Thought for the day...

What we are today, are the residue of our past thoughts and actions...
What we will be tomorrow will be based on what we think and do today !!!

Mann ka radio - Lyrics by Subrat Sinha... Movie - Radio...

Mann ka radio bajne de zara
Gum ko bhool kar jee le tu zara
Station koi naya tune kar le zara
Fultoo attitude de de tu zara

Tuta dil kya huaHo gaya jo hua
Bhoole bisre geet ga ke bhool ja

Badala jo rhythm uspe jhool ja
Fultoo attitude de de tu zara

Mann ka radio bajne de zara
Gum ko bhool kar jee le tu zara
Station koi naya tune kar le zara
Fultoo attitude de de tu zara

Tuta dil kya huaHo gaya jo hua
Bhoole bisre geet ga ke bhool ja

Badala jo rhythm uspe jhool ja
Kya hoga kya nahi hoga uparwale pe chod de
Uparwale pe chod de

Aaj uss abhi mein tu zindagi ko jee zara
Tujhko aakash ke vaani ka hai aasara

Mann ka radio bajne de zara
Fultoo attitude de de tu zara
Gum ko bhool kar jee le tu zara

Kya khoya kya nahi paya ispe romo tu chod de
Ispe rono tu chod de

Band jo baje tera khul ke tu bhi saath ga
Dard hi bane dawa funda hai yeh life ka

Mann ka radio bajne de zara
Fultoo attitude de de tu zara
Tuta dil kya hua
Ho gaya jo hua

Mann ka radio bajne de zara
Gum ko bhool kar jee le tu zara

if today was your last day

if today was your last day - Nickelback

my best friend gave me the best advice
he said each day's a gift & not a given right
leave no stone unturned
leave your fears behind
& try to take the path less travelled by
that first step you take is the longest stride

if today was your last day
& tomorrow was too late
could you say goodbye to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
leave old pictures in the past?
donate every dime you had?
if today was your last day

against the grain should be a way of life
what's worth the price is always worth the fight
every second counts 'cause
there's no second try
so live like you're never livin twice
don't take the free ride in your own life

if today was your last day
& tomorrow was too late
could you say goodbye to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
leave old pictures in the past?
donate every dime you had?
would you call those friends you've never seen?
reminisce old memories?
would you forgive your enemies?
would you find that one your dreaming of?
swear up & down to God above
that you'll finally fall in love?
if today was your last day

if today was your last day
would you make it up by mending a broken heart
you know it's never too late
to shoot for the stars
regardless of who you are
so do whatever it takes
'cause you can't rewind
a moment in this life
let nothing stand in your way
cause the hands of time are never on your side

if today was your last day
& tomorrow was too late
could you say goodbye to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
leave old pictures in the past?
donate every dime you had?
would you call those friends you've never seen?
reminisce old memories?
would you forgive your enemies?
would you find that one your dreaming of?
swear up & down to God above
that you'll finally fall in love?
if today was your last day

Influence and expressions...

It is quite amazing to think about how we think. Depending on the kind of personality we have, and the level of Ego that we possess, we are moulded as how we are. A lot depending on factors such as the environment growing up, family, friends, education, place of education, and people who influence our minds while growing up... Probably since South India (where I was brought up) is a little more conservative in its thought process than most other parts of the world, I was well sheilded from a lot of negative influences that often plague kids growing up elsewhere... While it would not be accurate to describe my experiences and actions as completely perfect, I definitely got more that what I could have hoped for. Loving family, Excellent schooling, Fun loving and bratty friends, and my wannabe-nerdy self... I used to always think that the entire world thought like me, and the entire world acted like how I would act in any situation... But I was just naive and ignorant I guess...

There was a time when I had to lay an exclamation point to an arguement I was having with my brother. I wanted to convey that he was wrong in his ways about some specific thing. When I relayed that information, contrary to my expectation my point went unnoticed and left untaken. An uncle of mine who has been an inspiration to a lot of my family members while growing up, came up to me and said "Its not just what you try to say... Even if you say things for the Good, you need to say it in a Good way for it to actually be taken seriously"... So I thought to myself at that point, if I had expressed my viewpoint in a different way (positively), it would have definitely been taken well and maybe even followed. As for exactly what it was, that I do not remember, but the bigger thing I got out of it was my uncle's way of thinking, and the influence it had on me as a person...

I Have A Dream

What a fantastic day it is today, when Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States...

Key Excerpts from Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech:

"In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men - yes, black men as well as white men - would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds.'"

"It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual."

"The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people. For many of our white brothers as evidenced by their presence here today have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We can not walk alone."

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood."

"This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."

"Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."

"Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

satyam, gnanam, anantam, brahma...

satyam - the truth...

gnanam - the wisdom...

anantam - the joy...

brahma - the selfless self...

The Ripple Effect...

Ever wondered what would eventually happen if we did something in some particular way, as compared to having done it in a different way, or even compared to not having done that something at all? Knowingly or otherwise every action has not just an immediate reaction in accordance with laws of physics, it also has a ripple effect felt at a different point in time, an after-effect...

What may seem like one small piece of debris on the road, in a country of billions, may mean many billions of such acts in places where control and cleanup of it is more challenging...

What may seem like 5 cents of corruption by one person, may mean thousands of such 5 cents in corruption by millions of people, eventually causing a tsunami of corruption beyond control and cleanup...

Change is needed indeed... Not just in the big picture, but in the details too... Not just in the system, but also in the people that comprise and consume the system... Not just in the rules out there, but also the way we look at them and follow them...

Responsibility is needed indeed... Not just external, but internal too...

Next time you think its no big deal to something, 'Oh - think twice... Its just another day for you and me in paradise...' - Phil Collins

Chaos... And the state of mind...

Was watching a program on the Science HD channel, called 'Human Body - Pushing to the Limits'. The series showcases different scenarios of extreme conditioning of the physical and mental components of the human body, and delves into the details of how adaptive and capable humans are to withstand extreme conditions, both physical and mental.

The past few weeks have been a little stressful for me personally in terms of schedule and project timelines. I must say its been a long yet enduring journey so far... The next couple of months promise only to add to this chaos... Then again, it makes me realize these moments are created so we'll be able to cherish the fruits at a later point in time...

What prepares us for the worst, is not so we go through tough times but for how we are actually moulded to handle anything less than the maximum with the perception of considering it meagre. In other words, it feels like being caught in the eye of a storm right now! And hopefully the blackhole is only the start of a new galaxy!!!

"Hope - is a good thing!" - Shawshank Redemption...

Basic Instincts...

As is the case with most things personal, our Ego is as big as our imagination! Ofcourse 'We' know the answers and 'We' know it all... As humans we have our basic instincts, some automatic and some developed over a period of time... It may be oxymoronic to term Basic Instincts as a 'Developed' trait but a closer look makes the picture clearer...

For someone who was born and brought up in a densely and heavily populated country (India), I used to believe I could handle a Big-City lifestyle... It turns out its only a relative factor as people are only as used-to as they want to be... For instance, back in India there is a unique yet risky way of surviving roads and traffic... There is no value for a Honk, nor is there value for Yielding! At the same time life seems great to locals as they swing and swirl their way through the maze of a traffic every single moment of their lives on the Indian roads... I guess people got 'used' to driving in India... Something that they 'developed' over a period of time with practice over and over again... Basic Instincts take over, and mindless driving becomes impossible...

Think about this: If someone in your next lane cuts ahead of you with no indicator, and then slows down in front of you - how would you react? ...

To Be Continued...

A Brand New Day, A Fresh New Start !!!

Almost like getting out of a Coma - I restart blogging today... Cant believe how long it has been since I last wrote...

I remember the first time I started blogging and told a friend about it, his initial reaction was - please dont blog like the guy who writes about how his toothpaste tastes great or the girl who writes about her new shoes... But then I thought to myself, is it not the very premise where blogging made an entry into the world wide web... As I figured later for myself, I had a tendancy to write a lot about philosophical and thought-provoking stuff... With this fresh new start I plan to write on a variety of topics, some real, some imaginary, some funny, some not so funny...

Its a new day, its a brand new day... Its a new start, its a fresh new start!

Blogosphere - here I come, again!!!

Over and Out !!!

This blog site has been temporarily shutdown due to inactivity !!!

Thank you for visiting and for reading my previous posts!

The truth about Cats and Dogs!!!

Has anyone wondered what kind of a hypcrotic society that we all live in? For starters, any rule that we want 'others' to follow, have merely been created for our own convenience! Something that really comes to our attention today, is the differences between what is perceived to be humane and what is perceived to be inhumane! While you may be wondering why the title of this post has been named 'The truth about Cats and Dogs', I wanted to use an analogy to elaborate on a topic long seen in this age as Business As Usual!

Its a known fact that Cats and Dogs are some of the most popular animals that become personal pets to millions of people around the world. There are even laws across several countries protecting these Cats and Dogs against human violence and ill-treatment, and rightly so! Does this mean that all animals which are termed 'not pets' though still being 'Herbivorous' really cause a serious threat to Humans in the food chain so as to justify merciless killings or even articulated slaughters? I would only like to think not!

By this I mean, before anyone with a clear conscience can state that he/she feels sorry for an injured cat or dog, maybe they should ask themselves how many animals' deaths they were responsible for in the past week/month! And all that for what? A tasty meal? ABOMINABLE!!!

Its that time of the year again...

Its that time of the year again... Yes, its the holiday season...

Its been a real long while since I wrote anything here, but I do plan to come up with a lot more posts in the coming year... What more, it'll have a lot more variety in topics and themes... Am really looking forward to good times, good things to come and great things to achieve and learn!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

satyam, gnanam, anantam brahma...

satyam - the truth...

gnanam - the wisdom...

anantam - the joy...

brahma - the selfless self...

its all about...

attitude... the best friend one can have, or the worst enemy one could fear...

back in the days when i used to be in grad-school, i had a tremendous experience of meeting kids from various backgrounds... some would think they are kings and queens of the world, some would think they are the greatest losers to have ended up in grad-skool in the first place... there were a bunch of them, whose attitude i could never forget or bear... it was the first week there that semester, and the international students association had organized a welcome party for all incoming students... while we were all in the process of meeting fellow students, there was this bunch standing in a corner... they were literally discussing the last names of students, and their regional/cultural/religious origins, basically mocking at atleast one of those things... though i meant to go right at them and bash them up, i realized that we are all educated to behave in cultured ways, and dissent is reserved for brutes...

as far as the school, it was a great place for getting an education... a calm, peaceful college town... the place itself was not buzzing with party-activities as such, but campus events kept the atmosphere quite happening... time and again, i would meet students who would basically crib that the place is dead, and is not as happening as their home-city (a Mumbai, or an NYC)... Despite coming from a reasonably big city (Chennai) myself, I neither had the time nor the energy to crib and be frustrated about it... Infact I only enjoyed the calm and the peace of such a learning paradise...

it is a matter of mind, most problems are... especially when we constantly complain of things that we do not have, while failing to appreciate the wonderful things that we DO have around us... how many times in a day do we actually realize that somewhere in a developing country, the money we just spent on a cappucino would have been sufficient for an entire meal's cost? or, how many times in a day do we actually do the right things, even if trivial? like being judicious with electricity or water usage or not driving a fuel-gulping-SUV?

one of my most favourite slogans... "attitude is everything" - sums it up... the truth is out there... but alas, the horse can only be taken up to the lake... to drink it up though, the horse is on its own... the will, leads the way!

do you...

do you respect pedestrian signals? or, do you just behave like those big-city-brutes who are so busy to even notice the stop-signal in front of them?

do you take care not to litter? or, do you just trash the world around you?

do you care not to be rude or harsh to people around you? or, do you come across as an arrogant egoistic person who is too good for fellow-beings?

did you take time today to be thankful for what you have, and to make that tiny yet positive difference in someone's life? try a smile...

"I used to think the God is Truth... But I realized that the Truth is God" - M K Gandhi...

"For all theists, God is Love... For those atheists, Love is God" - Anonymous...

a few random thoughts...

ever thought why it gets so silent and uncomfortable while in a slow elevator with a bunch of strangers who would not look up to see you in the eyes? try some office elevators...

ever tried to cross a pedestrian walkway in a crowded parking lot, when no one wants to yield to you despite you trying to help out a senior citizen cross the road? try walking in parking lots in the Bay Area, CA...

ever gone to a X-Mart, stood in an endless line only for an irritant rep at the counter show her sick attitude on you and yelling at you for bringing an item without its price tag stuck on to it? try going to a 24-hour X-Mart at some 11-PM or so...

ever tried to walk on a sidewalk when you are not only expected to speed-walk, but are abused and called names merely for slowing down or stopping? try going to a city which also has the same name as its state...

a popular quote goes:

Live in NYC but get out before it makes you too hard... Live in Northern California but get out before it makes you too soft...

have you given your thought some food today?

One drop at a time...

The oceans are vast and deep, but what makes them so are the induvidual drops that they are made of...


Have you ever yielded to a pedestrian and looked into their eyes to feel their gratitude? Have you taken time to talk to that friend of yours who needed a minute of yours, to open up and share? Have you controlled your temptation to pickup a fight when there was enough reason yet not enough value on a heated debate over a sales counter?

Have you ever shared or lended anything close to you, to someone in dire need? Have you ever thought of all the poor and hungry people when you have a meal, and been thankful for what you have to eat?

Where does social responsibility end, and personal responsibility begin? Ever wondered how the world would be if each of us had this personal moral responsibility to live humane, be it toward fellow-humans or not?

Oh those horizons...

The hopes they bring...

If not for these drops, where would we get...

If not one drop at a time, how would we sail...

One drop at a time...

Is all it takes!!!

Beautiful Day

"Beautiful Day" - Lyrics - U2

The heart is a bloom
Shoots up through the stony ground
There's no room
No space to rent in this town

You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
And you're not moving anywhere

You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace

It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away

You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination

You love this town
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you

It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day

Touch me
Take me to that other place
Teach me
I know I'm not a hopeless case

See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out

See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out

Its a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
Beautiful day

Touch me
Take me to that other place
Reach me
I know I'm not a hopeless case

What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now

A beautiful day...

The philistine and the philosopher… Part 2 – For the sake of arguement…

No matter whether we believe in something or not, for the sake of arguement we do go about strongly defending our own point/s of view... however factual or otherwise it may be...

The deep sense in this kind of belief comes from a concept known to lesser mortals (like us) as Ego... The Ego in a philistine (the non-believer in philosophy) keeps him blind-folded to the wonderful world of philosophies and arguements... The lack of Ego in a philosopher, on the other hand, keeps the philosopher continue doing what he/she does best - philosophize...

While it may only sound to be a vague term, the 'philosophizing' concept has its own history, science and great past associated with it... More on this in blogs to come...