All This Is That: Alec Baldwin's "motivational speech" from Glengarr...

All This Is That: Alec Baldwin's "motivational speech" from Glengarr...: "In the film Glengarry Glen Ross , Alec Baldwin plays the character Blake, who gives one of the most brutal motivational speeches ever. I hea..."

Ten things money can’t buy!!!!!!!!!!

1. Money can buy you CAMERA but not the MEMORIES that you would love to capture in it. Memories that would make you smile over and over again. Spend your time on the memories not the money.



2. Money can buy you COMPANIONS but not FRIENDS , friends who would stick with you for life , friends who would call you by names that would make you laugh your head off, friends who would merry in your joy and share your grief , Friends who will be your ‘friends for life’.

 
3. Money can buy BABY SITTERS not PARENTS. All the wealth in the world put together cannot buy you the care, love and concern that a mother showers on you, Or the ride on your dad’s shoulders when you were a kid. No money can buy you your dad’s beating when you get caught smoking for the first time, or when you flunk in your exams. No money can buy you the tears in your parents’ eyes when you are not well. No money can buy that look of sheer joy in your parents’ face when you get awards, do well in your life. You are rich already to have parents, they are your real treasure, your abundant wealth, take care of them and make them feel special.



4. Money can buy you ENTERTAINMENT but not HAPPINESS. Money can not buy the happiness that lies in everyday life. Money cant make you sing in your bathroom in the most pathetic voice and tune but still make you feel good, money cant make you dance in the rain like a child feeling utmost joy .Money cant make you smile when sitting alone and thinking of a special someone. Money can’t make you kiss someone’s forehead and hold someone’s hand and then say ‘you are my angel’.


5. Money can buy you SWANKY CARS, JET PLANES but not the time to get out of the car and ride a BICYCLE if you wish.



6. Money can buy you EXPENSIVE MEALS but not the HOME-MADE FOOD that you crave for.



7. Money can buy you physical intimacy but not true and unconditional love. People fall in love with living persons and their peculiarities, and not with bundles of paper.




8. Money can buy you MEDICINE but not HEALTH.




9. Money can buy you PHYSICAL COMFORTS but not INNER SATISFACTION.



10. Money can buy you FOOD but not HUNGER.











Is it really worth running after money, knowing that it cannot provide us the real meaningful things in our life……GIVE IT A THOUGHT.

It is not so special to be a SPECIAL CHILD!

Today while returning from office , I was in my home lane when I spotted a boy from my neighbourhood. He was no ordinary boy , rather he was a special boy but the reason of him becoming special pulled by heart strings. Though I have seen on television how specially abled children struggle for a normal life , one that you and me take for granted. But seeing this boy in person made me feel so bad for him and at the same time I felt like thanking god for giving me and my loved ones a fully functional and a healthy body. Not everyone is blessed by GOD ,in that sense.

Now , as I told I was coming back from office at about 6 pm in the evening and I was in a fun mood and I was singing and dancing and jumping my way back to home. It was then that I saw a boy being held on his either sides by two people to help him take his evening walk. He could not set his foot straight and his movement was wobbly.(I already have moist eyes recalling that incident). His trousers was also smeared with dirt and he had no sense of that, I thought of his disadvantage and almost cried out loud inside. I almost choked at the thought that may be the boy had fallen down and he could not dust off the dirt on his body. I mean I would take a minute to keep myself in best shape and cleanliness, but not him and that too for no fault of his , just because he was born like this. I imagined being in his wobbly shoes and it scared the hell out of me, and cannot express in words the sympathy I felt for him at that moment.



Why did god do such injustice to this boy and million others like him. At this moment I just wanted god to heal him and see him walk and run by himself. But I guess that was too big an ask in the court of God and it was heart breaking to know that the boy has to live on like this for a long time.

I could not handle this contradiction very well , so I searched on the internet the available medical solutions for special children , unfortunately there is no sure shot , formulated treatment for this abnormality. I was devastated to learn this, but what I also came to know was the fact that these children suffering from obtuseness of mind and body have an unusually hearty laughter.(check this link…http://www.bolohealth.com/news/993-autistic-kids-laugh-differently-than-others)

While we the privileged ones are always whining and dissatisfied with our lives and are always looking to have more to be happy , there is a lesson for us to learn from the specially abled people as they are happy in whatever few abilities god has given them.

I will go and meet that boy for sure , and become friends with him. We can give them our support and in turn learn a lot from them.
God bless them.

SUCCESS IS SWEET , SWEETER WHEN SERVED COLD

I am sitting in office and well I am taking off 10 minutes to draft this write-up from the top of my head.

There is a reason for this , as I am exhilarated right now , and there is a overwhelming feeling inside me that refuses to sink in.

Thing is I just saw my application result for XIMB , one of India’s premier management institute , and guess what I got shortlisted for the second round. First thing I called up my mom to break the good news to her. And since then I cant just stop smiling .

On the face of it, I know its just half the battle won, but for a war-worn man whose been on a loosing streak a small win can mean a world of happiness.

Before XIMB results came out , my other results of XLRI and Narsee monjee were already out , and I missed the merit by an ounce.

Somebody said “You win some You loose some” , but he forgot to mention that if you loose by a whisker it kills you right there.


But there was still hope left in me with the XIMB results awaited. And today as the Hope materialized in my favour, I am a happy man.

And now that I have inhaled the sweet smell of success , I dont want to let it go.
I hope the winning ways continue.

INDIA'S NEW NEMESIS - "SAFFREEN TERROR"

After more than 2 years of trial and denial, the fact that "SAFFRON TERROR" exists on the Indian soil , has come out in the open. I think if there is anything more chilling than the cold prevailing in the Northern part of India, it is the revelation by Swami Assemanand in a jail in hyderabad that it was indeed the Hindu sewaks who masterminded and carried out the malegaon , ajmer and mecca masjid blasts.
The most interesting bit is that it was not sticks and stones that got the better of Swami Aseemanand and made him confess his crimes ,but rather it was a change of heart  he experienced at the CHANCHALAGUDDA JAIL  in HYDERABAD. (Read this story here, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/plight-of-kind-muslim-man-wrongly-held-for-mecca-masjid-led-swami-to-confess-police/734909/ ,i bet it looks like one straight out of  Hindi films)

Not long back , India was known as the "Land of Saints and Spirituality" , well , looking at it now , it appears that the sobriquet is but a oxymoron.

I am completely awe-struck with the latest developements in the chapter of hindu extremism. Ofcourse, I was aware of Sadhvi Pragya's arrest but it was still an allegation with no concrete evidence against the accused.

Untill the decade of 2000, the communal violence in India was majorly restricted to J&K (i feel a lot of shame as i write this) , with a one-off incidents occuring in rest of india on a sporadic basis. eg. Mumbai blasts of 94, Rath Yatra. But as we steppped in to the first decade of the 21st century , on that ominous day of 13 Dec'2001 ,the Indian parliament was ransacked and savaged by bunch of armed militants , later discovered to be Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. And another attack of similar modus operandi was waiting to happen on the land of Mumbai as the terrorists stormed into various parts of the city on 26 nov'2008 ,shooting anybody in sight. And between them , there were a couple of dozen other terror attacks carried out in form of train blasts , hijack and hostage situation, blasts in temples and mosques and more such gory acts . All carried out by terrorist outfits supposedly Islamic uptill now, with an aim to make their mark as the torchbearers of 'JEHAD' , in the process killing thousands and millions of innocent people.

Clearly as the years went by in this decade ,things went from bad to worse with  attacks taking place almost quarterly. While clearly the security forces and Indian Intelligence services were shown up as incompetent in thwarting such Terror attacks as their role they played was that of a reactionary force that came in the end , once the collateral damage had been done.

But little did anyone knew that the 'Terrorist Troubles' will get compounded in the years to come. In the years 2007-08  terror struck again , not once , not twice but thrice , this time the target being the Indian muslim.
The ajmer sharif , mecca masjid and malegaon blasts , going by the motive looked very much the act of Hindu extremists , but since 'Saffron terror' was a relatively unheard commodity at that time , the investigating agencies followed a multi-pronged approach.

But in the latest revelations by Swami Assemanand testifying the role of RSS workers in the abovementioned attacks, thus diminishing any doubts over the attacks being a handiwork of Hindu militants.
I feel this is the biggest ebb in India's fight against terrorism. With RSS joining the ranks with SIMI , Indian Mujahideen , more terror will surely be borne out of India against the Indians.

While the Govt. and security forces were hitherto unable to keep 'GRREN TERROR' at bay , they now have their work cut out as they have to fight and ward off  an even bigger threat posed by " SAFFRON + GREEN" = " SAFFREEN TERROR".

Well, for the common man if the inflated food prices were not enough , an inflated terror threat is also in the offing. Better watch out , because next time the terror strike may come from either side.

GOD BLESS INDIA.

A Poem called 'desiderata' ( Latin: "desired things"), but lets just say it defines life

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,


and remember what peace there may be in silence.



As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexatious to the spirit.



If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.



Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.



Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.



Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.



Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.



Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.



With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.



PS:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiderata

FRIENDS FOR LIFE

Friendship is a feeling

like no other

a friend is a friend

a friend is a brother

you,my friend, are special to me

you are the one i like

nothing shall do us apart

we are friends for life

when the going gets tough,and nothing goes right

when everything is dark,and there is no light

I will find you

I will hold you

we are friends forlife

you give me courage,you give me power

whenever i was scared,you became my cover

you smiled when i laughed

but never let me shed a tear

how shall i ever forget these times

we are friends for life.

For me no gold , no silver ever shined bright

my friends are my most cherished treasure

with my friends I feel alright

laughs , kicks , jokes and tears

make this journey a memorable affair

Our friendship is for ever

it is not for a day or a night

give me a tight friends' hug ,buddy

we are friends for life.

I always wondered why,God gave us just two eyes

With them I can see only one side

I feel so scared of the dangers that are out of my sight

So I asked God , can you give me eyes ,  four more

two for the back , one on each side , and then I will be sure

He laughed and said, no Son I cannot give you eyes anymore

But look around I have given you so many friends , what do you think are friends for?

They are more than just your sight

They are your strength, for you they will fight

Go on , go make some friends ,

And dont forget to tell them

We are friends for life.

Unlike Family where relation is a rule

Friends are the people whom you choose

A friend is God's Gift to Man , i feel

So take good care of him , he's not the one to loose

But as you move along , with passage of time

You make new relations , you have duties of new kind

Parents ,Wife and kids  take the front seat

Hardly a surprise, If for a decade friends dont meet

Meeting or not, I know , it wont make our friendship small

but dont u dare forget my birthday ,d**k, give me a call

And I'll put your pictures in my Family album

and I'll wait for the time till  we meet again

when I see your kids , will tell them , hey! you've got your dad's chin

And watch out , I'll also flirt with your beautiful wife

and I know you'll return the compliment , that is a friend's right

God!Cant wait for these moments to come to life

we are friends for life

the time we spent together, was the time to be

true it is that  the best things in life are for free

but To be with you I'll pay any price

our friendship remains etched in my heart

it doesnt really matter , if the ways we part

just think of me ,and you'll find me by your side

we are friends for life

For now it is a bye , but before I go

I will break rules of friendship, a few,

No sorry , No thank you they say , I know

Still  i fold my hands and I thank you

and ask you to excuse me for any ugly things I do

and I wish you get all the success in life , I wish all your dreams come true

My hands are shaking now,I have nothing more to write

we are friends for life

Random Thoughts on a rainy sunday morning

Looking at the silver grey cloudy sky
early in the morning in the first blink of the eye
I think of no other sight anygood anymore
Its nature at its best , right at my window

And in the next sequence of events ,the Power goes off
and There is no light in the room now
So I open the window doors
to let in some light, to let in some air some more

Then I say to myself
This is not a usual sunday morning
This is nature's special
and I shall call it Random thoughts on a Rainy sunday morning

Motley sounds riding on the air waves
make way into the vacuum of my room space
trees fluttering , clouds thundering ,rain drops splashing
All are making of Random thoughts on a Rainy sunday morning

I feel energised , I am in a higher state
I need no morning tea , it is a visual-feast and I have so much in my plate
I am overwhelmed ,I am lost in this aesthetic setting
I dont want to return from this Random thoughts on a Rainy sunday morning

Then slowly and slowly , the rain dwindles
And it puts out the fire in me, it some time back kindled
Like they say ,all good things must come to an end , and I come to my bearing
But what will stay with me forever are Random thoughts on a Rainy sunday morning

“SEX AND SPIRITUALITY” AND INDIANS !

I got out of bed expecting a rather lousy weekend morning , as it is always. I knew it would be ‘leisure as usual’ throughout the day .Starting with TV then surfing , then some more TV , ahh! And then some penning down of my thoughts , and later in the day if my body permits then some painting the town red (but more often than not the case with me and my room-mates is that of ‘Spirit is willing but flesh is weak’). As scheduled I switched on the TV set , and while riffling through the channels I tuned into ‘India Today Conclave’ being telecasted on a news channel. What got my attention was the topic around which the conclave was centered. Let me just give you a hint if you really want to guess.


What is the one thing Indians are most hypocritical about ?


Ya ! Though I cannot hear you ,but I think if you are an Indian(or if you have watched the aforementioned conclave before coming down to this “assimilation of ‘neural sensation transformed into visually legible format’ aka BLOG”)  you must have got it right.

The topic of the discussion was that of “SEX and SPIRITUALITY”.

And yes , Just for the record ,Indians , at least I feel so ,are the biggest ‘sex’ hypocrits. Indians who are so particular about abstaining from ‘carnal carousal’ and are a society where terms like ‘ Casual sex’ and ‘free sex’ are a taboo, still are the second largest reproducers (I could have used the “Four letter word” here ) but I guess I am just sparing the Indians their blushes.

Lets face it , Indians are shy about sex but even in their shyness they do it most profoundly. Just to elaborate the point “ If the world was to be survived by one Indian man and one Indian woman , they would still go into a hiding and have ‘secret sex’ rather than having more of a ‘free sex’. And to top it all , they would do it to the exponential extent of creating a new civilization in no time.”

OK ! enough of Indian – Bashing. Going back to the conclave , I was all eyes and ears and more to see how does a forum of Indian men and women go about discussing it.

With ‘Birds and the Bees’ and ‘ Moksha and salvation’ being talked about in the same breath , through a medium that would reach out to practically the entire Indian populace, the panel of presenters had to be dead right spot –on. It had to be someone who has ‘been there done that’, somebody who understands the intricacies of ’sex’ and ‘spirituality’ far better than an Average Joe or should I say ‘Average Adam’.

And So it was , On the one end ,Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev representing the ‘Old Oriental school’ and giving a Traditional take on ‘Sex’. And, on the other end, delineating a more contemporary and occidental overview of the whole matter was , Swami Satya Vedant , a philosopher and author and a arduous disciple of OSHO.(To know more about him, check out here http://www.oshonewyork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=8)



The latter was the first to address the attendance, and the gist of all that he said was

“ Sex is more an individual’s choice , in terms of ‘How’ they do it or ‘where’ they do it or ‘with whom’ they do it or ‘How much ‘ they do it. So we should not straitjacket the individuals in a rigid framework laid down by the society that leaves them struggling for movement.

He also cited with an example that , ‘Sprituality’ can be achieved through sex only if you feel it as an inner body experience rather than just doing it mechanically like it is just another mere physical phenomenon. He illustrated this point by narrating one of his real experience of how in a Book fair ,a man in his late 30’s walks up to Swami Vedant’s book stall and asks him for his latest book on the shelf. And starts riffling through its pages in search of pornographic pictures. Seeing this, swami Vedant tells him that he should go home first and look at his wife in the same context as he was looking at the book, and then probably he may not even feel the need of what he came looking at the first place.

Huh! How insightful , I thought to myself. There is obviously many more dimensions to physical intimation other than the physicality aspect. We need to be aware of them in order to make the ‘Sexperience’ as an all-encompassing, self – fulfilling one.

And then Swami Ramdev took to stage and came across as a proponent of balanced , formulaic and socially acceptable style of understanding and practicing sex. He was very vocal in his disdain towards ‘Homosexuality’ and termed it unnatural and a sign of sickness. He also expressed disgust over the concept of ‘open marriages’ and ‘free sex’ in particular. According to him that would shred the social fabric , and would give rise to a degenerated society where DNA tests are required to know the Biological father of an offspring and teenage girls still in their adolescence getting pregnant. This would do no good to nobody and sex within a socially acceptable framework is the key to prevent the disintegration of our moral values and social living.

At this point in time , I was completely blank. I mean both the speakers made complete sense to me , but sadly they were standing on opposite ends. I could not decide for myself who is right , or in this case who is more right?

As it turned out , it boiled down to the classic ‘East V/S West’ debate. And while in the past we may have made our peace with that ,saying “East is east and west is west and the Twain shall never meet”.

But in more recent times the boundaries defining east and west are getting dimmer and dimmer by the day, thanks to the Net and jet age phenomenon. East is opening its arms to western lifestyle like it has never done before.

Now , at this juncture we have to make a conscious choice for ourselves and a well –informed one. And that is exactly what this discussion aimed at , helping you make that choice by understanding the implications and effects of both the options.

While no clear consensus could emerge amongst the moderator and the speakers, I in my mind had understood one thing after witnessing this hour and a half long spectacle.

And it goes like this “ Just be yourself , suit yourself. Dont deprive yourself of any desire of yours , simply because it goes against the ‘social’ grain. Being true to oneself and being contented with one’s life is what I think is the foremost step towards attaining “Spiritual ecstasy” or transcending to another level , whatever you may call it.

So be it if you are Lecherous or Adulterous , Celibate or Impotent , Homosexual or Bisexual . That is how God made you , and that is how he wants you to be in the Grand scheme of things.

Once you understand this fact and accept yourself and your desires the way they are , then there is no void left in your tryst of self- fulfillment.

Now whether you want to reach that higher level of realization via sex or meditation is up to you and your body , and is very much an individualistic thing. Buddha found it through meditation , some other characters from kamasutra found it through kama/sex. What ticks your body may not tick my body in the same way , and vice versa.

So, the fact of the matter is Don’t PUT ON , just PLAY ON the way you want. Let not your INDIVIDUALITY fall prey to IDEOLOGY.

To end the Blog , I would quote myself .

“ It is Individuals who make the society , and not the Society that makes the Individual” - METHINKS.

WHEN I COULD NOT CHICKEN OUT!

They say “ We eat to live and more importantly live to eat”. With this sentiment and given the fact that people are nowadays getting really fuzzy about the food they eat , it is a ‘food for thought’ that ‘Eating’ is much more than just a meager metabolic process. The kind of food that one eats is in fact an expression of one’s personality, after all “ You are what you eat”.

And if you talk about the variety of eating habits and food patterns , I’ll just say the menu has no boundaries. Take a look at the living species and their motley of eating habits , it is a full-wide spectrum , there are herbivore , carnivore ,omnivore amongst animals to vegetarian , eggitarian , non vegetarian amongst the ‘social animals’.

The point here is, to each his own. Everyone has their own tastes and they pamper their taste buds in fine style. Ever tried to show a calorie chart to a ‘Junk Food’ lover , he is most likely to turn a blind eye . Or try telling the benefits of green vegetables to a ‘chicken –maniac’, it will fall on deaf ears. Or still worse offer a veggie a full chicken course , he is sure to chicken out from the table.

I am the latter type , a self proclaimed ‘ pure vegetarian’ ,and have always felt nauseated by even the thought of flesh making way into my mouth. I personally , have a psychological problem with ‘ food of flesh’ , as it paints a picture of blood , slaughter and wails of the ‘poor species’ in my mind. Those who defend it quoting ‘Law of Evolution – Survival of the fittest’ , I feel like telling them it is not a jungle out here but a civil society. And Man being the torchbearer of this society, should play the role of protector not predator of the weaker species.

My eating habit is both a personal choice as well as what I inherited from my family’s eating habit. I was on numerous occasions, lured by friends and relatives who eat non-veg , to ‘try it once’. And My argument used to be a little ‘play on words’. I used to say , you believe in ‘Once’ as in ‘try it once’ , but I believe in ‘Once’ as in “ Once a vegetarian , always a vegetarian” , and we should respect each others beliefs. That used to be pretty much, end of the story.

23 years of my life , I was a proud ‘veggie’ until that ominous day came along . 02/07 (2010) was to me , what 09/11(2001) was to America. Like the case with Americans, even I had least seen it coming and it shook the foundation of my life. Me and My friends were waiting for our order, in our most preferred Chinese restaurant, a plate of Veg wanton for me and a plate of Non- veg Momos for my companions. And as the dishes were served , I did not bother about verifying the order. After all , it was not my first time there ,and to top that I was as hungry as a bear coming out of hibernation. So, I picked up a fork and 'fished' towards the first piece in my plate. The taste was different than usual ,it was rather tasteless and veg- stuffing seemed too little for a Veg Wanton. But in the heat of the hungry moment , my senses were off-duty. So, one after another I gorged 3 more pieces of what to me 'apparently' were veg wanton.

Seconds later, my friend took one piece from my dish , and much like a wine-taster tells of wine he blurted out to me that I was having chicken. And that was it , I felt like my heart has fallen into my shoes. What planes did to Twin towers , those plates did to me. I, in my fit of rage, threatened to bloody sue the restaurant for putting me through this hell, but then I thought the damage has been done and it wont bring back what I had lost. However , my fit of rage did bring back something else , my Veg wanton , this time for real .

I then put this ‘Chickengate’ behind me. I put up a brave face not to spoil the evening for my friends. I even saw the funny side in all this, and thought of doing a ‘Maddy’( R.Madhavan in the movie ‘RHTDM’ finds himself in a similar situation , where he being a Brahmin reluctantly eats chicken on a date , and then pukes it to redeem himself). I decided not to redeem myself rather leave this as a ‘bitter experience’ that would constantly remind me not to rise to the bait next time.
At the end of it , amongst all the things that define this ‘unsavory’ event , like mistake , misfortune , destiny , my personal favorite is ‘ loss of veg-virginity’.

A $2500 HAIRCUT

Well, those who are wondering what I mean when I say $2500 haircut , let me tell you that I am not talking about a high end saloon in Vegas . Nor is it the latest “Hair grafting” technique that would cost you a fortune.

Rather , “A  $2500 HAIRCUT ” is what speaks of the spirit of the movie “ THE AMERICAN PASTTIME”. The story is set in Utah desert, US during the time period of World war 2.

It is the story of around  8000 Japanese Americans who have been pushed out from their homes in the states , due to the rising angst of  American people against them owing to the American- Japanese  face off  in WW2.

These people are made to live in an internment camp in Utah desert area, under military surveillance.

 The  camp  has wooden shacks that are more like dormitories that gives no privacy to any individual or family.

What is inspirational is to see how these people take everything in their stride and start building their lives in the camp from the scratch. There are numerous moments  when you would feel that these guys are given short end of the stick just because they did not have “American Ancestors”. Unfair as it was, It was also a mistake as the heart and soul of these people was American to the core.

 The highlight of the story is how these Americans of Japanese descent redeem themselves from all the bias, hatred and suspicion directed towards them by the American authorities and people at large. And as I said redemption came in form of a “HAIR CUT”. (one of the best climaxes I have seen in a long time, must watch it) I am no cinematic expert or critic , but all I can say is that if you are game for a movie that is meaningful , motivating and emotionally arousing , then this is it.

I feel  it is all the more important to watch this movie in today’s time , that is because of the rapidly changing demographics of the new world where people from different cultural , religious, ethnic  backgrounds co-exist with each other. We can take a cue from this story and move one step forward in strengthening the idea of “ Universal Brotherhood ”.

It is time that we “ Stop thinking about the race with humans , and Start thinking about Human race.” – Me thinks.

Ugly Face of Facebook – Beware of the Voyeur !

 With a whopping  subscriber count of 350 million(facebook alone) and counting , the whole world and his dog has got hooked on to Facebook , orkut and other social networking sites. Count me in. I mean , I am all ‘ears and eyes’ for a medium that brings me back in touch  with old friends and distant relatives. But the skeptic in me says “take it with a pinch of salt”. And true it is as nothing in today’s world comes in “ Black and white” , rather there are intricate grey layers that are not easy to spot.

As I set to find the grey areas in Social networking culture,  It was just a matter of putting things into persepective. The topmost evil related to Social networking is “ SEXTING” and exchange of pornographic content usually nude pictures of self/others. Sexting means to send a dirty sexual text message with the hopes of receiving "interesting (often risque)" picture messages in response. The sad part is that the teenagers who are still naïve and unaware of the seamy side of the things , more often than not fall prey to the  “ sex scavangers”.They get carried away into sharing their intimate pictures having been told that it is the “cool thing” to do. And then get blackmailed and sexually exploited. Those who find it hard to believe please read below a true story : 

“Recently in Wisconsin, Anthony R Stancl( 19,male,  of New Berlin) blackmailed dozens of fellow high school students into sex acts by using photos and videos obtained in a ‘Facebook’ scam.  He was found guilty and faced up to 50 years in prison”.

The modus operandi was to pose as a girl online and persuade others into sending him naked pictures of themselves, then using the images to blackmail them for unnatural sex. Authorities found more than 30 folders on Stancl’s computer containing about 300 nude images of other male students.

The handwriting is on the “wall” , be ware of the “voyeuristic vultures” plying in the online world. Do not share your personal stuff with others even on deepest temptation.

The other thing about social networking is “ the amount of time spent on it”. Youngsters ,mostly in the age band of 13-23 yrs, are the most fervent followers of these networks. They start with once in a week  and then few minutes daily , until they realize  they have become “creature of habit” and cannot keep their hands off  it. The time spent networking finally takes its toll on the studies/academics  and some teens do not even shy  from “smuggling” sleep hours  into social networking hours(the hazards of which I have put in my earlier blog on “sleep”). Clearly Individuals should know when and where to draw the line , and Parents need to play a more vital role here keeping a tab on  their child’s “online hours”.

In the end, I would say that social networking sites can be both a boon and a bane , depending upon whether you USE THEM OR ABUSE THEM.

WAKE UP ‘SID’ , BUT WHEN!

Sleep is what I feel has been the most undervalued and overlooked  part of our daily life.  Everyone seems to be following a simple time management rule - “ Smuggle sleep”, but let me tell you that it is not a good rule  on any given day or should  I say any given night.Though there are also some who would refuse to cut down on  their normal sleep come hell or high water, but the trend is increasingly towards the former.

I received  one of those e-mail forwards .It was captioned “ What killed Ranjan Das (CEO of SAP labs) ?”

Being a techie myself I was quite taken aback and got curious to  read further.

“Ranjan, just 42 years of age, was the CEO of SAP-Indian Subcontinent, the youngest CEO of an MNC in India .  The Doctors investigated more on Ranjan’s lifestyle and habits in order to know what led to his death.They found out that Ranjan used to make do with 4-5 hours of sleep.

1.  Short sleep duration (<5 or 5-6 hours) increased risk for high BP by 350% to 500% compared to those who slept longer than 6 hours per night.

2. Young people (25-49 years of age) are twice as likely to get high BP if they sleep less. Paper published in 2006.

3. Individuals who slept less than 5 hours a night had a 3-fold increased risk of heart attacks. Paper published in 1999.

4. Complete and partial lack of sleep increased the blood concentrations of High sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-cRP), the strongest predictor of heart attacks. Even after getting adequate sleep later, the levels stayed high!!

5. Just one night of sleep loss increases very toxic substances in body such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (cRP). They increase risks of many medical
conditions, including cancer, arthritis and heart disease. Paper published in 2004.

6. Sleeping for <=5 hours per night leads to 39% increase in heart disease. Sleeping for <=6 hours per night leads to 18% increase in heart disease. Paper published in 2006.

In conclusion:
Barring stress control, Ranjan Das did everything right: eating proper food,exercising (marathoning!), maintaining proper weight. But he missed getting proper and adequate sleep, minimum 7 hours. and, that killed him.”

The credibility , of the above findings and conclusion, is questionable, so I tried to find out more authorized information to solve this ‘sleep suspense’. 

Understandably so , when you are being told that your wrong sleeping habits are a  ‘potential poison’ , you would very much want  to know the right dose of sleep. At least I wanted to.

So I asked Uncle Google, and he referred me to one of the threads in TIME magazine. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1812420,00.html

The counselor in this discussion was Daniel Kripke, co-director of research at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in La Jolla, California. Impressed by the credentials and going by the reputation of TIME magazine , I prepared myself mentally to take daniel’s word. But to my surprise, the plot thickened as I slowly read through what he said and I quote “ Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hr. a night, live the longest. And people who sleep 8 hr. or more, or less than 6.5 hr., they don't live quite as long. There is just as much risk associated with sleeping too long as with sleeping too short. The big surprise is that long sleep seems to start at 8 hr. Sleeping 8.5 hr. might really be a little worse than sleeping 5 hr.”

This got my goat , I started with the view that sleeping less is a curse , but now I was told that sleeping more is even a bigger curse. This sleep thing really became a nightmare for me.
At the end of it, I learnt that ‘ Improper sleep’ cuts both ways and it cuts really sharp. So, I decided to make my peace with the magic number of ‘6.5-7.5 hrs’, and not loose anymore sleep over this matter.

MY FEARS

At so many times, over all these years

I was crumbled by my fears

The fears had different shapes and size

To me they were like cat is to mice

Over the time, I learned to live with my fears

More I tried to bury them , larger they appeared

Shattered I was , fighting this loosing battle

For I was not well armed to tackle

There were moments when I would feel

These fears are not for real

They are just a psychological thing

But deep inside I knew, they are sharper than a python’s sting.

In excruciating agony , to the skies I would shout

Oh! Master of the universe, show me the way out

No light came , nothing celestial hailed

Me left with my fears, darkness prevailed

Having suffered at its hands so long

I knew well this misery

It is not the one that time heals

Nor can be operated by surgery

All this while , to me one thing was clear

That fear dwells on fear

To end this chaotic circle , it was upto me

So I faced my fear , and came home clean.

'I believe….., (you believe).'

At the face of it, the word 'believe' looks like any other innocuous English word ,but take my word 'believe' is the biggest predator that the human civilization has ever seen. Let me put things into perspective here, when I say 'belief’, I mean the belief in a particular religion , culture , caste , color , sex etc.

The biggest massacres in the History of Human civilization were all carried out in the name of 'belief'. I am not talking of something too down the History lane , these manslaughters are very much part of recent history.

Flashback to the 19 th century, and you will see the slave trade and colonalisation of places inhabited by non - white races, being termed as 'Whiteman's burden’. It was defined as presumed responsibility of white people to govern and impart (I’d call it impose ) their culture/belief to nonwhite people. The subjects here were treated worse than animals and not given any rights.

20 th century saw the ethnic cleansing of Jews in Germany. What happened in Germany was unprecedented in the degree of ruthlessness with which this 'act of belief - termed as Holocaust' was executed. Around 6-7 million Jews were tortured to death in various concentration camps all over Germany.

and as the world stepped into the 21st century, the belief battle was literally taken to another Higher level .The 9/11 attack shook the entire world. The sight of jet planes slamming into the twin towers had everybody and his dog's jaw dropped in awe and fear. This time the Fundamentalist Muslim crusaders have been ‘handed over the Belief baton’, as they have raged self-presumed holy war - 'Jihad' against all those whose faith clashes with theirs.

All the instances mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg , There are many more 'skeletons in the Belief Closet'. However, The point that I am making is that only thing common to all the above occurrences is 'Belief' and 'Bloodbath'. The handwriting is on the wall and is clear that 'If Beliefs clash, Blood will shed and profusely'.

It is really an irony for the Human race that although we are making all types of advancements in the field of sciences and management ,but when it comes to Social sciences and interpersonal relations management we need to go back to school. We invented the best arms and artilleries, but are using it only to kill ourselves. We need to understand that ‘an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind’. Hate begets hate, so this cycle of hatred will only lead to destruction of the nature’s finest creation ‘Earth’.

However, when everything is said and done the fact is that system of belief is as old as hills , and it is part of our social fabric now. So, it is not possible to do away with this system. The only way out or rather way through this dilemma of 'To believe or not to believe' is that we have to be more tolerant towards all other beliefs. There is a saying that 'It takes all sorts (to make a world)', so in order to complete this world we have to accept all other sorts as they come with territory.Give peace a chance and let there be a new system of belief where what 'I believe, (you believe).'