End of Line

I am generally a very patient person. I like to let things take their own time. If the restaurant is particularly crowded and my order is taking time, then the reason is obvious. It's not like the waiter is making me wait for sadistic pleasure (at least I hope not, because I AM HAAANGRY). If the traffic is moving slowly and I'm in a hurry, no amount of honking will clear the road for me. The guy in front doesn't like to be stuck in the middle of the road either. When he has space to move, he will, and consequently, so will I. A watched pot never boils because no one has the required amount of patience to see it through. I don't either. After which comes a point where your mind just can't take it any more. That point is the real measure of one's patience. What it takes to drive a person beyond that point, over the edge, pushing him to take the unexpected course of action. 


It might be only trivial at times, deeming it to be an over-reaction or an outburst. But in reality, it's like being pushed against the wall, slowly, being squished between the wall and the pressure that is pushing you down, like one of those traps Batman always used to find himself in. This pressure builds up over time and when it reaches the point of unbearable pain, you will scream in pain. It can start with as small a thing as a joke gone bad or an awkward moment, lead to a bad first impression and then snowball into you not being able to stand the sight of that person. Anything they do or say will just push you further against the wall, inching you closer to the threshold point.


The most difficult form of patience is practiced while dealing with loved ones. The process is much slower, much harder to bear and requires the most amount of self-restraint. You can pretend to not care about the little things and the small mistakes, but they too pile up like the dirty laundry. There's just no escaping it. Except perhaps if you wash it more often. Don't let it linger or pile up, make clear your problems and discontent with the other party as and when it happens and hope for a fresh start. No pressure, no pushing and no pain. Simple, right? Wrong. While I was happily washing your laundry, you have collected a whole pile of mine because of the constant nagging and complaining. So one way or another, it is going to happen. You can just hope the laundry bag is too big or try not to mess up your clothes too much. 

	Daft Punk - End Of Line .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

P.S. - This post didn't turn out the way I had it in my head, which I don't remember now because I was lazy and dragged it on weeks. 

Comic Capers

Who is the man with a brain faster than a computer?

If your answer to this question was Chacha Chaudhary, then you’re probably a fan and should be figuring out by now what this article is going to be about OR you’re just familiar with the most famous character of the Indian Comic industry. Either way, since you have come so far, we suggest that you read on further before we tell Sabu that you’re friends with Raka (we really don’t want any more volcanic eruptions on Jupiter).

“Sigh…those were the days.”

Did you just say that to yourself? Well, you are not alone then. Who doesn’t want to relive the good old days of childhood innocence when you could run around all day with not a worry to bother you and just 50p or Re1 for renting the new Nagraj or Super Commando Dhruv adventure or finding out how Suppandi is getting into trouble or what kind of mischief are Billoo and the gang up to. Indian comics have come a long way since then.

It began in the 60s when Phantom and Mandrake were introduced to Indian households by Indrajal Comics. In 1967, Anant Pai (known to Tinkle readers as simply Uncle Pai) came up with Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) which earned him the title of Father of Indian comics. As the name suggested, it was about timeless tales from Indian mythology (Ramayana, Mahabharata), folklore and other historical characters of prominence (Birbal, Panchatantra). Following closely were Chacha Chaudhary and other creations of Pran under the banner of Diamond Comics. Tinkle and Champak were more like educational magazines, carrying stories with morals, puzzles and reader contributions etc. In the 80s we got our very first brand of local superheroes, courtesy Raj Comics, in the form of Nagraj, Super Commando Dhruv, Bhokal and many others. Together these comics managed to capture the imagination of millions of kids and became household names.

The story behind Amar Chitra Katha is particularly poignant. The comic series was started by Anant Pai in an attempt to teach Indian children about their cultural heritage. He was shocked that Indian students could answer questions on Greek and Roman mythology but were ignorant of their own history, mythology and folklore. At the height of its popularity, in the mid-eighties, it had been translated into Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit and Urdu and selling half a million copies a month. Some titles were also translated into French, Spanish, German, Swahili, Fijian, Indonesian, and Serbo-Croat! To an extent, these books, with their homogenized and unbiased character descriptions went a long way in promoting national integration.

The character of Nagraj is believed to be inspired by mythological Ichchhadhaari Naags (shape shifting snakes). His stories serve a rich blend of mythology, fantasy, magic and science fiction. Many of Nagraj's fans believe that over time Nagraj's comics have developed a Snake Mythology of its own which is unique to the popular Indian beliefs about snakes prevalent among the masses. Nagraj’s origins were quite humble as he was endowed with relatively ordinary powers and often faced human enemies. It is ironic that Nagraj has now been transformed into a mythical-magical creature facing fantastical creatures as his enemies, with elements of sorcery/magic and even time and space travel. Many cite this as a reason for the continuous, meteoric rise in popularity of Nagraj Comics, something purists scoff at!

Many of these comics have really made an attempt to change with the times. The original comics are now reprinted in sleeker and more durable editions, with thick cardstock covers and better colour separations. Raj Comics also seems to have taken a page out of DC and Marvel Comics’ stories with the creation of a Raj Universe for its super-heroes just like DC and Marvel Universes. It has also gone online and hosts a discussion forum for die hard fans, with a section completely devoted to Nagraj. ACK has also undergone some serious evolution. ACK-Media (its holding company) has recently partnered with iRemedi Corp to deliver ACK comics on the iPhone platform. Popular ACK Titles may be directly purchased from Apple's iTunes Appstore.

The comics industry, like most other things in the modern world, is mainly an American mainstay. Superman, Batman and the likes are household names all over the world. But they didn't become famous overnight, the process has spanned decades. Constantly reinventing themselves with the changing times they have managed to maintain a loyal fan base, age no bar. They have learnt to cater to the different needs, from the campy to the refined, from the colourful to the dark. Supported by big-screen adaptations and other forms of media, their popularity has only faltered to be taken to new heights every time. Comics have evolved into Graphic Novels, which has injected new life into the medium and given a whole new dimension to storytelling.

But that's all in the west. The Indian Comic industry hasn't really moved forward in the direction of creating a global appeal or maintaining their fan base or luring new readers. Granted that they are still very popular but are still a far distance away from what they can be. A dhoti-clad Spiderman wasn't enough so clearly it's not about Indianizing everything. What might work is taking the purely Indian appeal of the characters we have right now and giving them an international makeover.

There has been talk of an animated Nagraj adaptation for the big screen for a few years now and even a movie based on the character of Doga (to be directed by none other than Anurag Kashyap!), but we hope it is not a case of too little too late.

Note: This is an article I wrote for a monthly newsletter at work. Actually, co-wrote with Adeeb.

High: Nothing in particular.

Low: Need more sleep.

Points: To Viru and DD gang for great going in the IPL, excluding the last match. Buck up guys!

Nice Guy Syndrome

"Nice guys finish last". I completely disagree.

This post comes as a combination of a midnight screening of the movie 'Shallow Hal' (Jack Black rules!) and an old post I came across on Rindo's Blog. There is also a very famous article about the same which I'm unable to access right now due to the office hours but will definitely post the link as soon as I get access.

According to the general perception, nice guys are supposed to do everything for you without expecting anything in return, they don't mind when you step on them to move ahead, they don't get angry and get into fights over anything, they don't have bad habits, they are caring and sensitive and will listen to you crying and console you even at 3 in the night, they will stand up for you even when you're facing an angry mob alone, they will go out of their way to help you and make you feel better. In short, they do not belong to a species known as Homo Sapiens. We are talking about super-human abilities even Superman would have a tough time handling. But Superman is Superman and since he does not have any problems (can the Kryptonite for now), we can conclude that these abilities just do not exist. Some people can give the appearance of being in possession of these unthinkable powers but actually these people are just too dumb and naive for their own good.

I used to pretend to have these powers as well, until I found my senses and am now enjoying the best of both worlds. I can go as far as to say that I'm breaking the stereotype and I'm not the only one (though we are a very rare species, ask any woman). The primary key (RDBMS module going on) of achieving this state of nirvana is TACT. Humour is the main weapon in your artillery (CounterStrike fever is back) and man it pierces through heavily armoured ego-trucks better than any Tomahawk. Making friends is not exactly a task for the likes of us, but again the key is maintaining the relation over a period of time. A certain level of detachment is like a .5 Magnum with a silencer, big hole no sound. You work on it for sometime, make plans, hang out etc etc and then you wait for the reciprocation (while you spend time with your other friends, I hope you can see the cycle I'm pointing to). Some people tend to compare it to the Sniper, all the mystery and the disappearing acts and stuff but that gives you an idea of the level of attachment they with you. This is WAR my friend and anything goes.

Now coming to the problem which has been sympathised to death, nice guys falling in love. What is the big deal! You like someone you frigging tell them! They start going out with someone else, you start looking elsewhere (or TRY if and when they become available again). Don't become the best-friend-who-loves-you-but-can't-tell-you and be there for them when they have a problem with their love-life and still be in love with them. Get a life! Also, before going for someone use the scope on your Rifle and make sure there's no one else in the vicinity already. Then you can happily swing down from the trees like Tarzan and take your Jane (the chest-thumping and hollering is strictly optional, not advised if you ask me). No point in going after something that isn't there for the taking is it?

See it's simple, all you need is TACT and plain simple logic. Dare you give me the "love knows no logic or boundaries" crap. I will personally come and wipe the entire first floor of the Gecko with that silly grin of resignation which says "I can't help it dude" on your face.

P.S. - No offence to Rindo. Peace (V)

Perception

It's a funny thing. It defines the way you look at things around you and how you react to them. It can also be affected very easily, just takes that one word that someone says or that one thing that someone does to turn it on it's head. The way one perceives things is a good measure of one's personality.

When you get involved with something and apply yourself to it, you start noticing things that might have otherwise been ignored. For eg., when I got involved with Free Radical (the college magazine), things like the paper quality, coloured/B&W pages and page layout etc became the things that stood out for me. Even now, when I pick up a piece of printed material I notice these things, I try to guess the paper quality and make calculations about how much it would've cost. I will never pick up another book or magazine or newspaper or anything that is printed/published and be able to look at it in any other way.

They say that the first impression is the last impression. That could be true if you meet the person only once or twice, but as you get to know a person that impression usually changes. If you disliked the person when you first met then it will take more time to get past that impression than what it would take if you'd liked the person in the first meeting. As your interaction with the person continues, you think you can see shades of the personality of someone you know very well in that person and your perception of that person accordingly changes.

I've known people and my perception of them has changed over time until I can safely say that I KNOW the person. That's when my perception of that person has reached a stage from where it takes something disastrously huge to alter it again. I know a lot of people but I really KNOW only a few people. Or so I think.

Now I'm wondering how many people can say that they KNOW me. I hope there are a few, but not too many either because then I would be too gullible or something, won't it? Who cares! Right?

Converstaions With God - 2

Well, the exam sucked. Hadn't studied a thing and while the rest of the people in my class were asking for extra sheets I was busy trying to peek into my neighbours' sheets struggling to fill up the one I had. I couldn't fill it, obviously, so I gave up and left fifteen minutes before time. Why waste time when you know it's hopeless! Why not use this time to avoid the long queues at the library counter for returning and re-issuing books, which I will use to study and score well in the exam next time(laughter prompt), instead!! Sounds good doesn't it? Well that's what I did. The rest of the day was as usual as any other day. Nothing of much significance happened. All this fest work is really tiring and takes time. By the time I get home, I'm too tired to even ask for dinner. I just lie down, watch a bit of TV or do something on my computer and sleep. And boy do I sleep!! It's a good thing I'm getting attendance(hopefully) for this week's classes because of the fest.

Anyways, so I came home late that night and was tired obviously. I changed, took a breather, had something to eat and drink and decided to sit infront of the computer for a while. The internet can become boring too after a while. You chat with the people you hang out with the rest of the day for and discuss what you did that day or what you're going to do the next day, there isn't really any difference between the two. You check your mail, again mostly sent by the same people, which is either more work or just a useless forward telling you to believe in what is written in it and pass it onto others who are supposed to do the same over and over again. Brrrr. Who comes up with such things! As I was saying, even the internet isn't that great a source of entertainment. So I turn to the Americans for help. I plug in my pen drive, queue the next five episodes of Heroes(season 1) into the playlist and just sit back and watch and watch. Five episodes back-to-back is like three and a half hours, very well spent. I get through the first episode(of the 5 I'm viewing currently) in no time at all. Less than halfway through the second, there is a power cut. My UPS gives a backup of around 30 minutes but I don't take that risk if I don't absolutely need to. So I shut down my computer and start thinking about alternate plans to keep myself occupied. Just as I'm about to evaluate my options, it comes back, the electricity. Barely five minutes had passed. Ah well, back to Heroes. 2 down, three to go. Three-fourth of the way through the third, it goes again. Just around twelve minutes left, so I decide to watch this one and then shut down. I get through eight more minutes and my UPS dies! What luck. And barely two minutes after that, guess who's back!! Aaaarrgh. This is the limit. No this is beyond the limit. Why ME??!!!! Always ME!! I turn on my computer again and just as I'm about to get back to Heroes I get an IM from a guy called Jim.

Jim: Hi again!
me: Hi...again? Do I know you?
Jim: Yeah. We were talking last night too. Thought I'd just IM you today.

GULP. This can't be happening. I'm dreaming again. Wake up dammit!

Jim: Oh noo. Do we have to go through this again? I thought I made it pretty clear last night who I was.

I'm still thinking what just happened. I didn't even type anything!

Jim: I can hear your thoughts, gawwd. I know I'm not supposed to like we discussed last night, so I won't anymore. Happy?

Very. But what the hell is going on? I have got to be dreaming. this can't be happening. Some guy's trying to pull my leg. I'll just check his email address from the messenger service and.....
!!!!!! GULP! My internet isn't even connected! ....... WAKE UP NOW!!

Jim: Anybody home?

me: Yeah I'm here only. Who is this again?

Jim: It's me you forgetful fool. Do you prefer the name God? I find Jim so much better and unintimidating and friendly, not to mention it is my name.

me: No, I like Jim too. So what brings you here, again, if the last time wasn't just a dream?

Jim: Hahaha. Oh it was real all right! I've just been catching up on a few old movies and picked that out of The Matrix. Pretty neat isn't it?

me: Maybe. Not so sure about the person who's waking up though. So, why did you come again?

Jim: I heard your "Why Me?!" chants again and decided to drop by. I take it you still didn't get it.

me: So you're saying that I just have to crib and cry to talk to you?

Jim: Not exactly. It also depends on my mood and the amount of spare time I have. Since everybody around you is sleeping, I thought I'd take a break and have some fun with you! Just kidding.

me: I hope so. But what about the other people? I mean the Americans and all, they must've just started their day.

Jim: These engineers think so much! The Americans are as bad without me as they're with me. Don't worry about them. I don't, not too much.

me: OK! If you insist. May I ask you something?

Jim: Shoot. That's what I came here for.

me: Why is that whenever I have exams, every good program imaginable is on TV and when I have all the time in the world to do nothing but watch TV, there isn't even a re-run worth watching? Why does the weather have to be really ugly when I want to spend time outside but really lovely when I have to stay indoors? I could give you more examples but what I really want to ask is why do things like these always happen to me? Why does it have to be me? WHY?!

(After a pause)

Jim: Ummm...Coincidence?

me: What!

Jim: Or just bad luck I guess.

me: Aaarghhh.

Jim: Oh I know! It's because you're such a big CRY-BABY! You are not the only one who has to go through all those things! Haven't you ever heard anyone else say the same things? Shhhh..It happens!

me: Not as much as it does to me. My life sucks!

Jim: You are impossible! What do I have to do to make you stop crying like this?!

me: Well, are you really asking me or just exclaiming? I would really prefer the former option.

Jim: Oh, so you would. Lets see then, I'll give you one wish and then you have to stop crying when it is granted. Deal?

me: DEAL!

Jim: Go on then, fire away.

me: I wish I could fly.

Jim: What? How would that solve any of your problems?!

me: Who cares about any poblems when you can fly!

Jim: I won't pretend to follow your logic. As you wish. So what kind of wings would you like? Big feathery ones or bat-like?

me: I don't want any wings! Just give me the power to fly. Like Superman.

Jim: Now look here bud! I'm not a geneticist or a mad scientist experimenting with radiation, I'm just a guy with powers to create stuff. I can't alter your DNA, understand?

me: But I don't want wings. People might notice them you know!

Jim: Take it or leave it wise guy.

me: Fine. I'll wish for something else then.

Jim: Hold your horses kid. Who said anything about another wish?

me: What! But you didn't grant me that wish!!

Jim: I would've if you wanted, but you didn't. Offer expired.

me: Not fair!

Jim: But it is. You should've wished for something like "I never want to have a reason to be frustrated again" or "I wish all my problems are solved as and when they arise".
me: Why didn't you say so before!

Jim: You didn't ask.
me: Aaaaaarrghh.

Jim: LOL
me: I don't like you very much you know.

Jim: But I like you too much. No one has ever been a greater source of amusement for me. Hahaha.
me: Yeah yeah. Laugh it up, GOD! Sitting up there making fun of me. You know how hard it is to be human? You have to fight hundreds of emotions just to make a single decision. You are under the microscope 24x7 and everyone wants to know what you are up to. Not only that, they will also tell you what is the right thing to do, the wrong thing, the thing you are doing and the thing they think you would be better off if you were doing.

(Pause. I can see he's not typing anything.)

me: You know how much one has to sacrifice so as to make others happy, so that one can be happy in turn, not always because others are happy but because others are not unhappy? If one does what one truly desires but can't include everyone in that activity, then he/she is termed selfish. Telling the truth never takes anyone anywhere. People only want to listen to things they like, even when they know they are completely fabricated lies drawn out from the depths of baselessness.

(Still he's not typing.)

me: We can care about people we absolutely despise because there was a time when we could not think of despising them. We can even make the most irrational and illogical decisions for people like them, at the most crucial times in our lives. We might be able to fogive, but we can never forget. And when you can't forget, you never really can forgive. It is difficult to recall good memories that become hazy after a while, but it is even more difficult when we can recall the bad ones, complete with even the minutest of details, with ease.

(Is he even there? Or did he disappear like last time?)

Jim: I'm here only. Do you have anything more to add to all that?
me: Yes. Is anything I said, wrong or false or a baseless assumption? If not, then why is it not?

Jim: It's all true. When you ask why, I can only say I wish I knew.
me: I should've known. Why was I even expecting an answer? Wait, I know why! Because I'm HUMAN!! I belong to the race of the smartest dumb people to ever exist in the Universe. We expect things to happen even when we know they are impossible!

Jim: It's not as bad as you make it sound. It really isn't. Look at all the good things in this world. Cheer up.
me: You can call me a pessimist if you want, but I want to ask you about all the bad things in this world and why they are happening. The good things are fine, why not pay attention to the bad stuff and do something about it, eh?

Jim: There is no clear distinction between good and bad, that's why. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. If there was a distinction, I might've been able to do something, but there's not. Hence, I'm as helpless as you.
me: Great! Superb! Even God is putting up his hands to surrender to the deeds of the mighty humans. We rule! And we suck at the same time! Brilliant, isn't it?

Jim: Sarcasm is really the worst thing I created.
me: Compared to humanity, I'm sure it is.

Jim: Enough already. You know, I think the problem is that people are not ready to face problems. They want a way out. No matter what it might be, if there is a will, there is a way out.
me: Hehe. I suppose you're right.

Jim: No seriously. If people take care of their problems themselves, then they won't become anyone else's problems, which is what causes problems in the first place.
me: Hmmm.

Jim: And you all could do a lot better with a lot less people around. This place is crowded!
me: Well, that problem can't be helped. Unless....

Jim: What?
me: Unless, you can arrange for another planet, located nearby which we could inhabit. You know, like Mars and all.

Jim: Hahaha. Spoken like a true engineer. If the problem can't be solved, make it even bigger! Actually, I have been working on it and according to my calculations you should be able to see the news channels flashing "Life on Mars found" within a few years.
me: Really?

Jim. Yup. I realised the hopelessness of the situation you people are going to create a long time ago, so I started working on it then and there. The red colour is really coming along nicely, don't you think?
me: Okayy. Why not sooner? I mean why not tomorrow so we can get started as soon as possible.

Jim: You people aren't ready yet. You don't even have the technology to sustain survival there as yet. It'll happen when it's supposed to, don't you worry. Besides, I can only show you the door, you have to enter it.
me: I see you've taken a liking to The Matrix.

Jim: Hehe. Yeah. I forget you are not as dumb as you look. LOL
me: Very funny. By the way, is it possible that we're living in the Matrix too?

Jim: How would I know? It's so real! LOL
me: Guess it isn't. Otherwise I would've been talking to an agent, instead of you. Hahaha.

Jim: Enought with the silly jokes. Now I have to go. They're showing Reloaded on HBO.
me: Will I see you again? I mean, be able to talk to you.

Jim: I can't say for sure. Depends on a lot of things. Take care.

I was about to type goodbye but the window vanished. Oh well, time to get back to Heroes.

Conversations With God

I'm sitting on my desk with my books infront of me because I have a big test tomorrow. The only problem is I'm not studying. I'm doing everything except studying. I just can't help it. I know I should study and if I don't, I'll regret my actions later, but nothing in my microscopic brain budges and urges me to study. It just keeps wandering to far away places and events, dreaming, fantasising......I try and bring myself back to the books but I just can't do it. Finally I give up pretending to try, I look up at the ceiling and shout "WHY ME?! What do you want with me? What did I do??"

"Nothing in particular", came the reply. Reply???!!! Great! Now I can hear voices in my head. Just what the doctor ordered, Schizophrenia! That'll make things more bearable.

"It's me you fool! I'm not a voice in your head, technically I am right now but I'm not just in your head, that's just how I like to communicate with mortals."

!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT!! This is really getting out of hand, maybe I should slap myself or pinch or.....
"If you insist, but I think it's not going to help that much."

"Uh...ummm...can you hear me? Is it really YOU?", I can't believe I just said that out loud in an empty room, I feel so stupid.
"Hahaha, it's OK, happens every time. Yes it's really me! I'm God."

Gulp. OK. Calm down. This can't be happening.
"But it is, how can you deny it."

Oh damn! He can hear my thoughts. Oh shit did I just say damn! Did I just say shit!!
"Relax man, it's OK. I know this shit can be really hard to digest at first, but you'll get there. Just chill."

"Ummm...Mr. God Sir...is it really you? I mean you said you were and I totally believe you are...but...I just can't believe it."
"Well it is me", he said, "you're just going to have to take my word for it."

"Yes sir. Am I not supposed to see some sort of light somewhere? You know...."
"Ohh the light. I knew I forgot something. Right. Close your eyes and you'll see it."

So I closed my eyes and there it was. I don't know how to describe it, it was just a light in the distance with darkness all around it. "Woooww."
"Yeah I know I know, let's get on with it. What is your malfunction?"

I was taken aback for a moment. My malfunction? What does he mean by my malfunction?
"You know the incessant cribbing and sulking and complaining. It's a tough world buddy. Be a man."

Damn he did it again. This is irritating. "Ummm Sir, should I talk out loud or do you prefer reading all my thoughts instead?"
"Wise guy eh? Whichever way you find more convenient, I don't mind either."

"Sir I'd prefer to talk and I'll just put my phone on my ear so that I don't look stupid if anyone comes around, not that they will in the middle of the night but just in case. And I would also prefer you to not listen to my...."
"HOW DARE YOU!! I can do whatever I want! You can't tell me what to do!!"

GULP. "I'm sorry Sir. Of course you can listen to my thoughts. What a stupid idea! I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to........."
"Hahahahahaha. Gotcha!" Still laughing, "Relax I was just messing with you. OK I won't hear your thoughts. Happy?"

I'm blushing with embarrassment. Is he still listening? How can I be sure?
"Well....what are you waiting for?"

He's not listening to my thoughts anymore. Whew! Thank God! Thank God!! That's ironic. "Nothing nothing. So Mr. God Sir, what brings you here? I mean how come you're talking to me?"

"Call me Jim. Who came up with the name God? Anyway, like I said what is your malfunction? What's with all the complaining?"
"Ummm...I don't know....J-J-Jim...I'm not too happy with the way things are going right now."

"So what's that got to do with me? Why do you keep shouting at me?"
"I never shouted at you! I mean..I didn't mean to SHOUT at you, it just came out that way. And what do you mean what has it got to do with you? Hasn't everything got something...err everything to do with you?"

"No it hasn't. Who in the world gave you that idea?!"
"It's what everyone says. You are the Almighty, the All-knowing, All-seeing etc etc. Our lives are in your hands. You control everything. You are GOD!"

"Thank you thank you. I know. Well it's true, somewhat. You're on the right track with that, but not quite. You see, I may be all that you said right now, but surely you don't believe I can control everything! That is preposterous! Do you have any idea how many people there are in this world? This little blue-green planet of yours is so full of people, I sometimes can't even take out time to look at the others! You know how difficult it is!!"
"What others?! You mean there are more???"

"Uhh ahem! No there aren't any more! What kind of a foolish question is that?! I meant the....ummm....animals...yeah animals...and plants too. They're living too you know."
"Yeah I guess. So you're saying that you don't control everything and everyone?"

"Yes I don't. I can't do all that alone. It's one hell of a job for one man to handle by himself."
One MAN, that's rich. "So? Aren't there others to help you out? I mean....you know...your relatives or children maybe?"

"Sadly I'm the only one up here. It would've been nice to have some company but that's the way things are", He sighed.
"Huh? So you mean all the stories about there being many Gods and Goddesses are just made up??"

"Yup. Every single one of them. I like some of them though. That one about Jesus having a wife and kids was hilarious! Dan was it? Funny guy. Made a lot of money out of it too. Good for him."
"Ohkay. So you're the only one? Then what's with all these religions and stuff? Why did you even bother?"

"That, my friend, was a mistake I made long ago. I thought it would be fun to see the men's imagination run wild and create different avatars of me and worship them. Don't get me wrong here. I didn't WANT them to worship me, they just did. They feared that I might get angry and do things with the weather and cause destruction in other unique ways. It would've been so much fun! Just imagine fireballs raining from clear skies...."
"What!"

"Oh...sorry. I get carried away sometimes. I didn't do any such thing of course. That thing with the dinosaurs was an accident. What I was saying is that I let those men think for themselves and create my so-called alter egos. It was nice at first, but it got really messy later. Ohh well..."
"You're damn right it got messy Jim! Can't you just undo it all?"

"I wish I could. How I wish I could. You see time is a very sensitive matter. I can't just go back and undo it. If I'd foreseen it earlier, I might have been able to do something but it's too late now. I'm sorry. Enough with the world. Let's talk about you now, after all that's what I came here for."
"Yeah I suppose. I don't know how to put it to you, but sometimes I feel you've made a special project out of me. You know, like you're holding the magnifying glass and I'm the ant."

"Hell no! I haven't done any such thing. But now that you've mentioned it, I could take up some people for that sort of a thing. Let's see now, there's this Bush character and that Osama fellow and......"
"So if you're not doing stuff to me then why is nothing going right for me?"

"I believe it's a little something you like to call Luck. Also, there's always the Karma angle. You don't work hard enough to reap the benefits."
"What! I've been doing engineering in this God-forsaken college...I'm sorry..I mean in this pot for the past four years! You think it's easy?!"

"You've been passing your exams haven't you?"
"Well yeah."

"I rest my case. Next problem?"
"OK. Why the rotten luck then may I ask? Don't give me the Karma thing again."

"OK. Luck is supposed to be balanced through a person's life. If you're having rotten luck right now, then you're in for some serius Jackpots later!"
"Really? You mean that?", I said, my spirits rising a little.

"Of course I do...NOT! Hahaha. Gotcha again! Sucker!!"
Grrrr. "This is not funny."

"It sure is. Look at yourself! Don't blame me for all your problems. You created them, you sort them out. I can't help you with those. Noone can. I can't do anything for anyone for that matter. Everyone's on their own. I can just advise people and show them the right path. They have to do the work."
"And just how do you that?"

"Ever heard of a thing called the Conscience? Well, that's me, sort of. I programmed it into your brains a long time ago. Too bad it doesn't work with everyone."
"Oh." What should I ask now? He put everything on me. Damn it.

"Anything else? I haven't got all day you know."
"Uh yeah. Of course. So any advice you'd like to give me right now?"

"Well you can start by picking up that Advanced Instrumentation book on your desk and studying it. That should help."
"Besides that. I mean, as in generally, life-wise."

"That is like asking me to solve the Rubik's cube in one move."
"Well, can't you?"

"I suppose I could, haven't really tried. But that doesn't mean I can give you advice for life just like that. How will you learn then? Don't make that 'but I don't want to learn' face. It's the only way. Anyway you haven't done enough to earn the right for taking the shortcut."
"The shortcut? Wait, this is one of your jokes again."

"Well done lad! Although I was rather looking forward to laughing again. Ah well, you got the point. That's what matters. No shortcuts and that's it. I'm running out of time here. Five more minutes maybe. Let's get this over with."
"OK. Thanks for the advice. I'll look into it. Now I'd like to ask you some serious questions. First, what's with all this communalism and terrorism?"

"Oopsi. Time's up. Gotta go. Ciao!"
"Hey wait! Wait! Jim come back here! Jim...", I felt something shaking me. Then I could hear a voice calling out my name, it sounded like my mom. It grew louder and louder.

"Wake UP!", she was shaking me by the shoulders.
"Huh? Whaa...What happened?"

"You're late. I thought you had an exam today. Don't you have to go to college?"
"Oh shit! What time is it?"

"Get up and look for yourself", she said. "Must've watched a movie till late night, you were talking in your sleep."
"What!"

"Yeah, some guy called Jim. Now get up and get dressed. Breakfast on the table in five minutes."

People Change....?

I'm not sure. "People change", I've heard the use of this line a lot(even from myself a few times) without actually thinking that much about it. It's usually said in a dismissive way to get off the topic of a person you don't feel like talking about or to console someone when they're wondering what the hell happened to someone they knew very well/liked/loved etc etc, well at least I've faced only these situations I guess. During one of these sort of conversations, I was thinking about it and it occurred to me that a person can't change like that. I mean, it would require a mind-altering event of some kind, something huge that affects your brain in such a way that you become a different person than you were before. An event like this doesn't just happen, it's got to be something that other people notice or they can tell that something is wrong or just not right.

So with the probability of the event reduced, what else can be the cause of this change? I think it's not a change at all. A change as a person that is, a person can't change so much. It's just that the person has been what he/she is now, since the beginnning but those....ummm parameters of their personality have not yet displayed themselves completely. A person might be, according to you, sweet, adorable etc and might also be shrewd and manipulative at the same time, but you fail to see that side of their personality because it does not come into direct focus. A person can hide his true self only to a certain extent and by hide I don't mean hiding it intentionally, it's hiding it subconciously, suppressing your natural instincts because it doesn't feel good at some level. But these instincts, these traits can't be covered up completely. They're bound to show themselves in situations which involve people other than the ones being talked about here(the person who has "changed" and the person who thinks the other has 'changed"), third parties if I may. You're not part of the equation in these situations and so the hiding and the suppressing disappears and you get a glimpse of the real them. But these are exempted as special cases where the kind of behaviour shown was either warranted or couldn't be helped. This is getting a bit too confusing I guess. Engineering is finally showing it's effects.

What I mean to say is that people don't change(excluding the probability of THE EVENT), it's just your perception of them that changes. A person remains who he/she is, just the way you think about them changes. The changes in your perception reflect in your interaction with the person and that change leads to a change in the way that person interacts with you. So it's a sort of a change reaction(pun intended).

A Hero will save us...

I sometimes wish there was a Hero who could save us.

Am I the only one who can see all the mistakes that we are making? Surely not! There must be others like me, who feel the same way, who are frustrated with everything around them, who are trying to walk the road to the Utopia I have described before, but who are not able to do so because of the morals and ethics that are still alive inside them, which are making them weak and succeptable to the frustration. Humans suck! They can't even follow the path to their own personal salvation without having regrets, if at all they decide to follow the path. Regrets make you unhappy and so the Utopian walls surrounding you crumble, and you are back to where you were before. The only solution for those who cannot follow the path is for the world to Change.

I wish there was a revolution of some kind. A revolution that changes the world. A revolution that rights all the wrongs. A revolution that compels me not to wait for the world to end, but to pray that it never does.

A revolution needs to be initiated by someone. Someone who has the will and can find the way, someone who has the strength to shoulder the weak, someone who fears fear, someone who knows what he doesn't know, someone who makes impossible possible, someone who needs noone but has everyone, someone who is a God in his own right, someone..........................

Someone who is a Hero.

I wish I were that someone, or atleast someone who could find that someone.

कमीना = Rascal?

Profanities are words that are meant to be used for insulting people, making derogatory remarks and/or hurting their feelings and in turn act as vents of anger and frustration for the person using them.

Speaking profanities/cursing starts at an early age. Children learn these things from many sources – mainly older children. Up to some age it is still considered a bad habit by the children themselves as they are under the watchful eyes of their parents. But gradually it becomes a trend and everyone starts using them and soon become fluent in it. Almost all of the curses involve female relatives, human anatomy(both male and female) and refrences to sexual activities in general, but in the beginning noone knows what they're saying as it's just a trend and it is ‘cool’ to tag along.

But after some rigorous years of training, when every word has a known universal meaning and there are more combinations than you can count, it becomes habitual and is not always used for the purpose in the above mentioned definition. It becomes a common language shared by close friends! Confusing isn’t it? But have you never noticed how your tongue seems to be stuck to a filter while talking to your parents, relatives and teachers or anyone else you don’t want to get into unnecessary trouble with(yes it does happen, especially when you consider the fact that everyone hates teachers and the mind can think of more curses for a teacher than the number of names you find in the yellow pages). Using profanities among friends becomes a sort of bridge which defines your closeness to that person, for e.g. you wouldn’t be as comfortable in calling a friend’s friend a male body part as you would be in calling your friend the same, although all of you share the same knowledge of the language and its usage. Over time the traditional ‘Hello’ and ‘How are you?’ are replaced by ‘Hey you S.O.B.’ and ‘How’s it going a*****e?’ These words are also used as punctuation marks in a sentence, as exclamatory remarks and every other human emotion possible.

One thing I don't understand is why saying the same thing(swearing) in English is considered better than in Hindi? Hindi is considered cheap, whereas English is considered cool. It's not just the swearing, it's general usage of the language. People who can't speak in English properly are considered illiterate and uneducated. I remember I used to get so irritated when a player of the Indian cricket team receiving a Man-of-the-match award spoke fractured English(almost Hindi) when he was interviewed. But it wouldn't be the same if some African player did the same. I would think, it's OK, English is not his native language, atleast he's trying. What the FUCK?! How is it different for us then? Why is it different? Why are we so ashamed of our own culture? There are people who are much more educated(they even have Doctorates!) than most people around them but it's not considered that great because their education is mainly Hindi-medium.

I remember some years ago, the guy who won the title of Mr. India(the modelling thing, not the invisible guy!) was headlining the news. Why? Not because he won the title but for the fact that he didn't speak any English. He gave all his answers in Hindi. Now that's one Cool guy.

P.S. : थिस ट्रांस्लितेरेशन थिंग इस ऑसोम! (This transliteration thing is awesome!)

Losing Thy Religion

Our English teacher once asked us to give two main differences between humans and animals. No one in the class could come up with the answer she wanted – Language and Religion. And when you think about it, it does make sense.

Animals from different parts of the world don’t speak (/growl/hiss/bark whatever, you get the idea) in different languages. And they certainly don’t follow any religion either. How uncomplicated and convenient! (Wild weird thought that just came to mind – do animals believe in God? I mean………..forget it!) But we humans like to complicate things in the name of convenience. Granted that the convenience is there, but the real convenience would be not having any complications. Language, for instance, is a regional variable. It varies from place to place. The variations are numerous, mostly derived from the few originally existing ones. These derivations are a result of personal convenience. The case with religion is somewhat similar.

Religion is a set of rules and guidelines by which we choose to lead our lives. It defines our beliefs, our values and our faith in God. It is decided, like the language we speak, by birth in almost all the cases, but exceptions are always there i.e. people who convert from one religion to another. But unlike language, religion is more a personal variable than a regional one.

We don’t actually understand what God is like. What we don’t understand we fear, because if we can’t understand it how can we control it. We are a very insecure lot and so we like to be in control. If it can’t be controlled, it is feared. To conquer this fear, we decided to please God. If you please God, He won’t harm you. In fact, if you keep Him happy, He will reward you. This way we have faith in God. We trust Him to help and protect us in return for our devotion towards Him. If you make God unhappy, you are in for some serious trouble mister! Hence the term – ‘God-fearing’.

But God is also believed to be, as I mentioned earlier, the all-knowing, all-controlling supreme divine being. Therefore, He also gives us hope. So God is a symbol for hope and (hidden) fear.

Man also devised methods to worship God. There is a physical interpretation of God, a symbol that is to be worshipped. There are scriptures which preach the divinity and supremacy of God, and also consist of rules and guidelines (His teachings) that are to be followed in order to lead a better life. Then there are various rituals, customs and festivals to celebrate God and appease Him.

As these methods varied according to convenience, different religions were created. All the above mentioned aspects are common to all religions in some way or the other, the dissimilarities being only in the symbolism, customs and rituals and a few guidelines.

So a religion is basically a point of view of our beliefs and faith. And everyone can’t possibly have the same point of view (an impossibility which, combined with a few others, denies us the existence of a perfect world). The problem arises when one enforces his point of view on another. History proves this point more than anything else.

In conclusion I would like to point out one of the teachings that is common to every religion (to the best of my knowledge), and which seems to be constantly overseen and ignored or just misunderstood. It is the one which says – “there is only ONE God, he just exists in several forms”. Everyone is busy fighting over the different forms in the name of religion. What people don’t realize is the fact that what they are fighting against is the same thing they are fighting for.

P.S. - The photo shown here is a clay model I made (with the help of a friend) at a competition. The topic was "Religion Of India". So what we made is showing God as a tree with different religions as the branches and all the people surrounding the tree as the same, i.e. they cannot be differentiated on the basis of the religion they belong to.

Questions Of Faith?

What is life? Why do we exist? Does God exist?

For me, God does exist as He is the force that created everything. A supernatural phenomenon if you will. SUPER-natural because we don’t know what this force is or where it came from. It has just been there from the beginning of time.

So God created the universe and everything in it. He started life and it has evolved ever since. Was this evolution automatic or was God guiding it? Is He still managing the entire universe? Has he decided our destinies and is working in such a way so that we reach it? Or did he just create everything and leave it at that?......I really don’t know. I’m as confused as anyone else.

God is supposed to be the representation of all the good stuff in the world. He can’t possibly do anything wrong. So, if God is in total control the world should be a much better place right now, shouldn’t it? Or is He just maintaining ‘the balance’ as well? If we think of ourselves as puppets attached to the strings He holds, does that mean He makes us do bad things as well?.....Or did He just create everything and set up a balance which maintains everything on its own? Does that mean the world will remain in the same state forever so that the balance prevails?

The answers to all these questions depend on your faith. Does that mean I’m just not sure about mine?

Utopian Rhapsody

I read the newspaper everyday and believe me it’s not a pleasant experience. It sometimes amazes how the human race has not wiped itself out already. We have the most ignorant, insensible, insufficient and incompetent men (who need to be institutionalized) seated in the highest possible positions of authority and we expect them to lead us to peace, prosperity and happiness?! COME ON!! Why don’t we all just go and drown ourselves in the nearest water bodies instead of living this life of misery and discontent??

I’ll tell you why. Because we (-the human race, excluding me of course) have hope and faith in God. God is the universal embodiment of hope, the all-knowing, the all-controlling, creator of the heavens and earth and all that jazz. He has many forms, is worshipped in many ways by many people. Or should I say was? The only visible God today is money. Money is the universal embodiment of greed and fear. People who pray to God are actually afraid that if they don’t please their God, they’ll lose all of their money. So when people are praying, they are actually begging for more. The more you have, the more you want. Money can take you anywhere and buy you anything (including love and happiness). Children are being taught the importance of money even before they can go to the bathroom unassisted. And if you don’t have any money, then your life isn’t worth living. You gotta have money honey!!

To get money, you have to work hard. To get enough money (by the way, enough is never enough), you have to reach the top. To reach the top, you have to step on some people and bump some more out of the way because there isn’t enough room at the top for everyone. And righteousness, truthfulness and ideals are not part of the success mantra. They just tie you down and hamper your progress. So don’t tread this path, the one I like to refer to as the road less traveled. Instead, take the shortcut that leads in the opposite direction but goes straight to the top.

When I look at social activists and environmentalists at work, I double up with laughter. Life is too short to try and make the world a better place to live in. Helping those who can’t help themselves is a waste of time. Time is precious because time is money. The happiest people in the world are self-centered and uncompassionate. So don’t waste your life on others. Enjoy every moment you have before this world comes to an end, an end that is inevitably drawing closer. We have tortured and molested our planet long enough. The balance will soon be maintained. Balance-the only concept in the universe (besides money) I truly believe in. Everything is balanced. Good and evil, light and darkness, love and hatred, life and death (though the latter halves seem to be tilting the balance to their side) etc.

There is no such thing as a perfect world because there the balance is not maintained. Utopia, as it is popularly known, is supposed to be a place where there is no misery or discontent, just happiness all around. For true happiness, we need to have complete freedom to do whatever we desire. But total unchecked freedom leads to anarchy, anarchy leads to pain and suffering. Thus, to avoid anarchy we need to have rules and laws. And we all know how we hate following the rules and the law. And so there it is-a simple logical conclusion that the perfect world can not exist. So we should all just stop trying to make ours into one. Because let’s face it-it’s just not gonna happen.

So the only way you can come even remotely close to living a perfect life in this God-forsaken world is by having such an amount of moolah that you have to rely on others to tell you how much you actually have. You won't be in Utopia (you never well be), but hey, who gives a damn about having a perfect world when you have the perfect life.

Let greed be your guide to heaven on earth. May you always have money in your pockets (but not as much as i do).

Classic or Romantic?

A friend of mine recently bought the book "Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Management", I don't recall the name of the author. Anyways, she read it and sent me an excerpt from the book through e-mail. The subject of the mail was 'Visions Of Reality'. So here is the excerpt :

"I want to divide human understanding into two kinds—classical understanding and romantic understanding. In terms of ultimate truth a dichotomy of this sort has little meaning but it is quite legitimate when one is operating within the classic mode used to discover or create a world of underlying form. The terms classic and romantic, as Phadedrus used them, mean the following:

A classical understanding sees the world as underlying form itself. A romantic understanding sees it primarily in terms of immediate appearance. If you were to show an engine or a mechanical drawing or electronic schematic to a romantic it is unlikely he would see much interest in it. It has no appeal because the reality he sees is its surface. Dull, complex lists of names, lines and numbers. Nothing interesting. But if you were to show the same blue print or schematic or give the same description to a classical person he might look at it and then become fascinated by it because he sees that within the lines and shapes and symbols is a tremendous richness of underlying form.

The romantic mode is primarily inspirational, imaginative, creative, intuitive. Feelings rather than facts predominate. “Art” when it is opposed to “Science” is often romantic. It does not proceed by reason or by laws. It proceeds by feeling, intuition and esthetic conscience. In the northern European cultures the romantic mode is usually associated with femininity, but this is certainly not a necessary association.

The classic mode, by contrast, proceeds by reason and by laws—which are themselves underlying forms of thought and behavior. In the European culture it is primarily a masculine mode and the fields of science, law and medicine are unattractive to women largely for this reason. Although motorcycle riding is romantic, motorcycle maintenance is purely classic. The dirt, the grease, the mastery of underlying form required all give it such a negative romantic appeal that women never go near it.

Although surface ugliness is often found in the classic mode of understanding it is not inherent in it. There is a classic esthetic which romantics often miss because of its subtlety. The classic style is straightforward, unadorned, unemotional, economical and carefully proportioned. Its purpose is not to inspire emotionally, but to bring order out of chaos and make the unknown known. It is esthetically restrained. Everything is under control. Its value is measured in terms of the skill with which this control is maintained.

To a romantic this classic mode often appears dull, awkward and ugly, like mechanical maintenance itself. Everything is in terms of pieces and parts and components and relationships. Nothing is figured out until it is run through the computer a dozen times. Everything’s got to be measured and proved. Oppressive. Heavy. Endlessly grey. The death force.

Within the classic mode however, the romantic has some appearances of his own. Frivolous, irrational, erratic, untrustworthy, interested primarily in pleasure seeking. Shallow. Of no substance. Often a parasite who cannot or will not carry his own weight. A real drag on society. By now these battle lines should sound a little familiar.

This is the source of all the trouble. Persons tend to think and feel exclusively in one mode or the other and in doing so tend to misunderstand and underestimate what the other mode is all about. But no one is willing to give up the truth as he sees it, as far as I know, no one now living has any real reconciliation of these truths or modes. There is no point at which these visions of reality are unified. "

Which one are you?

I think I can identify with both the modes but for very different things. For the things I'm interested in and know about and want to know about, I have the classical view whereas for the things that don't appeal to me that much I'm a romantic.

Currently I'm deeply indulged in 'The Dogs Of War' by Frederick Forsyth, a man who epitomises the Classic mode mentioned above. He has an eye for detail which surpasses any man alive. I'm a big fan and have read around six of his other titles. I'm really looking forward to completing the entire collection. Next on the list - 'The Day Of The Jackal'.

The Future Is Coming On

Just as I was trying to figure out how to fight this VIRUS I had caught, my friend Gaurav, who has come back for the holidays from his college in Bhopal(we are best buds since school), called and said he was coming over and we were going to catch a movie(he didn't ask me, he told me!). Thus, I got my answer. I waited and waited and he was late as usual. He arrived when I had almost given up hope of him showing up the same day, and so we were further delayed because I had to change again. To make up for the delay, he drive really really fast, but it wasn't meant to be. The show was sold out. Or there were no timings that suited us. Desperate to watch a movie, we drove to another multiplex nearby, but as I said before it wasn't meant to be. Same story-sold out, no timings. Sigh....

Tired, we had no choice but to sit down in the food court and grab a bite. /*Whoever said Food Courts were cheap must've been related to Tata-Birla-Ambani type families. They are anything but cheap!! True you get a lot of variety and the concept is excellent, but they are, I repeat, ANYTHING BUT CHEAP! */ It was his treat because he had just got placed in TCS(yippee!! for him too). So we ordered and waited. He wasn't looking his usual cheerful self. He was looking dull. So I asked him what was wrong. And what he said really caught me off-guard considering the recent turn of events.

G: "I don''t know man. I just keep wondering where my life is heading."
S: "What?! You just got placed in a freakin' good company like TCS! What are you worried about?"

G:"I know but still....."
S:"But what? Your life has a direction now. You have job security and now you can explore other avenues like MBA or anything else you might be interested in."

G:"Ya, that is there but I'm not sure about anything right now."
S:(smiles)"Hey man, chill. Noone's sure about anything right now."

G:"Why do I have to be one of them? Why can't I be sure even if noone else is sure?"
S:"Because this is a stage in life where we are bound to be confused by the number of choices available to us. Should I do this or go there instead? Should I skip this or worry about that? Should I enjoy or should I work my ass off? Where will I be after a few years? What will I do if I can't get what I need? Etc Etc Etc. Dude you've got to take each decision as it comes. Thinking about it way before you are in the position to make it does not help. Things change, people change, your needs and requirements change with time. Do your best and leave the rest. I've been through it myself. It wears off eventually. I know it's easier said than done. It always is. But atleast you can give it a try. Relax! And enjoy yourself. You've done a great job by getting a great job!(slap on the back, laughs)"

G:"Yeah Yeah all right(manages a smile). But I still don't feel as happy as I'd thought I would when I got a job. My folks expecting more from me now."
S:"I know man. Same here. It's human nature to want more and more. The more you get the more you want. God forgot to add the feeling of contentment when he was working on the human mind(if at all he did work on it). We're not much different either. We're never satisfied by the marks we get when we've studied really hard(ahem!) for a paper. We're always looking at new things to buy, even though we may not need it. What we want and what we need are two very different things. You will always prefer having what you want to what you need. Human nature! You twist the logic you create before you can say "No I shouldn't", when something you want is in your reach if you sacrifice what you need. You can only to try to fight it. And if you succeed, you achieve, what they call, 'Nirvana' - the state of eternal peace and mental well-being. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is RELAX. Things will fall into place as they should. They always do."

Our order is ready so we go and get it and settle down where there is minimum possible human population surrounding us.

G:"Yeah I guess you're right."
S:(gorging on fried chicken)"I know."

G:"But still I can't stop wondering if it'll be enough."
S:(still gorging)"Enough for what?"

G:"Enough to keep her happy?"
S:"Oooooooooooh thaaaaaaaaaat. Hahahahaha. Gaurav man, you're too much! Couldn't you just say that you were missing her? It's OK, just a few weeks more before the college reopens. You'll see her soon enough. It's not like you people can't stay in touch. You're bloody living in a different time-zone because of all the late-night chatting. And yeah it'll be enough. You love each other, that's enough in itself. And as for all the other important stuff in life, you're more than capable of providing her with everything she needs."

G:"And wants. Thanks. You deserve another round for that."
S:"Oh it's OK. I've had quite a lot already."

G:"Suit your....."
S:"But I can't refuse if you insist so much. Will you have somthing too?"

G:"Nah. I don't think I have enough cash for the both of us."
S:(starts making his way towards one of the counters)"Suit yourself!"

G:(smiles)"Rascal."

Schedule or Schedule??

In the English class in CL today, we were discussing grammar rules and related stuff. So the teacher was trying to give an example for something, and she mentioned the word schedule in the sentence and said, "Shedule or Skedule, whichever you prefer."

So I raised my hand and asked her, to clear the confusion once and for all, "Ma'am what is the correct pronounciation? sHedule or sKedule?"

She replied, "See both are correct, but we normally use sKedule nowadays because sHedule is used for referring to scheduled castes and all."

I am still confused. Isn't that discrimination? Seperating a group of people not only on the basis of their origin or birth, but also by using a simple alteration in the pronounciation of a word of the english language!! Bizarre.....