Lost in Wonder

News Alert! Modern day witches!

2009-08-20T09:50:00.008+05:30

I wasn't planning on writing today but here I am because I just heard a story. It was a horrible story and I had to share it. As you know, I've done plenty of posts about how women are treated badly and all the terrible things that happen all over the world. Just the other day, a friend sent me a news article about a new law ('No sex, no food') passed in Afghanistan. Quite disgusting. I'm grateful for the laws in our country that protect women. I'm not completely partial towards women (unlike what many believe). It's just that they do have a lot happening against them. I am partial towards justice though. Which brings me to today's story.

This happened to a friend of a friend but isn't an urban legend. Last evening, a young man was on his way to a wedding in Madras (say, Nelson Manikam road area). He was trying to find the way to the church so he stopped near the junction and asked a "well-groomed" girl standing there if he needed to turn left or right for the church. As soon as he stopped, the girl opened the door of his car and got in and demanded that he have sex with her. The guy freaked out and begged her to get out of his car and she told him to either pay him Rs.10,000 or have sex with her or she will claim he raped her and then she took of her top. He continued to plead with her and told her that he only had Rs.1000 and she then asked him to go to an ATM and give her all the money he has. She said that there is nothing he can do because the police would never believe him (which is true, and she could still claim rape if he chose to have sex with her instead of paying her). The boy continued to cry and beg her for about 45 minutes and finally she took the Rs.1000 and left.

I'm absolutely disgusted at this story. I'm furious that there is nothing the guy can do without the laws protecting women becoming compromised again. This sick girl is abusing the very laws that protect the innocent thereby making a mockery of all that women have been fighting for. I pray and hope for justice. I really hope this girl will get exposed for what she is and be locked up.

In the meantime, I'd just like to tell all the men to please not stop and ask directions from smart looking women without locking their car doors first. Auto-rickshaw drivers might be better at giving directions and they probably won't try and rape men. Unless they're gay. Hmm, now they too have laws protecting them (Which is good...They're human too!).

Okay, always keep your doors locked.

ps - I only titled the post 'witches' to get people to read. My definition of a witch is totally different. :p

News highlights

2009-08-05T11:15:00.005+05:30

I think I missed out on the news of the decade whilst doing my once in a while updates. Michael Jackson died some weeks ago. I found out at about 3am local time because my sister phoned me crying. I'm like, "Can I please mourn in the morning, thank you very much". I woke up the next day and saw that all the news channels seemed to have only this one news item for the day (and then the week). But as they played clips from his life and career, you couldn't help but appreciate his talent and feel overwhelmed. I remember when "History" came out and MTV was MJTV (MTV actually played music in the past) for a whole month... I ended up recording most of it and probably recorded the "Thriller" video the most because that's my all time favourite Michael Jackson song and video. Anyway, then came all the expected controversies necessary to go along with any big celebrity's death... talk about murder, new updates on his children blah blah blah. People are stupid when it comes to lives of famous people. I ended up watching his entire memorial service for some reason. I think it was because of all the testimonies, more to God than MJ. I loved the "King of pop kneeling before the King of kings" line. Funny how the memorial was African-American dominated (I was wondering when Oprah would show up and probably wouldn't have been surprised if Obama made an appearance) and his kids were the only white people there (except for the token white people, Brooke Shields and John Mayer). Oh well, legends usually are legends because their lives are never very long. He's definitely the most well-known entertainer of our time. (And Madonna is a close second).

Speaking of icons of our era, am I the last one to hear the news about Archie? Apparently, after all these years of the famous love triangle, Archie Andrews will propose to Veronica Lodge!. I can't believe he chose her over Betty. In movies of this sort, it's usually the nice girl who adores the leading man who ends up getting him. I guess they didn't want to be typical anymore! I don't get it though... why must the Archie gang grow up and have endings after all this time? Comics are supposed to remain frozen in time and be one of the constants in our aging world. Why couldn't they just be given ipods and facebook pages instead? Anyway, the series with Archie's proposal to Veronica is out next month, I believe. I hope this doesn't mean they're ending Archie. Almost everyone I know grew up reading Archie... it would be sad news even if we had stopped reading those books and switched to naughtier, newer ones. That's the comic book news of the decade.

At this rate death will have done us part before we even got together!

2009-08-04T13:55:00.007+05:30

I need to be married or dead by my birthday!

It’s catastrophic almost – this shortage of equivalent types of men. Someone needs to do something! I wondered if I ought to do a SWOT analysis of this situation. I couldn't come up with any S's or O's though.

Threats:
1. Men seem to be getting married younger and younger
2. OR men seem to be putting off marriage until their mums tell them to stop bumming around
3. Most of them find themselves a mate in school or college. Every couple you see walking down the road look like they're in middle school. I'm curious to know what they talk about other than how chweet Ron and Hermione's romance is.
4. Most of the mates they find are sweet little things that look like they'd break if they were left alone for two seconds or made to carry their own popcorn.

"Girls have an unfair advantage over men: if they can't get what they want by being smart, they can get it by being dumb". - Yul Brynner

“How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.” - Oscar Wilde

Weaknesses:
1. I'm quite content in life and therefore to shift from this state of inertia would take a real force of nature.
2. Nobody seems to fit the bill for that force of nature. Is it me or them? Must be me. But to change would take a bigger force of nature.
3. I cannot be a helpless fluttery kind of girl who says things like "cho chweet" no matter how much guys seem to prefer that.

I've put up this quote before but I thought it'd be appropriate:
"A good man doesn't just happen. They have to be created by us women. A guy is a lump, like a doughnut. So first you gotta get rid of all the stuff his mom did to him. And then you gotta get rid of all that macho crap they pick up from beer commercials. And then there's my personal favorite...the male ego". - Roseanne Barr

So what's my conclusion? Find Frankenstein's lab book. Or pray really hard for a miracle. Death or a wedding, whichever is easier.

PS - Oh, I just found this one:
"The older theory was, marry an older man because they're more mature. But the new theory is men don't mature. Marry a younger one". - Rita Rudner
That means I'm totally justified in the whole Prince William situation.

PPS - I'm not really in an emo/kill-me-now state of mind.

Someone sent me this video. It's so adorable. I couldn't stop smiling.

Nostalgic Tuesdays: The Spaghetti Incident

2009-08-04T12:05:00.004+05:30

My mother likes to reminisce about old times. In fact, she and my sister entertain themselves with old stories. Mostly about me. One of their favourite ones is what we call "The Spaghetti Incident". I'm starting to think that everyone has their own Spaghetti incident. This was way back in 1996 when my family went to Disney World. It was a time when I was loving American food. It was lunch time and we went to this one restaurant and my eyes lit up at the picture of spaghetti and meatballs. I had to have it so I told my dad. He says "okay but you can share it with your sister because you may not be able to finish it".
So I say, "No! I want it all..."
"Then get a kids' portion"
"No! I want a regular size!"

So they buy me my own plate of Spaghetti. Cut to just before lunch - we'd passed the "Beetlejuice" bit. It said "Next show at 2pm" (or whatever). I tell my family that we HAVE to go for the "Beetlejuice" thing. Now cut back to lunch - we get our food and my plate of spaghetti is HUGE. Gulp. It's 13.45 now. I can't finish my food so I'm like I'm done, let's go to "Beetlejuice". My dad's like "No, you're not going anywhere until you finish that". My sister and my mom went to "Beetlejuice" while my dad waited for me to finish my food until I couldn't eat anymore or I'd die and then we managed to get it just when Beetlejuice was shaking his tush and my mom asked me what this nonsense was. They wouldn't understand anyway and I was dying from my spaghetti overdose, vowing to myself never to eat spaghetti and meatballs again. I didn't keep that vow. But I probably ordered smaller portions in the future. Or made sure we could take away or didn't have a show lined up after! It's really not that funny a story but for some reason my family keeps bringing it up and laughing their butts off.

It's been over 10 years, let it go already.

Inherited brain powers

2009-08-03T18:29:00.003+05:30

I hope there's a special place in hell for the people who create computer viruses.

There are some crazy viruses floating around. I don't understand the psyche of those who sit around creating something that would destroy something valuable to someone they don't even know. In my family, we like talking about all the crazy people out there who make us seem sane.

My grandmother loves to talk. On a good day, she’ll ramble off stories about her childhood and life in some small town her father was transferred to where he’d be the local doctor. Life was good in those days, she said. Every Sunday was wash day when they’d be oiled up and scrubbed down. And the house will be full of home made goodies. It’s a rarity to find good home made stuff like munthrikothu, athirasam, kokkoos and stuff. It would be a shame if people stopped making them altogether. They’re painstaking but they are good and wholesome! (I'll try and put up pictures of some of these things)

My grandmother told me a interesting quip – we were discussing how old people need to do something to keep their minds active so that they don’t get bored, depressed or dull. She told me how the old women in town used to mix up bags of rice, lentils and other grains and then sit around the table, chatting and separating them. What a simple and yet effective puzzle when they didn’t have the means to get one of those complex things those people demonstrate at the malls, guaranteed to strengthen your brain power.

Speaking of brain power, she asked me why people speak really loudly on their cell phones in public. Then she came up with a really good explanation. I don't know where she gets them, but she always reads those weird news articles that make people paranoid about everything. She told me that she read somewhere that too much mobile phone usage affects the brain (and I mustn't use it so much), therefore, these people who talk constantly must have had their brain cells die and therefore they get worse when it comes to public etiquette. Is that why they call it a cell phone? Kill your brain cells. Talk more.

One of my grandma's memories is also one that I share because I used to visit them every summer while I was growing up. She recalled the days when we could hear the trains arriving at Chetpet station, the bugles at the police camp and, this was before my time, the mental patients in the mental hospital down the road. My grandmother can be morbid and doesn’t waste her time with political correctness either. That’s probably why it’s fun to hear her speak.

ps - Speaking of brain dead ideas, have you seen the new Idea mobile ads? "Walk while you talk"?? Are they insane? Do they really want the morons here to walk on the roads while talking on their mobiles? I think this must be another one of the population control methods. You know, killing off the idiots one by one using their own stupidity. We have loads of such population control methods here. Like why the roads are never fixed and potholes never covered or helmets and seat belts never enforced. Makes sense doesn't it?

More movie reviews: July 2009

2009-08-03T17:59:00.014+05:30

Let me start with a short conversation from "Better off Ted".

Ted: With the public's trust at stake, we all gave depositions. Veronica had done it before and so knew just what to say... or how little to say.
Female Lawyer: Were you involved in the development of this product?
Veronica: Yes.
Female Lawyer: And how would you summarize the company's reaction when they found out that the women who used this product were savagely attacked by insects?
Veronica: Ouch.
Female Lawyer: Will you elaborate on that, please?
Veronica: No.
Female Lawyer: Can you describe your job?
Veronica: Yes.
Female Lawyer: How would you describe your job?
Veronica: Cleverly

There's a new show I love - "Drop Dead Diva". It's a cross between "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty". It's kind of an overused theme but they've really made it well.

I've watched a whole bunch of movies of late.
The last one I watched was "The Hangover" which was really funny. I went expecting one of those usual dick flicks but it was totally unique.

"Harry Potter and the half-blood prince" - Draco Malfoy looks awesome. :) I couldn't remember the book much but it was fun to watch. The theatre went insane when Hermione came on screen. It was a little perverse.

"Ice Age 3" - Fits right in with the other 2. We watched it in 3-D and we were fortunate enough to sit next to people who kept exclaiming every time they saw a 3-D effect. They must have been like in their twenties and highly under the influence of something.

“Love and other disasters” - This was a very atypical romantic comedy which didn’t have the kind of ending I usually like. In fact, it was the kind of message that would under usual circumastances depress me. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The movie shattered my idea of love but still left me feeling good. That’s the funny thing about love – we all have illusions of grandeur about it and yet the reality of it is grander than all of those.

I did a few early morning shows hoping all the hecklers would be home with hangovers. My bad.
We watched “The Watchmen” which I actually liked even though it wasn’t your typical feel good superhero movie. It was downright depressing, deep and dark most of the time. But it was still extremely… inspiring. I really like guys in trench coats. Oh and the soundtrack and most scenes were really well done. Especially the funeral bit with “Sounds of Silence”. I love cemetaries. Yes, that is very dark…I’ve said it before. They’re so interesting. I wish we had mausoleums in our cemetaries here. They’re so eerily mysterious. I think I want a mausoleum. I’ll put that in my will. Many people seem to be dedicating lots of Will writing space to funeral plans. It’s like getting to plan a party one last time.

“Angels & Demons” – quite exciting to watch. I love love loved the scenes of Rome especially that bit when they span over the Castle of Angels. Wow. I can’t believe the kind of Architecture that people built back in the day. It beats any of today's structures.

“The Spirit” – didn’t have great reviews or anything but I loved the way the movie was made. Gabriel Macht is so handsome as The Spirit and the movie has funny/corny bits and overall, quite entertaining.

“Star Trek” - I absolutely loved it. I thought it did justice to the original series. The cast was awesome. If I ever start watching “Heroes” after this, I’m going to be rooting for Sylar. Strangely, Chris Pine actually looked like William Shatner when he played Captain Kirk. I ended up wondering if that meant that Chris Pine would end up looking like William Shatner looks now. Well, I guess then he can play Denny Crane when they do a remake of "Boston Legal".

"Terminator: Salvation" - I fell in love with that Marcus guy. "Take my heart", it seems. And I did not expect to see the Governor. Christian Bale's voice from "Batman" seems to have stuck.

"Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen" - It was fabulous (yes, I cried when that thing happened but I knew he would be back. You know, my gospel link). It was a bit too long though; they could have shortened it by atleast 20 minutes if they'd left out all the mushiness. Or kept it as long and replaced it with more Transformers bits. I saw this one poster that had the caption "More alien robots, bigger explosions and much more Megan Fox". Was that the point of making a part two? They should have said starring Megan Fox, featuring the Transformers. The panther like robot was awesome. The girl-robot was a bit too Terminatorish though.

"17 again" - Zac Efron needs to be made into lifelike wax figurines and sold. Only to me. He is so adorable in this movie. The movie had good values, good humor and kept me interested. I didn't watch this one in the theatre even though I really wanted to see him on the giant screen. But the thought of sitting next to men who scream at male movie stars and women who'd probably scream for Zac Efron didn't appeal to me.

Okay, I'm sure I've watched more but since I haven't been updating of late, I can't remember. I'll write more when I do recall them.

Journeys of the moment

2009-08-03T17:28:00.004+05:30

I called my parents the other day and my dad answers:
“Hello… pant pant…how’re you? Huff puff..”
“um, what are you guys doing?”
“We’re shooting lizards, there are so many running around here!”

It’s like phoning a game park.

It's been a while, hasn't it? I have no idea why I've gotten so lazy. Maybe blogging was just one of the many phases I've gone through in life. I can't stick with a hobby. It's sad. But I do want to write down some of my life stories so that when I'm old and can't remember anything, I could read (or have someone read out to me) about all the things I used to do and feel like I haven't wasted my life. So why does it sometimes feel like I am?

Here's an ironic quote:
"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain
And I suppose suicide isn't a waste of the person one is.

Anyway, I was on the train a couple of weeks ago and my aunt was traveling with me. We weren't in the same coach and she wanted to see if we could move around and get seats next to each other. I wasn't too keen on moving because the people next to me were soooo interesting. They weren't talking to me but they'd just met and they were exchanging stories. There were three elderly men and one of them was obviously really good at starting conversations and asking questions. When I got in, he'd just gotten one of them to talk and that old man was telling everyone how he was a freedom fighter and all the things that he did. The third old man was one of the most ordinary looking men I'd ever seen - he'd fit right in a parota making shop in Nagercoil. And then he started his story. About forty years ago, he was a young carpenter who'd just gotten into a good arts college and creating wood works. A Spanish couple loved his work and took him to Spain where he worked as a carpenter for all these years. He met and "got together" with a Spanish woman with whom he has two sons both of whom are well settled in life.
When he said this everyone in that compartment had to keep their eyes from popping out. I tried my best to look like I wasn't listening but I'd be a deadlife not to! So the conversation starter asked him, "so, you have a Spanish wife?" and the guy's like "oh no, who gets married in places like that? we just slept together". And everyone just laughed and was having a jolly good time. Then they got to the part where they asked if his family here have met his Spanish family and as he was getting to that bit, my aunt found me and told me that she's found us seats together elsewhere and she took me away from the soap opera! What luck! But even the little I heard resonated inside of me... about how the most ordinary of people can have extraordinary stories. And everyone has a story. I'm sure that the old man would have asked me mine if I'd stuck around but mine's nowhere near as full, rich or entertaining as the ones I'd heard.
I usually get on a train, open my book and put on my headphones. This was the first journey in a long long time that I hadn't.

Random rants for the day - June 12

2009-06-12T12:20:00.004+05:30

This morning I rode in an auto rickshaw that had a sun roof of some sort. It was a transparent top and the guy had decorated it with some sort of curtain. It seemed kind of neat.. I'd like to travel in it while it's raining. But it might be weird if a crow pooped on it while we're parked under a tree.

Someone I know cracks their knuckles loudly and quite often. Everytime I hear the sound, I feel as queasy as if I were watching someones knuckles being yanked out. It's so gross. I can feel/hear each little bone and tendon being crushed and I don't understand how they can do it without hearing that! Won't a simple flexing work?

I got hooked on this song 'Duele el Amor' by Aleks Syntek and Ana Torroja. The tune seemed so familiar to me, as if I'd heard it as a child but I couldn't remember what rhyme or cartoon it was from. Don't you just hate going to bed with that feeling of hearing snippets and voices from the past taunting you that you know what it is but can't place it? Anyway, I woke up determined to find out what the song was. I remembered the voice and it sounded like the Chipmunks but not quite. What album of the Chipmunks did I have that had guest stars? It wasn't the Chippettes and then it hit me. The Smurfing day song! Did the Smurfs actually make an album? Wikipedia had the answer. I found my song on this site! My mind is still strong. yay.

I love the damage control shampoo from Head & Shoulders. You don't get it here and my bottle just ran out. It said 'Head & Shoulders Anti-Dandruff' shampoo on the pack. I found another kind in the supermarket, Head & Shoulders smooth or something like that, supposedly made in USA. It says 'Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo'. Should I be worried? If Anti-dandruff shampoo removes dandruff, shouldn't dandruff shampoo... well, I tend to think about these things while shampooing.

When I was on my way home last night, my driver suddenly asks me if I could please step out of the vehicle and stand on the side of the road. Um, this was kind of a strange and new request so I'm like what? My car has gone for its free periodic checkup (That's where they tell you nothing's wrong with your car and give you a bill for Rs.2500 saying that labour is free but the car needed underside painting to prevent future rusting and an oil change) so I was using my grandpa's old, used-in-times-of-emergency car which usually is just parked in his garage. Anyway, my driver says "There's a lizard trying to get into the car so I'm going to drive off to one side and try and get rid of it". He didn't have to tell me twice. So I hopped off and waited for him to throw the stupid lizard out. When I got back in and we were on our way again, I asked if the lizard was successfully evacuated and he said "It seems to be. I think he got out". Seems? Thinks? I spent the rest of the journey imagining and therefore, feeling things crawling up my leg. Yuck. I ought to carry around a hungry cat.

Wine-taste the moment

2009-06-09T11:55:00.002+05:30

It’s one of those days when you feel like you made a mistake at every crossroad of your life. Stupid crossroads.

I realize that I haevn’t written in ages. In a Funk? Down in the dumps? Muse on vacation? I don’t know. I was wondering why I was feeling like I was stuck in a place I didn’t want to be and started reminiscing and regretting all the path choices I’d made that got me here. Then I realized that one of the reasons I get annoyed and stuck in a rut could be because I’d forgotten what I’m passionate about. My blog used to be all about things I was passionate about. Both my loves and my hates. I couldn’t let myself down by letting my passions die out! I haven’t even checked out the crazy headlines on yahoo! in ages! I do remember one that made me laugh out loud – it was about Shah Rukh Khan applauding for another actor who’s supposed to be his rival. Oh gosh, stop the presses indeed!

We were at this family-friends gathering in one of the hill houses recently and it wasn't my usual comfort zone but the kids were playing cards so I sat down and played a few games and had fun. I was surprised that it was natural. So my aunt told me a story about how, several years ago, we were at a place like that and some of us wanted to drive back early because of some tv show (surprise surprise). On the way down, we had a flat tire and then we had to spend our time in the dark fixing it. She said that I was perfectly cool and un-irritated by the situation and she was saying how that's a good trait. Now, that surprised me because it sounded so out of character for me now. Then I wondered if maybe I was out of character now. I always thought that I used to be impatient, annoyed and angry as a teenager but maybe in reality I'm still all of those things in some way every now and then. I guess it's because when a passion I have for something dies out, I tend to forget it ever happened - tend to forget that it ever affected me and who I am. Once in a while, I'm brought face to face with things that remind me of recent past events that I'd locked away as soon as they were over (I have no trouble conjuring up the past. It's the recent past that I have trouble with). And everytime I'm made to recall a particular phase/happening, I wonder what else I might have forgotten and why. The reason things seem dull is because I'm probably not bothering/being involved too much in things happening all around me and I fool myself into thinking that nothing's happening! To be cliché about it and use phrases like "taste the moment" or "live for the moment", let me add my own. Maybe one ought to wine-taste the moment? Savour it while you can and get the full flavour - then you can either spit it out or enjoy it further. Because sometimes you get only a sip and then the bottle's gone.

The path of the river may not be as we would have liked, altered and thwarted by many a rock and tree. But it is as it should flow, helping all in its path to flourish.

Sketchbook link: Drinks like a fish and leaves

ps - I'm not an alcoholic.

You can always go Downtown (To Sparky's)

2009-06-01T11:28:00.001+05:30

Many people have that special hangout place where they can sit around for hours and talk loudly without getting thrown out. Like Pop Tate’s diner or Central Perk. I have Sparky’s. It’s probably the place for most of the people I know and it's probably the only restaurant I have spent the most time.
We recently had a fun cousin reunion/gathering there. My cousin was apparently in need of a Sparky's fix (and that's saying a lot because she lives in Singapore!), and we needed the ambiance and the fact that it’s so familiar that we needn’t be conscious of our over excited conversations. It made me realize that every time a group of us wanted to do nothing somewhere, that was the place we went to. We’re lucky Thom likes having people there.

They had a huge buffet for Cinco de Mayo on the 5th of May. It was a lot of fun. We randomly booked a table, unsure of how many of us would finally make it. One of the advantages of such evenings is that you’ll always find people you know who’ll sit at your table and probably do rotas of various tables. I must say that my tamale experience wasn’t as hot as I expected. But the Mexican pizza was really good – I’m trying to get them to add it to the regular menu. And of course, I enjoyed the do-it-yourself wraps/fajitas/burritos. There are probably many other places that have continental/western food but I don’t think they serve sarcasm which once you get used to, is hard to do without.
Oh, while I’m publicizing Sparky’s, I must mention the Easter brunch that I went for on.. Easter. Yes, I’m terribly late! There was this Kahlua mousse that was by itself worth the whole brunch. I was eating with a couple of friends who kind of picked at their food so I felt kind of bad to pig out. So, I waited for them to leave and went to the back area of the restaurant and ate some of the stuff I liked with some of the Sparky’s people who were hanging out there. That’s one of the extremely cool things about it. People who like food are kept happy :)

Sketchbook link: How's your chimichanga?

Thank goodness they have symbols also!

2009-05-30T11:47:00.000+05:30

This should have been posted, like, almost one month ago. It's old, blah news now. But I need to log it.

So, I voted on 13th May 2009. I had to travel home to do that because my name is registered there. It hardly took 5 minutes to vote because there wasn’t anyone at the booth at the time we were. So I got to spend the rest of the time being home. Even if it was for a few hours.
I’m not some big patriot or someone who’s ever taken civic duty seriously. In fact, civics was my least favourite subject in school. I hated it so much. No, politics isn’t my cup of tea. But I guess I felt like I must exercise my rights because the next generation will need good role models :D Besides, if I don’t vote, it’s quite possible that my vote will be misused. In fact, when I got back to work, I found out that many people went to vote and found that their names weren’t in the lists. Ridiculous or no reason given. And then there were rumours that the ballot machines were rigged so that any button pushed would get counted towards a particular party. Yes, all that sucks. But at the end of it, the best of the lot won. We are to have a secular government. Thank God for that.

Speaking of big, unexpected wins. Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert and became the new American Idol. He’s kind of sweet looking and doesn’t have that cocky attitude (or overtly made up skin). I liked his duet with Keith Urban. Country gets me everytime.

Little pieces - #1

2009-05-06T15:50:00.004+05:30

I love what they've done with "Bones" in season 4. They've got these temps/ grad students to help with the cases. There are a few regulars that keep alternating and each time, we get a glimpse into their characters and quirks. It's almost hard to miss Zack with this lot. There's one in particular that I simply adore because of all the trivia he has to offer and his accent is perfect.

Is it weird that I always seem to be eating while watching 'Bones' and then I need to turn away because of the graphic dead bodies?

Swine flu. Whatever.

2009-05-01T10:23:00.002+05:30

Since we need medical drama also in life, epidemics come by every now and then. Currently, everyone's worried about the swine flu. When I was studying abroad, there was the outbreak of SARS. I remember my flatmate returning from China and she looked like a freaking zombie because she had been on a very long flight. I was so paranoid that it was that disease everyone was talking about. Anyway, we still haven't had any cases of swine flu here. Maybe because we're so used to bugs that they don't bother us anymore.

"Maybe swine flu comes from stupid piggy men. "

I was having a conversation with someone the other day about some random people. Apparently, some girl is involved with a very hot young man who has about three other girlfriends. It's quite obvious the way he treats/ makes up stories her that he's a player/jerk/piggy man. But that's not the astonishing bit. The truly bizarre part of the story is that the girl has so much trust in him and it would be pointless trying to expose him. And it's not like she has any reason to be a desperate soul. Why do women who have it all, throw it all away for jerks? It's so common that one would think that there must be a logical explanation. Someone you're dating tells you not to present yourself on his facebook, shouldn't you question that? It's not like he's batman and his enemies will destroy all his loved ones. Or else he tells you that you can't come to his house today because he's, um, cleaning... The problem is that when you kind of really like someone for no reason, then reason disappears completely and you keep liking them because you can't think of anything better to do. I just wish people wouldn't treat those who trust them like disposable waste.

"If you believe that you're here in this world for a reason, let the reason be love"

A friend of mine was in one of those "life's purpose" moods so I, in all my wisdom, gave her that line. She replied with "yuck". I'm so lucky that I have friends who respond to mush in that manner. This way, I'd never have to say sappy things to them to let them know how much they mean to me.

Maybe "yuck" could be a new philosophy. "Whatever" is another popular one. It can apply to any situation. We have a dog named Coal. He's kind of a retard. I mentioned him in a chat session with my sister and she's like:
"You mean Cole?"
"What? I thought his name is Coal"
"No, it's Cole"
"Didn't you name him Coal because he was black?"
"Oh. Whatever"

See?

Sketchbook link: The Best Cure

"When I change, India changes."

2009-05-01T09:49:00.002+05:30

I always thought that when you voted, they stamped your index finger with the black spot. Do people honestly think it's cool to request it on their middle finger instead? These people are basically giving everyone the finger and getting applauded for it. A bit disrespectful of the right to vote, don't you think?

Yes, very cool. I'm a huge fan now.

How long can one be squeaky clean?

2009-04-30T11:03:00.005+05:30

If Hugh Hefner can be admired in spite of owning an enterprise that many women find demeaning, then shouldn't everyone be entitled to say something that could be offensive to someone and not be condemned too much?

Would the following passages be too offensive? If yes, then I'm just being one of those admirable rebels okay?

Why do some gay people take offense at so many things? I read that many gay people protested the movie "Basic Instinct". Does that mean only straight people can form obsessions that lead to murder? Why can't straight people take offense at every other murder movie then?
I saw that video of Miss California and her opinion of marriage and how "celebrity judge" Perez Hilton made sure she didn't win the contest. Now, that's just wrong on so many levels. First of all, she was giving them her opinion which was what was asked. Secondly, "Perez Hilton" being gay, should not have asked a question like "In your opinion, should marriage be between a man and a woman?". Thirdly, how did "Perez Hilton" become a celebrity judge?? He's an obnoxious and mean person who called her a b*tch and said he wasn't sorry. I thought gay people were supposed to be fun, sensitive and sweet. His real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. - no wonder he's gay.

I was reading David Cassidy's biography in which he spoke of his admiration for Hef. The Biography was kind of sad because it was one those Hollywood stories where a young idol shoots to fame, has everything he wants and yet cry cry cries in his lonely heart. Some of the groupie and drug stories were sick to read about because we actually do like to believe that sweet looking teen idols are squeaky clean.

I was chatting with some imaginary person who told me that I have celebrity obsession. This person on the other hand is obsessed with terrorists. In the sense, that they look nice. I don't see it but anyway, our conversation went like this:
"You like too many celebrities... It's as bad my likings"
"It's better"
"No, it's the same"
"Mine don't kill"
"They kill themselves"
"Yes, but when they get on your plane, you get excited not scared"

See, now that could either be offensive or funny. You can either laugh or increase your blood pressure.

New "local" online bookstore!

2009-04-29T10:52:00.005+05:30

I tried out this website flipkart.com to order some books and I was thoroughly impressed because my book arrived in a box with the flipkart logo all over like it does from Amazon.com! Also, they included an order slip with the enclosed book highlighted. What's even better is that they have books that aren't really available in the local bookstores so I'm kind of going crazy hanging out at flipkart these days.
It's a startup company so I hope they keep up their standards - India needs its own Amazon!

ps - shipping is free!

Hit this ball with that bat and you can become a god?

2009-04-28T11:56:00.005+05:30

I was at Landmark yesterday and there was some sort of thing happening there. At first, I thought it was some book reading but then I realised they were discussing the IPL cricket match. I'm like, this is a book store. How would you like it if we had a book reading at one of your matches? I tried to ignore them and browse but then something that guy said caught my attention. I think he was a player in one of the teams. He was speaking about how they referred to Sachin Tendulkar as 'god'. Cricket is a religion and Sachin is 'god'. Are you kidding me? I was stunned for a moment because earlier that day my colleague was telling me about the madness that is cricket and the poorly affected that is the Indian people are being exploited in this huge gambling scene that is the IPL. And here I was listening to them make it out to be much more. Here was a young man, like millions of others, elevating another man to the status of a god. No wonder we're a messed up nation. Our search for divinity and meaning and the need to worship something, anything has driven us to all sorts of ridiculous fill-ins. Must everything be either ignored or idolized?

I read an article yesterday about the extent to which 'holy men' have exploited people. It's fine if they're just in it for the money. After all, a fool and his money are soon parted. But when it involves sex, rape and incest, then that's just gross. They're insulting the very nature of holiness. You can't worship something that isn't holy. Plain and simple.

Someone I know is struggling with an in-law problem. I've noticed that the pattern for crazy mother-in-laws is if she either has an only son or sons and atleast one daughter. Either she's over possessive about her precious boy or she doesn't want a substitute daughter to have as much if not more than her real daughter. So anyway, this particular mother-in-law has some insane thoughts about adopted children (her children adopted a child). Apparently, the mother cannot hold her child when she's in her cycle. So when she was questioned as to what she did when she had children, she replied that she could hold them because she's their real mother. Don't people like that just make you want to vomit? Maybe she should take some adoption lessons from Angelina Jolie.

ps - I must admit that the one thing I do like about that IPL cricket thing is some of their logos. I especially love the Chennai Kings one, Knight Riders, Dare Devils and the Mumbai Indians' logos.

For Beatrice Arthur

2009-04-27T15:53:00.004+05:30

It's so weird. I just mentioned Bea Arthur in a post. She died the day before yesterday. She really was a wonderful actress with an awesome sense of humor. "The Golden Girls" had some great lines and everyone was perfect for their role. This one's for Beatrice Arthur. Thank you for the laughs.

Rose Nylund: Can I ask a dumb question?
Dorothy Petrillo-Zbornak: Better than anybody I know.

Blanche: I still haven't lost my hour glass figure.
Dorothy: It seems as if someone added 90 minutes of extra sand in the glass.

Dorothy: [to Sophia] You're a furry little gnome and we feed you too much.

(Dorothy is carrying a pizza box into the kitchen)
Rose: Whats for dinner Dorothy?
Dorothy: A bucket of Chicken Rose, I hope you like it extra flat and crispy.

Sophia: No offense pussycat.
Dorothy: None taken you cancerouse little prune!!!

Blanche: The Great Herring War?
Rose: Between the Lindstroms and the Johannsens.
Dorothy: Oh, THAT Great Herring War.

Dorothy: You'll have to excuse my mother. She suffered a slight stroke a few years ago which rendered her totally annoying.

Dorothy: When a 22-year-old girl marries a man who's 80, chances are she is not after his body.

Dorothy: [to her ex husband] Stanley, you are truly one chromosome away from being a potato!

Blanche: [enters covered in flour] They took my jewels.
Dorothy: But I see they didn't take your cocaine!

Dorothy: Get back here you deceitful little sicilian gecco!!!
Sophia: I wuv you!
Dorothy: Too wittle too wate!!!

Blanche: This is strictly off the record, but Dirk is nearly five years younger than I am.
Dorothy: In what, Blanche, dog years?

Confessions of a Material Girl

2009-04-27T12:06:00.014+05:30

I had a nice self-absorbed weekend. I watched "Confessions of a shopaholic" on Saturday [Movie titles that begin with "Confessions of" always sound interesting for some reason. One just needs to end the phrase with something weirdly relevant like "material girl" or "wedding planner"]. I really liked it because it was a typical, not-too-sappy-and-annoying chick flick. I also liked it because it didn't have many of the sporadic, unbearably ridiculous spending the book version contained. I don't know why, but those just made me cringe. I'm not the most sensible shopper and I do go crazy every now and then but reading the book did make me feel like shaking her every now and then. I can't remember the book enough to make a comparison but I do know that it's extremely different. I must admit that when she threw the scarf under that table, all I could think of was "oh my gosh, go get the scarf, it cost a hundred dollars, what if someone else takes it..". That's a normal reaction, right? Or am I truly into the material?

An idol is something man-made or organisation-made, most often a replica of something that exists in the real world or a figment of one's imagination, that gives the heart some weird sense of happiness and dependency. I've had many such idols in my life. And many that I have coveted. One of the best I can remember is an art knife from an old Franklin Mint catalog. It was beautiful with a gorgeous jewel in the centre, Celtic designs all around, a wolf like carving on the handle and it was mounted on a velvet plaque. I doubt it was useful for much, besides, who'd use a knife like that to cut anything? Of course, it was expensive and I didn't bother about it much. But I kept the catalog.

What is it about beauty that draws us? Makes us want to claim it for ourselves? It's kind of scary how far people would go for something that appeals to their human senses, something "rare", "limited", "unattainable". People would pay any price for something that is off limits. Quite stupid. But I can understand our quest for beauty though. It's part of our history.

There's currently a mobile phone in the market that costs Rs.1,00,000. It doesn't have fingerprint access, laser pointers, tiny ninja star shooters or diamond studded braille keys. It doesn't even have GSM, Wi-fi, 3G or infrared. So what does the Motorola Aura have? A Grade 1 Sapphire crystal over the display. Because people are worth it.
I wouldn't buy it even if it costs Rs.5000 because I'm currently on the look out for the perfect full featured phone. I want to experience all (possible) the technology available in my generation while I'm alive. I don't want to die without having tried all the things that would be museum material to my grandkids.

But finding that great phone of the present future is a difficult task indeed. I want a flip phone (but for some reason India doesn't have any) or else a touch screen one would be nice. Until I sit on it or scratch it or drive a screwdriver through it. I remember when a colleague of mine got the first O2 phone and we were all oohing and aahing, another colleague was like "So, how do you dial a number?'. I want a phone that's that confusing.

Who said choice makes things easier? Five years ago, finding that perfect pair of shoes or jeans was like finding the right guy. Now, finding the perfect mobile phone is harder. You find a promising one and it won't have one simple feature available in all other models from that brand or will lack in something. Or you find one with all the features possible and they make it look so ugly that you'd have to dodge into alleys before taking a call. It's as if they're sabotaging a good thing on purpose. Is there some sort of consumer law that requires that nothing with everything should be manufactured?
They've done that to shoes here as well. There'll be one with the right amount of heel, lovely straps and then they'll go and add some cheap looking stones all over or an ugly sole. Must be to add "character". Character is relative, you know.

What about cars? Why do they even make ugly cars? Why stick to the whole "practical not pretty" box and make it unpretty just cos you want it to be called practical. That can mess with people's minds and make them choose ugly things because they think it will be practical. I know people who pick out awful looking luggage because they think that no one will steal them. I understand that there is there question of differing tastes and that each person is entitled to their own. But come on, it's not about red vs blue. It's about having a sickening blue option available. Or maybe I don't really understand.

I might have put this ad up before. Can't remember. Beauty, brains and Mercedes - have it all?

The Snob factor

2009-04-26T12:47:00.002+05:30

I've been wondering why relational creatures like us are just so retarded when it comes to relationships. It's hard to please and be pleased. Busyness is the worst excuse ever because the truth would be more like "I honestly had better things to do, such as watching the status bar during TV show downloads". And it's weird how you'd listen to the most boring story from one person with awestruck interest and yet want to hang yourself when it's being told by someone else. How can you control that or just treat everyone the same so that we can all be one big happy family? They say we should but is it possible? Wouldn't that be forced and then eventually you can't pretend anymore and you'd explode!

Some relationships have depth and others just can't get past the top layer. We're all like onions after all. Full of layers and the deeper you go, the closer you get to tears. We allow different people to peel off different layers. There are those who believe they've peeled off more than you've let them. That's annoying. There are those who don't want more than they can peel because they're scared of depth. Yes, it's very hard to get onions to fit the right fit. I don't like the word "peel" though. It's kind of gruesome. Like "slice" or "sever". I think my tolerance for people is getting worse day by day. I'm going to be a crabby old crone. I should put up a big "Wicked" poster on my house.

[Pointless in-between story - My friends and I were in a particularly random mood and we categorised sibling traits into 'The Wickeds' and 'The Pickeds'. 'The Wickeds' are the ones (usually the elder sibling) who seem like they bully the other and are mean to them. This is usually to make sure that 'The Picked' grows stronger in character and will learn to fend for themselves. However, 'The Pickeds' are not as innocent as they look. Those sly little creatures can fool people into feeling sorry for them. At least 'The Wickeds' are conspicuous in their behaviour which is in fact for the greater good of the 'The Pickeds'!]

Speaking of Wicked, can you believe that there are people who thought I was a snob when they first met, no, saw me? Yeah, apparently I give off some sort of "snob" vibe. I'm appalled. I thought I hid that pretty well. But anyway, so here I was wondering why people are mean to me... it's because they thought I'd be a mean girl. It all makes sense now.

Let's analyse the snob factor, shall we?
1. I get annoyed at people at movie halls if they even breathe loud enough for me to hear. I'd pay any amount for a movie at a theatre that would ask inconsiderate people to leave.
2. I get paranoid every time I use the biometric access controlled door in my office. It doesn't matter who used it before me.
3. Random sarcastic thoughts like "A skull patch on the back pocket of your jeans? How desirable.", "Yes, fake leather really appeals to me", "Oh how clever, a sportified Hyundai Santro" and "My, your Rolex really clashes with your personality" cross my mind every now and then.
4. I would not wear fake labels. I'd rather wear unbranded than fake brands.
5. I probably look uninterested in everything but that's only because over-eagerness is annoying. And I do this to everyone. My snob factor is not discriminatory.
6. I don't hug as often as I say "hello", "okay" or "No". That makes it common. Like ending phone calls with hollow "I love you's". But I can hug. Really well.
7. I must admit that I am prejudiced against noise, people who don't smile back when someone smiles at them, gold men's watches, people who go to fancy restaurants in shorts and chappals (money obviously hasn't been able to buy class or manners), people who own pomeranians, maybe I'll stop here for now.

Am I a snob? Well, if it will keep away snobs and people who are prejudiced against seemingly snobs, then yeah. If it will keep stalkers away, even better but then again nothing keeps them away. If being a snob means that you're someone who has a defined set of interests and can talk to anyone who'll listen and talk back and then works on developing strong relationships based on trust and common ground, then yes, I most definitely am a snob.

ps - I would never ever own a Poodle.

I should run for president! or some sort of minister.

2009-04-23T10:55:00.002+05:30

I've been such a lazy butt. I probably wouldn't be writing even now if it wasn't for the one (extremely supportive) reader I have. Why do I get bored with things I usually like doing? I'm destined never to have a job I will like. If I have to do it, then I'll stop liking it. How do you stop yourself from getting into that state of mind?
I don't think I'm even aware of what's new with me or what's in my mind that I have any sort of urge to write about. That's just sad. I hate the uneventful twenties. Lots of little events don't count. Speaking of little events, I've hosted 3 successful "parties" (well, more like little wine and cheese get-togethers and board game dinners) in the past month and I am now entitled to the title "Awesome fabulous hostess". Now, if only I could cook or be bothered to cook. I bet I'd be awesomely fabulous if I could be bothered. :D

I got quoted by some reporter in some newspaper this week regarding our market scenario. I made it as general as possible because the market is a bit tricky at the moment. I was also paranoid about how the article would turn out because reporters scare me. And I was sure they'd misspell my name. I sent them an email with my full name and they replied addressing me by the usual wrongly spelt version. Thankfully, the article got my name right. My priorities are all in place, aren't they?

We had some big bandh yesterday for the whole Sri Lanka situation. I'm guessing the whole problem is solved now because our buses didn't run. What's a little inconvenience when a whole nation can be saved, huh? We still had to work because we don't have any love for the Tamils (apparently, that's what it means) and because if we bunked yesterday we might have to make up for it on Saturday. And I have to go watch "Confessions of a shopaholic" on Saturday. I'm so indifferent to worldly affairs and politics. That's bad. I need to change. I should vote this year. I got some text saying that if I think that none of our candidates are capable of leading us, there's an option known as 490. Needless to say, no one around me knew about it. I searched on google. No such luck. Until I found out that it's the Rule 49-o. Here's an excerpt from an article about it:

49-O. Elector deciding not to vote. - If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.

A still unclear concept about this rule is that if the number of votes recorded under Rule 49-O exceeds the maximum number of votes polled for any of the candidates, a re-election is held and the rejected candidates can’t compete again. Public awareness about Rule 49-O is lacking! If we, as Indian citizens don’t know about our own rights, then for whom have these rules been framed? The politicians are elected by none other than the public. We should be aware of our right to reject the candidate(s) standing for election. So, let’s wake-up to reality and form a popular government on the merits of the candidates, and not by seeing how popular he/she is in the media. Let’s unite as 'One India' and follow ‘no words but action’ and implement it for a better and safe tomorrow.

It should not be a situation where you vote for the lesser of two evils. Because that is still evil, all said and done. Would people use this right? Or would they be too afraid that they'll get threatened or murdered if they take a stand. There's no point in me saying all this in a private blog so I'm going public again. If I get killed, you'll know why :p

Now, back to less important but lighter things. My cousins and I went to a new restaurant called Absolute a couple of weeks ago. It's so pretty and all glass. I like glass as long as I'm not standing on it or it's not in the pane form like in Omen. Anyway, as always I'm on time (aka "early" by Indian standards) for dinner appointments and since I look pathetic waiting for people who the waiters suspect won't show, they try and make me feel welcome. I make waiter friends everywhere and they always sound like I'm a regular the next time I go there. I'm secretly flattered. The food was really good, by the way, and expensive. But my dark chocolate tonka cake and the carrot cake with cream cheese mousse was totally worth it.

I'm addicted to "Bones" all of a sudden. I think it was the way they did the Gormagon case. And my new favourite - "Better off Ted". The characters are hilarious. New guy on "Greek" - Andrew J. West - sooo hot. I claim.

Oh, by the way, I got an autographed photo from Beatrice Arthur! :) I'm such a star struck retard. I should be supporting all our movie stars who want to run the country, shouldn't I? Yeah, maybe if they made shows like "The Golden Girls".

Ps - That shark sketch was way back from 1999 or 2000. He looks so different and I always forgot to draw his dorsal fin.

PS - One month to go!

2009-04-09T15:46:00.003+05:30

I like the word 'Wanderer'

2009-04-09T14:04:00.000+05:30

I have writer's block. I guess I'm just excited that it's Easter weekend. My whole family is spending Easter far away from me. It's not so bad because they'll make up for it with goodies. :p It just sucks that they're seeing places I haven't seen and in better weather! Anyway, I'll write more after Easter. I'll just add a book review for now.

I know that I had some strong opinions about the Twilight series. I still went ahead and read 'The Host' by Stephanie Meyer. It had her signature love triangle and annoyingly self-sacrificing-for-love’s sake type of heroine and I usually don’t like stories about anything taking over human bodies but I found the book interesting. The book had a references to not knowing what happens when one dies and strange superior souls that took over human hosts and that they live amongst us – it has potential to be another “what if that were true?” kind of reaction. But she captured one very important insight to what humans are all about.

What was it that made this human love so much more desirable to me than the love of own kind? Was it because it was exclusive and capricious? The souls offered love and acceptance to all. Did I crave a greater challenge? This love was tricky; it had no hard-and-fast rule – it might be given for free, as with Jamie, or earned though time and hard work, as with Ian, or completely and heartbreakingly unattainable, as with Jared.

Or was it simply better somehow? Because these humans could hate with so much fury, was the other end of the spectrum that they could love with more heart and zeal and fire? I didn’t know why I had yearned after it so desperately. All I knew was that, now that I had it, it was worth every ounce of risk and agony it had cost. It was better than I’d imagined.

It was everything.
(p.470, The Host)

And as always, when it comes to saving a race, it involves sacrificing one willing soul. No matter how else you try and look at it.

Vodafone, please hire Superman!

2009-03-31T14:34:00.010+05:30

It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet
I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
- Bonnie Tyler

Every time something like this happens, I don't tell my parents because my mother's immediate response would be "This wouldn't happen if you were married". I got a phone call from an unknown number late on Saturday night and I'd gone to bed early so I kind of woke up to the sound but thought I'd just call back in the morning. The phone calls started again around 3am (!!) so I called back and there was no one on the other side (atleast no one with manners, personality or decency). So I added the number to my auto-reject list (Thank you, Samsung mobiles) and went back to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, there were 13 rejected calls!! So I called back and I was like who the hell are you and why the hell are you calling my at God-forsaken hours? The moron replies that I was the one who woke him up at 3am and I'm like don't lie, you stupid jobless creep, call me again and I'll call the cops. And he then has the gall to say that he ought to call the cops on me so I told him to go ahead and spare me the effort.
Then the following day at around 11pm, I get another missed call from another number. The idiot probably thought that since I didn't want any calls from his number, I meant that he must call me from another number. So I added that to my reject list as well and went to sleep. I had only about 3 rejected calls and again, no one answered when I called back. Around lunch time, I got one of those ridiculous beyond reason "good afternoon" texts from that number so I called back and a guy answers and I yelled at him so much and told him that if his number ever comes anywhere close to me or my phone, he's going to be incarcerated. He tried giving me some bull about his friend using his phone and I was like Ha! Don't even try. Your number better not show on my phone again. I was so angry - there was actually a part of me that wanted these sort of creeps to drop dead! I wished that the losers who call people at random would know English so that I could have expressed myself in the way he deserved.
But most of all I was angry because I am so sick of the fact that the weird ones always find me. This phone thing happened within a week of my blog going into hiding. I'm sick of all the sickos in the world and I'm sick of the fact that they all gravitate towards me. Right now, one good incentive to get married quick would be to have someone who will bite these germs' heads off if they attempt any sort of communication with me.

I know that witchcraft and all is demonic and not to be desired or toyed with, but there are moments when I wish I could be like Samantha from "Bewitched". I'd use the magic for good, of course. For example, say I was stuck in traffic and no one can move and one idiot is so deluded that he thinks his horn has the power to move traffic and he honks and honks and honks. One little twitch of the nose and I'd change his horn sound to one that shouts "I have to go kaka now. Please let me through". Or if I got one those incorrigible phone jerks, I could just make it so that all their calls to women they stalk and randomly text will get re-routed to their mother instead.

PS - If not Superman, I'll take Thor. He's quite intriguing.

Mannequin with streaked hair gives birth to a colt

2009-03-26T14:43:00.006+05:30

I ought to get a job writing headlines!

I was window shopping the other day and I passed this clothing store with some mannequins at their front window. The female one was dressed in a t-shirt and trousers that would have been a size -1. I think the reason they have such sized mannequins is that they can use the sizes no real person would need. Otherwise, they'd risk having people come and take clothes off their mannequins if there is none left in stock. But what was weird was that this mannequin had no facial features but had nipples. I was like ??, why does it have nipples? It doesn't look real, they've given it Barbie proportions and they decided to make it a tad realistic by adding nipples? For heaven's sake, then at least make it wear a bra!

After years of debating whether to subject my hair to chemicals again, I finally decided to colour away the stupid greys (eventually, I'll have to stop calling them pre-mature greys). As much as I wanted highlights, it seems you can't have global and streak it too (at the same sitting). So I had to choose between conquering the evil greys and having Hannah Montana streaks. I decided to do a subtle full colouring so that my mom won't freak. Handling your mother in relation to these things is also like boiling a frog. That is such a deep philosophy. Anyway, now I need to tilt my head at odd angles in the sunlight to catch a glimpse of the colour. At least, I don't see those awful silver linings to my black cloud in the mirror every morning.

I found some old Murphy Brown episodes and was watching the one where she finds out she's pregnant. I usually watch sitcoms before falling asleep. I was half asleep when I heard Murphy say something like "having a kid" and I was wondering why we chose the word "kid" as an alternative to "child". Why the young one of a goat of all animals? Why not "joey", "gosling", "cub" or "colt"? Now, remember I was half asleep so these sort of thoughts get caught in your mind and won't leave you alone.

ps - I can say things like "nipple" and "bra" and not worry about making some demented pervert's day! :D