Start something of your own

Like the salad, our minds are all dressed up. We believe we are highly educated. Maybe each generation has the same belief. We think we are more urbane, classy and chic than our grandparents. We think we are an open minded generation. But the question is “are we getting anything fresh?’’ It’s like the mind is kind of all dressed up but nowhere to go!

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It’s a scary and horrifying truth that we do not know who we are, why we are here or where are we going in this chaotic world. We depend on the authorities to show us direction. The political, the religious, the educational authorities, they all combine to give us orders, rules, regulations, information – in the process forming our minds, our views, our opinions, our principles and our lives. We become enslaved by the authorities’ view and diktat. It is very difficult to think for yourself. It is very difficult to question authority.


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All religions are primitive. Some years back there were many gods. Now there is only one god. If and with only one god, you no choice or option. You only submit to god. I think the word Islam means submission. In Christianity you kneel down. Each religion has its own way to make you feel small. Visit the church and the Padre says “Son, you are a sinner". The message is clear - Zip up your trousers, give the money to the church and they will give you a room up in a hotel in the sky.

I wonder why we do not start a religion of our own! Perhaps nobody wants to be a social dropout.

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Of late, I have come to appreciate that I am not too proud to have accomplished my sales target, month after month, quarter after quarter, year on year, or to have been picked by a much sought after MNC, or to have attained a promotion for my ‘contribution to the corporation’. I have come to realize that at one time or the other, I was just an anonymous institutional corporate worker who drove to work each morning in a SUV, joining the long line of commuters, getting stranded in the traffic, and drove back home each night to have whiskey. I was like the several million middle class, liberal, cerebral robots.

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Escape from Life - Impersonation - Hope

Conceivably the entire purpose of our life is to escape from life. We seem to rummage around for modes to escape. We try to escape in myths, in drugs, in alcohol, in lies, in marriages, in children, building careers, making money, lusting for sex, power and fame or by any other means at our disposal.

Maybe all these soothe us and give us a few moments of comfort and relieve.

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Are we conscious who we are whilst we live our life on a daily basis? Do we develop our own personality or do we lose our character and our individuality? Do we impersonate others? Do we masquerade to be what we are not? Do we regain our awareness after experiencing such phases of life? Does our sensibility lose their sharpness such that everything like hunger, cold, fatigue, poverty, corruption, annihilation, destruction and other pains of life takes second place and we become work animals?

How do we deny these?

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I guess with the accumulation of years and coming of age, with all the revelations and experiences that we envisage or encounter, we come to realize that happiness is not only unattainable but also a myth.

Every step that we take is encumbered with piles of obstacles. It thwarts us from the state of happiness. The knowledge about our future is so inadequate that we exist with a word called ‘hope’. But in an instance the ‘hope’ is superseded again by the uncertainty of the following day. We are uncertain when death will strike us, but we are assured that death will thwack us.

Everything is so conflicting, so incongruous that it impedes us to be in a state of happiness.

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The Wrong Man

The Wrong Man {1956} by Alfred Hitchcock is based on a true but bizarre story of a man who was booked for crimes he never committed.


When all the stacks for the protagonist were piled up against him, his mother asked him to pray to god for strength. God did listen to his prayers and the ‘right guy’ was caught red handed robbing a store. Our protagonist was exonerated and he went back to his normal life.

Henry Fonda portrayed a very subdued act. He does not drink, he does not womanize, he goes back home to his wife and two kids and is a devoted family man. That was the essence of the movie. Moreover his eyes depicted a range of emotions and circumstances which very few actors can perform. Vera Miles was infallible in her role as a mother and wife who cracks and lands up in a mental institution. The B & W photography was brilliant.

The only wish was that AH should have thrown some more scenes of Fonda playing with the Jazz Band as a Bass player.

Classical works – The ones I like

Can‘t say finally, since the endeavor is an incessant process, but after many months and after hearing thousands of these pieces and many a composer – I have managed to shortlist the following (The list is no way exhaustible):

Aaron Copland Fanfare For The Common Man.
Aram Khatchaturian - sabre dance
Bach - Air on a G string
Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G
Bach - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Bach - Minuet In G Major
Bach - Prelude In C
Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
Beethoven - 5th symphony
Beethoven - 6th Symphony
Beethoven - 9th Ode to Joy
Beethoven - 9th Symphony
Beethoven - Fur Elise
Beethoven - Minuet in G
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata No.14, 1st movement
Beethoven - ode an die freude
Bizet - Carmen Suite No.1 'Les Toreadores'
Bizet - Les Toreadors
Boccherini – Minuet
Borodin Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
Brahms - Hungarian Dance No.5
Brahms – Lullaby
Brahms - Waltz in Ab Major
Brahms_ - hugarian dance no.5
Carl Orff - Carmina Burana 'O Fortuna'
Chopin - Etude in E Major
Chopin - fantasie impromptu
Chopin - Grand Waltz Brilliant, Op.18
Chopin - Military March, Op.40 No.1
Chopin - 'Minute' Waltz No.64 in Db Major
Chopin - Nocturne No.2 in Eb Major, Op.9
Chopin - Polonaise in Ab Major, Op.53
Chopin - Prelude in A
Chopin - Waltz Op.64 No.2
Copland - Fanfare For the Common Man]
Debussy - Clair de Lune
Debussy - Golliwog's Cakewalk
Delibes - Coppelia Waltz
Di Capua - O Sole Mio
Edvard Grieg - anitra's dance
Edvard Grieg – morgenstimmung
Edvard Grieg – Morning
Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite 'Anitra's Dance'
Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Gershwin – Summertime
Giazotto – Adagio
Glinka - Russian and Ludmilla Overture
Gruber - Stille Nacht
Haydn - Trumpet Concerto in Eb (3rd movement)
J. Strauss Jr - Champagne Polka
J. Strauss Jr - Die Fledermaus Overture
J. Strauss Jr - Emperor's Waltz
J. Strauss Jr - Radetzky March
J. Strauss Jr - Tales From The Vienna Woods
J. Strauss Jr - The Blue Danube Waltz
J. Strauss Jr - Thunder And Lightning Polka
J. Strauss Jr - Tritsch-Trasch-Polka
J. Strauss Jr - Vienna Blood Waltz
J. Strauss Jr - Voices of Spring
J. Strauss Jr - Wiener Blut Waltz
J. Strauss Jr - Wine Women And Song Waltz
Joplin – Entertainer
Liszt - Liebestraum no3
Michael Glinka - ruslan & ludmilla
Mikis Theodorakis - Zorba's Dance
Mouskouri - Zorba's Dance
Mozart - andante elvira Madigan
Mozart - Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No.21
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - 1. Allegro
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - 2. Romance
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - 3. Minuetto
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - 4. Rondo
Mozart - Overture to The Marriage of Figaro
Mozart - Piano Concerto no21
Mozart - Piano Sonata no11
Mozart - rondo alla turca
Mozart - Symphony no 40
Mozart - Symphony no25
Paganini - 24th Caprice
Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on Paganini
Ravel – Bolero
Rota – Godfather
Tchaikovsky - March of the Toy Soldiers
Tchaikovsky - nutcracker ballet suite - flower waltz
Tchaikovsky - nutcracker ballet suite – march
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto no1
Tchaikovsky - Sleeping Beauty - Waltz.mp3
Tchaikovsky - Waltz of the Flowers
Vaughan Williams - Fantasia On 'Greensleeves'
Vivaldi - Four Seasons_Spring (1st Movement)
Vivaldi - Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Vivaldi – Spring
Wagner - bridal chorus
Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries
Waldteufel - The Skaters Waltz




The above are for my records only_

The Power of Human Stupidity

We are too near to each other. The world indeed is very small. It is this closeness that brings about war. Had we lived in space, the distances would have been too great and unfeasible to declare war on some nations. That would be a great loss to some people (mostly who are in power), since war is humanity’s greatest and most popular distraction.

War brings purpose and colour to our otherwise insipid and stupid lives. Never underestimate the power of human stupidity

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

To most, religion is a source of happiness. One should not dispossess anyone of his happiness. Happiness blinds reasonableness. The religious person cannot judge or look for evidence and has to be engulfed in faith. He cannot choose to live a desolate life of rationale uncertainty. He does not honestly say, “I don’t know”. Hence it is not possible for him to get at the truth or gain any new idea.

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

It is platitude

There is an old saying, “The early bird catches the worm”. What makes you so sure you are the bird? You can turn out to be the worm too. Wouldn’t it be wise to stay late on bed and not be caught by the bird?

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ


History and religious scriptures are both written by men. One is the truth, the other is the theology. History has not recorded anywhere at any time that a religion is based on rational foundation. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand on their own feet and face the unknown without help. It’s like dandruff. Most people have religion like they have dandruff and spend a considerable amount of time and money on it. They seem to get significant pleasure from fiddling with it.

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ


“Learn from the experience of others.” I have heard this phrase before, so many times. My own experience is that we human beings scarcely learn from the experience of others. Whatever we learn, that is if we do think we learn or when we ever learn, which is not quite often; we learn on our own – the hard way.

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

One day I had a dream that the purpose of this cosmos is to have sex with the woman you love and make a baby with or without her consent. In my dream I could not make out any other purpose of this universe.

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ


I would term it as platitude - the thought that more or less all sect, cult or religion will enact laws upon acquiring political power. The next step would be to asphyxiate disagreements; undermining and destabilizing all education; to confiscate the early minds of the young; driving underground, the people who have non-agreeable or different opinions; by locking up or by killing.

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ


I have often heard the phrase, “It is better to be a living jackal than a dead lion.” How pleasant it would be to be a living lion!

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ


I am learning not to teach the pigs to think. I am learning not to argue with pigs. It is a waste of time and it also infuriates the pigs. I am learning!

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

Of Free Men, Government, Critics and Democracy

We have never understood why we human beings have a great capacity to swallow nonsense and then vomit it out aggressively and exploit it. Are we still the ignorant peasant with dung on our boots?

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

I am a free man.

When the government or any religious leaders embark on a mission and sends out a diktat that I should not read this book, I should not see this movie, I am prohibited to know certain things – you may be well assured that the final consequences are tyranny and an environment of totalitarianism and repression.


It does not matter how hallowed, or divine or righteous the intentions are. Very little force is required to control the mind of a man who has been deceived. On the other hand, no amount of force can control a man whose mind is free. No prison or guns can triumph over a free man.

The most you can do is kill me

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

I try to keep my mind open. It is a very difficult task. Deep inside I am hounded by this thought that if something has not happened yesterday does not mean that it will not happen tomorrow. Shutting my mind would be opening up this idea - that everything is impossible.

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

We human beings are mathematicians, scientist, Architects, Builders, Electricians, Gas Fitters, Plumbers, Scavengers, Accountants, Advocates, Statisticians, Teachers, Prostitutes, Dentist, Pharmacist, Musicians, Librarians, Salesman, Farmers, Fisherman, Day Labourers, Drivers, Construction workers, Policeman, Army Man, Managers, Technologist, Entrepreneurs…. And beggars. Some of us are even worse than animals.

Are all men equal? Can we believe in a theoretical theory that the Mathematicians and the beggars are equal? Does democracy work under this hypothesis?

ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ

I have never understood the role of critics. They are held in high esteem though. People follow their statements. They adopt their criticisms. They are swayed and influenced by the critics. They move about their lives as per the critics’ directives.

I have never understood why we listen to critics, who never created anything and feel competent to evaluate, review, or judge the work of creative men.

Maybe there is parasitical rationality in this chaos. At least he is impartial – He lives off creative people and hates all of them equally