Innosense

The human species is actually deemed among the weakest of most species in the world. Yet we have the sixth sense and various other capabilities which have led to the growth and development of society, culture and habitation. We have come a long way and learnt a lot from the experience so far. But then there’s “miles to go before we sleep” in various fields to realize Utopia. Something in the news about child abuse.

Childhood dictates a child’s future I guess. The concept of female infanticide fascinated me...till today. I always felt that women aren’t respected for what they are and female infanticide was so true to that in all aspects. You were killed because you were born a woman. The decision was made conveniently by the parents. I saw a young woman today – around 18 years old. She had a nice and big ugly scar on the lower half of her face just below the mouth and all facial features of that region had been obliterated. The lower lip was kinda shrunken and abnormal looking. I hope I have painted a gruesome picture for you to understand the severity of the situation. She was a burns victim. But then…she struck me as a very beautiful woman. She had a cute smiling face and looked extremely self confident.

Everybody keeps saying India is progressing quite well and I do agree. We are a reasonably young country and for our size, the growth is quite appreciable. But then there are such incidents also which still continue to occur across the nation and considered passé too in parochial sectors. We could blame lack of education and awareness allows for such elements to be prevalent and yet there have been case reports of well educated and civilized individuals who indulge in such things.

True growth must always be measured at the grass - root levels only I feel since it shows the progress of the common man. Regarding my accusation of humans being among the weakest species is that – we are not self reliant after birth also. We need support and guidance during the growing years. We need help and protection during childhood. When this childhood is totally misguided and unprotected….growth is truly stunted and directionless.

Peace and war

This article goes out to a friend who suggested I write about the “defense forces” of the country and thereby inspire some others to become a part of that. Post 1945, the importance given to a country’s militia has always stood way higher than other fields which, if tended to, could have made the world a better place to live in. Maybe. I am sorely tempted to blame America as the chief mischief monger among recent times. I wonder if America considers the world itself as its country and that it’s the nation’s birthright to get involved in all global issues. Why bother???

The main concept of this blog however is to highlight the Indian armed forces which is, as of today, something we Indians can be proud of. We have won most of the wars we have been involved in and the army is always in the scene during national calamities and emergencies wherein many civilian lives have been put in danger. Our country’s citizens keep war away so that our country’s civilians can lead peaceful lives. That is amazingly gratifying and worthy of hero worship. That’s another form of service to mankind which is to be regarded extremely highly and never to be taken lightly. But then…how necessary is this all??

Now this friend has jus completed the dental course and aspires to serve the country better by means of joining the defense forces. That’s noteworthy, awe inspiring and truly commendable. But then I didn’t really like the idea of inspiring others to join the defense forces to serve the country better. If a global agreement can be made regarding this…all countries can dissolve their defense forces and divert the efforts, funds and manpower towards other noteworthy and developmental ventures. No statistics but then I am sure – every country spends a LOT of money upgrading existing technology and developing new military technology. Now...scraping this money allotment and diversion of funds to other areas of development could change the direction a country is headed in.

What is war anyway - 2 nations fighting against each other over land and ownership?

The men who’s on the field don’t get to decide if war is necessary or not….its the men sitting somewhere deep within the country who decide for him. These higher ups and their corresponding counter parts of the other country are the ones that play the shots accordingly. The civilians sit and pray at home for the soldiers to do exactly as ordered and escape death in between. This sequencing must be abolished just like small pox and apartheid so that we can really prove that we have evolved as an intelligent species over the period of time and our future generations gain more out of life than we all ever can.

War doesn’t decide who’s right….war decides who’s left. In the end.

As Micheal Jackson sang –

Heal The World

Make It A Better Place

For You And For Me

And The Entire Human Race

There Are People Dying

If You Care Enough

For The Living

Make A Better Place

For You And For Me

Chennai weather – temperaments and temper tantrums

Tropical climate is downright boring especially nowadays as it’s perennially sunny irrespective of season and season changes are not really appreciable. But then with the onset of monsoon everything changed. Btw…there are only summer and monsoon seasons in Chennai. The past one week has been sorta relieving since the dark clouds have blotted out the sun to an extent and temperatures have come down comfortably. Anyway this isn’t the concept behind the blog…I will try to point out how the weather can alter a person’s mood for the day.

Starting with sunshine - there are many people I know who love the sun’s presence and enjoy the sultry weather. The comforting warmth and natural lighting provided is good…to an extent. That’s the difference between “a bright and sunny day” and “a hot and sweaty day” I guess. It is preferable to only be subjected to a bright and sunny day all the time with the pleasant sea breeze coming in during the late afternoon and evening. That would be bliss.

In case of monsoon – everyone loves the rain. Well except the ones suffering from respiratory problems and allergies. Damn weaklings!! Lol. But again there’s the “fresh, clean and green time of the year” and the “gray and sloppy wet time of the year”. I just don’t care as long as it’s raining. Monsoon is always so conducive for reading novels or watching movies endlessly in the warm comfort of home. My concept of beauty during monsoon is a sedan cruising along steadily as it rains with all windows rolled up and windshield wipers working. The way in which the falling water droplets just roll off the moving object and the mist formed by the rapidly spinning wheels as they cut through water appears nice.

This year has been a disappointment so far for me though. The downpour hasn’t been really constant wherein it does keep drizzling for hours on end and an occasional heavy downpour is only present. This does piss off people I feel. Weather is just something that’s so magical and natural that it can never be predicted accurately and I would deem all those forecasts which come true as luck by chance. So far so good…and the weather is becoming more unpredictable by the year as we all play mute spectators to the various alterations happening to nature around us.

Human socialism and bonding

With age comes wisdom and consideration. All ego and arrogance is expected to be set aside and the social being emerges to embrace the co-operative way of living. But then, in case anything goes wrong or something is misunderstood along the way the ripple effect can be quite unpredictable. Friends and memories bear witness to the process of growth and development that adolescents undergo as they turn into young adults. Friends, contacts, social relations, genuine relations...the list is endless in this neo age. Now what might happen in the absence of such witnesses?

I pride myself for being a people watcher and keen observer of everything that happens around me and humans in particular are interesting to watch especially over a long period of time. It’s always amusing to watch a lone guy waiting for a friend who is part of and in conversation with a larger group of friends. It’s the power of speech vested in us that makes the difference maybe. Lol this post might be similar to a previous blog entry titled “Life and Times” but then…I never tire of writing about people’s lives and activities. Memories can be manifold….from direct recollection by a sharp mind to photographs and written entries. In my case, whenever a direct recollection is narrated to me, (invariably) I do not recall it myself and (occasionally but not always) left in shock that such a thing had happened. That’s when the real point of helplessness and depression kicks in usually and frustration also chips in for what its worth.

Once mistrust and foreboding has developed towards a person I doubt if it can ever be changed. Then there’s the decisive resoluteness and a tinge of ego also involved in that right which makes it all the more difficult to forgive and forget. The mediator who comes in the way is misunderstood at from both ends for attempting a patch up. Haha...easy to advise but very tough to follow. I was talking to this friend of mine regarding their relationship with someone and I had to ask about the other person involved. The reply I got was a smart “hmm sorry man I don’t really trust anyone to say it out loud”. This was followed by an explanation as to why the trust isn’t present in general itself. That’s when it did strike me…did I make a terrible mistake now by asking something which is really none of my business?? Nice. So again the concept of level of attachment and bonding comes into play. In this use and throw world I guess everything goes the same way only. Its also nice when crossing paths with someone known and no conversation occurs at all. In case I do decide to stop the person and ask “hey why are you silently walking past?” the reply would definitely be “well you could have spoken first right??” Of course.

Money is still a trump card though in some cases….your judged by the thickness of your wallet. Well alright I have a half dozen decent watches, a swanky cell phone etc etc etc…my wallet is always empty anyway. Screw me then am off the guest list. Thank you very much. Haha btw…there’s this new movie that’s up for download now – How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. Should be a treat to watch I guess.

Interesting read

well this blog was accidently stumbled upon by a friend thru a typographical error and i was introduced to "paradox called life". the first and only blog posted there was titled "to begin with" and it did make for an interesting read. that blogger never really begun on things anyway but then....try this one for starters.




paradox n. 1 a seemingly absurd or contradictory though often true statement. b self-contradictory or absurd statement. 2 person or thing having contradictory qualities etc. 3 paradoxical quality.  paradoxical adj. paradoxically adv. [Greek: related to *para-1, doxa opinion]

..... definitions..... compartmentalization........ standardization........ thats what everything has come to..

Why am i even attempting to write anything on this subject?? Who am i? Whats my designation? what is my authority on this subject? What right do i have to express my opinion on a profound subject which philosophers have been pondering over for centuries and which the labourer relegates to the innermost recesses of his mind?
Why is it that what is important to a person is not to others?

What is this dichotomy called LIFE?



wow...a splendid attempt at putting his thoughts across like a "angry young man".

The great Indian mockery challenge

I have been in a foul mood ever since the brilliant concept of “conditional access system” fell into place in Chennai. I missed all my favourite shows and I was not able to watch popular English sitcoms that were aired in popular English channels. My enjoyable TV viewing days was over.

Then came the era of reality shows. Well everyone was getting bored with the mega serials and soap operas which portrayed the ideal life and flourishing Indian family which was oh so magical to be interested in. reality shows had a totally different pattern and decided to show the people how people would react and enact in situations that involve people rather than scripts. Sure…KBC was a hit….it was informative too.

Other shows involving talents showed the resident Indian potential and it was enjoyable to see the showcase of skills by many…at home. The dark side of such programmes was not really bothered with by the producers and public alike and God knows how the eliminated contestants dealt with their problems then after.

The big daddy of all shows will have to be Bigg Boss. Hopeless losers like Rahul Mahajan shot to fame because his father had been shot to death. The drama was gripping, the twists and turns were exciting and the people’s daily events were addictive. All this has been said by keeping the soaring TRP ratings in mind only.

Rakhi ka swayamwar is an out and out Indian concept for a reality show. Here was a woman ready to pick her husband from those who apply for that “post” by putting them through a series of questionnaires and events and testing activities. I got updates about the show via the constant news coverage of the show progress. The show received path breaking TRPs for the finale when Rakhi picked her husband to be and to live happily ever after.

They broke up within 3 months citing reasons of incompatibility.

Its anyone’s guess who’s the fool in all the drama and personally I am very thankful for the conditional access that I couldn’t get to see reality shows now. But then reality shows can be avoided very simply by using the remote control to switch it off right?

Vaazhga Jananaayagam and television broadcast freedom.

There and back again – A rider’s tale

Everyone comes up with a freaky idea now and then but then most of such ideas get pushed off as being outlandish. Sure…we live in a civilized society now. But then also some ideas just remain in the back of the mind even if deemed freakishly outlandish. A road trip was one such gamble that I took about a month back. Haha……once u do something that u cherish it leaves you with a very warm and contented feeling for sometime.

All bullet riders yearn to go on a nice and comfortable long ride to really feel what its like. My greed took the best of me then and I started planning a ride that would be long and not too exhaustive. God bless me for being in Chennai….I picked Pondicherry. Its about 150 kms off (100 miles) and can be done in a day. No trouble. I picked a Monday so that there wouldn’t be traffic and I can enjoy my road space. I had picked a suitable alibi also to account for Monday and polished my bike all day on Sunday till the paint shimmered and the chrome shone.

It began to rain on Sunday night and I felt all plans were washed out and almost called it off. Monday morning dawned clear and pleasant with perfect and highly favourable riding conditions. My cousin was to ride pillion with me since he was also equally jobless. The bike was ready and after checking fuel and engine oil levels we rode out by 7.30 am heading straight to east coast road. We had a couple of apples and sandwiches for the road and the machine thumped along elegantly as time rolled by.

This was my first inter-city trip on the bullet and I was very thankful for taking my riding jacket along; it protected me from the howling wind - stream during the onward ride and from the hot sun during the return. Several photographs later I reached Pondicherry by 10.30 am riding at a constant 80 kmph (~50 mph). Now some experiences were amazing……when an equally fast vehicle travelling in the opposite direction crossed me the air flow was super and very rarely caused some wobble but then the bike was rock steady on road. I kinda felt bad for my cousin though….no helmet and no jacket; must have felt like a toad in a storm sitting behind me for 3 hours at such speeds.

After lunch and lounging around at the beach there we decided to head back and left around 1 pm but not before I cashed in on the cheap fuel. I nosed the bullet towards Chennai and we made good time riding along the coast. The return trip bore witness to a nasty road accident that had occurred just a few minutes before I crossed that place and we saw two cars lying on either side of the road and both had turned turtle. Retrieval operations were going on and an ambulance zoomed past me shortly.

Well anyway the ride was very enjoyable even though I knew that a lone rider is the biggest risk on a highway. We had loadsa fun even though I knew that there’s nothing more dangerous than such speeds on a highway. Please do me a favour and suggest more places that I can ride to next time.

Show me the money

Sorry for the plagiarism now but this line from jerry Maguire was too irresistible to pass and the roll of events in the recent past had been picture perfect and fitting for this quote. Well ok the annual major and gala event occurred recently in college and everyone (well those who cared) were very very eagerly looking forward to that. All fun all freaking out all expecting a lot…..and there’s the catch in the whole affair. Money. Payment. For organization. For preparation. For extravagance. For basic amenities and props. For showcasing the best possible. This is what piqued me now….M O N E Y. despite reliable assurances of detailed accounting for the cash …I am just sorry for not going along as per plan guys. And that’s where it snapped….lol the glassy stares, the monotonous talk and the whole guilt trip. Time and space totally imploded and chaos reigned supreme…..lol that’s as dramatic as I can ever get.

I got to see many kinds of people now.

• paid and totally involved and actively participating.
• paid and totally involved…..in cheering their guts out.
• paid and actively interested.
• paid and passively interested.
• paid and disinterested.
• paid and aloof.
• unpaid.

I wouldn’t go into specific details for each but I need to point out the difference between “paid and disinterested” and “paid and aloof” as there’s “fear” involved in the former while there’s “irritation and ignorance” involved in the latter. By the way for your information, unpaid is just unpaid…interest, participation notwithstanding.

Now my viewpoint is that “can money do the trick?”. Sure money can make people play tricks whatsoever. I just felt that what can’t be achieved with talent cannot be achieved with money. The combination of both should not be exploited as it is done popularly now. On the whole I jus got the miser tag anyway.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddddd…here a peek into my mind -- I enjoy being the miser. Whose money have I got to spend now? Nothing adds up to me and nothing works. But well money is among the few things that works now in this man eat man world. But then I am equally miserly in all aspects now. I have donated blood only twice in these 4 four eligible years. I have visited an orphanage only twice so far. I have visited a retirement home only once so far.

Fine….the purpose of money is in spending it but then what is the purpose behind spending the money? The CBSE certified definition of money - “Money is what money does.” I also do agree that man’s imagination can be egged on tremendously when money can be put behind all that effort. That’s when even the sky isn’t the limit if the driving factor for the cause is hot cash.

Ode to a brother

My family is quite small but then there’s my brother of course. A favourite in the family and he’s been around long enough now. A solid bloke….very powerful and still maintaining that easily age notwithstanding. He is very loud and outspoken and stands out easily in a crowd. Loves driving people all over the place and generally well behaved. But then, the guy ensures that he drives people crazy when he’s not cared enough for. Only my dad can handle him then. A voracious guzzler but is always rock steady and level headed whatever the situation may be. The dark complexion adds to his persona I guess and he can give others a comfortable ride for their money in any given scenario. I’ve seen him around since I was little but really got to knowing him only for the past 2 years or so. Invariably calm and composed….it belies the underlying power and machismo that he’s so widely known for. Well enough of talking about him; you’ll jus understand it all when you meet him sometime.

Blogging continues

Well..i am back at blogging after sometime now. These days were spent quite aimlessly without giving much thought about anything around me. Some things I fume about, some things that gratify me….whatever. certain ideas have been running in my mind in the recent past and I felt I might as well write about them sometime soon. And the time is now. Finally.