Beauty. Speechless. Dream. Sigh.

Courtesy : http://www.isro.org/pressrelease/Oct31_2008.htm

er...

“Man has no ears for what he has not experienced. If he agrees to something, he knows it already.”
- Unknown

Courtesy: bigb.bigadda.com

Photograph is a wonderful thing. Ain't it?!

A woman makes flower offerings before the statue of a bull outside the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on 22 October 2008. Indian shares have lost nearly half their value this year as the global financial crisis has rippled around the world. - BBC

aksar us chauraste pe nazar padthi hain...

Some quite cool things happened... Chandrayaan launched!
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"Well the correct answer is, 'He's not a Muslim, he's a Christian, he's always been a Christian'. But the really right answer is, 'What if he is?'"
- Colin Powell
First word that came to my mind - Sense.
And sense not just in the context of Obama or the negative campaign, but in the broader context of a much prevelant tendency to brand people on the basis of their religious identities.
Closer home they are calling it 'identity politics'. They are teaching or rather re-drilling into us what is 'us' and 'them'.
And not just religion, the plague of intolerance never seems to find itself wanting for potential subjects. Everything is a problem - your religion, your caste, which state you were born in, the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, your gender, your political ideology, heck even the language you speak.
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Baavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Baavre Se Mann Ki Dekho, Baavri Hain Baatein
Baavri Se Dhadkane Hain, Baavri Hain Saansen
Baavri Si Karwaton Se, Nindiya Door Bhaage
Baavre Se Nain Chaahe, Baavre Jharokhon Se, Baavre Nazaaron Ko Takna

Baavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Baavre Se Is Jahaan Main, Baavra Ek Saath Ho
Is Sayaani Bheed Main Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho
Baavri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Baavra Ek Raag Ho
Baavre Se Pair Chaahen, Baavron Tarano Ke, Baavre Se Bol Pe Thirakna

Baavra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Baavra Sa Ho Andhera, Baavri Khamoshiyan
Thartharati Lou Ho Maddham, Baavri Madhoshiyan
Baavra Ek Ghooghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataye, Baavre Se Mukhde Se Sarakana

Baavra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Lyrics - Swanand Kirkire
Movie - Hazaaron Kwaishien Aisi
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Seeing Jill running her hand frantically over the book, Jack came over.
“Oh I am trying to wipe out the water”, explained Jill.
“But I can’t see any”.
“Oh, I don’t know”, she looked at him.
“It’s not the page, it’s your eyes”.
She had to blink twice to see what he meant.
She chuckled “Ohh...silly me”.
Jack kept staring into the book.
“When it stopped raining in Bologna”, he muttered slowly.
“You were reading the same line an hour ago”, he finished.
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Aksar us chauraste pe nazar tho padthi hain.
Magar us gali se guzarne ki izzazat khud ko,
kabhie kabhie hii diya karte hain.

jaane kyun dil jaanta hai, tu hain tho I'll be all right

random observations...

-There is something quite inexplicable about listening to jazz on a lonely evening.
-If I were to make a movie, it would definitely be a Drama.
-News and Coffee are addictions that are hard to fight off.
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Currently reading – Catch 22
Page after page, I am amazed at how Heller manages to keep it going. A friend of mine once talked about how the rest of Heller’s stuff pale in comparison. I am not surprised. A book like this one can only happen once.

Mr. Joseph Heller, take a bow.
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Currently listening to -

Jaane kyun dil jaanta hain... Tu hain tho, I'll be all right.
Tu hain tho tedhi medhi rahein... Ulti pulti baatein, seedhi lagti hain
Tu hain tho jhoothe muthe vaadein...Dushman ke iraade, sache lagtein hain
Jo Dil mein taare vaare de jaga...Woh tu hi hain, tu hi hain.
Jo rothe rothe de hasa... Tu hi hai wohi.

Jaane kyun Dil jaanta hai... Tu hain tho, I'll be all right.

Movie – Dostana
Lyrics - Anvitha Dutt
Singer - Vishal Dadlani
Music - Vishal - Shekar

Correction: Music is by Vishal - Shekar, not SEL

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Statutory Warning: Those allergic to things morose, please feel free to stay away.

Awash in thought she reached home,
hoping to wash the day away with a nap.
Jolted out of sleep, desperate for air,
she allowed herself to grasp it fully, only after a second.
It was a dream, she figured.
Only a dream, she tried to tell herself.
Dared to laugh, she would have,
had she not fully comprehended it.
Resting her head on the pillow, she closed her eyes,
waiting for her racing heart to slow down.
She shifted a little to the right, thinking it could help,
then she shifted to the left, hoping it would help.
She then opened her eyes slowly,
and searched for the ceiling lost in the darkness.
There shall be no more sleep for the night, she knew.
The watch said three more hours were to pass,
for another morning to come-by.
Three more, she whispered into the air.
Fresh ears would have sensed fear in those words,
but then, so did her own.
Another morning of aspirin, she almost chuckled,
drawing up the covers a little and closing her eyes.
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The To-Read list...

The Last Lecture
Stay Hungry Stay Foolish
Dreams from My Father
Crime and Punishment
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I can’t believe I missed out on this for so long. Let me put a comma to my excitement and get straight to the point.
Alice in the Wonderland – *ng Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton.
3 favs; together; what more can I ask for?
Just when the idea of Depp in the next Batman movie had started to settle in, this piece of news comes along. O Boy!

wat u up2?

-Watched a play.
The president is coming. A political satire by Q Theater Productions.
Thanks to The Hindu group, the Hyderabad Theater Fest has now become an annual affair.
Fun, it was. Witty dialogues, exciting characters, a generous dose of irony et al.

-Asked Ramu a question.
You say.."I am liar". Can one really reach a state of complete moral indifference (to oneself)?
He replied... "I did".

-Watched movies like
Chintakaayala Ravi
Singh is King
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
Er, yes... I sometimes do that. Watch such movies.

-Followed the match.
Yes, India vs Australia.

Of ghastly grammar, irresponsible punctuation and forced rhyme

The irreverent lot, we are.
Of ghastly grammar and irresponsible punctuation.

We think we are wise,
“The end is to communicate”, we state.
If you think otherwise,
You are the lot, we love to hate.

Instinct, our scale.
Mention rules, and we turn pale.

Right are our words, only when they ring right .
You will find all heart and no mind in sight.

Don’t we cringe, you wonder.
Dear Friend, we only smile and ponder.

Get away with blasphemy, we can.
Break all rules and pose smug.
Poke the heel of your high-horse, we can.
Then smile at you and ask for a hug.

Oh dear, we know all the tricks.
Just that, flouting propriety gives us the kicks.

The irreverent lot, we are.
Of ghastly grammar and irresponsible punctuation.

everybody has a theory

And the blame game is full-on. The Democrats might be happy being the only ones with the immediate and visible gain from the current financial crisis (The momentum has definitely, even if slightly, shifted in favour of Obama, they say). But not everybody is happy with them.
Justin Webb put up some links and I recommend you check them out.
Especially the last one. Fascinating.
Better still, check them out in reverse order.

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The truly trivial and the nearly spectacular - Chapter 4:

Lying outdoors. Head resting on cross-folded arms. A clear jet black sky and lots of stars.

What fun in looking into the mirror?

For something to become a part of your conscious thought process, it has to unsettle you enough.
It has to be different enough - From you. From your environment. From your ideas.
After all, what fun is there in looking into a mirror, except in self-contemplation.
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Some have the ability to be constantly amused with life.
Life in general - Others’ and their own.
Life in specific - The little things : the words said and unsaid, the actions, the motivations, the fears and the hopes.
Some think of it as a mere mask.
I can only say - You just don’t get it, my friend.
Willing to guard it with my life, I wish to never lose that ability.
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Contrary to prevalent and popular romantic sentiments, it is rather easy to be tough on oneself.
Maturity is in knowing when to be easy on oneself.
An acknowledgment of the role that the circumstances play in most things.
An acceptance of one’s own helplessness.
An ability to acknowledge the words - “No Point”.
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Some things, just are.
They needn’t be judged by brainwashed criteria of right or wrong and better or worse.
Acceptance of the above might actually undermine the status of some emotions - as the rarest on the planet.
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Yesterday you might have looked at it and swooned over it.
Today, the line might just be a handful empty words.
What has changed – You?
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Jill just missed her bus to town.
Hands on knees, a panting Jack gave her a “What now” look.
Jill looked at her watch and said “Wait for the next one”.
Sitting on the bench, they found time to look at the newly painted Post-Office.
“I never thought the Post-Office would look so good in blue”, remarked Jack.
“I always thought you oughtta like blue”, said Jill.
“Now I do”.
“I am glad to see you like it”.
“But if you hadn’t missed the bus, you would have not known it”.
“I am glad, I missed it”, finished Jill, craning her neck to see if the next bus was coming.

Johnny Johnny...

A part of the Iraq story I was unaware of, till recently - The Awakening Councils.
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Saw Swades yesterday. Fell in love with the movie all over again. Sharukh can afford to die a contented man.
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“Are we going to make a sequel to The Dark Knight?"
"Yeah".
"How the hell are we going to top Heath? ".
"I’ll tell you how you top Heath — Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin."
*Shit, they’ve done it again!
Now if that hasn't gotten you all excited, I donno what will.
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Alright; I plead guilty to the charge of expecting more than a cordial debate. A few more gaffes maybe.