Truth and TV

Yesterday me and my housemate were watching TV while eating dinner. I was going through the TV guide when I saw that we had some of the Hindi TV channels (Star Plus and Star News) free for a week.

Now since we had nothing better to do we decided to watch a soap opera (something which mostly women watch back home!).
The name of the soap was 'Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki' which means (approximately) 'story of a common house'. The only problem is, as my friend put it, the serial had nothing to do with reality. In fact it was SO far from reality that probably it would make a nice fairy tale for children. Of course there was also nothing 'common' about the houses or the people they show.

Here are some common trends in Indian soaps:
1) All women are super sexy looking even the old ones.
2) Women are decked out in 'full gear' through out the day which includes jewellery, sexy saris, makeup and ofcourse that good old sindoor.
3) Inspite of all the clothes and stuff they manage to do their daily duties (god only knows how but I hope I get a wife like that!) without breaking into a sweat or smearing their makeup.
4) People never look their age. Often mother-daughter pairs look like sisters.
5) Kids grow at exponential rate into adults (about 6 months worth of episodes) or don't grow at all (like good old Archies comics).
6) Adults always look and stay the same year after year (magic of makeup and soft focus!).
7) Old people never die and look like all nice and presentable (nothing like real life.. hell no!).
8) All the families (even the poor ones) life in houses that look more like a small luxury hotel!
9) The households never seem to have any problems with electricity, water or any other such day to day problems.

:D
And the name of the serials inspire such commonality.
Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki -> Story of a common house.
Kasauti Zindagi Ki -> The foundation of life.
Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi -> Because Once upon a time even a mother-in-law was a daughter-in -law.

Amazing!

Why bother...

I am not drunk (for once!) and I am not depressed.
Sometimes you just need to think some things through. Even if it does seem counter-productive to think them.

I am in a catch 22 situation.
I haven't spoken with the girl I love for a long time now. She is busy. I am free. Yet I don't see myself making that extra effort to reach out and touch her. Why do it I ask myself. Why bother her specially since she doesnt believe in outward show of emotions? Keep the pain inside you my heart thinks. It is just a matter of time before she would be well and truly beyond my reach. I don't mean the geographical seperation. I mean a seperation of emotions. A seperation lasting a life time. A seperation of the mind, body and soul.

But maybe I don't get a response because I am not responding myself. Too confusing.

Why does love have to be like a detective novel where all actions (implicit and explicit) have to read and re-read to find out their correct meaning. Clues pieced together bit by bit.
Where if you assume wrongly you loose more than just your self-respect. Where does the scrambling of signals take place and cause confusion to prevent two humans from just admitting that they love each other.

The tree-lined avenue
Begins to fade from view
Drowning past regrets
In tea and cigarettes
But I can’t seem to forget
When you came along

The world I love
The tears I drop
To be part of
The wave can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you
The world I love
The trains I hop
To be part of
The wave can't stop

Darkness comes at Dawn..

A Theoretical Research Firm...

This is what a research firm should look like (in my humble opinion).
I shall give a few features of this set up.
1) Research and Management is seperated. Each is treated as an internal customer of each other.
2) All professional services like HR, Finance and Legal have their own research set up. Therefore they are conducting in house research as well.
3) Dedicated, adaptive and dynamic sales/research team which carries out market research and other activities to guide research set up. Also responsible for public relations and image enhancement.
4) Services like Financial and Legal hired out to other companies as well (on consultation basis).

The Helicopter!

For people living in Bristol (north Bristol area specially).. this is THE Helicopter.
I am sure all of us have heard/seen this atleast once. It is based at the Filton airfield (saw it land once).
This pic was taken once again from my canon camera utilizing the full 12x optical zoom.

Burning Moonlight

Moon in all its glory!

Stupid it is!

XY: chintu
deepak_scorp: hey pintu
XY: bus yaar im in love
deepak_scorp: wow
deepak_scorp: kiske saath
XY: but the girl i love dont love me back :(
deepak_scorp: who is the blessed one
XY: **NAME CENSORED** :D
deepak_scorp: hahahahah
deepak_scorp: hahahah
deepak_scorp: hahahah

Moon and more!

Moon: Taken from my Canon S2 IS camera at maximum zoom (digital+optical).


Moon: Taken through the telescope with my Sony DSC-P100 camera.

Taking a chance..

Everyone takes a chance atleast once in their life.
Well I have made taking chances an artform. My life seems to be about shooting arrows into the dark waiting for a strike. Just to see them coming back at me with a nuclear bomb attached!
It is just amazing how I end up making a fool of myself (and I seem to enjoy it) EACH and every time. Sometimes I think I am too comfortable playing the fool. Doing stupid things and just taking life in a very non-serious manner.
Some proof:

XY: hehehe tell me something if a girl tells u tht she has fallen in love with me how will u react
deepak_scorp: i will laugh
XY: hahahahahha me too, but plz explain y
deepak_scorp: well
deepak_scorp: trust me
deepak_scorp: i dont have any reason
deepak_scorp: but i know i will laugh
deepak_scorp: but i wud respect her feelings, just that i will laugh, dunno why

One has to be a bit foolish when you have a luck like mine. :)
For me PATIENCE IS THE KEY.

I need to wait watch and then react. Whenever I try and do things quickly I end up with weird results.

A White Ghost...

Last night while returning from my friends house I thought of taking a walk along Filton Avenue (Bristol).
The time was around 12:20 AM and it was windy and quite cold. The streets were deserted and now and then a taxi or car would pass me by (either heading to or coming back from the center I guess).
As I was walking I saw something bright from the corner of my eye. I turned around and to my surprise I saw a white limousine, all lit up, coming up behind me like a silent white ghost. It passed me by as stealthy as a tiger on the hunt, with a white hand waving to me from the inside. I couldn't help but break out into a smile since it was such an unusual and amazing thing to happen.

The reason being Filton Avenue is not the kind of road on which a limousine would travel around any time of the day. Especially the King George pub end of it.
Local Bristol people will know what I mean.
:)

About Ourselves..

First read this interview.


Below are a few quotes from the above interview.

But science is not about knowing for sure. It's about knowing beyond reasonable doubt - so there's more in common with the law here than people realise. You can only be beyond reasonable doubt that something is true.

Next time you get into an argument with someone on something scientific (like I did recently) and they argue that '.. oh but you can't know for sure' just tell them what science is really about. ;)

The only thing I will say is there have been all these revolutions in science. If you think about it, each of them has had a dehumanising impact.

First, for example, there was the Copernican revolution saying there is nothing special about this little speck of dust, which is what the earth is. That's already humiliating - that you don't have a privileged place in the cosmos.

Then comes the Darwinian revolution saying you're just a hairless ape. That, again, is humiliating - that you are not the climax of creation, but are, in fact, the product of random processes of natural selection.

Then this Freudian revolution, saying you are not in charge, that your behaviour is largely governed by unconscious motives and drives.

And then the most recent thing, the DNA - that there is no vital spirit, it's a molecule. As Watson said, there are only molecules, everything else is sociology. He was, of course, saying this tongue in cheek. And now the neuroscientist's version - Crick's astonishing hypothesis - that you are just a pack of neurons; that's all a human being is. Now the question is: is that true? We don't know yet. We have to remain agnostic. But we have to take that as far as we can. That's the way science works.

Thus we are another cog in the great cosmic machinery of the universe. Or is it that simple? Us humans have this unique gift of 'self-discovery'. The fact that we know we are not the big bosses of the universe is in itself unique.
The more we know the greater mastery we have over our surroundings and at the same time our importance in the scheme of things reduces. From center stage to side show.
How much longer can we humans keep on discovering things about our universe without starting the journey back from side show towards center stage?
Have we passed the mean or are we moving towards it? What do we need to discover so that the human race can actually call itself unique? Secret of everlasting life? Travelling millions and billions of kilometers by merely thinking about it? What is it that we need to discover that will make us stand out?

It turns out that if I tell somebody to wiggle his fingers whenever he wants to in the next five minutes, the amazing thing is, when he wiggles his finger, you can measure when he wants to on the second hand of a clock and you can check where was the second hand at the time he sent the command to wiggle the finger - and usually he sends the command just before the clock was at the twelve. But you have picked up the brain signal a full second before!

So you can tell the guy, ahead of time, that you are going to will it now, in principle - we haven't actually succeeded in doing that yet because of technical problems. Now, if it's his will, how can you tell him ahead of time when he's going to will it?

This is totally amazing! That means there is a gap of around 1 second between our thoughts and actions. This is easy to figure out since the speed of the electrical impulses in our nerves is not infinite. No signal can travel faster than light (which has speed of around 3x10^8 m/s in vaccume) and the signals in our nervous system travel at a lower speed than that!
So basically what you are doing now you decided one second ago (approximately).
It is a strange concept if you think about it.

Dawn!

Here are some pictures I took on the 31st of March. It had been raining since the previous evening. A windy and fresh March morning. Feeling like a million bucks, I decided to snap some shots with my Canon S2 IS camera.

About Discrimination

First read this excellent post.


I believe some discrimination is needed for society to function normally. The problem is discrimination allows people to choose what they are comfortable with rather than facing their fears. It is difficult for people to be open minded to all things all the time.
You talk about discrimination in the job market. That is because people feel comfortable working with their own kind and very few people like the challenge of new situations. That is I know a close minded approach but then again it is surprising to see how many of us are actually close minded about some things in our life without realising it.

XM-8

Modular Ways of Killing People



Those scientists and engineers in the Military-Industrial research estalishment have done it again! This is sheer genius. A modular weapon for the modern 'digital' soldier.

This weapon is made up of modules much like a LEGO model that is made up of building blocks. The modular nature of this weapon makes it ideal for a wide variety of mission types (right from sniping to heavy machine gun) in different environments. For example the barrel modules can be switched to convert the basic carbine M-8 to a snub nosed (short barrel) 'compact carbine' ideal for urban warfare or a fully automatic squad assault weapon (with a longer heavier barrel) for guarding static targets (such as buildings).
The soldier carrying this weapon can truly be called a 'universal soldier'.


I think the human race is the only species on the planet which kills more of its own kind than of any other species. No wonder its so lonely at the top of the food chain!
There is another funny thing I just realised. How come we don't see people protesting outside the labs/factories where such weapons (which are mainly used to kill other humans) are created and manufactured? Hell if a cosmetic or pharmaceutical company uses animals for research you will find animal lovers ready protesting loudly outside their labs and offices, just about ready to burn the place down!
I guess there are more animal lovers than people lovers here.
Or maybe it is a numbers game. The military industrial complex employs many workers, much more than say a cosmetics research lab.
I think in the end it all comes down to the saying that 'in the time of peace, prepare for war'.



Click Here to learn more about the M-8

Hearing God

All those long nights without sleep. They have taught me something.
The deep silence of the night. It is almost like the silence of deep space far above our head.
As I sit in my room finishing up some work the heavy sound of silence is suddenly broken by shrill chirp from somewhere outside. It is almost magical. Like hearing God.
The shrill chirp is ofcourse the sounds of birds waking up for the new day. It makes you realise that another night has passed. The silence is broken and it wont be back until the next night.

This is something which I have enjoyed a lot ever since I came to UK. Here in the summers the sun is up and about by 4:30 AM. So the birds have a really long day here!

Finally like I was discussing with my friend once the sun is up and about and beaming down in all its glory (say around 9 AM) that is the BEST time to go off to sleep.
:D

I HAVE A DREAM


I want to open up a charitable organization where people can come for any problem they have. This organization would have a panel of experts (such as lawyers doctors etc).
When a person comes in with a problem their case would be forwarded to the appropriate expert for handling.

So the person in trouble wouldn't be troubled even more. The cases would also be screened before being admitted to make sure only genuine ones are admitted.

Syriana and Faith

Another hour of my short life has gone by. I went out walking at 1 am in the freezing rain. I needed to clear my mind.

Yesterday I saw a movie called Syriana.
If you have even 1% faith in humanity or human institutions then you should go and watch this movie. Once your done watching you will loose that last 1% of faith too.

Who do we trust in this big world? The common people are like ostriches with their heads buried in the sand. We are too shit scared to look beyond our immediate life. Hell no one wants the global view of things. That is for the people in power or the Government. That is the common theme of the common people.

But maybe power comes from having a global view. Maybe the power comes from seeing the world map not as a map but as a chess board. Or maybe the power comes from recognizing the fact that unlike a normal chess board this World-board has more gray squares than black or white.

Everywhere you see people are fighting each other for something. Fighting for their homes (Palestine), fighting to exist (Israel), fighting for power/money/oil (USA) or just fighting for fighting's sake (India - Pakistan). And everywhere there are people making money out of the strife.
Be it through shady defense deals or staged 'wars of liberation' someone does benefit.

That is why I have lost my faith in human kind. Maybe this lack of faith will lead me through to a new way of thinking. Where faith is not required and things are done on a more practical basis of demand and supply/profit and loss?

Faith is impractical in the modern age. Faith makes you want to believe that someday you will be saved. Faith makes you want to believe that in the end the good guys win. But so far faith has not moved even a small pebble let alone any mountains.

Getting Personal

Personals.. whether they be at Yahoo or Match.com are a popular choice for people looking for that special someone in their life. For people who can't take the loneliness anymore or for people who just want some adventure in their life!

Many of my friends have personal ads. They have tried things like 'speed dating' but somehow it all feels fake to me. I may not have a girl who loves me. I dunno. I know many nice girls. Couple who I like a lot. But till today not one has told me that they love me. So I guess that puts me firmly in the singles (and desperate/lonely/sad) column.

But I don't think I would feel comfortable putting up a personal ad to get a gal. It feels like selling myself and I can't do that. I want love to come to me naturally and not fish for it with bait. Anyways I wouldn't know what girls want in any case.

These days I am totally alone. No housemates nothing. The two girls I love are busy with life and generally don't have time for me. But it doesn't bother me. I have learned to be happy always! Comes with a childhood spent alone.

When you have a limited set of friends you tend to become a fortress in your self.
You are not afraid of loneliness because you have come to know it intimately.

I do have fears about dying alone without the girl of my dreams by my side. But those fears I can handle.

In the end it is about who gives in first? Do you give in and put that personal ad or does Lady Luck finally deal you the hand you want in this poker game that is life?

Who Defines Culture?

READ THIS ARTICLE FIRST

Now I ask you this. Who defines culture?
Can a government define culture? Is culture something static like the freezing point of water?
Can culture even be defined?

TWO MEN kissing in a park and a topless woman bather are featured in a film that will be shown to would-be immigrants to the Netherlands.

The reactions of applicants — including Muslims — will be examined to see whether they are able to accept the country'’s liberal attitudes.

From this Wednesday, the DVD which also shows the often crime-ridden ghettos where poorer immigrants might end up living will form part of an entrance test, in Dutch, covering the language and culture of Holland.

What right does a government have to expect its citizens (or future citizen) to accept liberal values? Isn't it a bit conservative to expect other people to accept generalizedlised values that you define as culture?
I have been in UK for the past 3 and half years. To date I haven't seen two men kissing or a topless gal walking down the road (so sad!). Maybe this is the norm in Netherlands where gals roam around topless (sigh!) but to be honest if I don't want to see topless gals I won't go to a place where they are to be found! So why put such a thing in the test? And why should anyone accept the countries liberal attitudes? Do all Dutch people accept this? Are those people thrown out of the country or stripped of their citizenship? Then why not allow dissenting attitudes? Isn't that what being liberal is about?

I ask why don't they also show people who don't smoke? Show people who don't drink? After all smoking kills so many people and drinking leads to violence. So why not discourage such activities among the immigrants while making sure that they are 'liberal'?

About the language bit I agree since it is important to be able to communicate with people there.
While everyone might not share the same culture they do share the same language.

It is indeed a shame to see one the most liberal countries of the world make a mockery of the concept of liberalism.

Another quote:

However, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, a socialist from the parliament'’s immigration committee, said the film had been created to help prepare people for “open-minded” attitudes on issues such as homosexuality. “We have lots of homo-discrimination, especially by Muslim youngsters who harass gay men and women on the streets. It is an issue here.

Gay and Lesbians are hassled all over the world by all kinds of people. Hell even popular mainstream TV programs (like Little Britain) make fun of them by calling lesbians 'ming-munchers'.

The poor of India

Is poverty a bad thing?

I don't think so. They constantly provide us with a vitalised middle class. The poor of today will be the consumers of tomorrow. As long as the percentage is static it is all right. Thus if say 10 poor people jump the class boundary into lower middle class and population growth produces another 10 poor children then we have a cyclic system.

They are the masses who support the top floors of the pyramid. They form the foundation of our society.

That is why I don't see Indian people having robots doing their housework for them unlike say in Japan. In India we need human intensive processes to remain human intensive. That ways the foundation is maintained strong.

Today the person who is cooking food in your house enjoys a higher lifestyle than their parents back in the villages. The same person will be sending their kids to good schools and make sure that their kids are not serving some other family.
This cyclic process should remain.

The concept of welfare and social security just makes people lazy and worthless.
Life is a struggle. It should remain one. Except that is in special cases.

If it is your luck to be born into a poor house then it should be up to you to better yourself. Similarly if you are lucky enough to be born into a rich house then it should be up to you to identify such struggling people and to give them a boost in life.

Please note this does not mean that the poor should be disrespected or anything like that. It just means that everyone and everything has a place in the big scheme of things.