Onam

Oh yes, very much God's own festival... and yes, He had a major role to play in it.. Legend has it that the demon king Mahabali, who ruled over Kerala, was so good, that Indra, the king of Gods, felt a tinge of professional jealousy, a God size tinge... so he politely took an appointment with Vishnu, who had, by that time, made it a habit of rescuing Indra from all the shit he was constantly falling into.. Indra convinced Vishnu that the yajna that mahabali was conducting now was only a smokescreen, and it was part of the long term strategy to overthrow Indra...

And so Vishnu, who knew all about the matrix, morphed himself into a brahmin lad, went to Mahabali, and asked him for three measures of land, and the measure would be His foot.. Now Mahabali, was famed for his generosity, which was king sized, and immediately agreed, inspite of advice from his spiritual guru... What he needed was a lawyer, for, like most other cases, it was the fine print that caused his downfall.. for Vishnu, just bloated himself and in his first measure took up heaven, and in the second , earth and the other planets.. i guess, by now, mahabali would have totally lost his composure, and, in response to vishnu's query on where he should keep his third footstep, would have said 'mere sar pe'.. vishnu, wily God that he was, did just that, and pushed Mahabali into the netherworld...

Vishnu might have felt some pity, for he gave Mahabali permission to visit Kerala, once a year to see his subjects.. and the day he comes back, we Keralites celebrate Onam and sing our own versions of 'Those were the days, my friend....'

Of course, times have changed now, the Congress is ruling,and they are worse than in the times of Indra, Onam is celebrated more in UAE, America, Europe, Bangalore and other assorted places where Keralites reside in more than 3 numbers, but in spite of all that, its still Onam, and i still get a smile on my lips, even if its in memory of the good old times - yours, Mahabali, and mine too....

until next time, happy Onam to all of you...

Granted...

Wish.. we all do.. for different things - more money, a better life, that prized job, with which we think our life would become a little better than what it is now, momentarily or for a lifetime... and like always, we forget what has been granted to us without asking, and what we have taken for granted...

a loving set of parents, a good education,food when we are hungry, shelter when we need it, a lifestyle that is comfortable, money to take care of our needs, all senses intact, a couple of arms and a couple of legs, enough of thinking ability to enjoy a good book, a taste for good music and good food..

and while taking this for granted we also assume a lot of things - from the newspaper and milk being delivered in the morning to our surviving the day... that we will not fall sick, that the vehicle will not conk, that nothing will rock our personal or professional boat, that a natural disaster will not befall our peaceful existence, that we have all this because we deserve to.....

and also in between there are some moments when we take a look out of our coccooned world, and see others' version of reality, a life where survival itself is the biggest victory, and then we wonder... at least for sometime..
until next time, what if you could grant wishes.....

Tech Republic

Upfront, let me admit that an intense subconscious jealousy might be the reason for the contents of this post, but thats a big 'might'. and before i start off, let me assure you that i have nothing against the people i write about, only sympathy at the way they are being used.. and it may not be a situation which applies to everyone in the industry... disclaimer over, post start...

A few days back, i read an article that a reputed software company is going to start a beauty salon, on its campus.. the reason being that since the employees start work early and end late,they may not have time to get a haircut or facial, and so the oh-so-concerned employer is taking care of it... sometime earlier, i had also read about how creches were the latest HR craze in the silicon towers..reason being that employees shouldnt be bothered about finding a safe parking place for their toddlers... i assume the forthcoming attractions would be a work station which will double up as a dorm at night, with facilities for brushing/shaving etc, entertainment facilities for the last generation of visiting parents, express mating services coz baby, who has the time for love and romance, mini sperm banks and artificial insemination procedures, so that the correct genetic ingredients can be used to make a perfect tech kid who might be able to start programming after uttering the cursory 'papa' and 'mama' utterances, and its formal introduction to them, and yes, before i really lose it, please, a toilet seat instead of the regular seat....

Welcome to the tech republic, founded on the toil of a million professionals who bravely walk that thin line between their retina and their monitor, and their fingers and the keyboard... who are led to believe that their work is making a difference to millions of users whose life has been made easier because of the billion applications/programs that are being churned out... who are worth so much, thanks to their ESOPs, that it would make every other kind of professional hide his face in shame, but who wouldnt have the time to enjoy it.. whose life, for me, is still an enigmatic code... er, before we got diverted, wasnt the whole process about improving lives? i guess,like every republic has its own set of martyrs, so too does the tech republic...
until next time < / post >

Weight and Watch

A long long time ago, long before watching one's weight reached fashionable proportions, we used to have a simple routine at home, that of measuring our weight every month...

Having hovered around the twenty and thirty kg mark for a long time, crossing the 50 kg mark was a big priority in my wishlist... But we humans are funny folk.. its been a long time since i crossed the magic figure, and now i exercise so that i can keep it somewhere close to that figure.. like the saying goes, the more things change the more they remain the same...in childhood, it was about increasing the weight till it reached there, and now its about decreasing it...

however, i have always wondered when exactly the body weight increases, when exactly was it that i crossed from 49 kg to 50 kg.... like the movement of the hour hand of a clock, we never manage to know the exact moment... not for any particular purpose, just curiosity...
until next time, wait a second, and think about it....

Login

Karma was a good movie... Dilip Kumar did a decent job.... simple.. but no, this is not a movie review, this is about the other kind of karma.. not so simple..

as a kid, and a hindu one at that, i was given a basic understanding of karma and its functionality.. in retrospect, i do believe that it was used more for preventing any unruly behaviour on my part.. karma was the 'thing' that would get back at me later if i did any wrong..like in the case of most other things that were told to me, i fell for this one too.. but maybe that was good, anyways..

but as time passed, the belief in the flawless machinery of karma gave way to a questioning attitude, and then onto absolute disbelief... it could have been that the machinery was having a slow race competition with the indian judiciary, or with some file in the massive indian bureaucracy,anyways, it seemed to be winning.. there was no retribution from 'karma', and that was from experience..not that this knowledge was used in some diabolical plan or for some evil purpose, but the belief had been shattered...

More time has passed, and like most other things, the belief system has also come full circle, and most likely is here to stay, because unlike the first time, this is a self learning, and not something that has been drilled into the conscience.. but i do think that it is time for the karma machinery to get a good overhaul, maybe get more efficient... and like the new nationalised bank accounts, become accessible with a simple username and password..

so we could actually redeem our karma reward points!! yes, there would of course be the regular issues like 'Forgot Password' or an occasional nasty case of hacking, but overall it would be much more convenient... getting movie tickets, that new job, discounts on stuff we badly want to buy, a good marriage/ love life, not getting soaking wet in rains, getting back power supply ..would all be possible with just a karma account... and to get the points, one would have to do good deeds.... a win-win situation..
until next time, think about the possibilities!!

Retro!!

A while before i was born, there was a generation i would have loved to be part of... they are identified by a number of descriptors - flower power, hippies, love and peace etc.

the 70's was their time, and the protests against what was then conventional in society, were made in several forms - from agitation on the streets to men wearing their hair long and from groupism and drugs to song lyrics...That generation was very clear in their belief that society and humanity as a whole were going on a path that wouldn't quite turn out to be the right one, in the years to come... from the wars that were being fought for all the wrong reasons, to the pressure exerted by society on them to conform, they felt everything was going wrong.. and they fought it, by turning the tables on the way things were functioning then.. by just walking out with long hair and unkempt beards and staying in groups and resorting to drugs... not all of it was good, but they made a point...

This generation is also seeing wars, but with wrong reasons on both sides. 9/11 wasn't right, but nor was the attack on iraq... 7/7 was not right, but nor was the gunning down of an innocent guy.. but i dont see terrorism as the biggest enemy, for it can be resolved if people can be made to sit and discuss issues.. and though that was putting it simply, it still can be done...

the bigger enemy is us, for we have forgotten humanity... in a purely materialistic society, where technological advancement and career/economic advancement are the indeces of society's and the individual's development respectively, there is simply no time to lend a helping hand to those more unfortunate than us, because MMS scandals, the status of the brad pitt-angelina jolie affair, the ambani feud etc are more important to us...but when i see a 'go slow' movement thats gathering steam in Europe, and a 'blank noise' happening around me, i think we might be in for a fight.. a neo flower power movement, and a way to drag us back to a better path...

until next time, how can we play a part??

Key Bored!!

Maybe we trust the machine too much. Or maybe we expect it to do too much for us.. well anyway, the damn key on the computer keyboard does not work, or was too bored to work, and so i had to manually shift all the stuff to our new office....
i should have known, have tried to esc a lot of times, but failed!! wonder whether we really ctrl the machines, or they control us.....

until next time, is there an alt??

So....

Once upon a time, a couple of years back, the job got a bit boring in the afternoon..

so he decided to make a blog on rediff...

so blogs became a regular feature, twice maybe even thrice a week..

so it went on, the search for co bloggers..

so a few friends were made, but rediff was becoming boring...

so he decided to experiment with the template..

so html was shifted around, but it still was boring..

so he decided to shift to a new location...

so whats so great about that, you might ask..so he'd say, its really nothing great, just that he has been writing

so much in this place that he just found out that this one is actually post number sau...
until next time, i'm waiting.. someone say 'so sweet' :)

All tied up

Culturally and emotionally, it has changed a lot over the years - from this to this !!
until next time, happy rakhi to all of you :)

Remix Hits...

Not exactly a revolutionary topic for a post, but maybe its like one of those old songs we have forgotten, and get suddenly reminded of, when we hear a remix... and so it is, a topic which keeps cropping up now and then, or rather a remix of different topics....

it seems like a cycle - forgetting and remembering... especially with music.. maybe that explains the success of remixes.. of course, the videos play a major part, but yet, there must be something about a song that inspires remixes... these days, maybe we really dont get time to enjoy a song, rather , enjoy it so much and so many times that it gets imprinted in our minds..because the next 'happening' song is just around the corner.. and so a 'refresh' is inevitable every few months.. a reminder about songs we used to like...

SwB wrote a post sometime back about not knowing the words of the national anthem.. maybe this generation considers 'Jana Gana Mana...' also as a relic of the past, a baggage that must be shedded.. in this day of fading geographical boundaries, maybe there is no space for patriotism, maybe it has lost out to the MNCs and call centers that provide the daily bread...

having said all that, i do know an old song that was quite a hit from the 40s to the late 60s. in fact, our generation and those after us also know it, though it hasnt been quite that popular, but the 'pokemon/ harry potter' generation kids also stand in attention when it is sung every morning in school... if we remixed that song, it perhaps would replace a 'Rock Anthems - Remix', and the #1 selling album for some time would be "National Anthem - Remix"....
until next time, Jai Hind rocks... or is it Jay Sean??

The Morning news

He walked around the room, as if caged. and every minute, his anger grew.. for the third morning in a row, he had not got the newspapers. he had already called the vendor a couple of times, in the last two days. he had thought that at least today things would return to normal. but it didnt seem like it would. and it was no fun going down two floors of stairs to see if the paper had come, and discovering that it had not. he loved the view from the terrace, but living on the second floor had its own drawbacks. in irritation he called up the vendor again.

'Sir, we have already sent it" said the vendor

'well, i havent been getting the paper for 2 days now. tell the paperboy very clearly it is the second floor'.

'sir, it could be that the people on the ground floor have been taking your paper. dont worry, sir, i have given the boy special instructions.

'ok. i will wait.'

saying so, he ended the conversation. he decided he would resume his 'caged walk' on the terrace,with an occasional peep downstairs to see if the paper had come.

the boy had been getting a beating for no fault of his own, for the past couple of days. apparently some guy had not been getting the newspaper for two days now. he knew the house, and also knew what might be happening to the paper. he had told his boss, and today, his boss had given him some special instructions. he hoped it would work, he hated getting beaten. he reached the house, and took the special bundle, special, because the two newspapers were bound together with a cord. and with all his might, heaved it towards the second floor terrace.

at that exact moment, the man looked down... and hard hitting news got a whole new meaning!!
until next time, this is the lead story!!

Silly points

I have a feeling that my esteemed host, Blogger, is beginning to have problems with longish posts... have been trying for quite a few days now to post, but though the system accepts my test posts, the moment i post my real post, there are problems...maybe thats the way it is now,from blogger to cricket, short is sweet.... and so small posts and twenty twenty cricket may just be the future...

But having said that, i do recall a good punchline i saw recently for some local crickettournament which said 'The future of cricket is limited'... i really believe they were also referring to the indian team.. inspite of having perhaps the maximum number of potential match winners in a team, as a whole, they just ain't good enough.. although it is said that the sum of the parts is always lesser than the whole, we have a sad case of some of the parts being too big for the whole!!

Meanwhile, have been hearing the Pakistan captain Inzy requesting the English team to play a test in Karachi, but the English team has been vehemently refusing citing security reasons... i am actually wondering, after 7/7 and with Javed Mian as the proud dad after his son's marriage to Dawood's daughter, Karachi might just be the safest place on the planet, at least, as far as cricket venues go...
until next time, maybe maybe Dawood XI vs Dravid XI is the future....

Time, and time again.....

Alarm. brush. tea. shave. shit. newspaper. fm. tv. morning headlines. bath. dress. kickstart. petrol. traffic.honk. abuse. good morning. meeting. mail. excel. tea. word. monster. boss. powerpoint. lunch. good afternoon. crib. meeting. call/wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend. browse. blog. meeting. agency. tea. socialise. bitch. consultant. boss. plan. mail. good evening. deadline. tea. browse. shutdown. traffic. honk. #$^%&%. tv. plan. music. eat. post. tv. goodnight.

all through the day, we race against time, and at night, while we sleep, time races ahead...
until next time, who's winning??

Hogwash

Howling was a worried author. Though her books were appreciated by the masses, she hadnt been able to reach quite the same level as a cetain mr.erle stanley gardner. and she was quite sure that it was mostly due to the one star character that gardner had created - perry mason. yes, thought Howling, that was what she needed - an iconic character. she didnt want to take the competition head on, so the character couldnt be a lawyer. there was only one profession that could offer the same kind of thrills, mystery, sex and intrigue - a private detective. and thus was born Parry Hotter. Parry, a take on Perry, and Hotter, because Howling thought hes character would be, well, a much hotter proposition in the market. and what followed was

Parry Hotter and the Philosopher's Stone

Donald Chump had everything - money, power, hair, a successful reality show, but in spite of all this, he was a worried man. women hated him. inspite of all the pheramone perfumes and pickup lines that his staff wrote for him, he simply couldnt woo a woman. But he still had some hope, for legend had it that a philosopher in ancient greece had found the secret of what women really wanted, and had capsuled the secret into a stone. Chump was told by his advisors that if it existed, there was only one man who could get it for him - Parry Hotter. Chump only told him two words - You're hired!! And thus begins Parry's journey to Greece and its past. Will Parry get the stone? Will Chump become a lady's man??In the very first book of the series, Howling has created a character that looks all set to become an icon for generations to come.

Parry Hotter and the Chamber of Secrets

It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In the second book of the series, Howling has raised controversial questions on America's legislature, the Clinton administration and the nation's esteemed judiciary. Parry Hotter has been hired by the opposition to investigate rumours about the secret happenings in the presidential chambers. As he gets sucked into the vortex of political manipulation, lust, greed, scandal, sex and power, the tension mounts. Will Parry get his cover blown? Or will he get the job done?

Parry Hotter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In this new novel, set in the war torn middle east, Howling has tried to take a moral stance on global issues. Parry Hotter has been enlisted by a rebel group to help its leader escape from the heavily guarded military base at Azkaban. Battling double agents, regime loyalists, lookalikes, and deadly arab damsels, and torn between loyalty to his nation and global sympathy, Parry has to decide - is he saving a tyrannical dictator or an old man who stood up to the most powerful nation on earth?

Parry Hotter and the Goblet of Fire

Its a threat as old as the world itself. Countless people have fought it and countless have succumbed to it - drugs. In his new adventure, Parry Hotter is on the trail of a mandarin who holds the secret to the most potent drug in the scene today. Known as the goblet of fire, the addictive potion has already killed thousands and is well on its way to destroying millions more. as parry hunts the mandarin of death from the jungles of colombia to the beaches of goa, and the drug infested streets of hong kong to the teeming nightlife of London, he comes face to face with the troubles of a generation, which is in search of itself.can parry douse the fire thats eating up an entire generation??

Parry Hotter and the Order of the Phoenix

In her stunning new novel, Howling brings Parry full circle. Thanks to Parry, Donald Chump is now quite a lady killer. But in his quest for more power, he has created an army of deadly female assassins. With the help of the Philosopher's stone, he has manipulated them to having only a single mission - helping Chump become the most superior power on earth. from models and actresses to princesses and heads of state, chump continues to lure more and more women into his army of assassins. he has named them the 'order of the phoenix' for the sheer lust for them could make men rise even from their ashes. As the world awakens to the threat of Chump, it becomes evident that there's only one man who can save the earth from the clutches of chump - Parry Hotter.

Parry Hotter and the Half Blood Prince

Parry Hotter has retired from his life of adventure. But even he cant resist a challenge, especially when there's royalty involved. The young prince of england is ready to be coronated. all england is in joy, but a dark cloud is in the horizon. it has become known that theres someone who wants to assassinate the prince. as a pall of gloom envelops the royal family, it also becomes known that the villain in the piece is none other than the illegitimate son of the prince's mother and her businessman lover. Raised by his grandparents after his parents' horrible death in a car crash, he is known as the half blood prince.

As he battles the vested interests of tabloids in search of scandals and former royal employees turned bestselling authors, the world expects magic from parry, but has he met his match this time??

until next time, i can see brickbats and broomsticks chasing me.....

Ad Mad World...

Advertisements, that which are used to market things we may or may not want... but now, television commercials have become a source of entertainment all by themselves, irrespective of whether theproduct/service is interesting to us at all.. and so, that got me thinking, do we relate to ads in the same way that we relate to fellow humans also...

We have the ads that are about the things we have to live with the mobiles and service providers,which are essential for us on a routine basis... kinda like relatives.. dont necessarily have to like them, but not exactly disposable either.. of course, among these we might find some ads that we love, just like some cousins/aunts/uncles etc who are special to us and nice people who happen to be relatives...

and then there are ads, which may not have any relation to what we want, but we still like them and may even adopt the product/service because of this liking.. like friends... of course, the friends hopefully last longer than the particular ad campaign...in general, we most usually like the ads that have a bit of humour in them, or the ones that give an emotional tug, or the ones that remind us of us... i guess we relate to people in a similar kind of way...

yes, i am into marketing and am working a lot these days, work which includes ads... and yes, it would have been still okay if it reflected only in the posts i write, but when, during introductions, when i respond to 'Hi, i am Xyzee', with a 'Hi, I am stressed', i guess there is a problem somewhere ;)
until next time, does it all add up??