The Best Movie Quote/ Dialogue of 2008

"Do I really look like a man with a plan, Harvey? I don't have a plan. The mob has plans, the cops have plans. You know what I am, Harvey? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. I just *do* things. I'm a wrench in the gears. I *hate* plans. Yours, theirs, everyone's. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans. Schemers trying to control their worlds. I am not a schemer. I show schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are. So when I say that what happened to you and your girlfriend wasn't personal, you know I'm telling the truth. It's a schemer who put you where you are. You were a schemer. You had plans. Look where it got you. I just did what I do best-I took your plan and turned it on itself. Look what I have done to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple bullets. Nobody panics when the expected people get killed. Nobody panics when things go according to plan, even if the plans are horrifying. If I tell the press that tomorrow a gangbanger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will get blown up, nobody panics. But when I say one little old mayor will die, everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos, Harvey? It's fair.

” The Joker in "The Dark Knight"

Financial Crisis - Dont worry, Greed will Prevail

Global financial meltdown - Three words that in all likelihood conjures up the most frightening monster the world has known. This monster is taking away all the things that we cherish, directly or indirectly. First there is a pay freeze, then there is a pay cut and if that was not enough there goes our job. With that goes our 'discretionary' spending capacity, our willingness to buy things that makes our miserable lives slightly bearable, our self esteem. The factories close down, industries vanish and social unrest begins. In the midst of all this, nations along with their policy makers are left scratching their heads. Question: Our goose is cooked...right?.....Wrong!!!

I have a simple solution to this. Forget about it...Dont worry, cause this is not going to last long.

Am i mad. Oh yes,well i am...but i am also sane enough to believe that these so called experts who are telling you that the financial world - thus in every sense the real world - has come to an end are lying or to put it more subtly, not telling you the whole truth . Hopefully being a layman, i will try to tell you exactly why i believe that this crisis is infact going to turn around very quickly.

Let me start with simple process flow. I go to work everyday and earn a salary every month. Some part of this salary goes to buy necessary and other products, some goes into savings like Cash, equity (shares, bonds, MF's), Commodities etc, mostly to a bank. Now the place where i am working makes a product and sells it to the consumer to generate revenue and hopefully profits. Again this money is split into buying important raw materials etc, paying bonuses & dividends and saving it in a bank. The bank gets this money and pays interest to the consumer or the corporate who has deposited the money. If my company is doing well, it takes a lon from the bank and carries out expansion plans - increase manpower, get more machines, etc - and from its increased profit pays off the debt. Since the bank needs to make money too, it charges an interest higher than what it has paid for the money and this becomes the profit (after overheads). This way the cycle keeps moving.

Now for some economics. Demand and Supply. Classical theory of economics states that if the demand goes up - the supply remaining constant - prices go up too. This is true for Oil, most precious metals, etc. For other goods, if the prices are higher, then the consumer might shift to substitutes so organizations in an effort to make more profit do not increase the prices. Instead, they increase their capacity to produce goods at almost the same rate as the demand moves up. This creates new expansion plans, new jobs, and hence again the above mentioned cycle continues.

Now to make the explanation clearer lets figure some connections:

• If the companies/ individuals do not earn money they have less to save
• If the banks get less money, they give out less money and hence make less money
• If there is less money for people to spend, they either buy cheaper substitutes or not buy at all
• If the consumer does not buy, the companies do not make money and expansions go for a toss
• If expansions do not happen/ new companies do not come up, the industry slows down
• If the industry slows down, the governments have less taxes to collect and lesser budgets
• If budgets are lesser, social spending decreases
• If social spending decreases, the unrest begins

Now the impact for the stakeholders:

• Since banks are making losses/ 'not enough' profit, shareholders get angry & CEO has to go
• Since other organizations are making losses/ 'not enough' profit, shareholders get angry & CEO has to go
• Above corollary is that shareholders are also losing money
• Since countries are not making money and hence people are suffering, governments will lose their votebanks
• Infact due to the extreme lowering of oil prices, terrorists are also not going to have much money since their masters purse strings might just be running on empty
• and hence due to all the above except one....the individual loses

Hopefully, you get my drift. This is just not going to happen. Rich individuals/ corporations/ governments can take the fallout for sometime but sooner or later they will realise that there is just no other way to come out of this but to make profits. Also since the world today is extremely connected (take the example of terrorists - US does not buy oil due to recession and terrorists have lesser money for spreading hate) and mind you this is an extremely delicate connection, making profits is not easy unless the entire global machinery is greased. This grease comes from banking organizations and consumers who will spend the money thay they generate. And banks will spend once they are aware that if they dont, they are the ones who lose the most. They own the money and they need to pay the interest.

I can tell you this and much more in complicated jargon but it all boils down to this. Yes, for a short time (my bet is 6-12 months) things are going to be nasty. But this is just a blip. This can never be the great depression part 2 since the economies are not isolated and global linkages will play its own hand. We have probably seen the worst and things will - hopefully - seem better very very soon. It was greed that got us here and it will be Greed that will get us out of here...

Is Baar Nahin - Prasoon Joshi

Lyricist Prasoon Joshi has written this poem after the Mumbai terror attacks. Says the ad guru and film lyricist, "I believe it should reach as many people as possible because it is our collective pain and voice".

Is baar nahin

Is baar jab woh choti si bachchi mere paas apni kharonch le kar aayegi
Main usey phoo phoo kar nahin behlaoonga
Panapney doonga uski tees ko
Is baar nahin

Is baar jab main chehron par dard likha dekhoonga
Nahin gaoonga geet peeda bhula dene wale
Dard ko risney doonga,utarney doonga andar gehrey
Is baar nahin

Is baar main na marham lagaoonga
Na hi uthaoonga rui ke phahey
Aur na hi kahoonga ki tum aankein band karlo,gardan udhar kar lo main dawa lagata hoon
Dekhney doonga sabko hum sabko khuley nangey ghaav
Is baar nahin

Is baar jab uljhaney dekhoonga,chatpatahat dekhoonga
Nahin daudoonga uljhee door lapetney
Uljhaney doonga jab tak ulajh sake
Is baar nahin

Is baar karm ka hawala de kar nahin uthaoonga auzaar
Nahin karoonga phir se ek nayee shuruaat
Nahin banoonga misaal ek karmyogi ki
Nahin aaney doonga zindagi ko aasani se patri par
Utarney doonga usey keechad main,tedhey medhey raston pe
Nahin sookhney doonga deewaron par laga khoon
Halka nahin padney doonga uska rang
Is baar nahin banney doonga usey itna laachaar
Ki paan ki peek aur khoon ka fark hi khatm ho jaye
Is baar nahin

Is baar ghawon ko dekhna hai
Gaur se
Thoda lambe wakt tak
Kuch faisley
Aur uskey baad hausley
Kahin toh shuruat karni hi hogi
Is baar yahi tay kiya hai

... Prasoon Joshi

Numbing Images, Numbed Thoughts

This is what my friend Sayan Bandyopadhyay had to say about the Mumbai Terror attacks 26-29th November 2008. It was so aptly put that i decided to post it on this blog. It reflects my anger, my helplessness as much as i am aware it reflects the anger and helplessness of everyone in India, particularly those of the people of Mumbai. Hope someone in the government reads these and other articles and takes action that we so desperately crave for...

" I thought of writing this some time ago, when I was watching the news channels which were showing the images that have numbed our senses for the last couple of days, and when there was a heated debate raging on what went wrong, and why things came to this turn that a few young boys rode across the open seas, landed in our midst and caused havoc with our lives. But in hindsight I’m happy I didn’t write it then, as I was in such a state with anger and helplessness that nothing sensible would have come out of my mind.

Honestly the events over the last few days have made a deep dent into our psyche, whether you guys agree or not. My roomie summed it up best when he said that the menace suddenly felt so close to us, for the first time perhaps we felt weak, vulnerable, helpless. What does one do in a time like this? Keep watching the news channels? Switch on some music/entertainment channel in the false hope that we are pushing the issue to the back of our minds, and life is normal? Pray for the safety of our loved ones, and wish that the entire operation ends quickly and all the perpetrators are caught/ killed? Or wish that they had taken a couple of cabinet ministers hostage instead, as if that would help wake up our ever-sleeping and thoroughly incompetent bunch of jokers we call our politicians?

Well, I guess we will tide this one over too, owing to our now-over-abused and over-stretched “resilience”, and normal life will resume again. Just as it has every time over the last 15 years that we have been bombed, shot at or targeted! But guys, seriously, when we talk of our so-called ‘spirit’, what choice do we have than to get back with our lives and pretend everything is normal? I mean it’s a question of survival after all, right? To me, its not spirit, its just our resignation to the fact that since we have a useless bureaucracy and even more useless politico, its no use expecting anything from them, better go back to work and forget everything. Sometimes I feel its this “resilience” that’s harmful for our own good, we resign to everything, and we just don’t demand enough/protest enough, which can at least make our great politicians take some notice. I guess that’s what being ruled by foreigners (and this goes back much before the British era) for centuries has done to us!

Spare a thought for the amazing rulers we have for us- a home minister who’s more in the news for changing his bandhgalas between meetings than for framing forward-looking policies (I heard a rumor there is an Indian attire fashion show being planned somewhere in his name!), a railway minister who has more scams in his name & more cows in his shed than the years he has spent on this earth, a prime minister who, notwithstanding the fact that he is an earnest man, sounds as threatening for the enemies as Venkatesh Prasad bowling a bouncer at a batsman, and most of all, a president who has decided to cut short her very important trip to far east (which was to my guess more of an effort in the direction of her improving her culinary skills in the sea-food category) more because another former superstar V.P. Singh has passed away (no disrespect intended at a person who has died, but you get the comparison!). Well, with this and more as a list to look up, its anyone’s guess that our enemies won’t really be quivering in their boots or even expecting an aggressive diplomatic real-politik stance from us!

Well, I don’t mean to sound entirely pessimistic, so lets dwell on some positives as well. And nothing can be more heartening for an Indian than the way our security forces, the NSG & the MARCOS have risked their lives in saving ours, and in the process we have lost some of our bravest citizens. My heartfelt salute goes out to all of them, for inspite of being poorly paid & shabbily treated, they have stood up for us when we needed them the most, and shown us what true bravery is all about, and who our true heroes are! God bless, gentlemen!

What now? Well, some points that keep coming up after every such incident so much so that they have become a tad rhetorical, though that doesn’t take anything away from their importance. First, reforms in the way our security forces are treated and improvement & more investment in their equipments and modernization of the same, on a war-footing. Creation of a central body on terror that will, most importantly, be an autonomous body and be answerable only to one person at the top(this looks a bit difficult, though!). Drastic and immediate improvements in the pay scales of our security forces, I mean this is so elementary that it’s a shame to even mention it! Reaching out to every community in our country through regular programmes, making sure every complaining voice is heard, and no situation is created wherein few people can take advantage of the feelings of injustice/hatred people may foster for each other.

Last but not the least, more involvement of our generation in politics, & what I mean by that is at least making sure each one of us votes. I know you will say they are all the same, but at least it has to be made clear to the politicians that the educated class cares in how the country is run, and if its not done properly, it will ask questions.

Let this be the turning point in how we deal with terror, and how we look at taking our country ahead, and I would end it on a positive note, quoting Morgan Freeman from Shawshank Redemption: “Hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies!” "

Tribute to the martyrs

NDTV's tribute to the martyrs in the NSG, Police and Army who gave their life to protect us...

The background track is from the film Aamir...."Ek lau kyun bujhi mere Maula"

Please click on this Link: Tribute to the martyrs

Salute to Mumbai - 28/11

A Placard held by a Mumbaikar

Mr Terrorist: I am still alive...what more can you do!!
Mr Politician: I am still alive...Despite you!!

I am a Mumbaikar

Lampooning Raj Thackeray

SMSes lampoon Raj: An small article in TOI - 29th November:

"Where is Raj Thackeray and his "brave" Sena? Tell him that 200 NSG commandos from Delhi (no marathi manoos, all south and north indians) have been sent to Mumbai to fight the terrorists so that he can sleep peacefully tonight at Shivaji Park. Please forward this so that it reaches the Coward bully"

Hope he actually reads it and feels some remorse though expecting that from an indian politician, particularly the likes of Thackerays and VHP's - its highly unlikely...

Problem: Improper usage of Contractual Staff instead of Permanent ones

Companies hire Contractual workers instead of full time employees and then pay them minimum wages while the Profits of the organizations grow rapidly. How do we rectify this?

Solutions:
• There should be a contract workers law in place in the country to safeguard against such practices.
• There should be continuous checks by law enforcement agencies to make sure that the rules are being followed in letter.
• The media should actually keep tabs on organizations which do not follow the rules or follow them only in letter and not in spirit so that the general public can know about these organizations and they can be shamed into accepting the verdicts
• Education is highly important in these matters as only if people are educated will they be able to know whether the organizations are cheating them or not

Best Solution:
Again Education is the most important issue here. If the people are educated then they will definitely know the difference between right and wrong and will be in a better position to safeguard themselves against unscrupulous practices.

Problem: Stop organizations from harming consumers

How do we stop the Selling of bad products to Consumers even though it is scientifically proven that it causes harm to the individual? Ex: Tobacco Products.

One and only One Solution
The governments of all countries should make it a commitment that such products will not be sold irrespective of the profit that the governments make as the long term monetary loss is much more. Some things have to be forced by governments to make them effective for the society.

Problem: Managing Organizations that spread Mis-information

There are problems of organizations spreading misinformation about their products to the consumers using advertising? Ex: Using a particular brand of soap can make a person a film-star etc.

Solutions:
• The government can make rules more stringent on what is to be shown as real and what cannot be shown to the general public in advertisements as they overemphasize the use of the product
• People should initiate legal action against the firms for spreading misinformation in the general public. This can also be done by the Trade bodies like CII and FICCI who can initiate action against the organizations to make sure that it does not happen
• Education of the masses necessary to make sure that they do not fall for such traps. Only if they are educated will they be able to understand the difference between utility and fantasy.

Best Solution:
Education of the masses is the key here. Only if we do that will we be able to increase the awareness of the public regarding these issues. Rest of the solutions are short term ones.

“This house will pop the pill and party”

Debate on relations between India and Pakistan becoming stronger...

Definition: The bond between the nations of India and Pakistan will develop only when we have swallowed the possibly bitter pill of Love and Brotherhood for Pakistan and its somewhat crazy leadership. This swallowing of the bitter pill will create history for the Parliament and enable the nations to enjoy their lives once more without the fear of death and destruction in their lives.

Logical Link: Imbibing love for the people across the border is important for the happiness of the generations to come.

Case Statement: The Pill of Love and Brotherhood will be swallowed by the Indian Parliament with respect to Pakistan and entire generations to come will enjoy in this revelry.

Limiting Context: In this debate we are only looking at the value of ‘Having love for thy neighbour’ and not at how we develop that love and brotherhood. We are looking only at how this bond will be helpful in this context and not at how we get there.

Burden of the Proposition: As the leader of the house I feel that a direction in this regard needs to be taken. Only after there is bonhomie between the two nations that we will really prosper and shine together as brothers rather than two separate subdued yet simmering individuals. I just want to prove that once we are close there is nothing in this world that can stop this juggernaut from rolling in the right direction.

Team Split: The debate will entail the following
• What do we mean as the pill of Love?
• What are the ways this bond is going to help us become the preeminent powers in the world?
• What should we guard against?
• How our Generations to come are going to enjoy the Fruits of this brotherhood?

Constructive Arguments: The nations of the world will bow in front of us. We will be more powerful against any power that shakes us. The respect and admiration of the world will be upon us. We will have the power to stop the entire Middle East from ripping itself out. Together, we will make them realize the futility of it all. Indians are friends of Jews, Pakistan is friends with Arabs. We will make them see reason. The world will not talk about war for a very long time as once this conflict is over; the world will see that if the greatest opponents in this world can come close together, petty disputes are not even worth talking about. Our children will be happy in the sunshine again. They will be able to play together and grow up together which in due course will remove any bitter memories of the past. Just for one moment think about the collective power of Shohaib and Sachin, the power of Hinduism and Islam, the Collective power of the Indian Subcontinent. Ladies and Gentlemen Kashmir will be whole again. Our Kashmir will be heaven again. Bharat will be one again. Jai Hind.

Kannathil Muthamittal - A kiss on the cheek

Just finished watching a movie which should be rated as one of the best i have seen till date. Kannathil Muthamittal - A kiss on the cheek

What an apt name for the movie. Probably one of the finest Mani Ratnam movies ever made. This guy needs to be saluted for his sheer genius. A tamil movie made about the Srilankan strife where no sides have been taken is a great sign of courage by the director.

The premise is relatively simple. An adopted girl in search of her biological mother and idealistic parents who help her in every step to grant her this wish. But what keeps this movie head and shoulders above anything else you have ever seen is that this is not about that girl - thats there just to keep the story moving - this is about a world where human life is reduced to nothing. Its about a world where the success is measured by the number of graves i was able to provide my brother who is now my enemy - hopefully that number is greater than mine. Where people fight for an ideology which ruins not just their lives but the lives of everyone who did not even wish to be part of it but are sucked into it. Where sometimes even ideology has died because it was given to a 10 year old who shot at its heart with his kalashnikov.

The story of the girl and her travels to the emerald island to find her mother is a moving one which has been handled brilliantly without any melodrama. The movie is a slightly long one at around 3 hrs but it probably needed this time. The best part about this movie is how natural it looks. The family life shown is like any other indian family and the romance so subtle. Something that will bring a smile to your lips is a great love song shot at scenic beaches and ragged ships on great salt farms but not between the lead pair but between the mother and the adopted daughter. Brilliant!!

The cinematography is excellent. Sri Lanka's beauty is captured in its raw essence. Its actually eerie to see beautiful parks and forests and amongst them just the shell of buildings. School Girls on cycles laughing like they do not have a care in the world and the next minute a gunfight at exactly the same place that looks so real that mentally you pary for their safety even though you know that its not real (or maybe it is!!!). Even the indian scenes are well captured. There is a scene where the young girl is running around in circles with her father in the centre and suddenly the father tells her that she is not their biological daughter. On hearing this she still keeps running around her father but now her happy carefree expression changes slowly as realization dawns on her. You go to movies to watch this...

Which brings us to the acting. Needless to say, Ratnam extracts superb performances from the various actors. Madhavan as the dad and Keerthana as the child are brilliant in the movie. Nandita Das in her small role potrays a great amount of character as the biological mother. She really looks the part as the Sri Lankan Tamil girl who goes through great turmoil in life. But the greatest of my applause is reserved for the fantastic Simran. The role essayed by her is really tough as that of a mother caught between wishing for her daughters happiness but at the sametime apprehensive of the steps that they have taken. Caught between the love for her adopted daughter while longing for her own sons too. This is one superlative performance.

And before i forget....the music...It seems that AR Rahman and Mani Ratnam are brothers. The music just knows how to follow the story and vice versa. The background score 'Vellai Pookal Ulagam' is haunting while the rest of the songs just simply fall into place.

A great movie which hopefully should make you wonder why do we fight when all we need to sort everything is to just kiss on the cheek...after all he is just your brother.

Decision Making

A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make.................
*
*
*
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child.You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us every day. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are.

The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.

'Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right.'

My 15 Traits

1. I like to work independently
2. I value freedom in my life affairs
3. I crave recognition in life
4. I like to be creative in whatever work I do
5. I value close relationships highly
6. I believe in openness and candor
7. I am a very emotional person
8. I get angry very easily
9. I have a positive outlook in life
10. I wish to have fulfilling relationships in life
11. I am prone to bouts of depression
12. I am a very competitive person and like to take risks in life
13. I am a very energetic person
14. I am extroverted in nature
15. I am generally a very cheerful person

When Charismatic Leaders are at their worst (My Weaknesses)

• If we are in danger, we may brutally destroy everything that has not conformed to our will rather than surrender to anyone else
• We can be Vengeful, barbaric, murderous
• We develop delusional ideas about their power, invincibility, and ability to prevail
• We can have megalomania, feeling omnipotent, invulnerable. Recklessly over-extending self for something we want to do
• We will defy any attempt to control us and become completely ruthless, dictatorial-"might makes right."
• We become highly combative and intimidating to get our way: confrontational, belligerent, creating adversarial relationships
• For us everything is a test of wills, and we will not back down
• We use threats and reprisals to get obedience from others, to keep others off balance and insecure

When Charismatic Leaders are at their best (My Strengths)

• We become self-restrained and magnanimous, merciful and forbearing, mastering self through their self-surrender to a higher authority
• We are Courageous, willing to put self in serious jeopardy to achieve their vision and have a lasting influence
• We will probably achieve true heroism and historical greatness
• We are Self-assertive, self-confident, and strong: have learned to stand up for what they need and want
• We have a resourceful, "can do" attitude and passionate inner drive
• We are decisive, authoritative, and commanding: the natural leader others look up to
• We take initiative, make things happen: champion people, provider, protective, and honorable, carrying others with their strength

How do I deal with Negative Emotions

• I like to do what I want to do. If I am doing that I will surely be happy.
• I like to drift towards close people when I am feeling upset or angry. I like to be with them as I know they will be there for me when I require them and will take care of me. These are generally my very close friends.
• I like to listen to a multitude of music. It differs for different moods. When I am unhappy I like to listen to cheerful soft music. This makes me feel relaxed and keeps me composed.
• I also write songs when I am in a really bad mood. This diverts my mind from the reasons for my anger and keeps me occupied for sometime so that anger can ebb away.
• If I am very upset, I like to cry also. I feel that crying can be very helpful when we want to wash away our emotions. It gives us a very relaxed feeling like that of a dam which has burst and the water is now flowing serenely. It gives you the chance to objectively reflect on the immediate past.

Charismatic Leader - An Introduction

Leader, Protector, Challenger - Enneagram Eights are motivated by justice and the desire to be in the right. They worry about self-protection and control. They are natural leaders, who can be capable and passionate or dictatorially manipulative, ruthless, and willing to destroy anything in their way. Eights seek control over their own life and their own destiny and fear being harmed or controlled by others. The corresponding "deadly sin" of the Eight is Lust, while the Eight's "holy idea" or essence is Holy Truth. Under stress, Eights express qualities of the Five, and when flourishing, they express qualities of the Two.

THE CHALLENGER
Enneagram Type Eight

The Powerful, Dominating Type:
Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational

Characteristics
• Passion: Lust
• Fixation: Vengeance
• Virtue: Innocence
• Holy Idea: Holy Truth
• Basic Fear: Of being harmed or controlled by others
• Basic Desire: To protect themselves (to be in control of their life and destiny)

Happiness Equation – What brings Happiness to me?

Happiness = (3P + 5E) * H¹⁰

Where,

P equals Personal characteristics such as outlook on life, resilience and adaptability.

E stands for Existence needs such as health, money and friends.

H is for Higher order needs like a sense of humour, ambitions and self esteem.

My happiness equation is like that because –

1. I have a pretty high expectation that my future is very good and I will be able to adapt to any situation and challenge that is thrown at me. I will be strong in the face of any adversity that comes my way and will be able to succeed in spite of them. Doing this will make me happy thus I have multiplied P by 3. I would like to increase my happiness by 3 times when I am tempted by the above mentioned characteristics.

2. E has a higher value for me in the happiness equation as I value my health and longetivity over a lot of other things. Money is also very very important to me and my personal state of happiness. The more the money, the higher is my happiness although this is to a certain extent. After that it becomes immaterial how much I have as whatever I have will be sufficient to satisfy me. Again my life very much revolves around friends. I will be dead if I don’t have friends or I am told to live a life alone. I want to have a large number of close friends with myself in my hour of need and also when I am happy. Due to all these reason I have multiplied my E by 5 as friends, money and long life will bring me greatest of pleasures, definitely more than the characteristics of P.

3. What brings me the greatest pleasure above anything else is my personal growth, my ambitions and the visualization of myself seeing them happening in my dreams and to a certain extent in front of my eyes. I probably am one of the most ambitious people around. I want everything I this world to be mine. Although I realize that for that to happen, I will need to work hard and I am prepared to do that. My need for recognition in this world is very high. I want to be recognized as one of the great people in the modern times and all my actions are self directed towards that course. Again humour is extremely important in my life as that is what enriches my life. Because I am so ambitious, I can get depressed or angry very easily. To not let this happen, I rely on humour to make myself smile and keep myself happy. Due to these reasons I have given H the most weightage, it is an exponential weightage as for every combination of P and E combined as mentioned above I want my life to be enriched by H ten times over exponentially. Only then will I be happy probably.

Miles to go before i Sleep...

This road between Bhubaneshwar and Puri was one of the most beautiful roads i have seen. An everlasting avenue which actually reminds you of the great poem "Miles to go before i sleep...."

Natural Pearls

The pictures of these pearls were taken on an island on Chilka Lake in the Orissa state of India. There was a quaint temple on the island and some people were selling these pearls next to it. Infact, you could choose the oysters and they would break it open in front of you to show you the pearl. It was your lucky day, if you got a perfect one!!

Puri in the Evening

This is a picture of the Puri beach and no, i have not used any lenses or editing tools to capture this image. It is exactly the way my camera caught the image. Infact, its actually extremely beautiful...You should go see it with your own eyes...

Making Waves

The great Chilka Lake - Trust me...Its huge!!

That's an Irrawaddy Dolphin - Chilka Lake

A very rare sight indeed, by some accounts only 50 of them are still left in India's Chilka lake.
For more information, click on the link...

The Sea & The Sky - Without Boundaries

The Sea and the Sky converge together at the horizon in this amazing palette of colours.
Nature...the more you read it...the more it makes you wonder and the more it makes you fall in Love with it!!

Embers

Have you ever wondered how the word fire is at the heart of every revolution or great change that happens among us. Even water can be fiery...
Think about the fact that without the so called fire in your heart, there would be no evolution at all. We would always remain content with whatever we have and change would just not exist...

Vibrant Gujarat in XL

The wall in GH1: 413

Look at the quote on the wall:

"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion"
Democritus - Greek philosopher (460 BC - 370 BC)

Serenity closer Home - Dimna & Dalma before sunrise

Conversations with an Autodriver/ God

A couple of days back, while coming back late from dinner, i had to take one of those nefarious Bangalore autos. Anyways, to cut to the point the driver tried a semblance of conversation while i gave him the cold shoulder not because i am like that but because i was too tired by that point of time. When we reached home he asked for Rs 75 as the fare and i gave him a Rs 100 note.

I am not sure why but i suddenly asked him how does he manage to drive the auto in the night if he also drives it in the day. He told me then that he has a daughter's wedding coming up in a months time and he wants to give her the beast possible wedding he could afford. I just returned the change back to him that moment saying that celebrate your daughter's wedding well. He seemed genuinely surprised and after thanking me, left the place.

I came upstairs and a nagging thought was there in my mind, why didn't i give him some more money in case i wanted to help him. Strangely i think i should not have paid him more as the money i give him should not be looked at as alms. I think that would have hurt his ego since this guy is trying to earn an honest income by working hard.

This kind of hit home in a different way. Just think doesn't god also work in the same way. If we work hard, we get the fruits of our labor and some time luck just grants us a bit more. It most often doesn't grant us something very extravagant or something that we don't deserve. At least i would like to believe so.

I am not sure but i think this was God's way of telling me that Dude...stop cribbing...u can get all that you want...just start walking towards it....

Start of a day over beautiful Jamshedpur

That's Aerosmith in India

Play of Light...

The 'most' Important drink ;-)

Pure Liquid - Gold !!

Someone's famous words...My Belief

• With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plea; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.
• I am in earnest; I will not equivocate; I will not excuse; I will not retreat a single inch; and I will be heard.
• That which is not just is not law.

William Lloyd Garrison
US abolitionist & editor (1805 - 1879)

It's all a Joke-'er'!!

"Do I really look like a man with a plan, Harvey? I don't have a plan. The mob has plans, the cops have plans. You know what I am, Harvey? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. I just *do* things. I'm a wrench in the gears. I *hate* plans. Yours, theirs, everyone's. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans. Schemers trying to control their worlds. I am not a schemer. I show schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are. So when I say that what happened to you and your girlfriend wasn't personal, you know I'm telling the truth. It's a schemer who put you where you are. You were a schemer. You had plans. Look where it got you. I just did what I do best-I took your plan and turned it on itself. Look what I have done to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple bullets. Nobody panics when the expected people get killed. Nobody panics when things go according to plan, even if the plans are horrifying. If I tell the press that tomorrow a gangbanger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will get blown up, nobody panics. But when I say one little old mayor will die, everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos, Harvey? It's fair.

” The Joker in "The Dark Knight"

Time defined !!

We choose starting points, when in truth every moment exists in the context of every single moment throughout time that precedes and follows it. Time is a tapestry with neither beginning nor end. We like to think stories start at a single point, but in truth, its all one eternal tale....

- The Sadhu, Gotham Chopra - Virgin Comics

Hope Song

Koi taare honge apne, dhundhkar tu dekh le
Palkon pe sapne hazaron, kyun kahin chup gaye
Baahen Kholo dekh lo, Hai zamana tere intezaar mein
Koi Taare honge apne, dhundh kar tu dekh le....

Chu le apne taaron ko, Puri ho ja aarzoo
Haare the jo baazi, jeetenge kabhi na kabhi
Haunsla ho man mein, junoon aankhon mein
paane ki chahat ho agar, tu dua maangon apne taaron se

Koi taare honge apne, dhundhkar tu dekh le
Palkon pe sapne hazaron, kyun kahin chup gaye
Baahen Kholo dekh lo, Hai zamana tere intezaar mein
Koi Taare honge apne, dhundh kar tu le....

Life - A Card Game

One moment in life you are so happy...the other moment you are reflective...What's actually in store for you....what's life hiding from you...

Its like a classic card game...You vs Life...everyone hiding their cards...keeping them close to their chests....life trying to stump you....you trying to be one up over life by making your decisions...

The only problem that i see there is that when we play our cards, it is strengthening the decisions that life takes in the future while the ones that life takes for us might just weaken us....or the fact that we may never even find what cards had been played....

Strange no...when you think of this complex maze called existence...how it struggles to eke out a move when so many strange forces are trying to stop it from doing so...and that includes us too...

Hope and a Little Sugar

'I survived two wars by learning to hate the enemy. It's the only way to protect what we love.' - Hope and a Little Sugar

I don't believe that....You are not protecting what you love. You are just not letting it flow like water to find its own destiny. The problem is that as soon as you start hating everything around you, you stop seeing the beauty of life and the varied fragrances it brings.

Think about it. Hope and a little sugar is what everyone wants from life...

As for me....The hope has been the only one which has existed till date....

Have just prayed and asked for a little sugar in life from God ;))

10 Things to do before i turn 30

Sadly this is not my bucket list....but if i were to die before 30....maybe it will be :))

Hmmm.....so the top 10 things that i want to do in no particular order are:

1. Be a Co-Pilot on a Sukhoi - 27/30 Fighter Aircraft - Heard you can do that in Ukraine.
2. Make love to the woman of my dreams in all possible ways in a night of uninhibited lust.
3. Buy a Yamaha Superbike and try to ride it to its max capability.
4. Go on a Luxury Cruise around Singapore.
5. Go on the Kailash Dham Yatra - Mount Kailash Pilgrimage and see Mansarovar in its splendour.
6. Go backpacking across Europe for a week.
7. See all the Wonders of the World.
8. Write/ Compose a song and release it to the Wide World.
9. Watch an Opera in the Sydney Opera House.
10. Go to the Oscars/ Cannes.

It would all be just so perfect if i can do this with someone i really want to share it with (wry smile!!).....

Judge Not

A really Nice Poem someone forwarded to me:

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics, the trash...

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, whom I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged God, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber? Give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' said He, 'They're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

Judge NOT!!

This is Love

A gem of an article i read some where:

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"....

Rise of the Phoenix

Have you ever realized that life gives us those great opportunities sometimes that just test us in every thing that we do, our abilities, our balance, our mental strength, our beliefs, our values and our dreams itself. It’s like baptism by fire that cannot be compared with any other test that we would have undergone.

We can actually take these so called opportunities and think about the mess that we are in or we can emerge stronger from it. After all, to emerge stronger from something, we need to go though pain. This pain is something like the pain that we feel when we have run hard for a couple of miles. It’s sweet if you want it to be. It’s bitter if you want your heart to feel bitter.

The best part of this test is that, if you believe in your beliefs, and just don’t bow to anything and everything that is thrown at you – mind you, the test is stern – and do not let anything question your beliefs…I think we will emerge so much stronger that we would ourselves be able to challenge any thought which has not been tested. Ever heard of Phoenix the legendary bird, the one which after every 500 years burns and re emerges from the ashes.

I believe strongly in the concept of love. All I know is that I have my belief and that belief will stay that love exists. I might not be happy at the end of my life but well....not all love stories are happy!!

The thing is that if you stop believing in love, you will never be able to know what it is like.

(Follow me…You won't find nobody else like me) ;-)))

Plight of an Indian Soldier

There are just some things which make me feel so mad sometimes. Take for example the apathy that people show to Indian soldiers after they have completed years of duty in keeping us citizens safe. I feel everyone is equally responsible for this mess. The Indian government, the Indian armed forces and most importantly, the Indian People at large. Why is it that people talk about a very big divide between Civilian and Military life. Why is it that the seamless integration is not possible.

I will just recount a story here. In our apartment complex, we had a guard called Joseph for a month when i had shifted recently. The first day when he spoke to me, i was stunned. That guy was so fluent in the English Language that it was odd from the word go. He asked me about where i am from and all the other merry weather questions and then apologized for being inquisitive....inquisitive...I was stunned!!

I then found out that he was a security guard now but earlier he had been a Indian navy petty officer. Its just that he did not have any money after retirement to feed his wife, he had to take up this job where he felt so humiliated saluting some arbit people living in the apartment instead of the Indian Flag and his beloved Navy personnel. He looked as if the weight of the entire earth was on him. He looked much much older than he actually was. My heart went out to him when he talked about "having a job just to keep the pot boiling" and i felt so helpless. If i give this man just money wouldn't it be like treating him like a beggar and taking away any self respect that is left.

Why does it have to be like this. Why can people respect the fact that a person who has served his entire life with so much distinction his entire life has to live his last few years like he is the most unwanted piece in society. Why cant we have support structures for this kind of a problem. After all Joseph cant be the only one facing this problem in a Military of close to 1.5 Million Soldiers.

They deserve to be respected...

Beyond Life

What is it that a person would want to find beyond life. Paradise, Heaven, God....or Death, Destruction......or maybe just plain nothing. Just completely plain nothing...

A very long time back, i had this nightmare once where i was just falling and falling further through empty space. Believe me but this still makes me shudder once in a while. Just imagine the helplessness of the feeling. You can do nothing about it because you cannot...Maybe, just maybe Life Beyond will be like this.

After death, we will just be hurtling through empty space for eternity unless we find the inner strength in our souls which do exist somewhere and which will define the purpose that we are intended to pursue. Maybe only on finding this inner strength will be able to break the shackles of this unseemingly endless existence and be alive once again....

Maybe thats what i need to do even when i am alive on earth....Feel Alive!!

Apt college song...

Do bench aage meri baithti thi woh,
Do bench peeche mera seat yaaron,

Aankhon aankhon mein ishara youn ho gaya
4 saal beeta par baat na bana

Oh Deepa (Any name can be mentioned here),
Man mera kehna, Oh Deepa

Haal hai jo tera, woh haal hai mera
Kuch to tu batana...Oh deepa

Why do people work?

I am sitting in my office today - a Saturday - and just thinking about the work that i am supposed to be doing today and tomorrow, - a Sunday - makes me feel like i am an extremely foolish guy who is living his life rotting away in office hell for no reason at all. But is that TRUE??

I am not so sure that i love this work but maybe at the bottom of the heart, i know that if i hated it completely, i would have walked out of this office ages ago. But i didn't which must mean something. There can be many things making me want to stay here:

1. I am just a big coward who has become "Institutionalized" and do not want to move out of my comfort zone to look for greener - supposedly - pastures.

2. I love my work somewhat and i am feeling that i should learn something from this role that i am playing. The only problem with this statement is that i really do not know what role i am playing or is there really anything that i am learning?

3. I have a cushy job which really pays me very well and i am able to maintain my lifestyle because of that. But that again brings us again to the age old question - which i anyways think is stupid in the first place - about money being the most important thing in life and what about having a great heartfelt life without always having one sliver of thought on a big pot of gold that might crop up?

4. I just plain love the feeling of telling my friends that i worked on weekends and 100 hour weeks and they exclaiming my greatness by saying things like...dude u rock man....u must be the most hardworking person in office or they must be going to make you the CEO soon!!....i know its kinda strange but i can acknowledge that in the deepest recesses of my heart, i sometimes do like this talk...and don't blame me....everyone has a right to dram once in a while. huh!

5. This is a company which doesn't throw out people so even if i have to work hard today and from tomorrow onwards i don't work and just faff my way to glory, it does not matter since i will probably get a average rating and an average payout which would still be significantly higher than what is required for a very very very cozy life.

Well to tell you the truth, i dont know....maybe its one of the reasons listed above, maybe its a combination of more than one, maybe its plain hogwash.....
The fact of the matter is that at the end of the day, i am sitting in my comfy chair under airconditioning and am blogging while i am supposed to be working....and working hard for that matter.....

Puts thing in perspective...right ;)))

Idea of Ideal Love

I believe that i am the most romantic person in the world. I may be wrong but then, even if i am not, i can always try to be one...

My idea of the perfect life...not just in terms of romance but in terms of the life itself is a very simple one. Walking hand in hand with my wife in a big green field and "feeling happy down to your toes" - as CS Lewis would have put it - and not once regretting the fact that you could have lived life differently. Its something like the movie 50 first dates but the difference lies in the fact that its just not about 50 dates, its about making sure that you do it every single day of your life.

Its about a life time of happiness and still finding a way to fall in love when you are 65 years old!!

I believe that is what BLISS is all about .....

I Have a Dream...

Remember the very famous Martin Luther King speech at the height of the American revolt against apartheid....

Now lets think about how or probably what i would dream about "Modern India".

I have a dream that we are completely rid of poverty, we never have to ever again beg for a morsel of food, we never have to dream about India sleeping hungry again.
I have a dream that the disgusting casteism that most Indians unconsciously breathe becomes a thing of the past cause there is no greater injustice than injustice done to a fellow good man.
I have a dream that all religions accept other religions/human beings in totality of spirit and preach about the futility of all fighting, hatred & selfishness that lies at the bottom of the heart today.
I have a dream that wherever i look around me, i find brothers in arms who will look at the sky and say that it was a good day when were born in this country.

I have a dream that corruption and pettiness of individuals in the society is treated with such disgust that is today reserved for serial killers and rapists.
I have a dream that dignity of labour exists in all sections of the society and everybody takes pride in the fact that he/she is helping another person if the need arises, whatever the work.
I have a dream that making India shine is not just a piece of election sloganeering but a way of life and all of us dedicated to its cause.
I have a dream that i never see a sick human again in my entire living life cause everyone has a right to be healthy and full of life even if they are in the throes of death.

I have a dream that our heads never bow in front of anyone unless in great respect or gratitude and that at all other times, for the fact that we were born the sons and daughters of a great motherland called India, our heads are held so high that even minor stumbles along the way can be laughed off for exactly what they are, just minor stumbles....

Here is to an India where we not just DREAM but along with it, where we all DO what we DREAM!

The Bravest of the Brave

Have you ever felt yourself shiver when you read about a persons achievement that is so great that you are made to look as insignificant as a box of nothing and at the same time feel so proud that your heart is happy to the core and then again in the same instance feel so ashamed that you don't know where to look......Maybe even i dont understand the complete magnitude of feelings inside me but then it doesnt matter.

It is not about me at all, it is all about the Valour, the Courage, the Greatness of a Man/Hero known as Chuni Lal - amongst the most highly decorated soldiers of the Indian Army - and 8 J&K Light Infantry - The most decorated Battalion of the Indian Army led by Naib Subedar Bana Singh, one of India's greatest living heroes, who himself has won the Param Vir Chakra. Sadly the man is never going to set foot with us mortals again but then his place was always reserved somewhere else, somewhere a normal human only dreams of going after life is over.

Sir, you have made us all proud that you were an Indian and because of you and the efforts of your battalion, we can walk with our heads held high.

To know what i am talking about, read on.....(http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/feb/05heroesld1.htm)

Saathiya

The first song that i wrote:

Saathiya mere paas aa,
Zindagi se na duur ja.

Saathiya mere paas aa,
Zindagi se na duur ja.

Jab savera hota hai,
Mujhko andhera lagta hai,

Dukh ke kaante bicha gaya,
Aa kar sukh ke phul bicha,

Saathiya mere paas aa,
Zindagi se na duur ja.

Sab youn haste rahe,
Hum to rote rahe,
Koi saath nahin tha,
Hum tadapte rahe.

Saathiya mere paas aa,
Zindagi se na duur ja.

Rahein jab chal padin,
Hum akele rahe,
Aasuon ke sukhne par,
Hum sambhalne lage.

Saathiya mere paas aa,
Zindagi se na duur ja.

Saathiya mere paas aa,
Zindagi se na duur ja.

Aanchal

Trust me...It didnt help ;-)

Aanchal, Le udi aanchal,
Aanchal, Le udi aanchal.

Yeh jo saundhi saundhi khushbu hai zindagi mein,
Mere dil ki dhadkan kehti hai wahi aanchal hai,
Yeh jo saundhi saundhi khushbu hai zindagi mein,
Mere dil ki dhadkan kehti hai wahi aanchal hai.

Meethi si, pyaari si,
Badi Bholi si hai aanchal.

Aanchal, Le udi aanchal,
Aanchal, Le udi aanchal.

Raahein

Probably the best song that i have written till date:

Raah par chal hi pade hain,
Rukna kyun saathi mere.

Raah par chal hi pade hain,
Rukna kyun saathi mere.

Hawaon mein, In ghataon mein,
Youn to hum gum ho rahe hain,
Masti mein dhun gaa rahe hain,
Masti mein dhun gaa rahe hain.

Raah par chal hi pade hain,
Rukna kyun saathi mere.

Hum to youn haste hain, Haste hain,
Saath youn chalte hain,
Hum to soche yahi,
Hum hi khuda hain...Hum hi Khuda hain.

Raah par chal hi pade hain,
Rukna kyun saathi mere.

Fighting the Waves

Have you ever fought with the waves?. I have! And you know what, it’s the strangest feeling I have ever had. It’s a great feeling to be sprawled face up on a beach looking at the bright sun with the water just reaching your hair making you glisten like a jewel. Just imagine the calm that you feel, its almost surreal and it felt to me that I can lock this moment forever. I still think about it whenever I need the same calm to descend upon me. But that day, alas, the ocean had a mind of its own. The waves just kept growing stronger and made me move on the beach like I was a soft toy. I tried to move up so that I am untroubled by the waves and can lie peacefully but to no avail. They just kept following me wherever I moved.

This is when I decided that I will fight the Ocean. Call me foolish or just plain stupid, I ran into the waves and tried to fight the rising waters by trying to push out of them in to the open sea. The thing is, I knew it was childish of me to do that at that moment but then it was fun! We all know how funny I would have looked running into the water with an angry look and jumping on the waves after that and today I can laugh about it but that day it just felt so good to have fought the nature at my own terms. I know I lost (Am I kidding :-)!!) but I know that I did what I wanted to do and then I failed….i failed while I was laughing madly and yet at the same time, very much at peace with myself.

You know what, maybe there is a lesson to be learnt there……