Old Tequila Dreams

Somewhere down south in one of those beaches in Mexico, there is a string of run down shacks where old retired guitarists play slow electric numbers and sell tequila and make a living.

Old men who have nothing more to look ahead in life than death.
Anyone is welcome to come over , stay a few days, have a nice time and leave. I decided to move there and set my own shack. Old and pretty much having nothing more to look forward in my life myself, I thought this was my last resting place. My fingers are not as fast as it used to be to play fast tracks on my electric guitar, but I play those vinyl tracks to attract immature youngsters who just want to have a nice time for a while.

And then I met my old crush in one of those shacks. She was old, but she was still beautiful. She was with an old Mexican Indian who seemed very much like an old mexican Indian. I imagined that years ago, she must have come traveling all the way, met him and settled down. Maybe they had kids, maybe they were happy. Why did I bother ? She did recognize me, I went to her, she invited me over to her table for a drink and I graciously accepted the offer. It turned out that the Mexican did not speak English, but did speak Spanish, which she was quite good at. And in the ensuing conversation she was the designated translator. And then she told me that Its been exactly a year after she had married him. Just a year ! I wish I had met her a year before ! He wasnt a conversation king. He wasnt attractive - those heavy wrinkles on his face told it all .. and he didnt have anything that anyone would want to marry him for. And then I asked her ..

Why did you marry him ? Why ?

She did not answer me, neither did she translate but just silently stared at me with a heavy face. For an instant, I wished I had married her.

I wished them both a good evening, left that place, went to my shack and played an old track which , to me, sounded like Blaze of Glory . And then a sudden burst of thoughts flashed in front of me.... I wanted to go back in time, have a nice life and dream of children and a life with a family.

But it was late .. much too late ... or was it ?

Dont we all hate irresponsible Media ?

I've had enough watching news on TV ! Times Today .. TV18 ... Blah blah .. all yellow journalism .. makes me feel all yellow !
I cant but compare the urge for the media to sell new to some old joke I barely remember .. Its something like this ... ( Things in italics are real .. Staements in bold are what the media (newspaper) says . )

The pastor was very fond of his donkey and entered it in the race and it won ! And entered it again .. and it won again .
News paper says : Pastors Ass out front !

Bishop gets pissed off . He forces the Pastors donkey to get out of the race.
News paper says : Bishop scratches pastors ass.

Bishop is furious .. Asks the pastor to get rid of it . Since its so dear to him, he gives it to the nun.
News paper says : Nun has the best ass in town.

Bishop is pissed off again .. and asks Nun to get rid of it . Nun sells to a farmer.
News paper says : Nun sells her ass for $50.

Bishop is pissed off again ( yeah as always ) asks the nun to buy back the donkey and let it free in the wild ..
News paper says : Nun announces her ass is wild and free.

Now you be the judge ...

The Difference Makers

The Blue Ribbon movement is part of a larger campaign, Difference Makers International, founded in 1983 by Californian Helice 'The Spark' Bridges. Bridges' goal is that every American receive a blue ribbon and that everyone in the world is acknowledged by 2004 !!!!



WOW !


Read these true life testimonials from the Chicken Soup for the Soul . Here is the original blue ribbon story [LINK]
and a less dramatic but real to life one .. here [LINK]
And if you want to buy the Blue Ribbons ... go here [LINK]

P.S : Ribbons costs a dollar each .

The condom analogy

When perching on my revolving chair ( i raise it so high .. that i feel dizzy ) and rummaging through my old mails for something important ... I found this 'lovely' (email) forward ..

Setting : circa 2004 election time ( Iam talking AmeriKa ... )

--------------------------------------------------------------------
The White House announced today that it is changing its emblem to a condom because it more clearly reflects the Republican Party's stance. A condom accepts inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you're actually getting screwed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

My reaction : Hah !!

26 things you didn't know about me

1) Am mostly a happy-optimist who does lend (valuable) things to others .
2) Unlike what I sometimes project, Iam *NOT* a people-person. Invariably I distrust people more than I trust them. Are you listening ?
3) I have a tattoo on my foot ( the yin-yang ) and I take care of it like how a tattoo needs to be taken care of.
4) I like going out partying .. but in reality Iam not a party-person.
5) I like to be among loved ones .. but I dont have any around me ! ( Damn .. Am i depressed ? ) ( I confess : Sometimes I crave for a hug ... ) ( Damn .. I AM depressed ! )
6) I love computer games .. but I have 'grown a disdain' towards it because I suck at it.
7) I dont play tennis, basketball , cricket, or for that matter any sport that has do with my right hand. ( I had a freak accident that dislocated my right hand.. and now iam even scared to pick up a fight ) I dont bowl either. I dont lift weights though I jog.
8) I love talking to people Iam comfortable with .. I talk so much that people avaoid me the next time ... ( now did I say .. a) people whom IAM comfortable with .. not not who are comfortable with me !! b) people who are comfortable become 'un'comfortable with me :) )
9) Like everyone else I feel that Iam special ( Aaah ... not the mentally challenged 'special' ... you duffer ! )
10) I havent watched a movie alone in a single-sitting for a really long long time. ( Yep .. I used to go to movie halls alone ... but I have stopped doing that )
11) In a crowded mall, I sometimes feel concious .
12) Iam a poor dresser . ( I dont understand colors and matchings )
13 ) I sometimes think that Iam an undercover agent for some non-existent spying agency. ( In a crowded hall .. I search for people spying on me ) . Reality being .. Iam just another IT worker bee lost in the crowd. ( People take to fantasy to amuse their over-worked caffeine-dependent brains and otherwise dull life. )
14) I would like to be unmarried for ever .. but I need companionship .
15) I believe computers are an invention of the devil to keep people away from each other. ( now for once .. iam kidding )
16) I spend long hours reading other's blogs . Sometimes they are the only times when I take a break from work .
17) I hate regret ... I regret having to regret. I regret that I have to hate regret. My personal philosophy on regrets - They are hell on earth.
18) I so believe in the 80-20 rule .. or hmm 20-80 rule .. hmm maybe Iam getting it all wrong .. . Okay let me put it this way .. I donot want to spend 80% of my time .. pushing that 20% of perfection factor ... I would rather be happy getting it 80% perfect doing 20% of the effort .
conversly ...
I love any article with the heading "Tips and Tricks"
19) Iam *NOT* a foodie .. If it were possible to get my hands on a pill that would give me the daily-calorie-intake, I would happily feed on that .. ( but to confess again .. not for long ... maybe to break the boredom I might shift to a well-balanced-mouth-watering meal ! )
20 ) I do keep in touch with people. ( I like doing that ) - Getting in touch with old friends ( not aged friends ) gives me a kick. ( Hmmm I mean .. I do it for the kicks .. you know .. not literally )
21) I sometimes sweat at room temperatures.
22) Iam a coffee person .. nope. ... wait .. I like tea ... I mean I like coffee better than tea .. But I crave for tea more often ... hrrrr .... Frankly speaking ... Iam confused about it .. I like both ; depends on my craving.
23) I like taking long breaks from work. But hate frequent ones.
24) I sometimes wish I were 2 inches taller . ( But Iam happy with my body-type )
25) I like the feeling when it is just about to rain heavily ... and I like the smell of soil after the first rain . .. ( Cliched ..isnt it ?? I never claimed I have unique refined tastes )
26 ) I keep changing my mind ... every once in a while .. Nah ... not really .. Actually yeah .. Hmm Maybe .... Anyways ... I meant ... my priorities and decisions keep changing ... ( BAD !! ) bite this .. Initially this post was titled "23 things you didn't know about me" . Now I have to change it .

Now you are in the know !
( More to be added ...... )

Freewrite # 7 - We miss you.

Yesterday "the smiling man" was found dead .

There was no note beside his pillow or on his desk . There were no stale vegitables in his kitchen . The sheets were washed, clean and were smelling like fresh flowers. The cupboards were neatly closed and his books were dust free. He must have prepared for this.

While living between the streets of the big city, he must have gone through a lot of pain. Yet he made a lot of people think, laugh and smile ... His countless 'virtueless' 'friends' would still remember the numerous rides of joy he accompanied them.

Smile does mask a lot of pain.

He still has a lively smile on his, otherwise , dead face. I still cant believe he is dead. We miss you smiling man .

No one knows ....

No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows
What it's like to be hated
To be fated to telling only lies

- Limp Bizkit ( Behind Blue Eyes )

Whats with them on National TV ?

Sometimes opposing views of the interviewer and the one who is interviewed makes interesting TV material. Sometimes its a gross waste of time ... One of such kind was from Karan Thapar ( of Devil's Advocate fame ) and Rahul Bajaj, the industrialist.

Well as for me ... Iam glad I missed this interview. The complete transcript [ LINK ] .But must have been fun watching it !

Few excerpts from the easily-not-worth-watching interview :

Karan Thapar: Mr Bajaj now that you are an MP, explain to me how a man who is worth some Rs 420 crore can believe that he is the right representative for the people of Maharashtra?
Rahul Bajaj: I don’t like this word Rs 420 crore. The figure is Rs 419 crore and including my wife it is Rs 473 crore. My children and brothers are not included.
Karan Thapar: Alright not Rs 420 crore. You are associating all sorts of mischief with the word Rs 419 crore.
Rahul Bajaj: Rs 419 crore is a much better word.

-------------------------------------------
Rahul Bajaj: Where did you go to school Karan?
Karan Thapar: Is that relevant?
Rahul Bajaj: It is very relevant because your logic is illogical.
Karan Thapar:If it is relevant I will tell you. I went to Doon School, Cambridge, Oxford and I know a lot about politics.
Rahul Bajaj: I went to Cathedral, St. Stephens, and Harvard, slightly better than you in every respect. So I understand logic. But I am a humble man unlike you.
-------------------------------------------

13 'proven' ways to Instant happiness ( or ) How to beat those moody blues .

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.“

~ Confucius

Disclaimer(s) :

a) These may not work on you. I have tried and tested these (ONLY) on myself.
b) These work on me most of the times.
c) If none of these work ... I sometimes ( try to ) sleep.


1) Listen to music ... Good Hard rock / Very fast guitar. ( I suggest you DONT use external speakers .. but headphones for reasons obvious to you and your neighbours.)
eg : Paranoid ( Black Sabbath ) , Flight of the Bumblebee ( Yngwie Malmsteen ) , Enigma

2) Make very strong Coffee ... ( self brewed and not machine made )

3) "Eat" insane amount of dark chocolate on emty stomach ... and wait till it dissolves directly into your blood stream - feel it ... ( trust me ... you can )

4) A warm-water soapy-bubbly bath with nice smelling body wash( citric concentrate or an aromatic soap ) .. Let the warmth flow slowly from your head to toe.

5) Close your eyes and do the your-are-in-a-pond-and-ripples-go-from-your-head trick. (ask me what this is )

6) Read the Bhagvat Gita . ( try Ch 2 , verse 22 ) and meditate on each verse. ( sometimes Bible helps :) )

7) Go for a ride in the open when you can see the blue sky. ( Avoid traffic ... Absolutely ! esp. if you are in Bangalore . )

8) Talk (over phone) to someone whom you really know. ( And make sure you *dont* dump your emotions on them .. you never know what mood they are in.)

9) Do high school math / puzzles. ( And feel good that you solved .. If you think it will take more than 5 minutes .. DONT DO IT ! :) )

10) Cook. ( Now we all live in a you-eat-what-you-cooked world) (And dont follow instructions from printed matter .. Do the do-it-yourself cooking )

11) Dance ... if you are already not tired ! ( Do the dance-as-if-no-one-is-watching-you dance )

12) Read about failed revolutions ( Student movement in China, Mao Rebels in Kerala, Guerilla uprisings in S.America ) or World Affairs ( particularly the Middle-East conflict ) and then think/console yourself by saying that your miseries are so insignificant compared to theirs :)

13) Play the guitar .. Try composing a new melody and work on it .


And I talked to other people and got some inputs from them on what they do to overcome blues

1) Visit a beauty parlour and get a facial done ( WOW .. I like this idea )
2) Go to a gym and work out till those endorphins run into your blood stream and make you feel good. ( Aah the quintessential human urge to feel good !)
3) Go to a place you have never been before or do something you have never done before !

And here are the things I generally avoid when Iam blue

1) Listen to slow moody music which I generally associate with other people I know.
2) Drink . ( Never do it alone ! Well .... Never do it atall !! )
3) Self pity.
4) Brood over the matter and walk inside the house like a peripatetic caged monkey. ( In other words .. DONOT 'nurture' your worries )

Pay your bills on time - win Gold coins

Vodafone has this "brilliant" offer .
Pay your bills 10 days before the due date and you might stand a chance to win a gold coin .
2 representatives have already called me up today and asked me to pay . For someone like me - ( who never pays bill until the last day ) this is not a very lucritive offer. But then again .. to check the probability factor ... I talked to them a little more

Me : How many customers have won the gold coin so far ?
Rep : 15 sir.
Me : What are my odds in favour ? 1 in 100 , 1000 , 10,000 ?? How many customers am I competing against ? Any idea ?
Rep : Hmm sir .. 5000 .
Me : Are you sure about it . .. or are you just making up that number ?
Rep : No sir. You can check it up at the vodafone website sir .. [ And he goes on to 'recite' the URL to me ]

I check it up .. on their site . NOPE . Its not mentioned .. Nothing at all .
Anyways .. I will give it a shot .. Let me wait and see :)
There is always a first time for anything :)

Freewrite # 551 - Anticipation

There was no asking ... This was indeed supposed to happen. He decided to go meet her .. Maybe the last time . Its sometimes surprising that when you meet after a long time ... it feels different . As if .. meeting for the first time ... This was not quite like the other meetings ...

He had been waiting for this hour for the last one week . She was coming back after her long and eventful vacation and he was waiting .. A lot had changed in between - knowingly and unknowingly. Yeah .. there was the cold breeze of anticipation flowing past his ears . Flights seldom arrive on time - in this part of the world - NEVER.
But then he was there - a full one hour before the arrival. He is never used to waiting for long hours. But somehow this seemed exciting .. every passing minute .. every ticking second was soaring his anticipation to newer heights. And the clock was closing in on mid-night.

He had mentally planned everything - maybe he would stand in front and stretch out his arms in front of her ... ( nah that would be like some diamong-jewellery-ad ) - they were not made to be like that .. Maybe a sweet genuine smile ... maybe a passionate look .. maybe just plain 'Hi' ... or maybe .. he should just let himself be .. and let herself be ... maybe the moment will take over the action and all the planning was unnecessary . Maybe .. maybe ... maybe ... His mind wandered .

He walked to the information counter and checked with the lady, who was wearing thick red repulsive lipstic, if the flight was on time .. She was a little to abrupt in saying it really was on time - the quick reply was not really convincing enough.
The next ten minutes quite seemed like an hour .. the flight was indeed on time ! People started pouring out .. families .. children ... elderly ... it was all the same .. the same feeling ... of meeting their loved ones after long ... they hug .. they cry ... they let loose their emotion ... they just let themselves be ... uncaring .. unabashed ... unknowing of whats around them. Thats a fantastic feeling .. He could spend hours watching people pour their emotions on each other ... its a great feeling to be a part of . And he realised that probably ... he is the only one in the crowd ... maybe only one in a long time ... who probably would not let himself be .. A sharp chill passed through his very human mind.

People say .. its nice to let your mind wander ... into the wilderness of unburdled ambitions and emotions ... letting onself loose and not holding it back at that moment. People say everything .. People ! People ! People ! What do they know what was going through his mind... When will people ever know .. When will anyone ever know ..

The long line of tired cab drivers holding placards of travellers , the new-borns in their mother's bosoms ... the little kids running around ... the never ending announcements from the loud speaker .. the cold wind .. the mad rush of the cabs behind ... the spine chilling cold of the railings ... everything was making his mind go awry .. everything was surreal .. a potpourri of emotions ... fantasy took over his mind ... the children looked like little devils ...drivers holding the placards looked like silent protesters .. the security men looked like warlords with heavy artillery .. and the people coming out ... looked like prisoners released after long and fruitless negotioations.. He seemed like an unarmed onlooker .. agonising over war. Slowly reality seeped back into his very unreal mind.

People flowing out of the exit .. weary with heavy baggages ... resembling tired travellers on their wretched journey called life .. and their baggages .... resembling what they had saved all through their lives ... some proud of it .. some tired of it. Everything seemed surreal ... and then .. all of a sudden ... it stopped ... the flow of people stopped.. He peeped deep into the distance ..

Did she walk past him ? Ironic it may seem, reality is sometimes hard to imagine. He sank his head slowly supporting it on one of those railing . He was tired. Its time indeed time to quit. Maybe the last meeting was never supposed to happen.
A couple of minutes ...it seemed like a hundred years of solitude ... a comfortable warmth ran through his hair ... it was really soothing .. slowly ..he opened his eyes, still looking down onto ground ... gathered himself and prepared to leave the place ... and then like an angel from nowhere .. She stood in front of him ....
She said "I knew you would come ... "

What irritates me at workplace

1) I keep fogetting where I keep things and then when I buy a new one, all the lost ones pop up in front of me ! My stylus got misplaced twice . I bought a new one .. lost it .. and then got all three of them at the same time !! Whoa ! Murphy rocks .

2) People who leave their cellphones on their desks and go away for coffee .. ( Now why would you do that ?? ) and then it starts ringing indefinitely ! ( Its even more pissing off when its on vibrator mode + some weird mono-tone music on ! .. The old powerful sturdy Nokia mobiles have an earth shaking vibrator ! ( as if it can record upto 3.2 on Richter scale if all the phones ring at the same time. )

<-> My ex-girl friend never upgraded her old and powerful nokia for obvious reasons. ( now you know why she is ex- !! ( now thats a self-deprecating-joke ! )
<-> My workstation vibrates when my neighbours cell goes off )

3) People who sit next to me and blow their nose ( hard ) .. Dont they realise that its not very musical for your ears ! I dont even do this to irritate my boss. ( sometimes blowing your nose disgustingly in front of your boss can get you undeserving promotions ! )

4) Slow networks and low end workstations -
Its a wonderful feeling when you work in suspended animation .. you are not supposed to open more than 3 active windows / 4 internet links or turn on the sound. After every click, you wait for 7-8 seconds ... and if you are a little faster than that ... you get a blue screen or if lucky - a core dump !
Reminds me of Matrix and bullet speed.

Our father in heaven .. Holy be thy land !

Recently ( 3 years ago!! ) yet another engraving of 'our' lord's prayer was added to the Olive mountains (139 languages and counting) This time - in Malayalam ! And who else would unveil the plaque - the then Minister of Fisheries?? and Sports!!! - Mr. Dominic Presentation . ( Maybe one good christian in the state cabinet ??? )

Check out the link .. The last line is particularly interesting -
Mr Presentation and some visual-media representatives attended the service .....
( Now you know what a good visual media "Presentation" means ! )

Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/03/14/stories/2005031407020400.htm

P.S : I always liked Mallu Christian names - which are adjectives / generic words in the English language - Presentation , Innocent , Able .. and so on ! (more on that later ! )

FreeWrite #226 - Amusement

" Truly brother", he said, " ... it must be a work of art."

Mozart player behind. Defintely it must have been a true work of art. The blood splattered all across the big living room. Truley it was a work of art.

Never did it occur to me that these frail hands of mine could take a life. The healthy miserable body looked towards heavens for an acceptance.

Wise saying

Dont get consumed in
a) things that you dont need
b) money that you dont have
c) and dont try to impress people you dont like !

Think it over ! Amen.

Game theory at inter-personal relationships

I have been ignited by the idea of Game Theorists working out concrete predictable models on everything from Trade Negotiations to bargaining with taxi drivers.

I also have a book on Game theory at work. ( How to use Game Theory to outthink and outmanuever your competition , James Miller)

But what these theorists and models and books overlook is that no-matter how many effective variables they consider, there is always the unknown dynamic variables that come into play at the last moment. ( Who/what will take care of/account for these ?? ) ( especially when, all you see in this world is a series of interlinked zero-sum games where the variables are too numerous and dynamic that we cannot script the outcome - even if we wanted to. ( even inter personal relationships like friendship , love and parental care are not excused out of this general model )

After thought
A) Is it that the reason why we dont want to know the outcome is because we cannot do it - and not because we dont want to !!
B) Sometimes the same rules in interpersonal relationships work fine ( if not better ) at/in business/networking ..

( Read this tip from Business Week on business networking :
DON'T be an apple-polisher
Everybody likes a compliment, sure, but nobody likes a lap dog—especially not your fellow MBAs. And recruiters can always sniff out blatant bootlicking. Even if you think you're being smooth, being insincere will still come across extremely quickly )

See !! A simple extension in your rules of interpersonal engagements !

Just the kind of person Bond hates

"Bond always distrusted short men. They grew up from childhood with an inferiority complex. All their lives they would strive to be big - bigger than the others who had teased them as a child. Napoleon had been short, and Hitler. It was the short men that had caused all the trouble in the world."

- James Bond , Goldfinger (1959 )

How not to propose

What do you feel when things which are supposed to go right go totally the wrong way ??
I really do empathise with people befallen into such weird and embarrassing situations .
Situations are Us !
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1439471720080314?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Angels and the Pious

To farishte poochhenge mehshar mein paakbaazon se
Gunah kyoon na kare, kya khuda rahim na tha?

- Aziz Mian

Trust me, the angels will ask the pious on judgement day -
"Why didn’t you sin? Didn’t you trust in God’s mercy?"

These days ..

What Iam happy about : Hmmmm the future !

What Iam looking forward : Where I will be next year this time . ( Havent I been thinking / asking / questioning / pondering the same year after year after year after ..... ) AAh anyways .. this is yet another year .

What Iam pissed off about right now : My so called broadband connection .. ( P.S : I can browse porn faster on my mobile ... than on a wired broadband connection from Reliance ) ... Yes ... Now you know what sucks and what ought to suck. ( Say no to drugs and Reliance Wi-Max )

What Iam concerned about : Iam not growing younger. .. worse still .. my age is not even staying still.!!
But atleast (relatively speaking) .. I age slower than the people around me. ( Some one who was 'younger' to me by 4 years recently told me that she felt 'old' because of me ...
Heres the logic she used : I am older than her > But she is more mature than me > I ought to be more mature than my age > But since she feels more mature than me , she feels older than me.
Q.E.D .
Here are the assumption that went wrong in reaching the conclusion :
a) Maturity is directly proportional to age.
b) Males mature at the same rate as females ( atleast in the homo sapiens species )
Facts :
a) Maturity / Wisdom doesnt always come along free with age.
b) Males of homo sapiens species never mature. ( or atleast want to ) They just die young. Try giving them a case of beer.
c) Maturity is a direct function of the ability to handle responsibility.

What Iam really worried about : Getting married to the wrong person ( Hmmm wait ... someone told me ... "Did you ever get to choose your dad / mom / brother ? .. Same with the case with your wife " ... )

Hmmm well ... yeah you maybe right .. I can finally grow in her ! ( or the other way ) ...

For that matter ... I didnt get to choose my boss /first job . This is my third company. I dont want to pay 50% of my assets to some 'wrong person' whom I married cos I couldnt afford a 7-in-one ( washing machine/ dish washer / cooker / vaccuum cleaner / micro wave/ baby-sitter/ iron box )

Signs

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
And you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

---Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven

Freewrite #173 - Forever , waiting in paradise

He knew it too well .. yet another of those sense of loss . Whiskey and Guitar were the twin companions he could always reach out his arms towards. As his fingers grew numb on the strings, the music changed its tune. Never was this such a low tune . There could be a better way of bleeding .. there definitely should be.
Strings snapped. It played all the out of tune melodies on a lower note. Head spinning .... He got on the bike and raced towards the horizon ... blinded by the sun and hurt by the loss, he slammed into the wall of indecision ... blinded for ever .

Now , he remembers everything frame by frame . Only to recall every passing day and waiting for his end.

Holding on to old times ..

Somedays there are no snowfall on my window ..
somedays there are no mistletoes on my doorsteps ..
Its just fortitude and that longing ..
I Bind to those long lost days much too tightly ..
And those faded images of you linger in the closed corridors of my mind ..

Freewrite # 223 - I too dream in Technicolor.

Doomsday passed without much fanfare. Relax, said the night watchman. Apparently he had seen many of these. But I ... I had sold everything ( except my raincoat and the 1977 rolex ) and bought a one-way ticket to heaven. If you think about it, it doesnt cost much you see. And I didnt have much to part with too. Just another one of the many bad investments to come. I should stop trusting people atleast now.

Doomsday passed away without much fanfare. Now we anxiously wait for another .

All I Need to Know ..

I once read somewhere .. "If you Laugh, Cry and Think in a day .. Thats a complete day."

I came so close to a complete book ... One that makes you laugh, cry and think. ( not necessarily in that order )

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulgham

This probably would be the best short book that I would like to carry with me when Iam dead. ( If ever I need education in my next life ... logistically speaking its easier to carry this book ... compact and light weight and would slip easily into my long black suit.)

Note to my friends: If ever you all read this and are present for my funeral, please buy a copy of this book and a long stemmed white lilly and place it in my coffin.

Price v/s Value

Offlate I have been "questioned" about my savings ( or the lack of it) . What did I earn ? What did I save ?
Probably nothing material. Probably nothing Ethereal . Probably everything was momentary. But given another opportunity to do so, I would do the SAME ... almost the very same.

Money has value; Things have price. Wants have a cost. Needs have a price. Desires have a value. Its so easy to get confused between everything .. there is nothing more stupid than to compare price and value.
A dinner at my favorite place with that favorite person/parents was worth many folds more than the cost of it. Thats value v/s price.

I wouldnt mind paying a fortune on something I really want.
I wouldnt mind investing my emotions on someone who is really worth it.
I wouldnt mind waiting patiently almost all my life for something thats valued really high by me. Sounds like my interpretation of the MasterCard Ad !!

But seriously ...
"Who wants to be cynic who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing ?" - Oscar Wilde