2+2=5

Happy New Year

2011-12-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

Thank You For Your Pain

2011-12-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

When I was born, there was a hospital.. and there was food around

When I walk the road, there are vehicles and traffic rules

When I sit to eat there is electricity, steel plates and soft music

When I drink, there is clean water and when I'm sick there is always medicine

..... I'm amazed and overwhelmed that so little is truly mine. It truly is a humbling moment when I realize that I'm standing on the shoulder of giants. All the laughter, tears, blood and sweat of the generations of people before who chose to fight against nature to shape the world with their own will, I pay my respects....

But what little can I do to contribute to this legacy? Or should I?

.. or maybe all I can do is write this little blog post ...

The Irony

2011-09-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Then:

Now:

They knew..... Reality TV Sucks

Brands

2011-09-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Reebok, Nike, Puma, MTV, Westwood, Pantaloons, Ford, BMW, Ferrari, Bajaj, Pulsar, IPL, Kingfisher, Louis Vitton, Park Avenue, Brut, Apple, Microsoft, Lady Gaga, Facebook, Nokia, Titan, Timex, PvR, Cinepolis, Nivea, Hamam, Cinthol, Garnier blah blah blu blu

I got 2 words: Fight Club

High Price Rise

2011-08-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Breakfast

1 Plate Pongal + 1 Vada + 1 Coffee = Rs.30+Rs.8+Rs10 = Rs.48/-

125 gm Kellogs Corn Flakes + 250ml milk = Rs.36 +Rs.13/2 = Rs.42.50/-

Lunch

2 Meals with limited rice = Rs.40x2 = Rs.80/-

1 Veggie Wrap + 1 Freecharge Coupon = 1 Veggie Wrap + 1 McVeggie = Rs.67+Rs.10 = Rs.77/-

Dinner

2 x Vada Pav = Rs. 40/-

1 x Fruit Salad with Ice Cream = Rs. 25/-

Indian food is costlier than American Food

P.S. I stay in Arakere Gate - Bangalore

The Shakey Rays (As in chill, its their trip)

2011-08-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

The Shakey Rays is (not 'are', I made that mistake too) a rock 'n roll band from Chennai whose music I've grown to enjoy a lot these past few days. From experience, I've learnt that listening to 'soft' music for the first time in a crowded city bus when you're being jammed between 2 fat smelly men is a bad idea, but that was exactly when I heard the bands new effort Tunes From The Big Belly for the 1st time and I just didn't get what all the hue and cry was all about.

However, I was inclined to give the album another listen simply because the members are famous for statements such as....

Vikram Kannan: "As in chill, its their trip" (On almost being molested by a eunuch on the street)

Dhruva: "I'm the most eligible bachelor in Alwarpet"

Rohit Ramachandran (their shrink) on 'The Shakey Rays': "Hedonists"

....and give it a good listen I did. Verdict? effing brilliant!

There's never a dull moment on the album right from start to finish. Filled with Beatles'esque melodies, inventive guitaring and perfect rhythms the songs are precise and make for easy listening at all times. As is apparent from a few hearings, a lot of thought has gone into the lyrics which as their shrink mentioned comes from them having 'bottling up' for a long time (allegorative in the album cover)

Although it may not be prudent for a track by track analysis, I must emphasize that the songs here are some of the best I've heard- Ever. They seem to appeal to that part of you that is joyous and free owing to the upbeat vocal style, 'it keeps playing in my head' type catchy choruses and the quirky guitar playing. Being a sucker for falsetto singing, I greatly enjoyed the vocal harmonies as well.

Definitely a 9/10 album for me, but don't take my word for it. Download their album Tunes From The Big Belly for free here and check it out for yourselves!

Oh! And do invite them to headline your college festivals. They pinky swear not to steal your girlfriends.

Here are some more articles for you to check out:

http://indianrockmp3.com/2011/08/17/the-shakey-rays-tunes-from-the-big-belly/

http://www.indiagigalert.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=822:the-shakey-rays-give-away-debut-album-tunes-from-the-big-belly&Itemid=216

Why Indian thought never progressed into Science & Engineering

2011-08-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

"Philosophy suffered a setback because of the transcendentalism resulting from the search of the essential unity of things.Kalupahana explains further that reality was simply considered to be beyond space, time, change, and causality. This caused change to be a mere matter of words, nothing but a name and due to this, metaphysical speculation took the upper hand. As a result, the Upanishads fail to give any rational explanation of the experience of things. Paul Deussen criticized the idea of unity in the Upanishads as it excluded all plurality, and therefore, all proximity in space, all succession in time, all interdependence as cause and effect, and all opposition as subject and object."

Perfect.

When Is It Time?

2011-07-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

When you're young, you don't have the money

When you have the money, you don't have the time

When do you have both?

When you do have both, make sure you have health

The "Cool Uncle" Oath

2011-07-19T23:25:00.000-07:00

A reaction to people around me getting married.

Now repeat after me:

"I solemly swear that I shall always be upto no good in your eyes.

I solemly swear to teach your children the wrong things in life.

I solemly swear to always be cooler than you.

I solemly swear to uphold the idea of youth even when I have wrinkles and white hair.

I solemly swear that I'll be the one you turn to when you need to handle the real, "real world".

I solemly swear to always be that Cool Uncle that all parents hate to love."

When an old man said "Thank You"

2011-07-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

It was a hot summer evening in Bangalore when I decided to walk the 5km from my office to my residence. On reaching there I was a tad lazy (ok, I am always lazy) to use the stairs to reach our 8th floor apartment and decided to use the lift. At the entrance, there stood an old couple whom I had never seen before. Most likely in their late 60's to early 70's it seemed as if they had just enjoyed a tiring walk around the building and wanted a ride up to their floor in the lift.

When the lift door opened at the ground floor I got on the lift after the couple, lost in my own thoughts, almost oblivious to their presence. I reached out across the old to press the "8" button and subconciously noticed that the "1" button was also glowing. The lift door then slowly closed and there ensued that tension when strangers are stuck together in a lift for what always seems like eternity.

When the indicator in the lift showed "1" the old man made a quick a gesture to his wife to stand near the door and the moment the door opened he gently pushed her out. Before exiting the lift himself, he did the strangest thing.. he wished me "Thank You" before walking out. Now he had my attention...

On reaching home I asked my roomates what might have been his motivation in thanking me and I got a myraid of answers

"I watch too many movies" Mr.Pooka: Maybe he had a fight with his wife and thanked you for stopping it :P

Cynical Selva: Maybe he is actually senile and mistook you for a lift operator?

Socailly Concious Me: Maybe he is afraid of modern youth and thanked me for not mugging him or groping his wife. Or maybe he just thanked me for being able to simply tolerating their presence.....

Maybe I'll never understand old people..

Laika

2011-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

Laika was the first animal in space. Glorified as one of the greatest feats of modern times, Laika's journey to complete space was a triumphant crown on Soviet Russia's various feats edifying communism and its potential to lead mankind into a new era....

.... but did you know that Laika never made it back to planet Earth and was left to drift forever into deep space?

Fuck.

God!

2011-04-25T19:49:00.001-07:00

Amazing Comic! Taken from here

Good deed of the day: Tamil Movie reviews . Check out the latest Indian movie review, pictures & Reviews

2011-04-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine sacrificed his blog to start writing here.

His distaste for bad movies is genuine.

He is the ultimate Selva.

Do check his stuff out.

P.S. Tamil Movie reviews . Check out the latest Indian movie review, pictures & Reviews. (Random text that the site put in my blog when I shared his reviews. Good for SEO I guess.. so it remains)

A Secret Place

2011-04-06T04:25:00.000-07:00

"There's a secret place I like to go,
Everyone is there but their face don't show..

Welcome to my hide away, my secret place,
How I arrived I can't explain..."

sang Dave Mustaine on the song of the same title. To me the song was about a place where one can be alone, spending time with his or own thoughts peacefully - A place truly secret and completely one's own

I have read many an account of retreating to their "secret places", from Rajinikanth to the Himalayas to Bill Gates to his cottage where these people spend their time cud chewing on the various thoughts that need to get sorted out

And what about me?

I found my secret place in the most unlikeliest of places, the crowded city bus. Using public transport has long been a norm for me with lengthy bus rides becoming an almost a daily routine. Maybe man is made to adapt to his surroundings which is why I probably was able to make what should be a torturous journey filled with smelly armpits, swearing and petty fights into a "secret place" where I can be undisturbed with my thoughts, away from the change inducing stimulus of everyday life.

P.S. I stay away from fights

Lord Shiva On Mt.Kailash?

2011-04-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiva is one of the 3 main Gods of Hindu mythology. Legend has it that his abode is Mt.Kailash which is one the few mountains left in the Himalayas yet to be climbed. Apart from the sheer difficulty in reaching the top it is also rumored that the locals disallow any expedition to scale its due to religious purposes.

So, I thought I'd ask Google for help.. and here's what I got...

If Google Earth can zoom in this much how come I don't see ANYTHING on top of Mt.Kailash? Oh wait, isn't lord Shiva on vacation??

Superman The Banker

2011-03-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

This just had to be on my blog! :)

Bollywood

2011-01-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

Pal, Chehera, Dil, Kal, Hum, Soniye, Aankhon, Bulbul, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Krazy Kat (visit www.yahoo.co.in 's home page for more shit on Bollywood celebs) 'How the F*** can Rajinikanth be so popular?' is about how much I know about Bollywood....

... and there's nothing that makes me really want to know more, other than of course Munni Badnaam Hui & other similar stuff. Kollywood & Hollywood FTW!

Ellsworth Monkton Toohey

2011-01-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

The first time I read The Fountainhead, this was exactly the way I had imagined the main villain of the book. Surprise, Surprise that so many years later I find an album covers that resembles him to the T

Alexander Pushkin

2011-01-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

I've lived to bury my desires, And see my dreams corrode with rust

Now all that's left are fruitless fires, That burn my empty heart to dust

T.Rajendar: Suppress and Oppress and Depress

2011-01-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

This mix is pure genius!! Kudos to the makers _/\_

I Like Milk: How Facebook Distorts Reality

2011-01-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

Situation One:

---------------

Drunk Machan 1: Wtfaaak Dude??

Drunk Machan 2: Dude, Wtf?

Drunk Machan 3 (After an awkward pause): WTFu*****Fuck Dude?

Everyone (in unision): Hahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahha (endless laughter echoing into the distant moonlight)

Drunk Machan 4: Macha, I like milk....

(Long silence before more endless laughter echoing into the distant moonlight.. for a different reason )

Situation Two

--------------

Chick Who Guy Is Trying To Ask Out: Sooo what are your dreams?

Guy: Random shit about changing the world

Chick Who Guy Is Trying To Ask Out: You're so serious yaaar, Ok, something simple now.. whats your favourite drink? (JD, RC, VAT?)

Guy: I Like Milk!

Chick Who Guy Is Never Going To Get: Awwwwwww! thats cho chweet. Mommas boy are weeeeeeee? (Pinching guy's cheek)

Situation Three

----------------

Highly Impressed Interviewer: You've got all the answers correct! You're the first one to do so, I'm really impressed. Maybe a couple of simple HR Questions now?

Prospective Candidate: Sure Sir!

Highly Impressed Interviewer: So, can you summarize yourself in 1 sentence please

Not So Prospective Candidate Anymore: Yes Sir, I like milk Sir :)

Situation Four (Facebook)

---------------------------

Dude Machan's Status Message:"I Like Milk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My News Feed:"Selva No.1, Selva No.2, Random Dude and 9 others like this d'_'"

FML. My point being, an otherwise socially completely unacceptable sentence (like "I like milk") for grown ups to say, suddenly becomes Ok on Facebook. Hell, its not even anonymous.

Trance Music

2010-11-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

I've always loved Electronic Music, but trance well, not so much.. till I found this site! Now somehow I want to get through this entire list of sub-generes:

Note: \m/ implies previous affiliations. Yea metalheads, I'm borrowing 'your' symbol.

Trance

Vocal Trance

Tech House

PsyChill \m/

Chillout Dreams \m/

EuroDance

Club Sounds

Electro House

House

Soulful House

Classic EuroDance

Progressive

Chillout \m/

Lounge \m/

Disco House

Dubstep

Classic Trance

Ambient \m/ \m/

Goa-Psy Trance \m/ \m/ \m/

Minimal

Drum 'n' Bass

Techno

Hard Core

Hardstyle

Exposure NYC

Funky House

Tribal House

Hard Dance

Space Music \m/

DJ Mixes

Oldschool Electronica

Breaks

Future Synthpop \m/

Gabber

It wasn't too long back that I thought that all trance/disco music only went 'ub chick ub chick ub chick'

U2 - Stand Up Comedy: Line By Line Walk-Through

2010-11-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

'Stand Up Comedy' is the 7th track(listen) of U2's No Line On The Horizon. It wasn't a single, it isn't on anybody's favourites list nor is it a critically appreciated song. But it sort of summarizes a whole amalgam of ideas in one sweet place. I'll try to break it down.

Most Importantly-
1. I could be wrong. I might be seeing too much into it.
2. I don't care, because I'm having fun
3. I'll try not to look at the song from Bono's point of view, rather, try to adopt a more generalist view

So, lets begin...

Love love love love love

[Bono being Bono]

I got to stand up and take a step

You and I have been asleep for hours

[The need to wake up and stop living life like a dream]

I got to stand up

The wire is stretched in between our two towers

[People are like towers with only a thin connection akin to a wire between them]

Stand up in this dizzy world

[Fast paced life, computers, smart phones and every other shenanigan you can think of]

Where a lovesick eye can steal the view

[A greedy person can get everyone's attention-by any means. Hence the use of negative words]

I'm gonna fall down if I can't stand up

For your love

[The idea that standing up for something or someone is what will get one through life]

Love love love love love

[Bono being Bono]

Stand up, this is comedy

The DNA lottery may have left you smart

[Humans have just got lucky to be blessed with a brain. There's a necessity to use it wisely]

But can you stand up to beauty, dictator of the heart

[Probably the best line by Bono-Ever. More on this in another post]

I can stand up for hope, faith, love

[Stuff worth standing up for]

But while I'm getting over certainty

Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady

[Again a brilliant line by Bono. Using the anti-metaphor of an Old Lady for organised religion. The line is a warning not to fall for false prophets and ideologies while on the path to excepting the impermanence of life i.e. dealing with changes or difficulties]

Out from under your beds

C'mon ye people

Stand up for your love

[Exhortation! Lol]

Love love love love love

[Bono being Bono]

I gotta stand up to ego but my ego's not really the enemy

It's like a small child crossing an eight lane highway

On a voyage of discovery

[The understanding that ego shouldn't take up as much 'space' as it always does. Also, the idea that the 'I' is more a changing, fluid entity which gets moulded along the journey. To have a strong ego and suffering as a cause being stuck ought not to bog one down]

Stand up to rock stars, Napolean is in high heels

Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas

[rock stars = Bono. Napolean=Bono. Josephine=Groupies??? Or maybe you and me. Bono is probably trying to be self-deprecating here. The high heels refer to being taller than what one really is!]

Out from under your beds

C'mon ye people

Stand up for your love

[More Exhortations!]

Love love love love love

[Bono being Bono]

God is love

And love is evolution's very best day

[God is love. No comments because I don't understand it completely. The second line would probably derive from the above that God can be achieved a.k.a evolution in this case by following the path of 'Love' - probably universal Love, but hey it might just be a scam]

Soul rockin' people moving on

Soul rockin' people on and on

C'mon ye people

We're made of stars

[Literal or metaphorical? Your guess is as good as mine. Might also mean the permeation of pop culture into people's psyches where individuals lose their individuality replacing their originality with socially acceptable personalities and thought patterns]

C'mon ye people

Stand up then sit down for your love

[Odd line. Probably having to do with jumping about in a concert. Or, maybe the foresight to know when to 'stand up' for something and when to 'sit down'('let go')]

Love love love love love

[Bono being Bono]

There, I'm a fanboy now :\

As an afterthought, this is a really interesting article about The Edge's guitar effect which a good friend passed along.

Peace _/\_

Which Means

2010-11-13T04:19:00.000-08:00

.. which means X>Y

.. which means that the world will end according to you

.. which means Y>=X as the walls aren't crumbling nor is the earth cracking

.. which means you're wrong

.. which means I've solved the problem

My mind keeps chattering ".. which means..." a lot these days after House marathons

Prithviraj Chavan & I

2010-11-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Prithviraj Chavan is the new Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra. So what you ask?

Well, he is an alumni of my college which is an odd thing because politicians don't usually come from an engineering (or even educated?) background, but thats not the point here, or should it be?

Not so strangely thats what most people's chatter/gossip/status messages seemed to be saying:

"Proud to be a BITSian!"

"Another alumni to be proud off!" etc etc

Mine simply said "boom boom" (Diwali hangover) because I fail to comprehend how stealing somebody else's success would make me magically better (yes, I get the part about human beings being social beings and all that but I haven't even met the guy, hell, I didn't even know who he was till the news came out!) or help me climb the social ladder. Or could it just be that all those other people had nothing more important going on in their lives making them to live somebody else's even though its a lie?

Maybe I'm egotistical or a tad bit insensitive but at least I don't have my head up in the clouds. Prithviraj Chavan sure must be a great man and there probably could be a thing or two I can learn from him. I'd even like to hear him speak sometime, but do I feel an iota for him? No.

P.S. Or maybe I am the biggest hypocrite of them all to make a blog post out of him?