Overheard at McDonald's

Back in Delhi...after another round of "You can go / You can't go / I have to go" between my PM and me....

So day 1...and it was a long long day...so many things to do...so little time...so many places to go to...and if that was not enough...I had to finally appear for my trial...

4:15 PM, McDonald's at Priya...I m munching on my burger, sipping coke...wondering what's in store...suddenly a loud "Hey!" over my left ear brings me out of my slumber...

Its a girl...lets call her Lady A...calling out to the girl(Lady B) sitting at the table to my left...

Lady A: "Wow, its been more than a year!!"
Lady B: "I know!"

They exchange pecks...

Lady A : "You have put on so much weight!!"
Lady B (with mock tears) : "I know!"

Lady B: "Hey when did you get a mole on your face???"
Lady A: "I have just become more beautiful..."

(A hearty laugh follows)

Lady B: "Yeah, you look great...even though your cheeks have sunk in...you look hot"
Lady A: "Yeah I have lost weight...and I am very conservatively dressed ok!"
Lady B (with mock tears) : "I think I ll have to join a gym!
Lady A (interrupts): "...what?(a horrified shriek) You still using the same cell? Change it yaar...get something more chick!"
Lady B: "Arrey this is only temporary...I have a 76 something at home...and I plan to change that as well...so are you still dating the same guy?"
Lady A: "Are you crazy? He was history a long time back...have gone out with 3 other guys since...you?"
Lady B: "Same here..."

Its 4:25, my phone rings...and Neha is coming over...its time for me to get going...

Missing my sis today

Time is such a devil of a thing...it annoys me no end that as much as I try to take control of it, it always controls me! I mean it would be nice if I could just throw a spanner in between the cogs and it would come to a halt...but no it wont...it will just march on pooh-poohing me.

And I am almost convinced at times that it cheats - speeding up when you want it to slow down and slowing down to a crawl when you want it to speed up...Grr!

Reminds me of a Calvin speak...
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" - Calvin

This gibberish IS related to the title...

The Morning after CAT

I just feel like shouting at the top of my voice, like some crazy singer/whiner of a heavy metal band....with angry notes flying thick and fast from the guitar playing in the background...

Yes that will release some frustration...

It matters...It doesn't matter

We are taking it easy
Bright and breezy, yeah
We are living it up
Just fine and dandy, yeah

And it doesn't really matter that we don't eat
And it doesn't really matter if we never sleep
No it doesn't really matter, really doesn't matter at all

Coz we are so young now, so young, so young now
And when tomorrow comes, we can do it all again

We are chasing the moon
Just running wild and free
We are following through
Every dream, and every need

And it doesn't really matter if we don't eat
And it doesn't really matter if we never sleep
No it doesn't really matter, really doesn't matter at all
Coz we are so young now, we are so young, so young now
And when tomorrow comes, we can do it all again

Listening to this song after a very long time(shows that I am running out of options)...I don't really like The Corrs, except for their use of violins (an instrument that I really like)...

I enjoyed listening to it today....has a nice optimistic feel to it...maybe I ll hum it after CAT...lol...

"We can do it all again!!"

20 useless things about me

1. Talking/writing about myself is most difficult.
2. Though change is the only constant, I wish somethings wouldn't change!
3. It generally takes me time to open up to people and this period is getting longer and longer I think.
4. Sometimes though things click instantly...these people then hold a special place...and the person who tagged me is a prime example of it.
5. I like being around my friends, though I don't mind my own company either.
6. I don't like it when people make a mountain of a mole...
7. I like people with creative zeal...probably to make up for my own lack of it...
8. I seek answers to my questions in songs, books and the things around me.
9. I want to have a huge study, where I ll have thousands of books,cds/dvds/blu-rays (whatever) for me to dive into whenever I want to.
10. I like gadgets...and have been eyeing the Nokia N91 mobile for a long time...not scheduled to come till Q1-06 :(
11. I am not religious but I like to think that there exists a higher authority, even though that doesn't make sense...good for the conscience I guess :).
12. I am a "Centrist" with a social leaning...
13. At one time I wanted to take up politics...sometimes I still do...
14. I like sports of all kind, except the "Golf" kind...lol...playing is different but I don't understand why people watch it...
15. If something catches my fancy...I just pursue it blindly, till I get a hang of it, but I have a short attention span...
16. I procrastinate way too much....I wish I was more pro-active.
17. I prefer nights over day. (now things are getting really random and useless..lol)
18. I want to play an instrument...
19. Time travel fascinates me.
20. I love watching the stars at night, I had a telescope once and I plan to buy one again!

Phew! Now that I am done and over with, I request Anita and Shehzaad to write a bit about themselves!

KILL BILL VOL. 3 ????

In a moment of creative madness, four political activists from Massachusetts have launched a parody Web site dubbed "Kill Bill's Browser" to convince Web users to switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox.

Kill Bill's Browser

I burst out laughing when I read it (with some colleagues looking suspiciously at me...lol)...its just too funny!! One can even try and make money by placing ads to ask users to make the switch (read this, Explorer Destroyer)!! For those waiting for a reason to make the switch, this is as good as it gets!!! My favourite reason would be(I don't intend to make the shift...yet) 8^th, I find the paper clip most annoying...even the silly dog that pops up to annoy me when making a search....

To call it a browser war is a misnomer though...as this news report aptly suggests Firefox Shakes Slump . At 8.59 %, Firefox can hardly be called a threat...especially since IE7 is on its way (its already in Beta Testing), only concern being that it might be available only for Xp Sp2 machines...I hope that will change...

Freedom of Expression

Was having a discussion with a friend about Black Friday...Whether it should have been released or not...then about the IIPM vs Bloggers debate and this whole issue of Freedom of Expression.

Reminded me of a quote I read in a book recently...

"..that the greatest threat to freedom are inert people, that public discussion is a political duty...it is hazardous to discourage thought, hope and imagination; that fear breeds repression; that repression breeds hate; that the path of safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and the proposed remedies, and that the fitting remedy for evil counsels is good ones."

The quote was made by Justice Louis Brandeis in Whitney v California, 1927.

More on the case itself and his note can be read Here . Its quite an interesting read.

Fatwa vs Court Ruling

This is continuation of my anti - fatwa rant...based on the firm belief that religious rulings have no place in a secular/pretending to be secular country like ours...

Power of judiciary questioned in affairs of Muslim community

The story is basically abt the religious body Darul-uloom of Khargone district that has issued a 'fatwa' recently annulling the divorce decree by a court in Sendhwa town of Madhya Pradesh in the Arjumand Bano case on the ground that the judge was a non-muslim.
Whenever I read stories like the one mentioned above I get annoyed...

Once an intervention of court is requested, there is no reason for taking into consideration what the religious leaders of a community(Hindu or Muslim or anyother) have to say...whats the point of having a Constitution or the judiciary then?

Thankfully a voice of reason has come from within the community...
Chief of Badwani (district) Muslim Jamat Tasawwar Mirza said the community will boycott the Mufti if he did not revoke the fatwa. ‘‘Though all Muslims believe in Shariat, we strongly condemn the reference to ‘‘non-Muslim magistrates’’.

Long weekend and CAT

Coming back to work after a long weekend is like waking up just when the dream was getting interesting...Bah!

Somewhere during the weekend I also realized that the D-Day was approaching faster than I wanted it to...suddenly everyone is wishing me all the best and enquiring about my preparations...and I don't have anything to say...my preparation (if one can call what I have done over the past month or so as preparation) is woeful and the result is already known...
"If only I could turn back time!!"

Came across this story about a 12 year old Palestinian boy's organs being donated to 3 Israeli girls...the boy was mistaken for a terrorist and shot dead by the Israeli forces...
What can I say? I am simply mystified by the strangeness of the ways of the mind...
Israelis get shot boy's organs

Diwali and the Blasts

My first Diwali away from home went by like any other day! My favourite festival spent here in Hyderabad - more or less alone. What to do, such is life!

But when I think of the events that transpired before Diwali, I can't understand what I am bickering about...

Flipping channels on a lazy Saturday evening, I kind of froze when I heard that Delhi has been rocked by serial blasts...Two powerful blasts in markets bustling with people and another in the state-run bus service shook me up. Knowing my family's affinity to one of these market places (Sarojini Nagar), I rushed to call them up...and boy was I glad to hear my dad's voice at the other end...a few more calls later (to friends there), I sat down to follow the news...trying to imagine the unknown faces - with their happy expression(the kind that shoppers tend to have) buying gifts and stuff for their family and home turning into anguish and fear...the festive atmosphere replaced by one of chaos and tears...

As the time went on, sad stories of people losing their loved ones started appearing...7 members of a Kolkata family on a visit to Delhi...3 of the 9 member family from Assam...a father of a 15 day child from Kerela...

There was one positive news amidst all the sad ones...the timely action of the bus driver and conductor that averted a potential disaster. The driver threw out the bomb just as it detonated...seriously injuring himself but saving many lives...such courage makes me wanna say "Eat this!!" to the people behind the attacks...

I know what was lost that evening...62 lives...countless others altered forever...but what was gained and by whom? A little-known Islami Inqilabi Mahaz (Islamic Revolutionary Group) has claimed responsibility for the blasts; are they celebrating?

How can anyone be so blind to the suffering of fellow humans....