The question is... Who is dumber?

I recently got the following story as an e-mail forward. I am usually weary of such "oh-how-cute!!" stories and, true to form, i was weary of this one. But, for some inexplicable reason, i read it... You're sure this story's gonna turn out about how i actually liked the forward... No... I hated it. But more than hatred i was overcome with wonder... Read the story and i'll explain...

True Love Means...

A girl and a guy were speeding over 100mph on a deserted road on a motorcycle.

Girl: Slow down, we're going too fast. I'm scared! And I don't want anything to happen.

Guy: Come on, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. Your having fun right?

Girl: NO...please stop. I'm really scared

Guy: Then tell me you love me.

Girl: I LOVE YOU! Now please slow down.

Guy: Give me a hug.

*Girl hugs him*

Guy: Can you help me out here? Will you take me Helmet off of me and put it on you? It's bugging me.

In the paper the next day: A motorcycle has crashed into a building break failure. Two people found, but only one survived.

The Truth is: That halfway down the road the guy realized that his breaks broke, but he didn't want the girl to know. Instead, he had her say she loved him and felt her hug him for one last time. Then had her wear him helmet so she would live, even though it meant that he would die.

How DUMB was the "biker"?? Any idiot with a learner's license will tell you that it is nearly impossible for a geared vehicle to keep moving if you cut the throttle. All he had to do was take his goddamn hand off the throttle and the contraption would've spluttered to a halt... No matter HOW fast he was going...Also, if he crashed into a building at high speed, no helmet in the world could've saved that poor girl... But that is not the cause of my wonder... The wonder is that this story has been turned into a sort of parable about the greatness of love... I've done some research (yes, i'm currently very bored) and found this story posted on various sites which publish quotes and sayings and stories about love and other mushy stuff... And i've read some of the comments at these websites... "oh its a beautiful tale!", "i sent this to my wife and said i'd do the same for her", " my personal opinion is that guy actually cared for her. it's not everyday a guy cares for a woman like that"... you get the picture... It is number five according to user votes on this site. The person who sent it to me, god bless her soul, said it made her cry... It made me cry too... but for different reasons...

So, the question is... who's Dumber?? The biker or the thousands of people who helped turn this story of ridiculous idiocy into a fable about true love?? Wonko the sane had the right idea... My faith in our intellectual superiority to other beings has been fundamentally shaken... Life continues in its obstinate insistence on being ludicrously devoid of humour...

Spotting

Below are a few pictures of my friend Rajeev...i've put in one picture of a "primitive" simian... Just for comparison... If you can spot the simian, Rajeev's evolved sufficiently... :-)

Reflections...Not in a mirror.... On life....

Two things happened recently that have somewhat forced me to change my outlook on life a bit... for the time-being anyway.

First... i visited someplace... an orphanage, if you must know. Needless to say... it was a very moving experience. It's funny how people keep saying "needless to say" and then say it anyway...

However, literary and conversational nuances are not the subject of this post. As i was saying, the experience moved me not a little bit... it moved me a great bit... not physically moved me, you understand, but moved me in the metaphorical sense. It made me think of how frivolously i spend my money, my time, my energy, and anything else that is in my power to spend. People who know me would, at this juncture, wonder what i'm talking about because i'm not known to spend much of anything... let alone money and energy... Even so... when confronted with the fate of those less fortunate than me... ANY spending seems rather frivolous to me... So, that being as it is, i've decided to cut down on my expenses, such as they are, by at least 20%... So far i've succeeded...

The second thing that happened recently happened when i was returning home from the abovementioned orphanage (which had moved me so)... I was in a local train compartment... I was sitting there, reflecting on life's tragedies, minding my own business... when suddenly i heard music... Well, it could be called a good approximation of what we generally refer to as music. It was a guy playing the harmonica (which, as i've pointed out to many, is different from a harmonium)... The Harmonica happens to be one of my favourite instruments... And this man happened to play some of my favourite (old hindi) tunes on it... Needless to say, in a movable state as i already was, i was moved yet again. I gave the chap 10 rupees... i thought it wasn't enough....but, forced by a long standing habit of not giving, i didn't give him anymore. I'm not quite sure, why this particular incident had an impact on me... I'm not even sure WHAT impact it had on me... But i've been thinking about it ever since... none of my thoughts make sense or are in the least bit coherent ofcourse... but the fact remains that i'm thinking about it... and i can feel some madness coming on...

Life... as i've oft stated... is not funny... But i've realised that, however un-funny life may seem, we must never take it seriously... That's just suicide... or atleast a giant key to crazy-town...

I'm Bored....

Friend to me: Dude, you look bored...
Me to Friend: You have NO idea...

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.

- Voltaire

So there you have it... Voltaire agrees with me... But there's another voltaire quote which goes "A witty saying proves nothing"... But, then again, a witty saying DOES add spice to conversation :D

Anyway, like i keep stating... Life is much like a stand-up comedian's act except that in this case, it isn't funny. It's not funny that i can talk quite to my satisfaction when i'm talking to someone i DON'T have a romantic interest in... But the minute life puts in front of me a girl i like... and that's it... i babble on and on and on and on and on and... you get the picture.... It is also not funny that i can think of no more examples of what is not funny... except maybe the red+yellow+white t-shirt that i recently purchased... it's quite chic and NOT funny(OR weird OR stupid) in the least!!

Moving on... i find that i have nothing to move on to... and that isn't funny either...

Some more exam time doodling

As is apparent... I'm not too finicky about where i doodle...

Exam time Creativity

It was that part of the year again. The part when exams arrive and force me to open my books. But i'll be damned if i can be forced to study :P
This is just a small sampling of all the doodling (and allied tp) that i did throughout the duration of my exams...

This is what i drew (or rather, doodled)

Black and White

Sepia

Negative

HEHEHEHEHE

I was in Wilson College to give my M.Sc. final year exam... As would be expected of me, i wasn't prepared...I could only described as a bundle of nerves... And STILL... i found it in me to be amused by the writing on the old regulator...

Errr.... Can i have the time please??

Came across this panel full of LED time pieces.... Found it funny at the time...

This particular peak is known as "Babita's Boob"... For a very special reason... Anyone who's been a cadet at the Naval Engineering College, Lonavala would know the reason... The rest may ask me... I'm not a cadet, present or former, of the said institute but i have friends who are...

The Sunset as seen from Tiger's leap (or was it lion point??), Lonavala...

An incomplete essay on an ill-defined subject

I sometimes wonder about who we are…. Yes i know that many people wonder about that and that many people have written about their wonder…. But that doesn’t stop me from wondering and i write about it because….. well, because….. Because I CAN!!

Anyway, moving on… who ARE we??? Are we what we believe we are? or are we what OTHERs believe we are??? OR do we start believing and thus BECOME what others think we are?? This line of philosophical questioning ofcourse has been done to death and the debate is endless…. And so, having found no enlightenment with the philosophers i looked towards the scientists (who are only barely removed from philosophers in their ability to confound and confuse)…. well anyway, turns out there is quite a lot of concrete science that’s been done and is being done with a view to answer questions about the brain, behaviour, and the big question “what does it mean to be conscious??”

Now… it’s not my place to try and explain to you about the work of these scientists… I just wanted to share with you the (fairly useless) bit of information that there exists a body of work in this field which is slightly better than the certifiably insane reasonings of philosophers…. Slightly better in the sense that its not certified insane…. though many believe it to be quite mad….

For those of you who are interested in the science of cognition and behaviour…. A good place to start might be Dr. V.S. Ramachandran’s book “Phantoms In The Brain”…

For an insight into genetics and behaviour… Try and get any book that might give you info on Seymour Benzer’s work…. There’s a book called “Time, love & memory” which is quite good…

Could Do with some logic...

The other day i was watching this movie called "evolution"... Its about how an alien lifeform hitch-hikes its way onto Earth... Well the movie was supposed to be fictional so i put up with the stupid idea that the aliens evolve at a rate about a million times greater than any earthly lifeform..... However, the protagonist (a "scientist") is looking at the DNA of the aliens and is shocked... then rushes to his sidekick and says "They have TEN Base-pairs".... This is a perfectly STUPID statement to make because it implies that the DNA of the alien is only ten units long.... Then he says that "Every life-form on Earth has FOUR base-pairs".... That's when it hit me... He meant that we earthlings have four KINDS of BASES... not Base-PAIRS (which is a different thing)....And the aliens have 10 kinds of bases... and that is the supposed reason for their difference from us (this idea is pretty daft too but is pardonable).... The one about base pairs is NOT.... Why can't they check their bloody facts before they make a movie??? Any high-school biology student could have taught you the difference between saying 'bases' and 'base pairs'....

XKCD

These are a selection of XKCD webcomics that i like... Actually i like all of them... These are a selection of XKCD webcomics that i think you might like... Personally, i prefer the ones with a lot of science in them...

This is THE life!! :D

A clear sunny afternoon + A light breeze + The sound of waves crashing + A good Book + A HAMMOCK = Pure BLISS :D

The Original Pic

The Final Product

Mamta's budday gift....

Came across this book at the United Services Club Library... Was reminded of the Happy fact that some people have more time than i do :D

Definite proof that i have way too much free time... I had a syringe with me... Filled it with water and did that to my hand drop by drop.... Like i said... TOO MUCH TIME

This is a paper clip twisted out of all recognition placed on a piece of black paper... Of course, you may say this is the result of me having too much time on my hands and nothing better to do... i choose to call it ART :P

That's me and my buddy Thapliyal on my terrace... This pic was taken on the 1st of Jan 2007... The only sunrise we'll see the whole year... too damn lazy to wake up in time for the rising :P

It's Thapli's data cable that i'm using now to upload pics....

FAILED ATTEMPT :-(

Ah... I was planning on growing a full-blown military style moustache... The mission had to be aborted coz i had to go meet a professor... I needed a reccomendation letter from him so couldn't afford to scare him :P

It still pains me to see this photo...

My father had a bike,
he called it Katie.

I have a bike,
I christened it Katie ki beti.

:D

My bike crossed its first 1000 kms :D

That's me on my building's terrace. Over the years me and my friends have fallen in love with my terrace. We spend a lot of time up there. Its our "Happy place", so to speak.

The day this particular photo was taken, i was alone up there. Was feeling exceptionally euphoric. Composed a poem. Reflected on life. Appreciated nature. My thoughts turned philosophical and i started wondering about our place in the ubniverse. Then i got a call.... and my mom said "Get your ass home right NOW!!!"..... And that was that :P

P.S: Somehow i look good only in silhouettes..... i know why but pretend to not know.... :P

ACTUALLY..... Life is SOOOOOOO funny it HURTS :-)

My dear mother very Un-telligently sent my cell-phone data cable off to my dad (who's in port blair) thinking it was the Digicam data cable.... As is quite obvious, this has made me mad.... Not mad in the sense of people who stay in mental asylums (because that i was already) but mad in the sense of being VERY ANGRY...


Anyway.... The consequence ofcourse is that i can't upload photos from my cell for some time to come.... and therefore shall use this time to load pics that i had taken long back.....

No it's NOT what you think....This is a sign i saw at a shop selling denim jeans or, as the salesman liked to call them, "Jheen Pants".

BRILLIANT!!!

A student once asked his teacher,

"Master, what is enlightenment?"

The master replied,

"When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."

And THAT my friends is the mystery of life explained. We spend too much time thinking about trivial issues and doing things we don't want to... Maybe it's time for us to change... Maybe it's time for us to be happy... I think i'll go shoot someone ;D

Zen Story

Came across this zen story recently... Found it quite moving... especially since it brings out what i've always thought is true... There is nothing to be gained from reasoning with people when their mind is obscured with emotion (anger, hate, doubt, etc)... It is better to silently accept their actions and let THEM reach a conclusion about their behaviour on their own... They all realise their mistakes... tis only a matter of time... Of course... sometimes it may be too late... but then no one said life was fair...

Is That So?

A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is that so?"

When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.

For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed them the child.

It's Raining in FEB!!!

Absurd as nature is known to be.....i'm not surprised.

Besides it was a nice change of weather... The scent of rain is one of the best in the world... Ofcourse, its no match for hot chocolate :D

The weather pulled me out of the house and on to my bike for a ride till the United Services (US) Club.... What i wouldn't have given for the company of a beautiful woman :P
But as we all know.... The joke's on me.... and life is not funny.... SO i was obliged to spend time there alone.... May be a good poem will result.... Let's see.....

Goodbye My Friend...
You have served me well.

I Wish to announce the retirement of my dear old wallet. He has served me quite well these last two years but i fear the work has taken a toll on him. No longer able to function well, tis best that he retire from his duties and give way to younger blood. He has agreed to stay on in my cupboard in an advisory capacity.




Welcome... New Wallet

I'm also pleased to announce the arrival of my new wallet which has joined duty forthwith.

Tis a new age wallet and i trust that it'll bring some much needed newness to the workplace.

Ofcourse, his somewhat prohibitive price means that, once he was payed for, he didn't have much work by way of carrying any money :P

KUTREYA!!!

"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read"

- Groucho Marx

That's a pic of rajeev (one of my best friends) and a dog that he volunteers to walk around his place so he can attract girls..... Not too sure which one's the dog out here :P

"Life's not funny.....coz the joke's on me!!"

That's an original quote by yours truly. To an outside observer observing my existence right now, the scene would appear to be quite amusing. I'm knee deep in work (read shit).... I'm supposed to be studying..... But i'm writing on my blog instead.... and the writing is insipid and uninspiring..... I hate bad writing, and i'm doing it right now.....

I called the MTNL complaint cell yesterday and they put me on hold.... The song they played while i was on hold was "I just called to say i love you"!!! NO you freaking idiots!!! I called to say I HATE YOUR GUTS!!!

This is boring.... I can't write any more..... and i'm sure you're thinking "what does he mean 'anymore'???? he can't write at all!!!".... and you're right.... but this is my blog and i can be as lousy a writer here as i wish to be :D

"Chaos" By James Gleick

Zees ees eh booook aye recently pheeneesed reading.... Its brilliant!!!

Like Douglas Adams says on the cover.... "Reading Chaos gave me the sensation that someone had just found the light switch".

The book, as the more informed amongst you might have guessed, is about the Chaos Theory.

I'm not going to explain what the Chaos theory is..... Read the book!!

THE KALA GHODA FESTIVAL VINTAGE CAR RALLY
Pretty neat cars.... and lots of Pretty ladies :D