HAPPY DAY

Today is Moin's Birthday Moin is my nephew, love him so much.
He is 25 today

Best of all

When ever Suresh and I sit together, or spend time in the forest, we always talk about how weak and insignificant our human race is in the whole map of the universe. We always agree on its stupidity. Our planet itself would be hard to locate on the map. We both are firm believers of evolution.

We have often discussed and wondered, when we are evolved out of the best of natural selection, why we do not possess some of the amazing features and qualities of the animals. For instance a cat has 64 vertebrae and we have only 32 . Cat can survive a fall from a great height. Our eyes are not equipped with tapetum lucidum which helps in night vision (please correct me). We can't fly like a bird, We have no graceful speed of a panther leapord or a cheetah, or the strength and power of an elephant, grip of a lizard, or flexibility and defense mechanism of a snake. A chameleon's skin would be so fantastic, change colours at will in the court of law. We are not equipped with a radar or sonar detectors. Our vision and hearing are ridiculously limited. And finally a quality which we once had and lost, is the detection of natural disasters like the earth quake, flash floods or tsunami. Animals detect them in advance and escape to safety

In other words why humans are not batmen supermen or spidermen.
Ask any child, what he wants to be, perhaps as a child you imagined having additional features and powers too. We love reading mythological stories full of such characters.

The whole idea of creating the universe or life doesn't make any sense to me. Since we are here, without going into the reason why we are here, or seeking answers or enlightenment I laugh my life away resorting to clowning and try to keep myself in good humour and try to make the best of my existence on this planet. Live for the day with no savings for tomorrow. Not a wise thing to do.
Wisdom, yes I would trade all the wisdom in the world for a bit of commonsense.

When I tried to go into reason why we don't possess the best of the features and qualities of animals, I found a great deal of humour in it.

The nature or God if you like to call it, does not trust us. and please believe me this whole process of natural selection does not trust us either. Perhaps for right reasons. Nature or God considers us humans as complete idiots.
TESTED CONFIRMED STAMPED AND BRANDED IDIOTS, never to be trusted with additional features and powers. Nature or God trusts animals more. Animals don't need a hand book of the Ten commandments because they are wise and they are in total control their individual assets and qualities. We idiots so badly need a holy book in our hands to behave, telling us what to do and what not to do. We badly need the fear of law , fear of the society, fear of our own children and the fear of hell to control our thoughts actions and intentions. Even without the best of animal qualities, if we humans are let loose without control, it will not be very hard to imagine the consequences. Please don't laugh, we humans consider ourselves superior to animals, the lesser beings we call them.

Animals act only when necessary. survival and procreation are the only two things on their minds. They don't act for fun. A snake avoids biting, its first preference is always to escape without biting. Its venom is so precious that it injects a little bit, just enough to paralyse the victim. Death is often caused due to panic. They don't bite for the fun of it. Tigers leopards panthers hunt only when hungry, they don't go about killing all the weaker animals in the forest. They all are in total control of their qualities, and use them only when necessary. Except for whales in certain conditions, you'd never see animals ending their own lives. Have you seen any monkey doing yoga or meditation ? They don't need it.

As I had mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, the entire planet is run and managed by the female species. Things are different with us humans

Yea I'd like to have all those qualities. The thought of my neighbour or the people of a neighbour country aquiring these powers scares me to death. I want those features too. I want night vision, I want flexibility, to rob all the banks, I need venom, I would knock the door and bite the guys I hate. I would like to fly without a passport. I want to be a superman, a spiderman or a batman. Just imagine humans with animal powers features and qualities. There would be no life left on this planet. No wonder nature or God does not trust us. Its a good decision afterall. We have to live under some fear or the other and the fear of hell is really working.

Are we the best of all creations ? na... I don't think so.
Blunt Knife

EEEEEEEEEEYYAAAAAA

The other day I was reading ~j~'s blog where he says avoidance is the best form of self defense. He says
Avoidance in this sense is accomplished, not by specific techniques, but rather by states of being. To dramatically reduce the possibility of attack, and thereby the need to apply self-defense “fighting skills” one should be:
1) Alert
2) Humble
3) Peaceful
4) Law-abiding

I agree with him in total, great sense of humour there

Movies specially our Indian films are to be partly blamed. When you watch an action packed thriller you are often charged up. It is quite natural when you have just watched the hero bashing up 20 bad guys, exhibiting karate kungfu judo boxing all in one. I get charged up too, I want to bash up a couple of poor guys waiting at a bus stop for the crime of scratching their
heads and save the life of a non exixtent damsel in distress. Sense prevails when I realise I can get hammered by any girl as strong as Ashley Judd Winona Ryder or Julia Roberts.

Here the hero is smashing what looks like a windscreen of a car, probably the bad guy's, could be his own, you can never tell, these guys are crazy, they love smashing things and the audience love it, and it sells. The hero doesn't care about the consequences. If I think of doing the same, besides personal injury and a hospital bill, I have to worry about the bill for damage I caused, a lengthy court case and a couple of months in the chokey.
So sense should prevail. I better be a law abiding citizen.

In the late 70's I watched Gumball rally, After the show I grabbed my friend's hand and rushed out of the theatre, Whats the hurry ? my friend protested dragging along with me, he is a bit sluggish. I said let's watch some fun, some real life action, took him to the parking lot and waited. There it was, in just 2 minutes there were 5 or 6 accidents and many minor thumps thoomps. After watching the action packed Gumball Rally every driver coming out of the theatre was charged up. Bikes were racing GRRRRRRRRRROOOOOM GGRRRRRRRRRRRRROOM, there was deafening noise, everybody was Impatient and over excited, their engines screaming, One biker trying the wheely stunt and hit a wall. He was trying to impress his girl friend, poor thing fell down too, both luckily were not injured considering the impact.
Actually the girl fell off before her boyfriend hit the wall. What followed was absolute mayhem. DOONG DHOOMP TOONK TEENK,
cars hitting each other. Drivers came out of their cars and started bashing each other. The ladies came out of the cars too in an attempt to calm down their men. It was their loss. People went home after a couple of dents and scratches on their cars.

Angeldust says that the city of Bangalore is getting a new name, any idea what the new name is going to be ?
Blunt Knife

RED FERRARI

NEW CHRISTMAS RELEASE !!
Neil Diamond '12 Greatest Hits'
The moment I saw the poster I lost my peace
30 years ago?? or there about
I had to get that and I got it. It was in my hand, brand new silver jacket with dashing Neil Diamond's picture on it. Shiny record, not a scratch. What a feeling !!
Sometimes they dump demonstration record with lots of scratches on dumb guys like me, you have to check. I don't need any demo, I know what it is, I just grab and run, You have to check always which I never did, Always in a hurry. Wrapped in brown paper I came out of the music shop and waited for a bus which was least crowded,I had to protect the treasure in my hand, it was not a CD, a good old 33rpm Long playing record (LP). While waiting at the bus stop I took the record out of the wrapper many times and put it back. Had no patience, wanted to get back home fast. Got into a crowded bus, no elbow room, the only thing on my mind was protecting the record.
I panicked, I did not check if the record was Stereo, mono records were still on sale.
With a pounding heart I got off the bus, while crossing, in the middle of the road I opened the wrapper and checked,
yea it was printed there in small letters 'stereo'
I don't know how I reached home.
Time did not exist for me.
A bunch of friends were waiting.
They knew that I was coming home with Neil Diamond's new Christmas release. Clement snatched the record from me, (he was expelled from school for showing a knife to his teacher ). I have all kinds of friends, all ages. He placed the record on the turn table, mom made tea for all and we sat down
.'sweet caroline' the first number, Boy I was floating in the sky
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!
and I am not even a Christian.
Talk to me about material happiness
I'll tell them go take a hike.


VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -- Pope Benedict has warned against rampant materialism which he said was polluting the spirit of Christmas-CNN
Do you think Christmas is celebrated by the Pope, cardinals, Bishops or the Nuns in the convent alone ?
More than the birth of Christ,
Christmas is all about giving.
Christmas is about sharing your joy
Christmas is about remembering the forgotton ones.
Christmas is awareness
Christmas is hope
Christmas is a smile.
Christmas breaks all the barriers of religion.
Christmas is also celebrated by the people who don't even know who Jesus Christ was.
Christmas is an opportunity to unite the people of the world
Christmas has gone beyond Christianity and has gone beyond the birth of Christ.
Yes, our world is far from perfect, but there is something called hope.
And Christmas gives it to you.

This is not about 25th of December. This is about the road which takes you there. The road to Christmas is more enjoyable and exciting than Christmas itself, where the planning, decorations, preparations shopping begins more than a month before. The road to Christmas generates phenomenal amount of business, directly or indirectly brings some prosperity even to people who are remotely connected. So what is the harm in commercialising the Santa ?


Material pollution, ..'polluting the spirit of Christmas'
In other words the Santa doesn't exist.
Yes Santa is casting a shadow over the birth of Christ, perhaps the Pope is worried about that.

Remove Santa from the scene, you see a bare colourless and a lifeless Christmas. This does not mean that people forget the very reason why they are celebrating in the first place. Every body is aware of this fact. If you want only spiritual happiness out of Christmas who is stopping you ? Nobody is forcing you to buy yourself a bottle of perfume, or a new pair of shoes. Don't spend a dime, just sit and pray but let the children have fun, they may be 50 years old. And Santa is a spirit which brings joy to all, he may be sponsored by SONY, So what ??

I don't have faith, I don't celeberate, but is is good to join the celeberation and share the joy. Even if I can't afford to buy anything, I love to see all the Christmas releases, all the decorations and preparation, Nice to watch shop displays, Its fun, and the goodies which I get from my kind neighbours and they share their joy and we share our joy on Eid or Diwali with them.

When you wear a new dress it is nothing less spiritual.
Buy a dress for some one who can't afford one, it is more spiritual.
Forgot forgot, I played santa once, that was my friend's Christmas party years ago.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change... the courage to change the things I can... and a red Ferrari. -Mr. Boffo
Blunt Knife

December 8th

She hated loud music which was always on, She hated and objected to their posters all over the walls of my room. Mom complained to everybody who came to my house about my attitude and arrogance. One priest who came to see her said that there are evil spirits in my room.

1967 things went quiet after Sgt. pepper. I went quiet too.
I was 19. Thirteen years flew. I was going nowhere.

Mom was sick, bed ridden, I sat on her bed, She knew something seriously went wrong.

She asked what happened, I said Lennon died, he was shot.

"tera beedal ?' {your Beatle ? ) she asked, 

I said yes.
She placed her loving hand on my head and caressed my hair. She knew how I felt. By then I had a long and disheveled beard, jobless, aimless, I had just resigned my job.
December 8th 1980. I was 32.
Moin was born nine days later.

25 years now and it is still so fresh, all the major TV networks paid homage on Dec. 8th, they never forget each year. I wanted to write but did not feel like. I was confused. Still not sure if I am proud of his influence or ashamed of it. Life took a nose dive and it never took off, I remained aimless.

I doubt any one in history has influenced the world in the most passive manner the way Lennon did. I know that a lot better music came before and after Lennon.
If it was not music alone, then what was it ?

If not the music what really changed the world ?
I do not know. I really do not know.
It was like the mind broke off all its shackles and came out free. Eastern philosophy did not change him, he brought a revival in eastern thinking which was slowly dying under the impact of fast spreading western culture. All the swamis and guru's who were sleeping in relative obscurity, suddenly woke up and cashed in.
He did not come to India to revive anything, his presence did everything. He was blissfully unaware of the impact he would leave behind. And many Indians are not aware what really brought the change. 

Was this change any good ?

i do not know

No one was conscious of what really brought the change.

Like me there are millions of others who walked on the road with John Lennon beside them. He was not a guide but he was there in our lives, a very strange influence. I learnt nothing from him but he was all over me and millions like me.

If you admire some one please stop right there, don't go any further, it will hurt you. It was not a good idea reading Lennon's biography, there are many many of them. I still regret reading it.