BAD MOON RISING

oh deeah ! this is suicide.

In the year 2001 the Historians dropped BC and AD and replaced them with BCE and CE  officially.
No change in dates.

350 BC  (Before Christ) remains 350 BCE  (Before Common Era)

and 2010 AD (Anno Domini, the year of the Lord) remains 2010 CE (Common Era)

Our calender is called the Gregorian calender.   
In other words a Christian calender as it started with the birth of Jesus Christ. 

Not exactly true.
The Christian calender we all follow today,  actually began in the year 525 AD  or CE now, by a priest. 

i think he was a priest called Dennis the Short. 

He has a complex sounding name  dixys pixys somting, he was short, dwarf like. 

i am not sure of him being a priest or a monk.
i don't even know the difference between a priest and a monk.
Well,  he started our present calender in 525. AD or CE

Please remember, it did not begin with the birth of Christ, the year Zero, there was no year Zero.

After 1500 years historians decided to drop BC and AD 

Why ?
it makes no sense at all.

They say BC and AD are politically incorrect.

Why ?

The Gregorian or Christian calender, they say is followed by non Christians as well

quite true.

They say, the Christian Calender, BC (Before Christ) and  AD, the year of the Lord is offensive to non Christians, so politically incorrect.

What ?  i never heard of that !

i am not a Christian and the Calender never offended meeee !

The Hindus, Muslims, Chinese or Jews and others have their own Lunar Calenders 

which are completely useless for all practical purposes. 

They are used only to determine festivals, auspecious times or dates for weddings 

and no more.

Why Lunar Calenders ?

Simply because they did not know. Geography was not their major subject.

None had a PhD

The moon undergoes dramatic changes through the month,  as viewed from the Earth. 

Actually it is a piece of rock incapable of undergoing any fast and visible changes 

or emitting light and heat energy. 

It just reflects light from the Sun. 

People did not know that. 

There is no full moon, half moon, or a new moon.
If you remove the moon from the picture, nothing is missing
if you remove the sun, we are finished.
The Lunar calenders of different kinds are absurd and absolutely useless.

i asked a fire spitting Islamic fundamentalist his date of birth.
November 12th 1958 he said
oh !
he didn't tell me his date of birth according to Hijri, the Islamic lunar calender which he should have.

From past 1500 years we all, the people of all religions

were happily, willingly using the Christian Calender, 

BC and AD, 

without any objections, without any protests whatsoever. 

And we are still using it.

Then why  should any one be offended by Christian calender and the use of BC and AD ?

why is it politically incorrect to use BC and AD ?

they are not telling us the real reason.

Why is it incorrect ?

the real reason is, there is no historical record of Jesus Christ.
In Other words, Jesus simply did not exist.
So we cannot use BC and AD.

Do i have the audacity to say that a name which shaped and influenced the world from past 2000 years did not exist ?

Yes

and this is not my opinion. This is history.

Jesus Christ can't be a pure fiction
Perhaps some similar sounding nice kind soul existed who was crucified for calling Pontius Pilate a dimwit.

But the son of God, born to a virgin, who performed miracles,  crucified and resurrected,  did not exist.

  

The set of people who created Jesus Christ went a little overboard. 

They borrowed ideas from existing pagan stories.

If you look at the etymology of the names of days like Monday Tuesday 

or the names of the 12 months 

you'll find that most of them came from Pagan religions.

There is a big reason why they created Jesus Christ which i'll tell you in the comments.

This has been going on from past 50 years and i came to know only 30 years ago.
i kept quiet. It hurt me a lot.
it was difficult for me to accept. i refused to accept at first.
This came to me during difficult times when i was very religious  

and i was just beginning to question my faith, my beliefs 

and the reasons for my existence. 

It coincided with my giving up the job and wandering aimlessly, which continues till today.
My mom would have killed me had i told her that Jesus did not exist.
 

This is not the end of the story. There is more trouble to come.

Everything about Islam and Prophet Mohammad is recorded by the Historians in detail. 

About all his companions, the revelations, the growth of Islam, the Caliphate 

and all the wars, raids, bloodshed during and after the Prophet's life, everything is recorded in detail. 

Any one who claims that Islam is a religion of peace 

has not read the biography of the Prophet or has not read the History of Islam.

Now The Prophet and Islam are facts,  not a fiction.
Here comes the trouble.
The foundation of Islam rests on the Torah and the Bible and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Nearly half the Qurr'aan is the Bible and some Torah. You'll find all the Biblical stories appear there with some variations.
They all believe in the same G.O.D (God of the Desert) right from Adam Eve, Abraham  David Moses Jesus. 

They all did not exist.

There goes the religion, G.O.D,  It  all turns out to be a myth. 

That makes most of the people living on this planet believe in myths.

The Hindus are strange. 

They are well aware that their religion is a myth.  

That makes them  more thoughtless than the other myth believers.

Buddhism is just a philosophy. 

Buddha existed five centuries before Jesus. 

History records his life and teachings but not with exact dates of his birth and death.

Now you have a 6th century BCE Gautam Buddha 

and a 6th Century C.E Prophet Mohammad and both are recorded in history.  

In between falls Jesus Christ who is missing in the Historical records.

Myth or no myth, best and the worst has come out of religion.
The merits and demerits weigh nearly the same.

Let us see the impact of a name, Jesus Christ which is a myth.

From past 2000 years no other name has generated 

such phenomenal love kindness sacrifice and compassion in the world

like the name of Jesus Christ. 

The best in art music literature performing arts architecture came out of love of Jesus Christ. 

Most of the charity, in cash and kind, care for the suffering,

immediate aid to the victims of natural disasters comes out of love of Jesus Christ.
So what is wrong in believing in a harmless myth ?

The Atheists may ask are we not capable of generating love ?

No sir

Faith is a force. All Atheists put together can do nothing. 

All people of religion joined together can push the Himalayas to South India. 

Such is the power of faith.

i want Himalayas in my back yard. its so hot here.

Faith can be equally destructive as History tells us. 

Nearly all the bloodshed in the world is the result of love of God 

or the love of religious figures like Moses, Jesus or Mohammad, mythical or real.

We have a living example in Pakistan which is completely destroyed as a country. 

All believe in same God, all follow the same religion. 

what went wrong then ? 

The power went into the hands of religious fundamentalists. 

The country destroyed in the name of God. 

Now that country is further destroyed by nature's fury.

i accuse all the religions for condoning slavery. 
None of the religious figures condemned the slave trade.

Finally it was the love of Jesus Christ which brought an end to slavery.

It is the love of Jesus Christ in William Wilberforce 

which made him and his Church colleagues, fight for more than 25 years

in the British Parliament to outlaw slave trade in England. 

This marked the beginning of the end of slavery from the world. 

Took another 150 years to end slavery completely.

Myths have generated unimaginable amounts of money and activities. Used for both positive and negative ends. 

i would include 9/11 myth here.  It is difficult for any one to accept facts.

Truth is unpleasant, lies are comfortable. 

Myths are nice and pleasant.
The priest tells you what you want to hear.
i am right and you are wrong is a disease we all suffer from.
nothing makes sense.
The big picture is absurd.
It doesn't really matter who is right and who is wrong.
Be silly and be stupid
and be foolish.
it doesn't really matter.
all my love.

KERALA WATERWAYS

This is Kerala, blessed with natural beauty. Unfortunately the locals are insensitive to the surroundings and not aware of the lush green natural beauty they see every day. Their dreams lie elsewhere. the grass is greener in the Gulf,  Europe or the USA. Is there any grass in the Gulf ? 
They don't mind.



Very romantic settings spread all over Kerala. The above two pictures were taken in Engandiyoor near Thrissur.

There's your house and here is your boat. 

Not everybody can afford to own a boat. Mostly lower middle class and poor live here. People depend on small boats to cross the backwaters to reach the road. Everybody prefers the road as it is lot faster. But they have no options.

My friend  Father Mathew a priest hails from a village called Thiruvarpu on the Alleppy kottayam backwaters.  This boat costs over hundred thousand rupees to make. This is not back waters actually. some areas get isolated in the rains and the only mode of transport is the boat. there are canals on both sides of this village.

This is an old picture taken near Mahe'. Boats are a vital mode of transportation in most parts of Kerala. Its always a joy ride for me, where ever i am, in Malabar or Cochin Alleppy kottayam or Kollam. These boats take you to the inaccessible areas.

This is a luxury boat for rich tourists. Costs more than 5000 rupees a day to hire.

This is a tourist boat in cochin. a similar double decor boat capsized in Thekkadi lake drowning more than 50 tourists last year. There have been accidents due to over crowding.

This is a local Kerala State Road Transport Corporation ( KSRTC) managed boats. Doesn't look very healthy. But the locals are dependent on it. Gets over crowded during the peak hours.

i had no seat here, i didn't want one actually,  i stayed out on a narrow deck taking pictures. This is near Cochin harbour.





This is not crowded but gets crowded in the mornings and evenings. There is room for traders carrying things to different islands like Vypin Mattancherry, Fort Cochin.



















This was a very sweet ride for me from Aleppy to don't remember where, as i got in to a boat one early morning with school going children. i didn't want to reach anywhere.

they were doing their homework in the boat

you are supposed to do your home work at home,  what were you doing last night ?

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE  we were watching TV

The boat picks up more children.  There are houses on both sides of the backwaters. The boat has to touch both sides even if there is a single school child waiting.

Run Lola run, you'll miss the boat. She didn't. The boat waited for her until she was safely seated.

All these children come from very poor families. They are neat and clean well dressed children, despite their poverty.  Education is their top priority. They will go without a meal but they will not miss the school.

The friendly and kindhearted boat conductor is helping the children with their home work. They see him every day. The children carry a subsidised pass issued by the government owned transport department. 

while boarding,  one girl said she forgot her pass and she has no money to pay. with a smile,  this conductor said hop aboard kid.

The fare is ridiculously cheap. and a lot cheaper for everyday passengers holding season tickets and still cheaper for the school children.

Its slow moving boat, there is lot of time to do the home work, play or fight. lot of mischief too. Here on the boat the conductor plays the role of their teacher and a guide.

End of fun on the boat,  here comes their school.

Leaving for Coorg tomorrow, to get some rain drops on my body. i sit at the door steps of the train. This picture was taken on my way to Aleppy in Kerala. I am not going there now, going there by the end of this month.  Here comes the controversial picture.

Can any one of my new readers explain what in the heaven's name is happening here on this boat ? Why the stupid husband is sitting comfortably and why his wife holding a baby is standing ?

i posted it a couple of years ago in Black and white in Environment series SPEED and there was a debate on this picture.

Thank you so much for your patience. i know it takes a while for the page to load as i have posted bigger size pictures this time.

please do your best to be silly and stupid

that's the way to live

nothing else makes sense.

All my love

AND THEN IT COMES

hesitation first, a bit of caution AND THEN IT COMES, a big smile






Nearly nine months of silence. i was not silent actually. sudden hesitation and panic gripped me.

Is it any good ?   Is this blog useful to any one ?

i don't know. 

Friends were urging me to write, what ?

what do you want me to write ? i can never be a writer

you've been writing, write something pleasant, you've been pretty nasty and  annoying

i know

oh! you know ??

ok, don't write anything then,  just post pictures.

Is it useful ? i asked nodder friend

not to me, he said, then he called me again to say he doesn't read my blog

Is it bad to say don't waste water ?

No, but the way you say it is quite annoying. said nodder chap.

oh !

OH ?

nutting better than a bagful of smiles before i turn nasty again. 

Her modder was selling watermelons on the road

here comes her smile.

She finds me quite funny. i don't know what she is laughing at. Me perhaps, Anyway she finds sompting amusing in me. i don't remember what i did. This was in Nepal lass month.

The whole format of posting looks different,  some new icons here which i have nebber seen before

'Enter' Key doesn't work, erratic, don't know if sompting wrong wid my keyboard, works fine odderwise.

oh deeah !  this posting box is not behaving. i think 'publish post'  would be quite a struggle.
This curser doesn't go where i want it to go  What ?

Boy with an ear ring.   

i forgot the boy's name, this is Rikku,  slowly opening up. Children trust you fast. Not always though.

They talk even if they don't speak your language. Life is simple

This is Ghausia, very sweet. 

Not much traveling this year, been to some places, have to think. Don't remember where i've been since January. i've been broke moss of the time. i was not active on facebook eeda.

i don't like facebook,

i like blogs.

moss of the time peeple show off on facebook. i think you have to, that seems to be the format. But i have seen some good stuff toos posted by friends. Some amazing videos, some very touching. You see them all on one page. All the tings your friends post.







This is Rima. collecting wild mushrooms, and minding her goats, up a beautiful valley near Nagarkot in Nepal. Been there twice some 30 years ago. This visit was more pleasant and Nepal is lot greener than what i had seen before. i'll  write more about it later. 

Most of us are happy to see the green than any other colour.

A little girl, collecting food and working,  is not a happy story. There is poverty everywhere. 

Why there is poverty 

Who started it ?

Not a good subject to discuss, but i will in a couple of weeks.

See this happy chapee  ? 
somewhere near Villipuram in Tamil Nadu. 

He has many followers.

95% of the people of this world are like his followers. 
They believe in myths and follow without any question.

This is Priyanka and Monish 5 years ago.
Priyanka Monish today

i think i posted Priyanka's picture before

They came with their parents, my friend Suresh and Kanchana last month, no, this month.

Friends visiting keeps me in good spirits. Good for my health. Better than organic food. But i can't visit them all as some are abroad like Priyanka and Monish. i don't know if i'd live to see them again, if i do Priyanka would be a  gorgeous young lady. i'll post her picture if i am still blogging

i have my share of failures. i did my best to make her smile. She kept staring at me. While i was at the height of my clowning, her mother appeared on the window and i fled. 
Some are naturally cheerful. Some are not.

She is about to burst. 
i said you are wearing a beautiful ear ring and i want to take a picture. 
This is Sarita.

She's a kid, but runs a tea stall in a bamboo shed near the same valley in Nagarkot, Nepal. 
Very shy at first.

then comes the smile.

you can see the reflection of my yeddu there.  She should be in school, playing with her friends, unfortunately she is not.  She has to help her parents to survive. She made badly needed tea for us. 
Black tea. 
She said i don't have milk, is it okkay ?  
i said that's what i want. and it was a life saver in a very remote and beautiful place.

A friend, beautiful young lady accused me of being an unhappy man for speaking my mind.

i think you have to be very insensitive to be happy all the time. i learn from people who find happiness in their state of utter poverty. 
i don't have such courage.

Not been reading much, many half finished books on my bedside,  no patience, no inclination. Difficult to sit through a movie toos. i was 62 when i wrote my last post and i'll be 63 soon.

This is my condition but i am still on the road.

i am fine, no health problems except for occasional cold. i love washing my clothes, hand washing, no washing machine. 
i check the Google weather before i put my clothes for wash.

Can't you just open the door and look out and see if its a right day to wash your clothes ? a friend asked.

i think we are losing our common sense very fast. 
The TV will tell us what to worry about and what not to worry and soon the TV will become our conscience,  i think it already has.

please stay away from TV as much as you can.

Pandurangan Pillai is fine. Gets bullied by bigger cats. He is just over a year old. i am afraid soon he would be bullying younger cats which i would not approve. He is not going to seek my approval anyway.

Walked into a big Mall, new,  very close to my house, couldn't resist.

'Buy one and get one free' caught my attention.

i fell for that.

Then i noticed ' buy two and get one free'

i fell for that too.

These big Mall people have a knack of making you feel very smart.

that's how i felt

i felt very smart walking away with things i did not need.

This is a silly post, incoherent, forgot what and how to post after a long gap.

until next time, i don't know when

Be silly

be stupid

Its nice to be a human

All my love.