Instant Words

No regrets

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000+05:30

The Power of natureand Fragility of life – two powerfulthoughts expounded by David Attenborough in the ever powerful Himalayas. The cooperationbetween animals and humans to survive in a seemingly hostile environment. The Himalayasthat create, nurture and destroy.

All this has paled the significance of this one thousandthpost of mine on Indiblogger's Indivine

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Winter tease

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000+05:30

When the temperature in Mumbai dips to 20C we say it iswinter. Since it stays for just a week, no blankets are left unturned. For thepast few days though, winter has been playing games with us, teasing us. There weretimes last week when the temperature dipped, but rose again only to dissappoint.

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Tigers are safe :)

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000+05:30

Back from a wonderful ‘Bloggers trip’ to Corbett NationalPark. Was great meeting fellow bloggers and putting faces and characters tonames. It was heartening to note that we did not sight a single tiger nor anelephant in the forest despite spending a day and a half looking for them! Proofthat they can survive.

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Tiger Ahoy!!

2011-10-14T10:20:00.001+05:30

My bags are packed and am ready to go! This time it is tothe wonderful tiger reserve – Corbett National Park, on an invitation from Club Mahindrafor a ‘Bloggers trip’. Hope to spend quality time there with bloggers fromother Indian cities and shooting the exotic flora and fauna. Be back in a week,rejuvenated!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Lost soul

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000+05:30

On Dusserah we celebrate the victory of good over evil in every sphere of life, symbolically. But, when we look around it seems just another reason to celebrate. Just like all festivals that have lost the true essence and are celebrated to indulge in merry making. The soul is lost but the carapace plods on.

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Action replay

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000+05:30

Sorting out the photographs after a vacation is an action replay of the holiday but without the exhaustion of gallivanting. One does end up seeing more while discussing specific images and the whole experience is enriched.
The best part is just when one has done with it, it is time to plan the next one!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Travel

2011-09-23T07:12:00.002+05:30

After being on the road for three weeks it feels good to be home. So many things can be taken for granted now. Home also makes it easier to ruminate on all the experiences and revel in the good ones and learn from the bad ones.

Travel indeed is a learning experience. Keeps ethnocentrism away.

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Death

2011-08-26T06:00:00.000+05:30

The finality of death is stunning.

Though one may be prepared to face it, is unnerving, especially when it is the end of someone dear who has been suffering from a terminal disease and hence relieved.

Yet to accept the fact that the body no longer shall breathe and be consigned to flames is daunting.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Nature

2011-08-12T12:02:00.001+05:30

For over three months he had planned this project. This date and time had been chosen with a meticulous eye to detail.

He had envisaged a beginning to be proud of.

All geared up, he stepped out and heard the thunder.

One look at the weather broke his resolve.

He returned to his slovenly self.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Breach of trust

2011-08-06T10:14:00.001+05:30

Are our elected representatives to the Parliament committing a breach of trust when they refuse to accept the Jan Lokpal Bill draft for debate?

All that is being asked is to take into account the views of the very people who have elected them! They are not there to impose their views on the electorate!

Rebirth

2011-07-29T10:45:00.001+05:30

Today is my last day at work.

I retire this evening at 5.

Shall walk out of one lifestyle into another.

Am mentally prepared for the transition.

Yet, spent a sleepless night.

Feels like my first day at work.

Am leaving one comfort zone to make another.

‘Goodbye’ for me is ‘moving on’.

Life awaits.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Rainy day in Mumbai

2011-07-22T11:44:00.001+05:30

The gloom sets in

As the clouds weigh down

But then the minute the rains come down

The earth is drenched in happiness!

There is a feel good ambiance

That spreads cheer

As the children frolic in the puddles

And lovers frolic in love

While the lakes that supply water

Heave a sigh of relief

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Terrorised

2011-07-15T06:00:00.002+05:30

Innocent bystanders pay for the sins of political, religious leaders.

People, who had thoughts of how best to reach home to spend some time with their families, have their brains blown out, literally.

Their loved ones, numbed by disbelief lose their minds and hear ‘Keep calm. We are investigating.’

Empty words to fill empty lives.

Dedicated to all those who lost their lives in the Mumbai blasts on 13jul11.

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Change, easy?

2011-07-08T10:39:00.001+05:30

Am retiring at the end of this month. A sea change in lifestyle will happen. Will this change be easy? As easy as changing the covers of the of a Dell Inspiron Laptop ? I wish I knew.

Earlier, man was known by the company he kept but now is it by the gadgets he keeps?

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Colour the old world

2011-07-01T06:00:00.002+05:30

I wish to see in colour some of the ancient events, like the first time our national flag was unfurled. Also, Mumbai in the good old days when it was sparsely populated and the sea and sky were true blue to contrast the green lawns of the sprawling maidans! Ah to colour the old world!

P.S. Wonder if HP Laserjet can help.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Time

2011-06-24T11:11:00.000+05:30

The ticking of the clock notwithstanding
Life seems to have come to a standstill
Status quo rules
Is this the lull before the proverbial storm?
Gathering of forces for the final assault?
Time to take a deep breath
Before treading the untrod path?
Time holds all the answers
Dare to ask
Only time will tell.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Blind

2011-06-22T14:46:00.000+05:30

Into the tunnel

Looking for the light, life gropes

Lurching in the dark

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Blind' click here

Wet weekend

2011-06-17T11:10:00.000+05:30

An overcast sky

And relentless rain

Mark the onset of a wet weekend.

Am ready to face it

With a book waiting to be read.

I shall gaze out the window

And watch my dreams unfold

On the ever changing moody skies

Full of mischievous clouds

That hop around with the

Swiftness of the breeze.

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Mumbai monsoons

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000+05:30

The heat charred the skies

Which then melted

And poured, after the

Thunder and lightning.

The rains pulled down the

High summer temperatures

And brought the aroma

Of fresh moist earth.

Heavenly it is, the ambiance,

For a singer to burst out in song

And the dancer to do a jig

The monsoons have arrived!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Character

2011-06-07T16:13:00.001+05:30

Hardened by the heat

of living, character shines,

Just like porcelain

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Porcelain' click here

Biter bit

2011-06-03T10:38:00.002+05:30

Politicians use religion and religious leaders to further their cause.

Baba Ramdev, a yoga teacher, has shocked the politicians by beating them at their own game. Politicians hidden under the safety blanket of democracy have been exposed. His prowess at mobilising mass support has them running scared.

People equate probity in public life with religion.

To know more about the situation please click http://goo.gl/edLVp

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Bliss..

2011-05-24T10:47:00.000+05:30

Time to introspect

A conversation with self

Blissful solitude

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Solitude' click here

Mumbai summer

2011-04-29T06:00:00.001+05:30

I can feel the beads of sweat forming and then trickling down from my forehead , down my face to settle down gently at my collar.

The only activity am indulging in is ‘thinking’ of ‘what to write for my flash Friday post’.

The heat is on.

Literally.

The Mumbai summer can melt thoughts too.

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They call it love

2011-04-27T15:54:00.001+05:30

Born out of goodwill
A relationship nurtured
Faith is all it needs

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Born' click here

Judgement

2011-04-15T16:15:00.001+05:30

All wired up
Ready to blow
I walk into the
Temple of Faith.
Now I need not pray
As am coming to meet you
To deliver my judgement
On the conscience barred behaviour
Of all those who prayed to you,
offered you bribes
And Thank you gifts.
All this, while fellow humans
Starved to death.

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Change ahoy!

2011-04-08T12:52:00.008+05:30

There is an air of uncertainty
clouding the world.
The act of rebellion is contagious
and the dormant citizenry are awakened
by the clarion calls for justice and freedom.
Acts of omission that were taken for granted
Are now being questioned.
New leaders are emerging
Shaking up the old.
The new age is here.
Welcome.

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We the puppets

2011-04-07T11:40:00.000+05:30

In thought control mode

Using economic strings

They sell our clean souls.

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Puppet' click here

India is coming (pun intended)

2011-04-01T06:00:00.000+05:30

India's population is now pegged at 1.21 billion, comprising 623.7 million males and 586.5 million females. It is almost equal to the combined population of the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan.

We are getting ready to swamp the world with sheer numbers! And if there is safety in numbers, we are safe!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Tonight - Switch off...

2011-03-26T09:08:00.002+05:30

Switch off for an hour

And spend some quality time

Its the Earth’s command.

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Command' click here

Sometimes...

2011-03-25T14:36:00.001+05:30

I look over my shoulder

And see my past fading.

Is it my memory

or is it my eyesight.

I wonder.

I look ahead

And see the mist blur it.

Is it the moisture

In the air

Or in my eyes.

I wonder.

Should I go ahead

Or wait for clarity.

I wonder.

Life sucks.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Nature's fury

2011-03-18T20:48:00.001+05:30

The earth – it shook

disgusted at the abuse

and washed itself

with waves of sea water

mindless of the

destruction that it would wreak.

The point of tolerance

had been breached

and the time had come

to remind the tenants

of this beautiful earth

‘No more, Mr.Nice Guy.

This is, but a sample.

Take care’.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Wings

2011-03-14T12:07:00.001+05:30

Scouring the blue skies

I see no hatred flying

But love on a wing.

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Wings' click here

Speed kills

2011-03-11T06:00:00.001+05:30

‘Speed kills’ is the message for drivers of automobiles.

This message is now relevant to guys living in the fast lane too.

There is hardly any one lingering in the chilled out lane.

Everybody is in a hurry to get the most, fastest.

Is it worth it?

No time to think.

Stairway to heaven beckons.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Wintry vibes

2011-03-07T12:15:00.003+05:30

When the wamth has gone

The relationship shrivels

As the cold sets in.

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Cold' click here

Homecoming

2011-02-25T12:55:00.002+05:30

The time has come

To return where the memories lurk

At every corner

Under every stone.

No more the yearning

To be back home.

A new rejuvenated home

Awaits our footfalls

In its hallowed precincts

To rebond emotionally

And spiritually.

This is one change of environment

That is looked forward to.

Finally it is Homecoming.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Non Americans=Non Humans?

2011-02-04T10:56:00.002+05:30

USA takes pride in being the Human Rights watchdog of the world. Good morning!

A bunch of Indian students conned by an American University went to the US on valid visas only to find the University shut down.

Instead of receiving sympathy or assistance they are radio tagged like criminals on parole!

Whither Human Rights?!

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Freedom revealed

2011-02-01T15:05:00.006+05:30

When a bird in flight

glides, it reveals a Freedom

In all its splendour

Read http://cybernag.in/2011/01/could-this-become-the-movement/

to spread your wings and be corruption free!

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Splendour' click here

Plumbing the depths

2011-01-28T06:00:00.002+05:30

Corruption and scams

Headline the day

How low can the values dip?

The addiction to wealth and power

Has degraded the ladder

Once used to reach heights of excellence.

Change is inevitable. Yes.

But whether it is progress

Or otherwise, only time will tell.

I don’t wish to live and say

I told you so.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Innocence

2011-01-25T15:30:00.001+05:30

In my dreams
There is no virtue
And no sin

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Sin' click here

Time to select

2011-01-21T16:05:00.004+05:30

A 55er to appeal for your vote to make my blogs ‘winners’ in their respective categories for ‘Best of Indian Blogosphere (BoIB) 2010’ award. Please visit these blogs and cast your vote!

http://mumbai-eyed.blogspot.com

http://magictravels.blogspot.com

http://photings.blogspot.com

http://petsalways.blogspot.com

The widget for casting your vote is at the bottom of each blog. No registration needed. Just your vote!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Insomnia

2011-01-18T13:23:00.002+05:30

In a sleepless state
My mind wanders in a dream
Of sleep eternal

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Insomnia' click here

The Ultimate

2011-01-14T16:24:00.001+05:30

The eyes feel tired
But the mind keeps pushing
For the creation
Of the ultimate verse
And after it is done
The law of diminishing returns applies
And the mind surges
Yet again
For the next
An unending cycle
Where the urge to achieve
The ultimate
Drives the body and mind
With every fresh breath.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Celestial

2011-01-12T11:19:00.001+05:30

Its dusky twilight
And the angels appear
To light up my dream

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Celestial' click here

Charity

2010-12-28T19:09:00.001+05:30

Some benevolence

And compassion towards some

Can be enriching

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Charity'click here

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-24T11:33:00.001+05:30

However hard that Santa laughs
There are certain people
Who will refuse to believe
That spreading happiness
Is the best form of celebration.
Nevertheless, let us do our bit
And try to bring cheer
To the less fortunate
By sharing whatever, whichever way
We can
And make our world a
Happier, Brighter place.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

SELF

2010-12-22T12:53:00.002+05:30

The belittling
of the self is revealing
When out in a storm

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Self' click here

Hunger is fatal

2010-12-17T06:00:00.000+05:30

People have become sceptical about charitable institutions because they are not sure whether the money will actually reach the recipient. Well guys Akshay Patra is one institution that is transparent in all its dealings and is now feeding 1,253,266 children daily and needs your help. Hunger is fatal.
Click here to feed a hungry child.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Life

2010-12-13T06:50:00.000+05:30

Between birth and death
Life is but an interval
Let us live it up!

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Life' click here

Overheard

2010-12-10T23:28:00.001+05:30

Wikileaks has proved that the world has indeed shrunk to the extent that what one utters will be overheard at the next table. It also brings to the fore the old axiom that one cannot fool all the people all the time.
It sure looks like that crony governance has come of age internationally. Imagine?

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Faith

2010-12-06T19:48:00.001+05:30

Why does the muezzin

Need to call all the faithful

Will the faithless come?

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Faith' click here

Mumbai chills

2010-12-03T20:01:00.002+05:30

There is a nip in the air

And the dawn is sluggish.

The day rushes through in quicktime

And dreamtime gets a boost.

In Mumbai, winter is celebrated

When the sweat stops pouring

And the temperature settles at 18Celsius

The woollies are out

For a day or two

And soon it is time

For summer.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Instinct

2010-12-03T06:09:00.001+05:30

The softness of dawn
The dreamy romance of dusk
Instinctively loved

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Instinct' click on

Freedom

2010-11-26T06:00:00.000+05:30

How vain are we when we will not tolerate any curbs on our freedom but wish to enforce regulations on those that make us pay for our pleasures.
How vain are we when we justify our lustful relationship ‘platonic’ yet expect ‘our’ partners not to lust elsewhere.
Freedom from vanity is a far cry yet...

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Stranger

2010-11-22T22:17:00.001+05:30

The tweeting birdie

wakes me to technology

A stranger no more

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Stranger' clickon

Live and let live

2010-11-19T06:00:00.000+05:30

Be it a goat or a chicken
why does it have to die
at the altar to express my thanksgiving
It seems very supercilious on my part
to sacrifice a life that had nothing to do
With me or mine.
It is time now to show
How evolved I am
By living and letting live.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Silk

2010-11-15T18:26:00.000+05:30

Strung between branches

Cobwebs spun of gossamer

Sheer silken life

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Silk' clickon

Spread Positivity

2010-11-12T10:21:00.001+05:30

Weighed down by
Bad vibrations
have to shield my aura
by sending out waves of
Positivity.
The transitory disturbance
distorts perspectives
And it is a constant struggle
to set them right.
Now I see the sunrise
and glorify the dawn
which will gently blossom
into a beautiful day
and age gracefully
Towards a
Dreamy night.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Mind freed

2010-11-09T11:42:00.001+05:30

The clasp of darkness
eases with the dawn of knowledge
And the freed mind soars!

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Clasp' click on

HAPPY DEEPAVALI

2010-11-05T06:00:00.000+05:30

It is Deepavali now
The festival of lights
A time when darkness
Is banished
literally and figuratively
from our lives.
The grandeur of this dawn
lights up
the darkest of the nights
Like the happiness
of living to share the joy
And see the smiles
light up
To receive the gift
Of a special day

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

3G Life

2010-11-01T20:07:00.002+05:30

In 1970 Alvin Toffler in 'Future Shock' had predicted how rapid social change is going to impact our lives.

I can see it happening with the advent of 3G now. Travel will be necessary only for the thrill and adventure. For business and commerce 3G will pave the way for conferences and seminars with all participants sitting in the comfort of their residential offices.

Just the other day at a family friend’s wedding, there was this young boy carrying a laptop around! He was webcasting the wedding rituals and the general ambience to his friends who could not attend due to prior commitments!

Now with 3G and live streaming using phonecams like the N8, the whole process will be classier and less cumbersome!

Will be a great help in densely populated areas and parking woes will be a thing of the past. We will start living in a virtual world and essaying into a real world only to feel the real thing.

All seems so very exciting now that we are on the threshhold of such a momentous timeline in the evolution of mankind!

Thank you 3G from Tata Docomo for making it happen in India .

The universe is shrinking.

Freedom

2010-10-29T06:00:00.001+05:30

Freedom, a much abused word,
a concept that has connotations
as varied as can be conceived.
To the starving, the assurance
of a meal is freedom
from human bondage.
On a full stomach it is the mind
that demands freedom
to think and share
The joy of creativity.
Democracy is freedom
to decide
Who rules!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

October in Mumbai

2010-10-08T09:50:00.000+05:30

The monsoons have bid goodbye
Leaving the skies open
for a month of torrid heat.
The temperatures and tempers
will soar
and energy levels will dip.
A slew of festivals will
weigh heavy on our wallets
making the lot of bankers
healthy and wealthy.
A good time to test
our patience, budget and
Resistance to temptation!

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

A new day

2010-10-06T16:40:00.001+05:30

At the hour of dawn
When the sky is bathed in pink
A time to rejoice

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Rejoice' click on

The verdict

2010-10-01T11:17:00.000+05:30

The storm raised
by morons expelling hot air
has receded
And now there is a sense of calm
and peace generated by
young minds infusing fresh thoughts.
The message is clear
Cast out the old decaying ideas
and let the sun shine on
the new sprouts
and nurture them
to foster a
Bright new world.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Sacred

2010-09-27T15:39:00.000+05:30

When I meditate
It is a sacred bonding
Between God and me.

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Sacred' click on

May peace reign

2010-09-24T06:05:00.002+05:30

India awaits judgement
on an issue that has ripped the harmony
and polarised communities into ghettos.
Though the judgement ostensibly is
About a land dispute,
The sentiments that are attached
Are worrisome.
The abstract issue of religiosity
May raise its head and claim lives
to justify history.
Let us believe in Man first,
Then God.

Please visit any Indian newspaper site or click here to understand what am referring to.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

.....after

2010-09-20T15:46:00.001+05:30

And then, it is done
I slip into nothingness
It is sheer Bliss

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Bliss' click on

An appeal

2010-09-17T06:05:00.001+05:30

Religious rituals
Take pride of place
While God is hidden
In the holy books and temples.
Religion, just a means,
Has become an end to achieve.
Man is lost
somewhere in the fight,
to decide whose God is better.
A public manifestation
Of one’s private conversation
with God, leads to mayhem.
Maintain its sacred privacy.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Thank you Purba Ray

Appreciation

2010-09-13T16:21:00.001+05:30

Appreciation
is a gesture that gladdens
and brightens the day

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Appreciation' click on

Forever

2010-09-10T06:05:00.000+05:30

The feeling of emptiness
Reminds of the space that is yours.
A sombre silence fills it now
But the moment I enter the space
Memories jostle for attention
Each one so unique
Of a time we spent together
And of times we spent apart.
I have moved on
so has the world
But you remain.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

Apparition

2010-09-07T16:43:00.001+05:30

Aromas wafting
From the delicate blooming
Beauty emerges

To revel in lovely haikus or to participate in this week's theme of 'Beauty' click on

Time to evolve

2010-09-03T10:10:00.000+05:30

Floods and droughts are the order of the day
while Death by Disease haunts mankind
Greed for power ignites hatred
invoking the spirit of God
who is now an innocent bystander.
The time has come
For the emergence of a new ism
As Man flounders in freedom
Unable to live and let live.
Cynicism rules.

To read amazing Flash Friday 55ers or to showcase yours please visit the fabulous g-man

My Demand

2010-08-31T16:38:00.002+05:30

HP wants us to dream about the snazziest gadget we would like to have.
What I want is ideally an one-in-all contraption. A foldable monitor that is about an inch thick and has an inbuilt CPU, printer, scanner and speakers. The hard disk should have infinite memory.
It should be a no hassle machine and if any snag develops, it should go into a self repair mode and repair itself. Of course if any parts need to be sourced it should send the requisition to the source concerned and the part should be couriered instantly and replaced within an hour at the most. It should be capable of working at lightning speeds to download/upload and have an inbuilt camera of 12mp. It should be able to print out hi-res pictures instantly if need be.
Once I get this contraption I shall work on further inputs needed to fine tune it.

Yet again

2010-08-29T06:55:00.000+05:30

The resurrection
of faith, happens every year
But dies soon enough

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Festival

2010-08-24T07:18:00.002+05:30

The monsoons are here
To quench the thirst of parched earth
Its festival time

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Life in transit

2010-08-20T10:56:00.001+05:30

The journey from the barber shop to the salon
From the joint family to the nuclear
Rural to urban
Riding on pathways to speeding on freeways
Radio to television
Playground to amusement parks
Travelling miles for conferences to videoconferencing
Has been fascinating
To see the world shrink
And relationships expand
With not much nostalgia time

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Life altered

2010-08-17T21:01:00.002+05:30

After the flash floods
As Leh struggles to move ahead
It is Life altered

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Thank you Life!

2010-08-13T07:08:00.001+05:30

The tender leaves
so fresh and green
Glisten in the early morning light
as the sun hastens its journey
from one end to another.

The vapour from the hot cup of coffee
Rises
To give the scene an aura
of mystery.

Love the way
your fingers knead skillfully
and ease my tired muscles
Am alive!

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Rural dawn

2010-08-08T10:59:00.001+05:30

Having a field day
Gobbling up the juicy worms
Are the early birds

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I wonder

2010-08-06T06:54:00.003+05:30

The cool breeze blew
but the excitement did not wane
The news that made the day
had temperatures rising
Unabated
I looked up at the moon
Shining there in solitary splendour
It seemed so innocent and playful
as it darted in and out
of the floating clouds
Had man really defiled it
By stepping there?

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Monsoons

2010-08-01T09:20:00.003+05:30

There is a cloudburst
satiating the parched earth
Life metamorphosed

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The Journey

2010-07-30T06:25:00.000+05:30

The road is long gone
and the untrodden path beckons
Momentary hesitation
delays the first few steps
but then the euphoria sets in
as the virginal ambiance thrills
and the adrenalin pumps the heart
into an emotional frenzy
And then the mind is subdued
While the feelings intensify
and the orgasmic peak
Is in sight

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They know not....

2010-07-27T16:25:00.001+05:30

A report in YAHOO India news -
As the Congress-led governments in Delhi and the centre pray for a successful Commonwealth Games, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar Tuesday said he would be 'unhappy' if the Games were a success.

The ruling party seems to be hell bent on proving that theirs is a democratic party! Never before has there been such a show of dissent or disagreement with the party policies. Just a few days back we had Mr.Digvijaya Singh expressing his discontent publicly about his fellow party Home Minister’s attitude and decision making. Is the party indulging in the policy of Running with the hare and hunting with the hounds? If it is they could be following a self defeating path by exposing a leadership that is up there cocooned in the ivory towers. It sure does not bode well not only for the party but also for the country.

Rape

2010-07-23T14:02:00.003+05:30

Anju and Mohan were deeply in love but not enough to make the final commitment. They had seen too many divorces happening, but they wanted to give themselves a chance by living together.
Anju started hated his early morning habits. He was addicted to her.
She accused him of rape to get rid of him.

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Politicspeak

2010-07-19T16:27:00.002+05:30

A report on NDTV.com -
Addressing a public meeting last night, Chidambaram said he had met Prabhakaran and talked with him for hours. "He (Prabhakaran) was not our enemy. We were opposed to the path chosen by him."

Is he trying to say that basically Prabhakaran is a good guy but the path which he has adopted is wrong hence he should be revered? Would the same thinking be applied by Mr.Chidambaram to all criminals/terrorists/anti social elements?
Is this what we would like to hear from our Home Minister?
This worries me about the garden path that we are being led on.

Another report about the railway accident in which 50 people lost their lives has our Railway Minister stating thus -
"I am suspicious about the cause of the accident," Banerjee told reporters when asked about the circumstances that led to the mishap.
"We have some doubt in our mind. Whatever happened is not casual thing. We will take all strong steps against those who are behind this," she said before proceeding for the accident site.

She feels it is not casual! I mean who would, specially in an accident where 50 people have lost their lives? And if she says she has some doubts, that indicates that she must have anticipated something like this to happen. And if she did, why was prevention not preferred to cure?
In their squabble of power politics how much has the citizen to suffer?

I solicit answers.

Dog Love

2010-07-16T18:29:00.001+05:30

The walk on the beach was meant to be romantically invigorating. But nobody had told them that it would be high tide soon.
Ramu and Shweta were so engrossed in discovering each other that they had walked deep inside during low tide.
Bozo broke their reverie and barked them ashore in time to love again.

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Patiala scotched

2010-07-15T21:32:00.001+05:30

A news report on IBN LIVE today states -
Punjab has been dealing with the worst floods in 20 years but ruling party MLAs are not unduly worried. The Akali Dal MLAs have gone on a study tour to Scotland to study about scotch.
Even as hundreds of acres of agricultural land is under water and thousands displaced, the Akali Dal MLAs are in Scotland visiting distilleries. Heading the delegation is Speaker Nirmaljit Singh Kahlon, who was recently chargesheeted by the CBI in a corruption case. The MLAs are ostensibly on a study tour to find out how breweries abroad treat toxic effluents.
After me the deluge?
Am stumped by these nincompoops and am ashamed to state that we are responsible for electing them. Do these guys have no conscience? No morality? No sense of ethics? Priorities?
Why and how long do we have to tolerate these fools?

Dry days

2010-07-14T16:30:00.000+05:30

The rains have taken a break and the sun is out playing hide and seek with some dark clouds that are trying to gather forces for a downpour. For the homeless it is the time to dry their meagre possessions and for the birds and stray animals it is time to sun themselves and dry their paws and feathers. The conservancy workers use this time to clean the gutters of the muck gathered, a job that should have been completed before the onset of the monsoons. But nobody is complaining. The job is being done albeit late. The potholes on the roads which had threatened to become trenches are being filled, patchwork that will last till the next session of heavy rains.
Demolition squads are on the job demolishing slums, an activity taken up in the monsoon so that the very same media which was complaining about encroachment will now portray the cruelty of the state and the ‘do good’ human rights activists will come out of the woodwork for their two minutes of fame. Politicians of all hues will be out giving their opinions on the malaise that affects our city due to unbridled migration from other states.
Slumlords will take this opportunity to provide more housing to the homeless at affordable prices.
And the cycle will continue unhindered as the rich become richer and the poor become poorer.

Animal Farm

2010-07-13T15:45:00.000+05:30

There is this report in rediff.com that I read today that amused me.
“Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to call a meeting of a dozen top industrialists soon to underline to them that an "ostentatious lifestyle" by CEOs does not reflect well especially when 37.2 per cent of the Indian population is still below the poverty line.”
Does this not apply to our MLAs and MPs? Or for that matter our Prime Minister and President? Whenever these worthies travel the traffic is brought to a halt to let their entourage pass by unhindered. Also the amount of money spent on their security borders on the obscene. Are they not responsible for their actions? Should they as leaders not lead by example? Why, if they are elected by a popular mandate, fear the public and not travel by public transport?
What about the decision by the Ministers to raise their own salaries? Is it not vulgar given the fact that 37.2% of the population for whose welfare they are in power, are below the poverty line? Some people indeed are more equal than others in a democracy.
Mr.Mukherjee would do well to remember that people living in glass houses should not be throwing stones and set his own house in order before making lofty statements.

Running scared

2010-07-12T15:40:00.001+05:30

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra has decided to ignore the judgement passed by the Supreme Court and announced that the ban on the book on Shivaji by James Laine will stay. This from a politician who is part of the breed who always hide behind the statement ‘let law take its own course’ to protect their own skins. Now to save his seat of power, he has decided to ignore the apex court by saying that the law and order in the state is more important. By doing this he has sent out two clear messages. One is that he does not have control on the law and order situation in the State and second, it is okay to ignore judgements passed by the apex court of the country.
It is so unfortunate that we have such spineless leaders at the helm. In the fight for power the ideals of our constitution are relegated by showing fear at the threat of lawlessness by the regional party satraps. He has suddenly joined those very forces that he has been fighting all this time. This will now set a precedent for the benefit of the mischief mongers to assert their unsavoury presence.
Strange bedfellows they make at the expense of the wisdom shown by our judiciary.

Convoluted thinking

2010-07-11T17:26:00.000+05:30

Razing 400 acres of forest/mangroves to accomodate an airport is no big deal but shifting of a Shivaji statue to accomodate the expansion of an existing airport is. This reflects the warped thinking of our governing leaders. The rot has set in so deep that saving the environment is considered obsessive and the repositioning of a statue considered the sensitivity of the politicians towards the sentiment of the common man!
Then there is the concern of the education ministry for the school children. it is their contention that the children get traumatised by failure in school hence they should not be subjected to repeating the class if they fail. They should continue their progression. They should not be subject to harsh competition and so there will not be any ranking either. On the other hand we have children competing in dance and music shows where they face elimination in front of a countrywide television audience. Why are these shows allowed? The traumas experienced by these children have even led to some of them commiting suicide! Are these children any different from those facing failure traumas in school? Why are the different ministries not acting in tandem?
When will we get our priorities right?

Road rage

2010-07-10T22:51:00.000+05:30

Road rage is something I was quite sure that would not affect me. My confidence in my patience was high. After having tackled hundreds of irate passengers during my stint at the airport, I was immune to provocation, or so I thought.
After a tough night shift, I was driving back home early in the morning when the density of trafffic was comparatively low. ‘Deep Purple’ were belting out my favorite songs and keeping me awake and alert on my drive home. I had developed the habit of giving all the autorickshaw drivers a wide berth to let them pass uneventfully. But they are like flying cockroaches, flitting around without a care in the world, asserting their right of on every bit of tarmac they see. Everybody who has to use the road had a love hate relationship with the autorickshaw drivers. Hated them for their arrogance and loved them for the convenience they offered. They could never be ignored.
I could see one autorickshaw in the rear view mirror trying to get ahead desperately. In normal circumstances I would have let him go but on that particular morning, I decided not to let him as long as possible.
And then the fun started! He began maneuvering to pass me by inching forward at the signals. Just as he was about to pass by I dont really know what happened but I swerved into him and as suddenly realised that I was losing my temper and got back to let him pass.
Phew. That was close. Ever since, I refuse to be drawn into any such action that would result in injury to mind or body.

Transition

2010-07-09T15:43:00.001+05:30

In the faint glow of the streetlight, the pockmarked road was treacherous. Darkness was closing in to choke the daylight out. Reema rode on regardless. She was not about to give up. The end of her long ride was near.
She did not see the road turn.
Vivek was waiting to welcome her in Foreverland.

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Differently wired - 9 (Concluded)

2010-07-08T16:14:00.000+05:30

Life turns full circle
As I get back to square one
And start life anew.
Back to the daily routine and rigmarole of going to work now. Sometimes I do not even recollect how I reached my work place. Just some faded memory waiting to die. Is it not strange that when you try hard to remember something you forget easily and when you try real hard to forget something, you remember it all so clearly. Wonder why.
Sleep overcomes thoughts and I sleep all the way. No dreams. Sheer bliss. Wake up fresh to yet another work day and am happy for the job I have.
Life can get set by rote and it does help to bring some sort of method in the madness. But when you are differently wired its all haywire to the normal network yet normal to the one concerned. I refuse to take the elevator up not for any fitness concerns but because I hate to wait. I prefer not to eat in the canteen not because of the food quality but because I hate the way it is presented and served. I quit smoking not because of my health concerns but because I could not smoke when and where I wanted to due to restrictions imposed on me for the preservation of someone else’s health and comfort.
How much can I change my life to suit the lifestyle as dictated by the ‘society’? To maintain a semblance of individuality in the parameters imposed is a daily challenge for the differently wired.