-call-for-action movie, it presents a very interesting insight into human nature... and how their inability to deal with change is always married to the extraordinary ability to bring about change. Like I said, the movie did not push this thought too far, its a very interesting idea to explore.

Next is SRK's Rab Ne Bana De Jodi. The whole thought is linked to the song where he's dancing with Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta (I don't know how she spells her name now), Lara Dutta and one more actress. If you remember, he did something like this on much larger scale in Om Shanti Om as well, where all the hot properties of Bollywood were present in one song. Suddenly, I was very impressed with Shahrukh Khan. The guy can act, that's for sure, but what's even more interesting is how he is positioning himself. By pulling jokes on other movies (including his own), having such high profile guest appearances, and being the the centrestage of each of his movies, he is positioning himself as the King of Bollywood. It's subtle, it's smart and it's a very good move. Creativity and good business sense rarely go together, and SRK is nailing it. No wonder he's being counted among the most powerful people in the World.

Finally, there's Burn After Reading. You can watch this movie and come back saying it doesn't make any sense. Once you do that, it will start making sense. And then some more. The more you think of it, the more sense it will make.

It was an awesome and subtle jab at the government agencies of the USA, and it's great to see more and more of these coming out of Hollywood. That and the astounding performance of John Malkovich.

Words

2008-12-19T23:39:00.004+05:30

I just had a brainwave.

No one should be allowed to say the sentence: "There is no such thing as _____ !"

The blank could be any damn word. You know why? Because if the word exists, then whatever it defines also exists. Because if it didn't, the word wouldn't either. Think about it. If something didn't exist, then why would anyone have a word for it.

It's like what Rama Kandra says in Matrix Revolutions. "Love is just a word. What matters is the connection that the word implies". I'm not talking about love here, it could be anything. All I'm saying is that each word holds a different connection for different people. So while you may not agree with someone's perception (read: connection) of a word/thing, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

And then this just came to me, about the above scene in Matrix Revolutions. By saying what Rama Kandra says to Neo, he's telling him that Neo should open his eyes to other possibilities in the world around him. But then, didn't Neo "open" his eyes when he took the blue pill? So maybe Rama Kandra is also telling him that by opening his eyes to the "real" world, he closed his eyes to another world which was just as real, but with different perceptions.

Damn! That trilogy was so awesome!

2008: Recon

2008-12-18T22:27:00.003+05:30

Year end is the time for celebration and countdowns. We will have our best movies of the year countdowns, best music, most shocking events, best games, best countdowns and so on and so forth.

If anyone bothered to read this blog, I might have done some countdown of my own as well. As it is, nobody does, so I will use this to introspect and look back. So here's a list of things (in no particular order) of the things I learned in 2008

- Life is not fair. But then, Life isn't fair to anyone. So in a twisted sort of logic, it's equally unfair to everyone which is kinda fair.

- Being tired is a state of mind. All you got to do is tell yourself that you are not tired and you wont be. My friend Mr. Roy told me that when I refused to go for a movie in the middle of the week. Surprisingly, it turned out to be true and something which changed me significantly. In a way, it helped me come out of my shell which I had crawled into last year

- Being part of a gang is shitloads of fun.

- It doesn't matter how you feel, what you think and what you mean to do. All that matters is what you do. And I learned that the hard way.

- Being idealistic = Being naive. Atleast that seems to be majority opinion. But I still stick to what I believe in. This is something I choose to unlearn.

- I learned that I have the ability to surprise myself.

- I realized how conceited and vain I had become last year. How I actually believed that nothing could ever go wrong. How I looked down at some people. And I learned how wrong I was.

- I realised hobbies can be very unforgiving on the wallet. Especially when its gaming.

- I realized that I cannot be who I am expected to be. I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing. Because I also realised that I am confused about most things.

Look, I can go on and on. There's 365 days worth of experience. People come into your life and sometimes they leave. They have the power to change you and shape you, as do events. And every so often you come across something or someone that make you face yourself.

It wasn't such an awesome year. But it wasn't bad either. Here at the end of it, it feels like it was equally unfair. :)

4 AM

2008-12-12T04:29:00.002+05:30

4 AM is good.

All I can hear is the ticking of the clock. And the sound of my slightest of movements.

That's it. Apart from that, its complete silence.

One Froggy Evening

2008-12-08T08:39:00.009+05:30

I read an interesting perspective on cartoons once in a book. According to the author, Cartoons, especially all these old Walt Disneys and Loony Tunes, weren't meant for kids at all.

Under the wraps, they were meant to remind us all of the bleakness inside us and society as a whole. They mock us for all our deepest ugliest secrets with dark humour.

Check out the one below. It's dark humour at its subtle best.

Ironic isn't it? Parents religiously try and keep their kids away from violent TV shows and video games, and are more than happy if their kids while away time with harmless cartoons. But to be fair to them, its not that simple to get the point. You got to be fucked up in the head first.

A face in the crowd

2008-12-06T23:59:00.005+05:30

"Most terrorists are muslims!"

It's a sad but prevailing perception. (atleast in my part of the world)

I don't really want to write/talk about the Mumbai attack. There's enough of that going around. The above view, echoed by a friend of mine got me thinking though.

Perception is largely influenced by information. And information today, depending on what media believes would sell, is largely lopsided, incomplete and biased. Ironically, we call this the "Information Age"

Here's an interesting set of "organizations" (both from the past and the present) I found on Wikipedia:

(quoting Wikipedia in the short synopsis. Click the links for more info)

Babbar Khalsa - Sikh Organization calling for the formation of an independant Sikh State. Responsible for bombing of Air India flight 182 in 1985

Aum Shinrikyo - Japanese terror outfit responsible for Sarin gas attack in Tokyo subway in 1995

LTTE - Tamil terrorist outfit always locking horns with Sri Lanka

Ku Klux Clan - Blast from the past, but they were who would be perceived as the least likely today to be terrorists - White Americans

And that's just some of them. Each of them were relavent in their time and geography, and clouded the perception of those around them by becoming the identity of terrorism.

The truth is, that terrorism doesn't have a set face, religion or nationality. In order to fight it, we must accept that first.

The unrest and the fear that has become the aftermath of the attacks is the true face of terrorism. And the best way to start the fight, is to stop being afraid.

Fifth Gear

2008-11-26T01:55:00.005+05:30

What comes to your mind when I say: "Driving in Delhi". It has to be demonic symphony of horns, or perhaps the complete lack of road sense? How about bikers? (I hate those bastards!) Short tempers and looks that can, quite literally, kill? And above all that, it has to be this:

I'm sure the above needs no introduction. The sight should be enough to evoke some pretty painful memories right?

Needless to say, Delhi roads are nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen... during the day. At night, we see a face of Delhi unlike anything that strictly daytime commuters can ever imagine.

At night, there are no horns, bikes or buses. Most people are bummed out by the rush hour drive back home and are fast asleep. The streets are well lit and the roads are wide. At night, the drive is transformed into the following cockpit view:

The few cars that are on the roads late night seem to be in a rush to get to wherever they need to. My suggestion is: Sit back, roll up your sleeves and put your head on the head rest, turn on some light music, and if you have some good company... talk. Take it slow. And you will discover that driving in Delhi can also have its moments.

Who's next?

2008-11-20T00:51:00.005+05:30

It's the end of November and the beginning of the marriage season. Starting today, I am attending some or the other party/event related to somebody's marriage.

So tonight my old old friend Vineet got engaged. I also found out that my other batchmate from MDI, Anuj is engaged (the bastard didn't even tell me!) and Puneet is fighting tooth and nail with his parents to gain acceptance for the girl he loves.

Wow! Aren't we gettin' old!

One of the most annoying things about getting into a job is that all your relatives feel compelled to get you married (getting up early in the morning comes in a close second!). Also, this compulsion seems directly proportional to age. The older they are, the more determined they get to introduce you to some distant cousin's brother-in-law's son's sister-in-law.

Of course you can always say no. But then these relatives do have a few things going for them:

1. The infinte capacity to chew brain through relentless repetition (say "get married" 1000 raised to the power 1000 times...)
2. A plethora of prospective brides
3. Nothing else to talk about (number of subjects to talk about is inversely proportional to age)
4. Strength in numbers
5. Abundance of time

How do you stand up to this satanic army of obliteration? At some point of time you crack... and then you have to give in... (atleast that's what Anuj did... and didn't even tell me about it... a$$hole!)

As far as I'm concerned... I'm up for the fight. But it does make me wonder... all these relatives claim that their advice (of getting married "on time") comes from experience. So you dwell on the past (I use the word "dwell" because this experience gets thrown at me a lot) and plan incessently for the future?

What's right and what's wrong is a matter of perspective. These things don't matter if you look as far as you can see without bothering what's around the corner. We'll get there when we'll get there. Fuck everything else.

Here we go again

2008-11-17T00:45:00.001+05:30

My first blog was an exposition of the usual pangs of adolescence. You know, the time when you grow more than you can handle (every pun intended!)

My second blog was cheesy.

So this is my third attempt of reaching out to everyone with my thoughts, or shoving them down your throats... whatever works for you.

I'll begin by explaining why its called "...like tears in the rain". This happens to be the last line of one my all time favourite dialogues from one of all time favourite movies - Blade Runner. Here's how the whole thing goes:

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain...."

That's pretty much what blogs are - lost in a sea of opinion inside a sea of people surfing the internet. Unless you are a famous m*therf*cker.

But for those who will listen, I will talk. Check back and please make your presence felt from time to time.

I love to pick up a fight! :)