Mindset **New Mix**


Olritey.. its high time I did a mix.. so I'll let yaw'll decide how it is..

Grab it here - http://depositfiles.com/fi
les/7136836

Let me know what you guys think. Cheers :]

Reasons


The need to upgrade arises from two important factors - growth and boredom. I have always been a victim of both since I could remember. Everytime I start a new project or venture, the sheer excitement of doing the unknown new gives me a reason enough to push myself to the next level. Whether it is businesswise or on a personal front. But as soon as I get a wee bit good at it or used to the concept, I want to change.. I want to upgrade.. I want to be doing something else.. be the first mover. Doesn't matter what the deal is.. just the kick of starting something new and risky is enough to get me going through the day.. Sometimes its easy, sometimes tough, sometimes wise n sometimes otherwise. But as long as the change happens, for the good or the bad, somehow I feel happy. Atleast, life moved...

A day like today

On I walked
until the day was gone
and I stood in regret
of all the things I've done
for all that I've blessed
and all that I've wronged
in dreams until my death
I will wander on

Love


The emotion means a lot to everyone. Many have gone to great extremes to declare the sentiment for that special someone.. Some have been successful, some have failed and some are sill trying hard.. I personally know that love is not forced. It does not exist because we want it to, or because we make it so, or because we have to. Finding someone who appreciates and cherished you as much as you do him/her is not easy, if at all possible. A combination of self and chance that ensures such bliss is hard to come by. The emotional anguish that one feels is very real. It comes like a arrow on dreadful wings, sweeping down and piercing us when we weren't expecting it, because if we saw it coming we wold have deflected it and beat it away with a vengeance. And when it hits us, pierces us, it bleeds us. Leave the arrow in, patch your heart around it, and in time you'll learn to live with love. The arrow. Pull it out, and every day you'll bleed a little harder, and die a little more...

I wish for..


a 3-D picture of thunder
a lost illusion in a glass bottle
a happy clown
a sun that never rises
an empty Pandora's Box
a fire that burns underwater
a first kiss in a summer rain
a super-glue for a broken heart
a spaceship full of politicians
an H-bomb to detonate in my skull
a star to hold in my palm
a rear-view mirror to see Hell with
a never-ending story
a banana from the monkey on my back
a second-hand shop that sells dreams and memories
a molotov cocktail on the rocks
a hugh hefners lifestyle
a tattoo of Death doing the Macarena
a reason not to slap myself
a dream that never ends
a chocolate cake baked in the shape of a question mark
a DNA map drawn up by the Human Genome Project
a digitally remastered CD of the Big Bang
a band-aid that heals everything
a giant turtle with world on it's back
an hourglass to jam in the spokes of the wheel of time
eternity in an second
a diving board into the gene pool
a rewind and pause button on life
a day as a cat
an 'Undo' button for real life actions
a trip to the dark side of the moon
a day as God

Capital Gains


The funniest thing about money - It is always someone else's!! We think that with money, we can have everything, but we cannot. We can buy food, but not appetite; clothes, but not the body; house, but not a living style; knowledge but not wisdom; rings, but not commitment; fun, but not joy; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not faithfulness; leisure, but not peace. Often we attempt to live our lives backwards; we try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what we want, so we will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. We must first be who we really are, then do what we need to do, in order to have what we want. After all, money is the means to an end.

Constant


When a man is young, he wants to change the world. He finds it difficult to change the world, so he tries to change his nation. When he finds he couldn't change the nation, he begins to focus on his town. He couldn't change the town and as an older man, he tries to change his family. Now, as an old man, he realizes the only thing he can change is himself, and suddenly he realizes that if long ago he had changed himself, he could have made an impact on his family. His family could have made an impact on his town. Their impact could have changed the nation and he could indeed have changed the world.

The Last Temptation


Now I have been working out for sometime now and have been on a 6 small meals a day diet. Consisting of veggies, eggs, fruits, cereal etc. all healthy stuff. Basically, eating every 2-3 hrs keeps my metabolism strong and helps in burning away the very last layer of fat so as to put on lean muscle and bring out those tight 6 packs.

Yesterday around 4 pm, I felt extremely hungry. Having finished a box of fruits earlier I was in a dilemma of what to eat since I was at work. So I stepped out of my workplace to find something nutritious. Here is the compiled list of what all was available in the given scenario :

1) Bhel Puri
2) Patties. cream rolls, gol gappas, papri chat, pizza
3) Chowmein, momo's

I was dazed. Nothing.. absolutely nothing that they sell outside your house has any kind of nutrition value. So while walking along I came across the shrine of unhealthy eating. Mc D's. Hmm.. should i or shouldn't I... that is the question... stomach gowling.. But burger? The epitome of junk food?! Hmmm... No i won't give in...

What's this?!.. woah... My feet.. they are moving.. wait.. I command you to stop.. woah... They have a mind of their own.. FEET STOP.. no answer?...

Damn.. (at the counter)..

Attendant : What would you like sir?
Me: (I can do this.. I can control my tounge).. Mmmmm
Attendant : Sir?
Me: (past 10 seconds.. lookin at the clerk.. feeling nervous)
Attendant : Sir you order??
Me: I (this is not happening) I... (damn) I .. will have a.. a... Maa..Maaaaahh..Maharaaajaa MAC

Why is it that everything that is bad for you feels and taste so good? Chomp Chomp...

hmmpph..so much for healthy eating...

Fears


Most of us by our very nature are always on the lookout for intruders. Always trying to prevent those on the outside from getting in. But the truth is; there will always be those who force their way into our lives, just as there will be those who we invite in...but the most troubling of all, will be the one's who stand on the outside looking in. The one's we never truly get to know.

Sunday Night Blues..


So you land up at an ol friend's place on a sunday evening. Happy to see her caring for two sweet lookin' rabbit's as pets.. One called Johnny (After depp) and another named Kate (after winslet). You learn johnny is hurt in the foot and hasn't eaten for the day. You sit around talking in the other room only to learn after a while that johnny has passed away while you guys were talkin'. What do you do?!

You condole your friend for her loss, take a sharp object and dig a grave for the poor thing in the vacant plot next to her place. And what are your condoling words to your friend - Death is inevitable. It's a promise made to each of us at birth. But before that promise is kept, we all hope something will happen to us. Whether it is the thrill of romance, the joy of raising a family, or the anguish of great loss, we all hope to experience something that make our lives meaningful. But the sad fact is, not all lives have meaning. Some creatures spend their time on this planet just sitting on the sidelines waiting for something to happen to them, before it's too late. Your friend looks at you sobbing while you close that grave for good..That's life.. That's death.. and it happens right in front of you...

Costanza Theory


I'm a big Seinfeld fan. The whole concept of the show is amazing. Sometime in the past while going through a rerun, I came across an episode named "THE OPPOSITE". The one where George Costanza realizes that life is filled with choices, and he always foolishly chooses the wrong one. It occurs to him that the answer to his problems, therefore, is to make a decision — then DO the opposite. As George's friend Jerry tells him, “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.”

It’s surprisingly effective. George even comes up with a counterintuitive pick-up line — “My name is George. I’m unemployed and I live with my parents.” — which works! Now we do have to remember that this is a fictional sitcom and the situations mentioned can be a little over the top. But just think about it..

George breaches the most fundamental laws in his universe – for example, the age-old principle that “bald men with no jobs and no money, who live with their parents, don’t approach pretty women”.

So I decided to give it a go.. Not that my life was as bad as George's, but there were a few problems that I wanted to fix. I started the opposite approach to a lot of things. Guess what.. the results were actually pretty impressive. It was like bending my own reality by doing exactly the opposite of anything I would normally instinctively do. I was a late sleeper, I started sleeping early.. I was a heavy drinker, I gave up drinking instantly.. I never took interest in any household chores, I started taking more responsibility and attending to them.

A lot of my problems were actually fixed by me cause I decided to do THE OPPOSITE of what I normally do in a given situation. Of course there were limits to this experiment. I wouldn't go driving at 100 km/s per hour in the opposite lane just cause I was facing traffic in my own...lol.. that would have been .."unsafe".

But yes.. sometimes we do face problems that if we "Decide" to fix, we would be able to by simply doing the Opposite of what we are normally programmed to do. Try it out.. it's fun and you just might surprise yourself.. :)

Pushing Tin



Finally after some months of pondering over the question of "to go or not to go".."again" , I finally decided to hit the local gym yesterday. I used to workout regularly a couple of years back until one day that gym got sealed all thanks to the mcd ***holes. Haven't pushed tin since then.

Reasons to start again were ranging from being inspired for the 100th time from rocky movies to looking like a stick figure due to the lack of exercise my work brings. So here is a brief description of my first day at the gym:

Sunday (The following is a conversation with myself in my head)
3:30 p.m. - I have got to go today to the gym no matter what
3:32 p.m. - Maybe I don't look that bad after all
3:33 p.m. - Flexing my non existent biceps. Hmmm... Maybe I should go..
3:34 p.m. - First week - The pains will start again. Should I reconsider?
3:35 p.m. - Checking my bicep one more time.
3:36 p.m. - OK I AM GOING.

5:00 p.m. - Back home : Mom asking "Everything ok? You're home early?!"
5:15 p.m. - Changed into my good ol Tracks (which are now pretty loose)
5:20 p.m. - Prepared 2 boiled eggs and lemonade.
5:30 p.m. - Gulped the 2 boiled eggs, Filled one bottle of water and we're off to AL's Muscle
world.

5:40 p.m. - Enter gym. Look for instructor. Nervous as hell.
5:42 p.m. - A "JAT" with bouncer like body approaches.
5:50 p.m. - Negotiations over n hit the treadmill. HUff.. Huff.. Huff.. O look i'm running again! :D
5:53 p.m. - Break. TIme out.. Huff. huff.. Maybe I should walk before I run.
5:56 p.m. - Slowly increasing speed. Huff Huff. this aint so bad after all.
6:00 p.m. - Siiirrrr warm up ho gaya!

6:01 p.m. - Instructor : 30 pushups - 3 sets, 10 reps each
6:02 p.m. - One, Twwwooo, Threeeeee, Foouuuuurrrrrrrrr, Fiiivvveeeeee...
6:02 p.m. - Seeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvveeeeeennnnnn....... THUD....
6:03 p.m. - Lets try this again - one, two, three , four, five , six...
6:04 p.m. - Instructor shouting - KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT AND KNEES OFF THE
FLOOR..($&^$@^%(@^%)
6:05 p.m. - Onneee... Twooo... Threee..... Fouurrrrrrrrrr.......

6:20 p.m. - 30 push ups done.. Feeling giddy...
6:25 p.m. - Instructor - Begin by having a feel of all machines. Do circuit - 3 sets, 12 reps each
6:26 p.m. - Machine 1 - Oneee.. twooo.. three....

6:45 p.m. - Sir Aur nahin ho rha...
6:46 p.m. - Instructor - Enough for today.
6:50 p.m. - Leave from gym... legs unable to bear the body weight. Head weary and eyes droopy
7:00 p.m. - Back home.. Crashed on bed.. hmmmmpphh, Maybe I don't look that bad..


Being young is one of the privileges everyone enjoys. Fewer problems or worries and a feeling of being invincible among a group of friends who provide a sense of security. We have all been there and we all still want that. But sooner or later, the time comes when we all must become responsible adults and learn to give up what we want, so we can choose to do what is right. Of course, a lifetime of responsibility isn't always easy. And as the years go on, it's a burden that can become too heavy for some to bear. But still we try to do what is best, what is good. Not only for ourselves, but for those we love. Yes, sooner or later we must all become responsible adults. No one knows this better than the young.

-For Anirudh Rawat and Sneha Kapur. May God bless your souls.

Walk the Talk


"You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?" This phrase has always appealed to me and I have been a follower of it. It's got so much depth and meaning in it. Meaning to the phrase is quiet simple. Talk is cheap, but can you follow through with action? Something like: don't let your mouth write a cheque your ass can't cash. :)

In the end I believe a lot of us spend our days waiting for ideal paths to appear before us. What we forget is that paths are made by walking and not waiting.

Failure to Communicate


Sometimes, events occur in some random succession which are not supposed to occur under the normal circumstances. Some of these events are controllable and some are not. Today was just such a day when they were not.

I'd like to be in control of every situation I am in and I am the type who rarely shares his emotions or feelings whether good or bad with anyone. But today, I couldn't hold either of them in for 45 long minutes. I know myself.. or at least I think I knew myself .. I would never let anyone get to me or affect me about anything... I don't really know what happened.. I snapped.. and for 45 mins, I became someone I would never like to be again - Egoistic. What this person said to me is not important.. what is that what effect that had on me..

Why did I do this? What was the need? Why did I let someone affect my thought process.. I had promised myself I wouldn't let anybody and anything affect me... How the hell did this happen? I didn't know this person.. neither did this person know me.. Yet for some reason, I felt the need to belt out my anger.. Maybe in this person I saw a bit of me.. A part of me which I had always wanted to forget.. A part of me which I have been running away from a long time..it felt like my past, catching up with me..

I think repressing our feelings doesn't mean they go away. On the contrary, they are buried alive, deep within the cells of our body and unconsciously we act them out in a more indirect and unhealthy way.

By the end of it all, I added a previously deleted word to my vocabulary today.. it's called "empathy"...

Handle with care


Trust.. a relationship of reliance. It's one of the most fragile and precious gift one can receive from or give to another human being. It can truly make life wonderful and complete giving you a sense of security, belonging and togetherness. Once it is lost, it can be impossible to recover. Of course the truth is: we never know who we can trust. Those we're closest to can betray us, and total strangers can come to our rescue. In the end, most people decide to trust only themselves. It really is the simplest way to keep from getting burned.

Remenicing


Beyond the horizon of the life we lived when we were young,
In a world of music and dance
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The making of the division line had begun.

Along the long road and on down the causeway
They had met there by the cut
There was a star that followed in our footsteps
Broke us before time and took our dreams away

Looking beyond the impressions of footsteps behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forward but sometimes sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide

Fueled forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger in all still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes will stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many a times

While you are wasting your time on your passions
Engulfed in a fever of spite
Beyond your tunnel, your vision fades reality
Like shadows into the night

To martyr yourself to caution
Is not going to help at all
Because there will be no safety in numbers
When the right one walks out of the door

So i open my door to my friends
And i ask could we wipe the slate clean
just give it time and then speak my name
then we can hear ourselves again.

Surge


Power... It's one of those things which most people don’t think about until it’s taken away from them. Whether it’s the political power over the many, or a lovers influence over just one. We all want some sort of power in our lives if only to give ourselves choices. To be without choices, to feel utterly powerless... Well, it’s a lot like being alone in the dark.
It's true.. power corrupts, absolute power curropts absolutely..But it rocks absolutely too..

Minutes of Meeting

Date : 14th Feb 2008 / Time : 2:45 p.m.
Venue : Standard Chartered Bank
Purpose : Official Meeting with banker.

Raj : Good Afternoon Mr. Sharma. Happy Valentines
Day.
Me : (Zapped) Good Afternoon Raj..
Raj : (Big Smile) How are you today sir? Hows your Valentine?
Me : (Feeling confused) Err' I'm good.
Raj : (Big smile) And your Valentine sir?
Me : I don't have any.
Raj : (Smile Lost) Oh I'm very sorry Sir.
Me : (Pretending I didn't hear that)
Raj : (Sits down and opens the statement file) Noone sir?
Me : (murmuring without eye contact) Yes noone. Now shall we
begin with A/C statements?
Raj : Yes of course sir.

3:00 p.m. 10 mins into the meeting..

Raj : Why noone sir?
Me : What?
Raj : Why don't you have a valentine sir?
Me : (again confused) Err' I don't know. Tell me about
the following transaction...
Raj : You know Sir, You should get a Valentine.
Me : (Now getting agitated) I'm running short of time and have to get back to my work so if we can please get this over with.
Raj : Yes sure sir.

3:15 p.m. Meeting over / About to leave

Me : Thanks Raj, If any query, I'll call you.
Raj : Welcome sir, absolutely sir. Happy Valentines day sir.
Me : (walking out of the bank..looking at the
gun on the guards shoulder) Hmmmphh...

Limerence



As I turn the lights low
you put some music on
we let our bodies sing
Swing to the soft song
I feel your heat
It's turning me on
I want to feel you all night long..
so come close, as close as you can
I surrender to you, you're so tendered and tanned..
Like a angel that's fallen from grace
righteousness just shines on your face
So lay back and close your eyes
tune in to my aura and fantasize..

What your body wants
I got this
What you need indeed
I'm gonna rock this
Just Like an ocean, as I push
I blow ya emotions
You explode, like dynamite
U got the fuse but I got the light
Together we swing
Shh!, I hear our souls sing
A symphony, a lovers harmony

I'm gonna kiss you from your head to your toes and then
I wanna travel deep into your soul..
I wanna play games with your mind
Open your heart and see what we might find
A little love for you,
Some love to give back to me
whisper to my spirit
and tell me exactly
How much you love me, how much you care
How much I can touch, how much and where..

Then as our games come to an end
We start again...

Genesis


Earth ... From Space, it seems an like an abstraction- a rendered image of an artists masterpiece. And from that distance one might never imagine that it is alive.

Life ... It first appeared in the sea almost four billion years ago in the form of single-celled organism. In an explosion of multitude, spanning millions of years, nature's first multicellular organisms began to multiply... and then it stopped.

Past ... Four-hundred-forty-million years ago, a great mass extinction would kill off nearly every species on the planet leaving the vast oceans drained and empty. Slowly, plants began to evolve, then insects, only to be wiped out in the second great mass extinction upon the planet.

why?... This cycle repeated again and again. Reptiles emerging, independent of the sea only to be killed off. Then dinosaurs, struggling to life along with the first birds, fish, and flowering plants - their decimations came from the sky in form of a rock resulting in Earth's fourth and fifth great extinctions.

Truth ... Only a hundred-thousand years ago, Homo Sapiens appear- "man". From cave paintings to the Ramayana's and Bible's to the fire, the wheel and Apollo 11, we have been a tireless force upon the earth and off cataloging the natural world as it unfolds to us.

Now ... Rising to a world population of over six billion people all descended from that original single cell, that first spark of life. But for all our knowledge, what no one can say for certain, is what or who ignited that original spark. Is there a plan, a purpose or a reason to our existence? Will we pass, as those before us, into oblivion, into the sixth extinction that scientists warn is already in progress?

Future ... In the beginning, it began with an act of supreme violence - a "big bang" expanding ever outward, space born of matter and gas, ten billion years ago. Whose idea was this? Who had the ability for such invention? and the reason? Were we part of that plan ten billion years ago? are we born only to die? to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth before giving way to our generations? if there is a beginning, must there be an end? we burn like fires in our time only to be extinguished. To surrender to the elements' eternal reclaim. Could we, too, become extinct? or if this fire of life living inside us is meant to go on, who decides? who tends the flames? can he reignite the spark even as it grows cold and weak? Questions.. thats all that we are left with.. will there ever be an answer? Well... we still got time...


Every once in a while there comes a film that is so compelling that it strikes a chord in the deepest psyche of human emotion. Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film just might be his best, at least in my eyes it is. I remember his work from Boogie Nights and Magnolia, Anderson widens his scope to epic proportions and zeros in his focus intimately on Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), an oil man during the early days of the business, at the start of the 20th century in "There Will Be Blood". I got my hands on a dvd screener off the internet recently and gave it a watch.

The opening scene bares resemblance to that of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey; there is absolutely no dialogue for the first 20 minutes, I watched patiently while the tension built as Daniel searches in a deep, dark hole for oil and blasts his way into the liquid gold, resulting in a leg injury. The film follows Daniel and his son H.W. (played well by newcomer Dillon Freasier) as they search for more land rich with oil and try and buy it up by any means necessary. Daniel’s unquenchable thirst for oil consumes his very soul and decays what humanity (and sanity) he had in a life-long odyssey for wealth and power, fueled by his greed and only matched by his ambition.

Midway into the movie Plainview’s greed is spotted by a bible-thumping prophet/”healer”, Eli Sunday. Sunday and Plainview square off in a rivalry for profit, each in his own way; Daniel wants wealth and Eli wants converts, and both pander to the masses to get what they desire. Plainview sees his ambition and greed inside Eli and reflects back to him his own demons and it fuels his own hatred for Eli and himself. The film is at its most compelling when Plainview and Sunday smack each other around; either in the mud or during a violent baptism. And adding to the tension is a blisteringly frenzied soundtrack by Johnny Greenwood (the lead guitarist of Radiohead), which reverberates as one of the most effective musical pieces of the past couple of years.

The ironic part is that Plainview’s story is a simple, but compelling one and classic in all the best ways. The film reminisces touches of Citizen Kane, The Godfather and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which are brilliantly mixed together, creating a fascinating and thrillingly original epic. At the heart of the film is an incredible performance by Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis (He was spectacular in My left foot) and I guarantee he will take home another Oscar for his work with this one as well. Lewis’ performance is a force of nature; filled with violent rage, spewing out like one of Plainview’s profitable mentality. It’s mesmerizing and impossible to look away. All at once it’s frightening, tragic and even—strangely enough—humorous. It’s the performance of a lifetime, and is the core engine that propels the film forward with solid momentum, and it’s just one of the reasons why There Will Be Blood is one of the very best films I have ever seen and an absolute must watch for everyone who has read this far.

Defunct Ideology


There was a time (about 10 years back) when mobile phones were a statement. Like any new technology that hits the market, they were picked by the actual "well off" gentry of the country. As big as pencil box sized black bricks were carried around by hand so as to show the "capability" of the individual. let's be honest.. Rs 16 incoming and rs 30 outgoing were a considerable amount of money 10 years back for making communication. So the believability for the person being actually a somebody was more back then.

Fast forward - present day. The cleaning lady handed over her mobile # to my mom. yes I know It's not a shocking thing anymore. But what is shocking is that how stuff has become accessible to each and everyone (which is kinda like an odd thing.)

There was a time when a certain society of people used to look glamorous and different for the kind of clothes/shoes/watches/hair etc. they used to have on them.

Now. Clothes/shoes/electronics are accessible and affordable. So is everything else like cars, bikes etc. The word "exclusive" has now been pushed into the far squeeze of ultra niche crowd.

I mean a person could be living in a 2 bedroom L.I.G. flat somewhere in outskirts of the city, but still can look like a supermodel / billionaire n talk like as if is about to participate in Ms. Universe pageant or has just got off the flight from U.K.

Is it a good thing? It could be if they are wannabes who want to fake it till they make it.

I interact with and see close to 100 - 150 people on a daily basis (being a part of the fashion/retail industry). All kinds of people. There are many who are like the ones I described above - looking like the next supermodel, with the flashiest of clothes and accents and arrogance to match that of a billionaire. Yet their true colors, shallowness and fakeness reflect in their attitude and tells about where they're coming from.

Then I meet people who look so simple, everyday and average, purchase goods worth thousands in a matter of seconds and yet be so humble and down to earth in their approach that just mesmerizes me. I mean these people carry stacks and I mean "stacks" of money on them yet can be passed as a commoner by anyone. Their politeness and simplicity reflect their general attitude and that to me is glamorous and appealing.

It's like a person who is shallow, will try and do anything to get the attention cause he/she wants to prove something. Although a person who actually is a somebody wouldn't give two bits about these details and he/she will have nothing to prove to noone.

I get a first hand experience everyday that everything that shines is not gold and not to judge people on their outer appearance and on face value.

Coming back to my main point. These days, anybody can try and look like a somebody with a little bit of an effort and money. They forget though, that this can get them a little bit of fame only in the short run cause people in time will see right through them.

In the long run, a person who is humble, simple, honest and genuine wins in all aspects of life.

All the small things.




I know.. I know.. you must have read this kinda thing many a times. So I thought.. what the heck.. Let me do my take on -

It's the Small things in life that make you happy :
(The following is based on actual events)

1) You know you screwed up the test and are gonna flunk for sure. Yet through some divine intervention, your marks get swapped with the person in front of you.. guess what.. you pass with a 90%!

2) You forget your phone on the table in a crowded club.. n realize this when you're about to exit the building.. You make a dash back for it n there it is lying safely on the table.

3) You leave on a train journey without a reservation on waiting list # 21. But miraculously not only you get a sleeping berth, the TTE is kind enough not to take a bribe!

4) You get a call from someone you took tuition class with when you were in 10th right on your birthday. She wishes you happy birthday and you meet her the very next day after 7 years.

5) You are humming a old classic dance tune since morning. And the DJ plays that tune in the club that very night.

6) You get a flat tyre on your way back to office from an appointment. No jack handle. There you are sitting on the curb thinking what to do next. A car pulls up n a very hot lady asks if she could be of some assistance. Yes this is based on actual events.

7) You come home from a hard night of clubbing smelling of smoke n booze. Your father opens the door. He has a cold and can't smell neither on you.

8) You go shopping for new jeans. The first one you try fits you like a glove.

9) Your laptop gets screwed up. You send it for repair under warranty. The company upgrades it with newest graphics card and sends it back free of charge.

10) You're relaxing on a beach gazing at the beautiful sunset. You look to your left. Around 10 topless foreign women are standing 15 feet from you. You forget about the sunset.

11) You find a 1000 rupees note in your old jacket pocket.

12). Getting all green lights when you're driving back from a hard work day.

13). Opening your credit card statement only to find that the bank has goofed up and not charged you for any shopping for that month.

14). Reaching the movie theater just in time to find that you got the last seats available in the hall that too at the perfect location for a house full movie.

15). Dominos is late in delivery by 10 minutes and does not charge for the pizza.


Yep... Sometimes in life.. it's the small things that make more sense than the bigger picture. If you have any of your own, please feel free to share some in the comment box.

Back to the jungle!


"I could have killed 'em all, I could kill you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it. Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go.... Let it.. go. "

Remember these immortal lines from First Blood?!

You Don't?! Can't blame ya. Long gone are the days when they used to make movies which left an impression on you. Movies with heart, courage, blood, gore, justice, decapitated limbless men .

Gone are the glory days of real stunts, explosions, screeching cars, guns, grenades, wounds, scars n occasional boob here n there... Ok enough reminiscing.

You see I'm a simple guy..n I like simple action movies. Now what does a simple movie require?! A hero, A villain, A damsel in distress, A mission, Lots of killing n an awesome climax. Thats all I am looking for. A basic formula based movie. Too bad it's not what we usually get in cinemas these days. All thanks to stupid over the top scripts which are too complicated to begin with.. Gayish lookin' actors (keanu reeves) trying their hand at action, and to ruin it all.. the mother of all - C.G.I (computer generated imagery). Yes I personally hate C.G.I.. not cause it adds to the feel of the scene and not cause it makes the scene more rich.. but for the basic reason that it takes the believability factor out of the movie. It takes the soul of the movie n beats the shit out of it. (haven't you seen transformers?)

So.. skeptical about how the new Rambo flick in theater, I was nervous to go. Good thing that I did though. Cause it kicked Ass! !This is how movie making should be. Blood n Guts routine. Over the top non CGI based action. Loved it scene for scene. Stallone has proved once again that making good characters is what draws a person back in the seat. Case in point. John Rambo , jaison bourne and Rocky Balboa (yes i enjoyed rocky 6).

Anyhow.. I hope Hollywood wakes up to the needs of ol' timers like me n shelve out more real action based movies like this one. So give us back our gut spilling, decapitating, head exploding and boob flashing flicks OR I'll be forced to return to my stack of actual action greats like die hard's, terminator's for the 834th time.

Phoenix Rising


At the impending end, when the ashes are cold, and the trials are over, another fire appears; now, purified by the flames, the passion is renewed, its own flames fanned by the beating of the thunderbird's wings. A new day, a new life, a new beginning...

The Truth


"friends are the jewels of life." Good statement! But does it weigh enough to be true in all contexts and situations of life?! Let's begin with understanding the anatomy of friendship.

When a person meets another person, the subconscious starts to decode the the signals received based on conversation, presentation and body language. Based on this feedback, chemicals are released in the brain of the subjects and the body starts generating vibes. Sometimes they are good vibes, sometimes they are bad. If bad, then the moment the conversation is over, the subjects leave and forget about each other. But when there are good vibes, the subjects start bonding. This bond ignites a feeling of goodness, happiness and belonging.

Based on these chemical equations, we choose and base all our friends and friendships.

That means that a friend is nothing but merely a chemical equation gone right under favorable conditions and circumstances.

Now that we have established a meaning to the equation and coined a term friendship for it, let's dwell upon the types of friendships.

1) Timely - One of the most common type of friendship. People meet, spend time, leave.

2) Commercial - People stick with you till the time there is a commercial viability attached to you or them. Benefits and rewards add fuel to this type of friendship.The moment the rewards start becoming rare or scarce, either party quits.

3) Addon - A friend of a friend is a friend. (gf's and bf's usually instigate such friendships)

4) Social - Attaching oneself to a famous personality with the intention of rubbing some stardust on yourself. Usually ends in time with a reality check.

5) Unconditional - rarest of the rare. Usually begins with the intention of staying together in any situation. High's and lows inclusive. Starts in early stages of life. Ends suddenly without warning.

6) Best friends - Myth


The basic fact is that everyone is looking for something. Some are looking for a good time, others for someone to talk to, some for someone to cling on, some for other monetary or ulterior motives and some are looking for just a true and honest friend.

So then you ask yourself.. How do I find an honest, loyal and best friend. Well here's the truth..You cannot. There is no such thing as a true friend.. it's just people hanging on till the time they find it comfortable. As soon as they find an exit, they leave. These exits can be in form of other people better, more interesting or commercially viable than you or maybe they just loose interest. It's a swift move, people are blocked, communications are stopped and all relationship and ties are broken as if they never existed in the first place.

So what does that teach you. Live each moment as it were your last cause you never know who will leave you side where and when in life. I guess it's a part of growing up and accepting the fact that times change, people change, loyalties change and so do feelings. New relationships and bonds are formed and older ones broken.

Nothing is static and life goes on.

Jai Hind!


We're Indians.
We are patient, tolerant people. We accept all religions and tolerate all kinds of behavior. We never riot. Rioting, too, happens only outside our borders. We keep the peace at all hours. We do not typecast other religions or provoke sentiments. Watch our many movies for proof.

All Indians are our brothers and sisters. This is why we respect all women. This is why women in our major cities can do as they like and travel, unaccompanied, at all hours and feel safe. This is why our policemen are highly respected, for the protection they offer to all .

We love cleanliness and hygiene and do everything in our power to save the environment. We do not use any product or apparatus that causes pollution. We plant tress, save water and electricity as much as possible. We obey traffic rules and believe in safe driving.

We don't consume alchohol and teach our children the same. We spend less money every month on partying, buying clothes and self indulgence. After all, We are charitable people and we like to help the poor and needy and donate a part of our earnings for their upliftment.

Education is important for us. We respect our system of education. We encourage our sons and daughters to get an education here, not abroad, because we believe in the system. The few who graduate abroad are encouraged to come back here, to make life even better than it already is for themselves and their countrymen.

We are proud of our culture. We uphold it every week. Our heritage is precious. This is why we protect it well. Our monuments are well cared for. Our museums are well funded. Our curators are literate and well paid. We do not allow people to encroach on sites like the Taj Mahal or the Qutub Minar. Graffiti is not allowed. Vandalism is a myth.

We treat our sons and daughters equally. We allow our daughters to marry when they wish to. We allow our daughters to pick the men they want to spend their lives with. We encourage our daughters to think for themselves and fall in love. We believe they have the intelligence to make wise decisions. This is also why we encourage them to study further.

We don't kiss. Kissing is what people outside India do. We just smile shyly at the people we love. Watch our many movies for proof.

We are all heterosexual. Homosexuals live outside our borders. We encourage our media to explore sexuality. We accept alternative sexualities, even though we are all convinced they do not exist. Which is why we try and keep the population of our nation under control. Sex is, after all, a dirty word. We don't think about sex. It's never on our minds. We think pure thoughts at all hours.

We love our cricket. It's because we're so good at it. It's because our cricketers pour their heart into every game. Other sports are not worthy of our attention. Other sportsmen do not pour their hearts out into their games. Other sportsmen are not worthy of endorsing our brands of footwear, aerated drinks or car batteries. Our cricketers alone deserve our adoration. Our cricketers and our movie stars, that is.

Our movie stars are intelligent. They study all scripts carefully and are always unwilling to propagate stereotypes. Our movie stars live clean, wholesome lives and are therefore perfectly suited to deliver clean, wholesome messages to the masses that adore them.
Our politicians are pillars of honesty and hardwork. Corruption and bribery is a myth at any level in this great nation of ours. Our justice system is strong, speedy and full proof. The innocent get justice and the guilty are punished as per law. There are hardly any ques here. Everyone gets quick and effective service.

Our government makes sure everyone is well fed, sheltered and clothed. Thats why it focuses heavily on rural upliftment. We pay our taxes honestly and strengthen the governmental framework so it can make better roads, hospitals and general infrastructure in every village, town and city.

We love our country. We don't want to live anywhere else. We don't work towards the idea of leaving it and never coming back. Because we're Indians.

Hypocrites, all.

Office Space


I got a hard working group of friends... which is a good thing considering if they plan to retire by 40. But unfortunately this is not the case in a country like India. Where people being employed by MNC's, Media houses, telecom and corporate giants are used for their own greedy and selfish motives. Hard work is a good quality.. for a willing donkey. So here are a few guidelines for my fellow friends about the ten things the employers will never let you know.


First Thing

" You will be paid the lowest possible salary "


Why should this be so?

1. For a start there are not many people who know their own self worth.
2. You are expendable in the first 6 months. Goof up and you will be replaced.
3. There are plenty of other people waiting in the wings to take your
place for a lower fee if you refuse.
4. If you do protest, you can typically kiss promotion goodbye.
5. Employee costs are a significant percentage of total costs and
are usually monitored in budgets and reports. It is often a key
management performance indicator (like production, wastage,
stock levels and so on). So it is in their own promotional interests
to keep them as low as possible.



The Second

"You'll never make good money working for other people."

How many senior managers are there at your place of work? And
how many others are there? The ratio is likely to be anywhere from
40:1 to 200:1. So if you have their education, background, ability,
contacts and perhaps luck, those will be your odds of making that
kind of money also. If you lack any one of those parameters, the
odds increase exponentially.

Then ask yourself how long you would have to wait before you
started earning that sort of cash? By the time you start making
enough money to relax with, it's nearly time to retire.
Pah! You want the cash NOW, just when you need it most - when
you want to build a home, raise a family, do stuff, take activity
holidays, drive a fast car or whatever.

So what do you do about it? hehe



The Third Thing They Never tell you

"The willing donkey carries the heaviest load"

Quite self explanatory.



The Fourth

"They don't really mean it"


"They" applies more to senior than to middle managers. When
they get ratty or annoyed, they often don't really mean it.
Let's begin with the basics. There are 3 types of person in the
world:
- Those for whom the job comes first, regardless of who suffers or
indeed who does it.

- Those who believe you should care for your people first and only
do the job within such comfort zones.

- Those who don't care about the job or the people, so long as they
are in control.

The latter category is the most dangerous. These are the
politicians and the senior managers of the world and they achieve
their position through a craving for power. The nature and success
of both the people and the job are irrelevant, so long as they have
the whip hand.


The Fifth

"Get noticed - Get promoted"

It's not what you know, it's who you know - and, indeed, what they
themselves know. A few percent increase in the quality, quantity or
thoroughness of your work can take a lot of effort. This is time that
could be used to rub shoulders with those who have the power to
promote you and whose opinion of you counts.


The Sixth

"You don't go to work to be liked"

That's not to say you have to be a miserable, awkward git to
everyone around you. But if there are people who don't fit your
desire to improve, you don't have to hang around with them or
tolerate them.

There are a multitude of whiners, moaners, groaners, rumourmongers,
gossipers and malicious corrupters in any organisation.
These people are toxic. One bad apple can spoil a whole barrel.
They also need the company to pour their scorn out onto. They will
walk considerable distance to have a good old moan with someone
who will sit and listen. Just watch them do it! Their self-esteem is so
low, it is impossible for them to keep it to themselves. Misery must
seek company.



The Seventh

"Perception is reality"

How people perceive you is how you really are. If you dress like a
slob, they'll think you're a slob; if you speak with firm authority (even
though you may be churning inside) you will be perceived as
authoritative. If you're perceived as a keen, early starter, that is how
you will be considered, regardless of what you are actually up to. If
you behave like management material (see Number 5), you'll be
perceived as management material.



The Eighth they Never Tell You

"Information is power"

Oh, boy, don't they just know it. There are various forms of power
and information is one of the critical ones. This is why there will
never be open management. It is far, far more one way than the
other. The information that managers hold is one of the principal
pillars of their power base.


The Ninth They Never Tell You

"It's only a game"

Although this means you do have to master the technicalities of
what you do, it also means there is nothing wrong with bluffing,
cheating and rigging the cards. If the slack in the system gives you
maneuvering space, use it. If there is a way for you to make it look
good without having to bust a gut doing it, then take it.


The Tenth Thing They Never Tell You

"Watch the X-Files - i.e. Trust no-one"

Don't even trust the stuff in this write-up! Pardon? Well, it might all
be true; then again, it might not! It's up to you to decide.


So the next time your boss says something is really important, ask
yourself for whom? Can you do a quick job on it and still keep him or
her happy? When something is a rush job, is that really the case, or
have they just not considered the options? Or are they just kneejerking?
Or are they just trying to get you to work faster? Or is it
down to their lack of organization and planning and so their own
responsibility to do it? Can you gain a favor out of doing it? And
from a million other requests made to you during your tenure.

You may think of me being excessively cynical. And cynicism is
often cited as being highly detrimental. But that usually comes form
those who are trying to exploit you. Remember, even if you win the rat race,
you're still a rat.

Insight


Life passes with time and time passes in moments. Moments which, rushing past us, define the path of a life even as they fix upon its end. How rarely do we stop to examine that path? To see the reasons why all things happen. To consider whether the path we have taken is of our own making, or simply one into which we've drifted with eyes closed. But what if we were to stop? To take stock of each precious moment before it passes? Might we see the endless forks in the roads that shape our lives? And... seeing the choices we've made... choose another path?

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