Hey! that is so true!!

Thats the statement I have been saying after reading this. One part of masters lifestyle is sitting in front of a laptop or a computer for 16 hours in a day, the rest 8 is when you sleep. Practically eat, sleep and drink this 'networking potion' that has started making me 'digi'. Now, the term email has transformed from 'something that you check once in 24 hours' to 'something that you check 24 times in a minute'. Not just email, but other social networking idiotic sites have pulled me into their web and they are consuming me. I feel like suffering from an OCD. I feel depressed when I don't see my email count increase, and even more when I see some faaltu emails. I feel like I have been cheated by the mail server. Am I becoming a loner or am I becoming some sort of geeky maniac for whom the sight of several unread emails is soothing to say the least.

Anyways, I keep digressing. I found the analogy between the mail-checking and gambling really apt. Some people put it down in writing so well. I used to wonder and laugh at my constant mail-checking behaviour and when I read this...I said !! That is so damn true and that is exactly how I behave. In the recent past, I have read a few things where I felt the same way. Is there a word for this? This 'A-ha' feeling where your thoughts are translated into words by someone else and when you read it, you feel this is so true man. There should be a word for it, if not....someone should invent it.

I guess xkcd has a bunch of such strips where one goes...TIST...for now will call it Tist.:)

And life goes on....

You think it all begins, the day you were born,
the fact of the matter is, that life goes on...

Seasons come and years go by,
you go places, and think others are moron
then hit the ground, while others fly,
but it doesn't matter, coz life goes on...

You dust yourself, rise up and get ready,
this time though, you know its a sojourn,
you look around and find people all greedy,
but it doesn't matter, coz life goes on...

Some bulls eyes and a few screw ups,
look around for friends, and they all scorn,
you think 'O boy! my time is up'
but it doesn't matter, coz life goes on...

You use things, but people use you,
you cry foul, feel all forlorn,
realise, thats how its all around you,
but it doesn't matter, coz life goes on...

and if you think, it all ends when you are gone,
on the stage, for your swan song,
I have a feelin, that I might be wrong,
coz it simply doesn't matter, life just goes on...

Pegasus going down...?

No, not the disc in Pune, but the pegasus symbol reminds me of Reader's Digest. The magazine filed for bankruptcy protection just the other day. I mentioned about childhood memories being poignant in my previous blog. Reading the bankruptcy report brought back memories of reading Reader's digest that I distinctly remember. I remember waiting for the monthly issue and the joy of hiding it from my sis so that I could read it before her. These were the days when cable television was still considered evil at my home(it still is), RD was like a keyhole which provided a glimpse of the west. Although not a voracious reader, I used to enjoy the articles which covered almost all topics. Humour in uniform was the first thing I used to turn to. Real life incidences narrated by people in the armed forces were always hilarious. Other joke sections and puzzles were always fun. I remember there used to an interview of some interesting personality. Then the health section always used to have useful tips. There used to be a book section at the end which used to be like a mini-novel. I especially liked the survivor stories. One other thing that I remember were the 'sweepstakes'.The sweepstakes amount used to be like a million dollars and I used to wonder "Man! whoever wins it, life is all 'set' for him" Later on, the sweepstakes kachra was more than the RD itself. In addition to aiding my vocabulary, the raddi waala used to give decent amount back. All in all, every penny's worth or total paisa vasool.

In today's plethora of cyber-azines, I guess the print media is finding hard to survive, let alone grow. Still, RD's decent subscription(although declining) of 8 million is pretty impressive. I remember seeing the last RD on my colleague's desk and was comforted by the sight, thinking "RDs still going strong". I felt a wee bit sad by this latest news. Hope the pegasus can turn into a pheonix.......C'mon, you weird creature -hybrid of horse and bird floating on water??....Fly once again!!!

One year on......

Well...Aug 9,2008 the day which will live in infamy......er that sure over dramatized it...hehehe...but like the Japs, I came here exactly one year ago and although no 'Pearl Harbours', or events of infamy occurred(Hope so...:D), I guess I survived. Survived the ups and downs, rise and falls, hits and mis-hits,adjustments, compromises etc. It has been quite an experience, egos bruised, lessons learnt, confidence grounded. But, I am still here. Now, as the final step begins, I realise that as things look within grasp, they seem to be harder to get. Every time you find yourself in this position, you pray that things fall into place just this 'one' time. These 'one' times are more than one in number and they just keep coming one after another. Jump over one hurdle, theres another waiting for you.

I cant see anything beyond the hurdle as the 'unknown variables are greater than the number of equations'. Uncertainties in life are tough to accept but theres no way around them and accepting them and moving ahead is the only option. Things sometimes work like you wanted them to, but most times they dont. People sometimes are what you think they are, but most times they aren't. Money sometimes can buy you everything, but most times, it just can't. Dreams sometimes do come true, but most times they dont. This last year shall be etched in my memory for it has been a humbling experience. I have become wiser by the experience.

Sometimes.....

Sometimes its the others pain, that makes you realise how susceptible you are,
Sometimes its the others tears, that make you realise how vulnerable you are,
Sometimes its the others scars, that make you remember your own wounds,
Sometimes its the others loss, that makes you value your own treasures.

Loop-song

Loop-song: A new song that you have heard recently and you love it so much that you listen to it in a 'loop', again and again.
The current loop-song for me is the Kaminey-Title song. I heard it yesterday and have not been able to listen to any other song. Everything about the song is great...no wait, not great, its awesome. The music, vocals and the best are the lyrics. You read these lyrics by the great Gulzar and just wonder how crappy are the other lyricists. This song is a refreshing change from the absolutely hopeless hindi songs and lyrics that are dished out these days. The same words pyaar-khumaar-taqraar-izahaar, payal-ghayal-pagal et. are just used over and over and over again. Kaminey title track on the other hand keeps you hooked. Its philosophical poetry. Who would have thought someone could pen a poem centred around a profane word. Kudos to Gulzar!!!Check out lyrics here.

Zeitgeist - The Movie

"Spirituality...is a particular term....which actually means.....a dealing with intuition." Thus, begins the documentary/movie(reccod by a friend) by the aforetitled name that I watched a few days ago. These few words pulls the viewer into a two hour roller coaster ride at the end of which you feel like you have been washed off the dirt of knowledge(?). The movie questions some of the conceived notions that I had about religion,9/11,world economy. (Are they even related?) The movie hits you with facts....one after another. They are so convincing that in the end, you come out with a certain uneasiness. Whom to believe and what to trust? Which incidences are real, which are manufactured and can people really do such things for their own selfish means? What is the truth? What the hell is happening to this world in which I am living in?

Its a documentary that has 3 parts. The first part deals with the origins of religion. The second with the 'real truth' behind 9/11 and the final part with who is controlling the US. Is it really the Govt.? The movie is very well presented, crisply edited. The movie has so many WTF moments that by the end you want to scream out loud . WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should I believe it? I don't know. But if its true, then.......
Watch it here.