Your home is on fire. Grab five items (assume all people and animals are safe). What did you grab?
Just quite recently already answered this. Instead below enjoy a good song.
Burn It Down
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Tag Archives: postaday
Superstitions. Superstitions Everywhere!
I detest all those foolish superstitions, ranging from the common ones like the black cats (I actually like black cats, they look so sinisterly cool) to the most pathetic ones which get mixed into religion, culture, ethic and heck even humanity!
Till now I never really understood on what basis 7 is a ‘lucky number’ or why 13 is ‘unlucky’. What the fuck is ‘touchwood’? Isn’t there much better things to feel? (If you get what I mean)
Here Indians top the superstition list right from top to bottom. I should rightly call this country the land of superstitions. Majority is summed up in one word – Astrology. I understand different feelings and perceptions about Destiny but this? Ridiculous non-sense! The position of planets in space determine your entire life before you are even born? Do people even know how many planets, systems, stars and what not are there in the first place? Well guess what no one knows. Here the stars know more about your life, what you must pursue, who will be your ideal partner to marry, not you. Don’t even dare question ‘elders’, even if one is a wasted drunk fellow who has to be jailed, simply because he existed for 1 second more than you in this planet. The older you are, the more you know by default, that is the rule. Even if you can’t read or write that is.
And yes by extension never to mess with ‘god’, even if it can get your dick chopped (or something equally bad if you are a female), the superficial auspiciousness of everything is more important than sense and even life. Yeah even some animals are ‘auspicious’ and ‘revered’, even more than the poor fellow who works hard to support his ill family without getting properly paid, while others can be feasted on quite easily without any question.
Every part of the country and subsequently the world has a different such tale. There are many who believe angels are real, but will condemn a person who steps up for a right cause or to simply help a stranger in need when everyone else watching should. And these same people later go to temples/churches and other places of ‘worship’, do poojas and what not in the good lord’s name and caste ill names on the people who speaks their mind out, and who actually speak with sense and truth.
I would stop here, for I might end up writing a book on this, which I rather not and instead do something more useful. I wonder what is the most drastic superstition there is. Do you have any, even if unintentionally bestowed upon you since childhood? Which one or more do you most idiotic?
Through the evening window
It’s 8:25 PM late in the evening right now. I pause to think how it’s funny as 9:00 PM is technically beings night while it’s already dark as hell now. Well it is technically winter still, and at this time its hardly (beings to in a manner of speaking) dark in summer.
Looking at/through the nearest window to me right now viz in the living room, where (almost) everything of mine is at, the two potted plants come to attention first and the most. One (left in the picture below) is the plant Tulsi which you can find in almost any Indian home on account of being holy. Well I don’t know nor care about that, but it is quite a resourceful one. And the other one is the curry leaf tree (called Kaddi Patta in Hindi) another very (most?) common one in India which is the basis for the everyday (more or less) consumed green chutney, which is one of the many Indian ‘dips’ for various Indian dishes and also used in variety of other food stuff, especially sandwiches here.
All my house windows were full of pots of various plants, various flowers blowing, almost a window-garden was every room of my house once since many years. Well as time rolled by it became difficult to manage (especially after my grandmother’s ill health) which resulted in some dying and most of them were moved and planted down in the building. These 2 were gifted by a friend, well so we kept it in the house, so the plant count is not zero anymore. And speaking of plants, on another note, literally all windows of every room of my house have been the birthplace of countless pigeons and sparrows. Even right now there are a bunch of sparrow babies and their mother in one of the rest room’s windows. I have captured few of them in my other blog. I always wanted to see a crow family too, but so far for over a decade I was only witness to pigeons and sparrows being born. And lot of passing by squirrels.
That is the most significant thing there is. Apart from that the opposite building can be seen, which marks the end point of my colony area. The slum area is visible which is adjacent to my colony.
At a distance (not pictured above) different lights can be viewed of other buildings, and the church near my area and my school. And the plain boring (for now) sky. That’s about it. The area I live in is surely to some extent a sort of a paradox which I described earlier for a weekly photo challenge which you can view.
Ode to a Playground
A place from your past or childhood, one that you’re fond of, is destroyed. Write it a memorial.
Ah yesterday’s Plinky prompt is today’s daily prompt, more or less. Actually the same. I already said what I had to say in this post, have not much attachment to any place in particular. There are many places I was fond of, but none have held a lasted impression to me. I’m one of those who doesn’t miss his childhood.
As for a playground, for me the whole world (or rather wherever I have been) has been one. Thinking of which, I remember technically the first one I have been, the small one outside (my) kindergarten classrooms of my school. It was a small one with sand and the usual stuff like swings, slides and the circle thing which rotated on which kids stand and make it rotate. Remember it being my most favourite, yet (even now) didn’t bother to know what it’s called.
If such a place is no more (and me having some affection towards it), I would just say:
Change is the changeless law of life.
Best thing since sliced bread?
Most of us have heard the saying, “That’s the best thing since sliced bread!” What do you think is actually the best thing since sliced bread?
Alright, quite honestly, this is the first time I’m reading this phrase, prior to this daily prompt I never knew about it. Another reason to love this community, learning something new everyday. Funny as I don’t recall reading it anywhere nor seeing it in a movie or television. Perhaps it’s fame didn’t go beyond US or I really live in the dark realm.
Either ways, I did the first thing which one might do, googled (yes that’s really a modern word) it. Courtesy of the other best friend wiki, sliced bread was first sold in 1928, advertised as “the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped”. Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, USA; invented the first loaf-at-a-time bread-slicing machine (A prototype he built in 1912 was destroyed in a fire and it was not until 1928 that Rohwedder had a fully working machine ready). This led to the popular phrase, “the greatest thing since sliced bread“.
The ungodly technological advancement. Ranging from what the military and rocket scientists to the common consumer use. Internet. Connecting with people and things (no Nokia pun intended). I could go on. Hard to point towards just one. 
And since we spoke about sliced bread and in my mind food floating making me hungry, speaking about food I would have said Pizza, but well that existed about a millennium before sliced bread. Although the word “pizza“ was documented the first time in 977 in Gaeta and successively in different parts of Central and South Italy, which now the world famously recognizes it as an Italian dish, the history of the dish itself is not very clear or well documented. There are indications that it originated in Greece much before that.
Well that just means, for me ‘the best thing after sliced bread’ actually was invented millennia before that, which is Pizza 😀
The Devil in and around me
I can see him clearly, or her, for they are genderless, unless you think so. So here I shall call it it, get it? Shining brightly while glancing back at me. Staring back for too long hurts my eyes and watery. It is a beast capable of doing wonders, when asked and worked with in the proper manner.
It rests on top of its mighty dark throne, which keeps it cool from becoming hot tempered. What it has to say is heard with the help of its two accomplices which each lie on its either side, and serve as its voice. Like ministers to their kings. But they are not the only ones, for it’s council does not end there. Although it has adviser of its own, it has another powerful outsider which guides it on what to do without which things can be less convenient and sometimes impossible. And this powerful adviser has a special place of it’s own. And not to forget, most importantly it has vast various resources which are kept by its agents who are the most important here perhaps, and responsible for keeping things and make them flowing. And lastly its army is joined by many other soldiers from time to time, making it truly powerful.
The first impression one can get looking at it is like looking at a bright as well as dark beast. I know quite the paradox. Like us humans, it’s capable of changing its bright colours, only here I mean quite literally! For now it shines in vibrant blue, where from every part comes a calming light of blue. Each organ shows off the master’s colour and thus its glory.
On a side note, blue is supposed to have a calming effect on the viewer, no wonder many sites too like WordPress, facebook, Twitter etc. and heck even he chair I’m sitting on right now is blue! Still not getting what I’m speaking about, or was that just blabbering by me? It is none other than my faithful partner in crime, the devil – My laptop. Right now where I’m sitting at and typing all this.
In a previous post, I had already covered a bit about my writing space along with the rest of my living room, so now going into more details I thought it would be a bit fun to write it that way. Hope you enjoyed yourself, you can have a look at that post so see how It and its council looks. 😀
This was in response to this week’s writing challenge. And I find it a bit funny the fact that I’ve been playing this game DmC Devil May Cry which just released few days back The devil is everywhere I guess.
How Music Matters (to me)
Universally accepted addiction, healing medicine, entertainment or simply for passing time – Music. What would have life been without it?
What role does music play in my life? I should say quite a big one. Although I don’t actively blast listen to much music now due to so many things happening, or simply I prefer the quiet more (dam am I growing too old already?) music had a big impact on my life, more than I care to admit.
Anyone who knows me in person/virtually or simply judging by looking at the image above, Linkin Park is my most all time favourite band of all time. Not only they are great musicians but also great human beings. Their music was one of the first I heard when I started listening to music when I was a kid in school, I didn’t have a computer back then and it was limited to tv, radio, CDs, and computers of cousins and my uncle. Not to forget my school. I was very much into the developing internet and doing various crap, learning stuff like HTML, Flash, Photoshop and other minor stuff along the way while at it. Everything changed in ’05 when I got my very own computer at home. The TV slowly became a long lost friend, as I was no longer ‘needed it; for movies, music, and hell since then till today, all ‘TV shows’ are seen by me on my laptop.
Coming to music here, from Linkin Park and very few other classic artists like The Beatles, Eagles, Nirvana (I remember back then the first time I thought they were an Indian band because of the name), Led Zeppelin and some others. I was never into Hindi music or any of the Indian pop simply because most of them were either crap while others I simply couldn’t understand (Hindi) properly.
Music, especially Linkin Park, changed my life completely. I was always the lone-wolf on my own, so that was my salvation (in a manner of speaking). Listening to good music and lyrics calmed the mind and made me think (that happens only when you listen to the good ones and not today’s crap mostly in the name of music). Coming to LP, because of them my interest broadened widely, and contrary to my appearance which looks like I’m the kind into rock and metal, I enjoy listening to many artists from almost all genres of music ranging from rock, metal to even classic, orchestra and especially soundtracks from video games, anime, movies and shows. Anything which sounds good to my ears and head.
Heck, Linkin Park has become a part of my identity today, some even introduce me to others as ‘the Linkin Park guy’ here. I have done a lot in my life directly or indirectly inspired by them. Apart from my 2 blogs, I also co-run Linkin Park India Unlimited, India’s #1 Linkin Park fansite, and have met many amazing people here and around the world all thanks to them. I wasn’t always the awesome person I’m now 😛 and I felt shit about myself hell lot of times before, and these powerful words made me stronger and better person. Or I’d like to think that way.
It saddens me a bit as I’m a member of the official fan club Linkin Park Underground and waiting for over 9 years to see them live now, and probably I’m one of the oldest fans/LPUers who haven’t seen them yet. I wish I was (filthy) rich at such times so that I could fly overseas. Well atleast I got all the online privileges and even shout outs by Mike Shinoda himself.
When we started the band, it was because we were waiting for a sound that never happened. We got tired of waiting, and we decided to just do it ourselves.
– Mike Shinoda
This quote by Mike has inspired me a lot personally to do things in my life, and many of my fellow mates at LPIU where we are trying to implement it, in this case most importantly to make our favourite band perform in our country. So far we have managed to achieve some good milestones, small but still important and hopefully will get to see them live here in India soon in the future.
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
– Bob Marley
My Eulogy for Myself
Writing my eulogy. This is a whole new level of talking to myself and about myself, and here both of them put together! Quite naturally I don’t know where on earth (?) I’ll be when I kick the bucket, I have this paradoxical feeling of ‘worrying’ of dying alone, and at the same time much preferring wanting that. So here it goes, sort of:
The beast is no more, and has gone to ride beyond this world, if such a thing exists that is. Mere words won’t do justice to him, or more honestly there are no words for that matter. I would have like to have called him my friend, but I doubt anyone of us could honestly say so. He wasn’t the greatest out there, nor the most attractive, but what made him special was he was always himself and always tried to be true to himself and ones around him. He was\ the bravest, and craziest person I ever knew. I wonder what all he managed to accomplish before he kicked the bucket, but I sincerely hope he was personally satisfied in the end, which he wasn’t at all at any given time. He would have not have believed someone would say this as he was always the lone-wolf, but in all sincerity I will miss that son of a gun. I hope he found some measure of peace in the end.
Well that would be about it, although as I already mentioned above, I would rather have and most likely will as I think now that I’ll be on my own. The idea of laying dead on the bed with hundreds (number depends on how famous/rich you are) around you mourning (depends, many of which is just obligatory) doesn’t much appeal to me. If I have one wish, someone play a Linkin Park song on my passing, or a good tune. Well I won’t be hearing that when I kick the bucket, so that won’t matter either way.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Beyond
Image
This is a photo taken back in late 2007 or early 2008 exactly which I can’t remember right now. It is a view from the top of my school from one of the buildings, and since my home is about 5 minutes away this is more or less a view from my home too.
What strikes me in this picture as it has the natural beauty in it, the slums and the fancy big buildings all around together in one place. I live in quite the mixed neighborhood. It shows me that the world is out there to be faced. Well the sky looks good too. While there many photos which I could have put up here which reflected beyond to me, for this reason this image struck me the most here.
10 minutes of nothingness?
So this is another interesting daily prompt. Like those impromptu extempore speeches one might have asked to give at a or multiple points of time in one’s life. Now just a difference I have absolutely no clue what to write about, and expected to write down something within 10 minutes trying to make some sort of sense at the very least (who am I kidding?).
I’m the kind who either writes pages all together within some minutes or unable to write nothing at all, and sadly I feel this is one of those latter moments. So let me start or rather I should say continue with one of those topics which intrigue me: Nothingness.
Instead of blabbering some shit, just here I’m typing it down, at the same time combating the chaos happening around me. For me here (Bombay, India) the daily prompt comes around 6:30-7:00 PM, when I usually go out for a walk if not doing something else, and the time approximately when the rest of the family members come back home. So right around the time when my peaceful quota of the day ends. It’s like a challenge for me to write the daily posts here everyday. Today I started with figuring out how the timer in my apparently-not-so-smart phone works (more of a computer guy, quite literally and not much into phones)
This exercise showed me just another day for spending time with myself really, and in a way testing my typing speed/skill perhaps. Atleast I’m good at something. Just shows it’s difficult to think of something out of the blue, nothingness being the issue I was trying to speak about here. Here I have absolutely nothing in my mind right now and I find it hard to believe myself. Maybe I need to spend more time with myself, or actually I’m doing that in abundance, just not in the ‘right way’. Spending time with yourself is very important, and I surprised I managed to come up with all this without thinking. Okay, barely. Still some seconds left on the timer so before it’s up, and whoever is reading this, ought to try it this yourself, not necessary if you are a blogger. Or maybe I’m just talking to myself, which I always do and have no idea why. Or maybe I know. Ah fuck it.
The Nameless One 