Intermittent Thoughts

The Teacher and the Pharisee

2005-09-02T12:22:00.000+05:30

The following is the tale of the Sunday School teacher who is telling her group the parable Christ told of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18: 9-14).

'Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this:
"God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners,unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.'

And then the teacher says to the children, "Now then, boys and girls, put your hands together and let's all thank God that we're not like that smug Pharisee!"

Let's Talk

2005-08-24T18:41:00.000+05:30

Finally, Google comes out with one thing that I have been waiting most eagerly.
Man, these guys are good.!

K-Meleon

2005-08-21T11:12:00.000+05:30

Stumled upon this browser. Not as feature-rich as Firefox but definitely quicker than anything I've come across.

Why is it so Easy to Break the Law?

2005-08-18T09:02:00.000+05:30

Kyunki Kanoon ke haath bahut lambey hotey hain !

I am a Hypocrite

2005-08-17T14:27:00.000+05:30

To Prove : I am a hypocrite

Proof: The proof is trivial.

I like it when I pull someone's leg. I like it very much. ---------- (1)
I hate it when someone returns the favour. ---------- (2)

From statements (1) and (2) above, it follows that
"I am a hypocrite".

Hence proved.
QED.

Ashes to Ashes...

2005-08-14T18:51:00.000+05:30

No matter how good we are in our game (and Michael Vaughan is good), there comes a time when we need inspiration.
It can only be described as poetic justice when the demise of the high and mighty is inspired by the frail and weak.

What is a Film Buff?

2005-08-14T18:45:00.000+05:30

Excellent post here. Check it out.

Share Your Secrets

2005-08-14T10:42:00.000+05:30

I stumbled upon this site. I will not make any comment about it. Just go and have a look.

World War

2005-08-08T22:10:00.000+05:30

No, I am not a history buff and I am not going to tell you that my leadershp qualities were found to be closest to those of Hitler's, but I am going to give a low down on what happend over this weekend.

Calling the event a "World War" is similar to calling the American Football event as World Championship. We tried our best to involve more parties (read the Profs) in it but somehow things didnt materialised.

Enough of that, now let me give you some details. Just like any other war, it started with a show of strength by the warring parties, who were the three different hostels out here. We had to capture as many 'strategic' locations as possible. No, not to postion our artillary and infantry team, but to put up posters screaming how the world is full of incest and its products thereof. How effective these were on the opposition is anybody's guess.

Next came the initial attacks on the enemy strongholds. These were similar to sending an advanced spying/infantry team near the enemy fort to know their preparations. But what we did was damaging only to the vocal chords of the attacking and the defending teams. Not to mention both the teams made their best efforts, once again to enlighten each other how they are the products of incest and similar activites.

Finally came the Tyre Raid. Do or die. The most decisive attack, right on the enemy fort. By the description given so far, this also might sound a bit trivial. But let me assure you that it is not. The tyre in question was the rear tyre of a tractor. Almost 5 feet in diameter and around 1.5 feet in breadth. And it was filled with bricks and sand. All in all it weighed around 500 kg. It was then buried five feet under sand, stone, cement, mud and what not. Now the task, as you might have rightly guessed, is to dig it out. To make matters infinitely worse, the defending team threw buckets and drums of water on the diggers. Not to mention the numerous eggs and a week old spoiled and rotten food, 'preserved' specially for this occassion was also showered on the attacking team.

It was an exhilarating experience. Something that would stay with me for the better part of my life.

But there were some learnings also. The whole reason behind the event was to get to know your batchmates better. Probably something more. Friendship is a passive emotion. I would like to think that by default people are respectful and friendly towards each other. Ofcourse, you can drill all kinds of holes in this argument, but the basis doesn't change.
So for a frindship to mean something more, it should be tested. How to test a friendship? Well, the easiest way is to give it time. If it stays, it developes and grows into something more. Another way might be to change the environment into a hostile one. If it survives, it'll be stronger. Thats for sure. This event gave us that opportunity to know our batch-mates better.

But why I am talking about it? Well, there were people who did not participate in the event. I cannot have hard feelings against them. It would be hypocritical of me. I did something similar when in engg. college. I now think I did miss out on some of the fun.

Of Lives and Choices

2005-07-28T10:18:00.000+05:30

From whatever little I have seen and gathered in the 23 years of my existence, I am left with a sinking feeling that life has got no point to it. It is totally arbitrary. And we dont have the choice. We just simply dont.
Lets start form the very beginning. What choice did we have in our incipiency? None whatsoever. The single most important decision of our lives is not in our hands. It is made by some one else. And more likely than not, the decision that they make for us, without taking our views into account, is made under the influence of a set of factors which may not be totally under their control. You may say, what rubbish! How can some one consult us when we dont even exist? Very true. But dont you see, that is the whole point.
After we are born, we are weak and totally dependent upon others for our existance. These are the times when our lives are shaped. Our experiences in our formative years are once again not decided by us but by some one else. We cannot choose what we learn, how we learn. You see, we are too inexperienced to make choices, which is true. By the time we are experienced enough, we are left with none to make. So we try to rectify that by making choices for others.
We always live our lives through proxy. Usually we like that. You know, playing God to others. Having control. Making their decisions for them. Taking away their choices and in turn making their lives totally arbitrary and pointless.

Thought for the Day

2005-07-27T10:38:00.000+05:30

For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.

From the song "Hey Jude" by The Beatles.

State of my mind

2005-07-26T08:28:00.000+05:30

There are 22 females in our batch and there were around 30 final offers made last year by investment banks. Therefore, statistically speaking, it is easier to get an i-bank internship than a bandi out here.

Thought for the Day

2005-07-24T01:51:00.000+05:30

Though there are a plethora of jobs avialable for us engineers (err...), we get paid peanuts by the companies. But what the companies should realise is that if you pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys !!

I hope

2005-07-19T01:49:00.000+05:30

Things are going to get very painful in the coming days. The outcome is going to be very uncertain. I hope I can survive. I am reminded of the last few lines of "Shawshank Redemption".

"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope. "

Thought for the Day

2005-07-18T09:16:00.001+05:30

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by"
-- Douglas Adam

Contradictions

2005-07-16T08:24:00.000+05:30

Too cliched to say that life is full of them. So i wouldnt say it. But what would you say if i tell you that to be surrounded by females in good quantity and quality is not a very rewarding experience ? (Please dont take the word "surrounded" literally)
And that too after spending 4 years in an engineering college and one more in working in a manufacturing firm that produces trucks?
This is similar to stating that after searching for water for 4 odd years in Thar Desert and one more in Atacama Desert(yes, this place recieves the worlds least amount of rainfall), when all of a sudden I see fresh, gurgling mountain brook and i am antagonised by the sight of it.
Contradiction? Stockholme syndrome? Too much generalisation? I guess thats more accurate.

2004-06-27T07:23:00.000+05:30

I feel drunk but I'm sober
I'm young and I'm underpaid
I'm tired but I'm working, yeah
I care but I'm restless
I'm here but I'm really gone
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby

What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be quite alright

Hand In My Pocket - Alanis Morisette

2004-06-23T17:14:00.000+05:30

On His Being Arrived To The Age Of Twenty-Three

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year!
My hasting days fly on with full career,
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew`th.

Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth,
That I to manhood am arrived so near,
And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits indu`th.

Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,
It shall be still in strictest measure even
To that same lot, however mean or high,

Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven,
All is, if I have grace to use it so,
As ever in my great Task-master`s eye.

John Milton

Courtsey : Aspiring Buddha

2004-06-20T05:24:00.000+05:30

Is ignorance bliss??

I know what you are thinking ;-)

2004-06-19T21:03:00.000+05:30

Courtsey : Ravages

Merry-Go-Round

2004-06-18T18:34:00.000+05:30

Got the following article here. It makes a good read.

MONO-ACT
Kaalachakra Bar!
1975 Jan 1
It was about five in the morning. Father (I am not bothering with names)woke up with a start. Many years had passed since he had founded the orphanage. He had named it ' X-Orphanage ' , a rather funny name. But looking back, everything about his life seemed funny now. Hearing some noise outside, Father decided to have a look.
A child lay there in front of the orphanage. It was a girl. Seeing herabandoned like this in the cold morning, Father felt a sense of anger for the merciless being who had thrown her away like this. He took her in his arms. He would raise her like his own child.

17 Years Later
The girl had now grown up. She was now staying at a hostel. She met a man and fell in love with him. Soon she got pregnant. But the man disappeared. She was thrown out of the Hostel. Father came and took her back to the orphanage. She gave birth to a girl, but the baby was mysteriously stolen. Unable to bear all this, the Father committed suicide.

5 years later
Due to some serious health problems, the girl went to see a Doctor. The doctor having examined her, said with a sad __expression on his face, "Adrenalo Sytosis, a serious case of hormone imbalance " . An operation was performed in which the doctor had to change the sex of the patient. The girl was now transformed into a man.
The man was very depressed because he had lost his child, his father had committed suicide, his lover had betrayed him, he had to change sex and so on. He eventually took to drinking.
One day he saw that a new bar called ' Kaalachakra Bar ' had opened
in his locality. He went in. He saw a bearded man to whom he related his sad tale. The bearded man took pity on him and told him that he had a Time Machine and that he could use it to change his past. He accepted the gift from the bearded man. He decided to go to the past (to the year 1992) and started the Time Machine.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1992
The man arrived with the Time Machine in the year 1992. There he met a girl and fell in love with her. The girl got pregnant. The man, unwilling to marry her, left the town. He went to another city, earned some money and five years later came back to the city where the girl lived. Wanting to conceal his identity, he grew a beard. He started a bar named 'Kaalachakra Bar'. One day a man came to the bar and narrated a sorrow tale. Out of compassion, he gave the Time Machine to the man. The man started the Time Machine and went back to the past.
Suddenly a man wearing a mask came into the bar. He pointed a gun at the bearded man. He said that he had a Time Machine and forced the bearded man into it along with himself. Taking the bearded man with him, the masked man started the Time Machine.
When they reached the past, the masked man suddenly gave the Time Machine to the bearded man and ran away. The bearded man found himself in front of X-Orphanage. He went inside and found a woman lying there with her new born baby. It was a girl. Since the mother lay unconscious and there wasn't anyone else nearby to take care of the girl, he took the girl and started the Time Machine to go to the past.

1975 Jan 1
The bearded man arrived with the girl. Thinking that it was the best place for the child, he left her in front of X-Orphanage. He joined a college, studied hard and became a doctor. One day a woman was brought to the hospital. He examined her and found that it was a serious case of 'Adrenalo Sytosis'. He performed an operation in which he had to change her sex. One day, fed up with the complexities of modern life, he started the Time Machine and went back in time.

1968 May 12
He arrived at a time of great famine and suffering. Seeing all this, he decided to become a priest and serve the people. He started an orphanage and named it 'X-Orphanage'.
Years later, he found a girl lying in front of the orphanage. He took her and brought her up like his own child.
Many years later he heard that the girl was pregnant and was thrown out of the hostel. He brought her back to X-Orphanage. She gave birth to a girl and fell unconscious. The father desperately searched for help, but since there was no-one nearby to help him, he decided to bring a person back from the future. He wore a mask, took a gun for protection and started the Time Machine. He materialized in front of 'Kaalachakra Bar'. He went inside, found a bearded man and forced him to travel with him to the past.
Reaching the past, he felt very guilty about forcing the bearded man to come with him. He gave the Time Machine to the bearded man and ran away to see his daughter. When he reached there, he heard the sad news from his daughter that the baby was stolen. Unable to bear the sorrow, he committed suicide.

I've got gmail!

2004-06-16T17:54:00.000+05:30

I've got Gmail! I've got Gmail! Yey!
Courtsey: Ravages
Thanx d00d. I owe you one.

2004-06-16T12:41:00.000+05:30

Nothing will defeat me. My mentality is to carry on until I win.[BBC]

Way to go Becks.!

Ze Dane

2004-06-15T08:44:00.000+05:30

Ze Dane ??

That was funny. ;-)

Unbelievable

2004-06-13T16:03:00.000+05:30

Life has strange ways of showing you the mirror.
It so happened that I was trying to network on Orkut and decided to hook-up with my school mates, mainly my classmates in the 11th and 12th standard. The easiest way to look for friends on Orkut is to use the "Friend Finder" where you can search by name. After searching for some of the guys I thought maybe I should look for some of the girls who were there in my class. And then it hit me. I couldnt remember a single name!! After spending two years in the same class I couldnt remember the names of my classmates. It was shocking. It was embarrassing.
Well, so much for networking.