Combined feed Combined feed for all the three blogs. http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=PERMGqAm3RG5sWUIX0sBXw Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:19:26 -0700 http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ CosmosCombinedFeedhttp://feedburner.google.com Let there be en-LIGHT-enment http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CosmosCombinedFeed/~3/a1sq1500rF4/ I have never heard of such a brilliant idea of family planning. This is what we all should support and do. Ghulam Nabi Azad, our Health and Family Welfare Minister, has called for the country to redouble its efforts to bring electricity to all of its huge rural population. And he is damn serious about it. Now, [...] http://www.cuckooscosmos.com/Musings/?p=1005 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:15:08 -0700 I have never heard of such a brilliant idea of family planning. This is what we all should support and do.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, our Health and Family Welfare Minister, has called for the country to redouble its efforts to bring electricity to all of its huge rural population. And he is damn serious about it.
Now, you must be wondering what electricity has got to do with population control.

This is what he says.
“If there is electricity in every village, then people will watch TV till late at night and then fall asleep. They won’t get a chance to produce children. When there is no electricity there is nothing else to do but produce babies.”

I liked his vision and agree with him. He is trying to kill not two but many more birds with one stone. His vision will help in

• Electricity in remote villages
• High-quality programmes on TV channels to keep viewers awake and glued to TV
• More business for TV channels, artists etc.
• Big business for TV manufacturers
• Work for contractors to build roads. How else do you think TVs will get delivered ?
• Job opportunities & business for small time electricians and TV mechanics
• Business for Cable operators

Hmmm… Only concern. Condom manufacturers should start looking in some other ventures.

Have I missed something ?

Current Song:- Aaj ki Raat ye Kaisi Raat ki Humko Neend Nahi Aati - Rafi
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]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CuckoosMusings/~3/xPwuMWDWqtw/ Kaminey !! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CosmosCombinedFeed/~3/-XNP0soozMk/ Kaminey (Bastard) Kaminey, the most loved used word in Hindi vocabulary after ‘Saale’. And off late I have started liking it. Not the word but songs of Kaminey. I particularly liked the ‘Kaminey’ song. I have utterly fallen for it. Gulzar never ceases to amaze me. You got to have special sensory organs to fully cherish his words. [...] http://www.cuckooscosmos.com/Musings/?p=969 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:56:35 -0700 Kaminey (Bastard)

Kaminey, the most loved used word in Hindi vocabulary after ‘Saale’.

And off late I have started liking it. Not the word but songs of Kaminey. I particularly liked the ‘Kaminey’ song. I have utterly fallen for it.

Gulzar never ceases to amaze me. You got to have special sensory organs to fully cherish his words. His each song is so close to simpler things in life which we tend to ignore most of the time.
I feel Vishal Bhardwaj & Gulzar’s combination is blunt, ruthless and yet so assuring. Rendition of the word ‘Kaminey’ in so many different ways is just fatal with Vishal’s voice acting as icing on the cake.

Here are the lyrics which I have written after listening to the song, so more correct than what is available on net. :)

Kya kare jindagi, isko hum jo mile
iski jaan kha gaye raat din ke gile - (2)

Raat din gile
meri aarju kamini, mere khwaab bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi, wo huzoor bhi kaminey
kya kare jindagi, isko hum jo mile
iski jaan kha gaye raat din ke gile

kabhi jindagi se maanga pinjare mein chaand la do
kabhi laaltain deke kaha aasmaan pe taango - (2)
jeene ke sab kareene the hamesha se kaminey
kaminey, kaminey, kaminey, kaminey
meri dastan kamini, mere raaste kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi, ye huzoor bhi kaminey

jiska bhi chehara chheela, andar se aur nikla
maasoom sa kabootar nachaa to more nikla
kabhi hum kaminey nikle, kabhi doosare kaminey
kaminey, kaminey, kaminey, kaminey
meri dosti kamini, mere yaar bhi kaminey
ik dil se dosti thi, ki huzoor bhi kaminey

Current Song:- Kya Kare Zindagi, Isko Hum Jo Mile - Kaminey
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]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CuckoosMusings/~3/HiCixQvt4K4/ शादी http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CosmosCombinedFeed/~3/pGo3fa5K8xo/ ना बारात आई दरवाज़े पर, ना ही आवाज़ कोई ढोल या शहनाई की | ना कोई मंडप सज़ा था फूलों से ना ज़रूरत हलवाई की | नहीं था घूंघट और ना ही सोलह श्रींगार | ना ही स्वागत मिलन का दृश्य, ना थी डोली विदाई की | दो सूनी आँखों की कसक ढूंढ रही थी भीड़, और दो आँखों में थी चमक प्यार के तन्हाई की [...] http://www.cuckooscosmos.com/Musings/?p=199 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:49:10 -0700 ना बारात आई दरवाज़े पर,
ना ही आवाज़ कोई ढोल या शहनाई की |
ना कोई मंडप सज़ा था फूलों से
ना ज़रूरत हलवाई की |

नहीं था घूंघट
और ना ही सोलह श्रींगार |
ना ही स्वागत मिलन का दृश्य,
ना थी डोली विदाई की |

दो सूनी आँखों की कसक
ढूंढ रही थी भीड़,
और दो आँखों में थी चमक
प्यार के तन्हाई की |

समधी मिलन हुआ
हाथों के मिलने से |
और नए जोड़े ने स्वीकारी
कुछ बातें बधाई की |

रस्मों के नाम पर बस
कुछ लाइनें पढ़ी गयीं,
दो दस्तखत हुए और
कुछ ने हामी भरी गवाही की |

Current Song:- Saanson ko saanso se - Hum Tum
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]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CuckoosMusings/~3/92HUjYOgQZA/ Couple http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CosmosCombinedFeed/~3/_5_2BLCquFM/ I have very weird sense of imagination and sometimes it can take any shape. On the same lines, when I imagine a couple, it can be anything…. from a gay couple to two flying birds to .. .. No, no I am neither going in detail nor showing you any of such photos from my collection. [...] http://www.cuckooscosmos.com/PhotoGallery/2009/07/12/couple/ Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:01:39 -0700 I have very weird sense of imagination and sometimes it can take any shape.

On the same lines, when I imagine a couple, it can be anything…. from a gay couple to two flying birds to .. .. No, no I am neither going in detail nor showing you any of such photos from my collection. But promise you to show some of them at a later date, where the subjects became targets of my perception.

Anyhow, ignoring all that, for this month’s theme “Couple”, I have chosen a simple and direct photo as my entry.

Now, it’s your turn to show your perceptions. Remember, you can enter this month’s contest till 20th July midnight IST.

Here you go……

]]> http://www.cuckooscosmos.com/PhotoGallery/2009/07/12/couple/ How important is a ladies bathroom ? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CosmosCombinedFeed/~3/fHBaZi4xL-4/ We visit places of worships, museums or historical monuments. We talk about the great architecture, memorable history and interesting lifestyles related to them. Mostly these stories are built around the affluent and powerful residents of the place. How often do we talk about a common man or his living habits ? Or much obvious things ? Almost [...] http://www.cuckooscosmos.com/Travel/2009/07/14/how-important-is-a-ladies-bathroom/ Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:01:06 -0700 We visit places of worships, museums or historical monuments. We talk about the great architecture, memorable history and interesting lifestyles related to them. Mostly these stories are built around the affluent and powerful residents of the place.
How often do we talk about a common man or his living habits ? Or much obvious things ?

Almost never.

One such place is bathroom. One of the most neglected rooms in a common household. We must have seen large sized ‘bath-halls’ of kings & queens with a pool and other comforts where there were tens of servants to cater to smallest needs. But what about a common household ? Have you ever wondered how in a particular community a lady used to take bath ?

Today I’ll tell you how and where Portuguese lady of a common household used to take bath in older days. Well, not only Portuguese but I guess British ancestors also did the same.

This is a typical ladies bathroom in any middle class family of a Portuguese household.

The slanted ceiling of the bathroom is made of wooden planks. Outer wall of the bathroom normally has a painting of a naked woman indicating it to be a ladies bathroom. At window level there is a shelf with an oil lamp which is to be lit when the bathroom is occupied.
Just below this shelf there is a fireplace with wood logs and this also has a clay stove on the other side of this wall.

Photograph Copyright : Cuckoo’s Cosmos

Now on the inside i.e. inside the bathroom, a large copper vessel with water is kept on the clay stove. And a ‘lota‘ (mug) made of brass is used to take water from this vessel.
The floor is made of stone. Generally both the toilet and bathing area are separate. I will talk about the toilets later.

Photograph Copyright : Cuckoo’s Cosmos

I have seen one on slightly different lines in my great grandmother’s native place. Since we were ruled by the British, I think it must have come from them.

P.S. - This was the answer in response to my quiz about this naked lady.

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]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cuckooscosmos/JMUt/~3/kC5l9-WU2nQ/ Rockefeller Center - New York http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CosmosCombinedFeed/~3/uFe_wnLybk4/ During one of my visits to New York, I visited Rockefeller Center. It is one of the attractions of New York city, an art deco marvel consisting of around 20 commercial buildings covering 11 acres in midtown Manhattan. Named after the multi-millionaire, John D. Rockefeller, who leased the space for a commercial district. Statue of Atlas The [...] http://www.cuckooscosmos.com/Travel/2009/07/04/rockefeller-center-new-york/ Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:37:17 -0700 During one of my visits to New York, I visited Rockefeller Center. It is one of the attractions of New York city, an art deco marvel consisting of around 20 commercial buildings covering 11 acres in midtown Manhattan. Named after the multi-millionaire, John D. Rockefeller, who leased the space for a commercial district.

Statue of Atlas

The statue of Atlas holds an interesting story. It is said Atlas resembled Mussolini, Italy’s fascist dictator and hence the statue was picketed upon its unveiling. And I thought controversies related to statues happen only in India. :)
Can you see Roman similarities in this statue ?

The arcade of Rockefeller Center is the most popular route of tourists. There were restaurants all over the place but the center garden makes way to the sub-ground restaurant area which becomes an ice skating rink in wintertime. At Christmas, the whole place is decorated beyond recognition.

The murals and mosaics have been wonderfully preserved and give a museum like atmosphere to your visit. When you walk around you’ll find some interesting art works gracing these outdoor edifices.

I saw this slanted pole in the Center. The pole with people on it was kept in such a way that it looked like people from all walks of life were ‘going to the moon’.

Walking to the Moon

How small it looks in front of skyscrapers. To capture this shot I had to take it at an angle.

I think it was a temporary structure at that time. I am not aware if it has become a permanent one since I haven’t been able to visit the Rockefeller center after that.

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