That Black Cloud Smiles

Note: The post is neutral. No sides taken. Morality has to be mixed with everything so the issue. Please find the sarcasm. A smiley accompanies it. Thank you, :)

"Mama, take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore.
It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.."

That's Dylan singing away from that squeaky little speaker. Rainy night, cold night, bright light inside me, wonderful people around me, nice strong tea in the red cup and those weird ideas which come and go like the rain. :)

Politics and Analogy:
MNS Lawmakers turned Lawbreakers in the LA yesterday. They took the case of a SP MLA who loves making provocative statements against everyone and everything. This time the scuffle was over language and our elected representatives, in front of live television, came to blows and kicks. Impressive. :)
"Some Create Trouble, Some Invite It - Times NOW Quote"
Hooliganism is targeted. It is targeted very well by all the people. People who are good citizens and people who are not. Just because it is very easy to identify who is a hooligan and who is not. If a certain Ram Kadam (MNS MLA) is trying his best to beat the crap out of a certain Abu Azmi (SP MLA), a third person wont find difficulty in recognizing the source of all the commotion. Since it's that easy, we all enjoy making clear our opinions about the incident.
We find it easy to see wolves around the farm but the wolves in sheep's clothing? Well, they join the population in pointing out the wolves. The people who keep themselves 'clean' and 'immune' are the most dangerous. Because those are the ones who rub shoulders with us, live among us and then stab us all in the back.
Sweet. :)

AND the citizens who take pride in VOTING and their so-called OPINION (for the betterment of our sovereign secular socialist republic of India) should bear in mind that they have NO right to criticize ANY representative of the government if they are low on moral values. This includes attitude towards taxes, electricity, water and public property. I personally know people who say with pride that they 'have no moral issues' in cheating certain institutes of money for personal gains. 'No Moral Issue' at all? Students say this? What is the world coming to? And the same people have strong opinions on what is RIGHT and what is WRONG?
Disgusting. And Revolting. :)

Wolves have no place in our society.
Wolves in sheep's clothing should be kicked out too.
And citizens should better know what's right and what's not.

About Politics:
I wont say I'm well placed to know much on this but then, as a responsible 19 year old, I have my opinions which I'm not really afraid to voice. As I have seen till now, voicing my opinions helps me learn a lot. The thing called 'Rational Choice', which I understood today. Thank you, Mohsin. :) I had no idea that thing had a name and is actually studied by students across the world.
Every damn issue raked up by Political parties just CANT be because they believe in it. And I had really believed that people understand this. How freaking wrong I was! Be it the cause of Marathi people or the Dalits or the OBCs (what the hell is that anyway?!) or the Minorities. Politicians bring it up to gain mileage, to bring themselves into the limelight. And we play their game when we pay them attention. Not that we shouldn't, but there's a way to do certain things.

I'll speak about Raj Thackrey and in the process, play his game.
The guy felt sidelined in the Sena and he quit. He quit while making sure he has his supporters. Then he was out in the cold and joining another Party would NOT have given him that kind of power he wanted. So he floated his own party. MNS is born. Now what?

He takes up Sena issues and solves them his own way. He uses goons. Why? It's easy for media to target goons and their ways. Same applies to us responsible citizens. Using goons has spice in it. Raj targets students for recruitment and his Fiery speeches, excellent oratory skills, aggressive stance on many issues bring him a vast number of student supporters. He has the support of a young, desperate, brain-washed, Marathi Mumbai. Now what?

He tells everyone who would listen (All Of Us) that his MLAs would solve the issues in the LA by holding others by the scruff of their neck. An outspoken Abu Azmi sees his chance and takes pot-shots at the MNS. Awesome-ness. So the best way to get MNS in the news is to manhandle this SP-MLA the goon-way, in the LA, and not compromise on his stance at all. Raj does just that.
Raj Thackrey does everything which shows MNS as a strong, aggressive party. He does everything to keep him in the news. He does everything to keep the focus off the ShivSena. Well, that's the only thing he wants, right?
He does what he NEEDS to do to keep his party alive. To keep his mass following alive. The term, it is his 'Rational Choice'.

And we talk about him, talk about the flaws in his Marathi-Is-Great stance, talk about how he scared the sleep out of migrant workers, talk about how he is wrong, talk about how he is right and stuff. We talk about him. We don't ignore him. We can't ignore him because he IS NOT entertainment.
That's it. He achieves what he wants. We give him what he wants.
Let us understand how this shit works.
And undo it.

Black Cloud
"Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore.
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.."

Well yeah.. the rains, the music, the dreams, the thoughts, the experiences all fogging down the line of vision.. all fogging down the sense of thought.. all fogging down the Feel of Reality. I feel nostalgic, I feel romantic, I feel lazy and I feel energetic.
I feel awake when I sit in the dark room, sipping a cuppa and feel the guitar strums just flowing through me and my thoughts.. aligning and re-aligning my thoughts. Or rather- Me.

And I get a well-defined high. I'm drunk on Life. And a glance outside, the rain feels damp, cold yet so alive and rejuvenating. It speaks. And the Black Cloud smiles.
:)

Spurts of Red

In the mist of the Obvious
A blink of an Eye.
A spasm of Energy.
Spurts of Red, wings sprout,
Huge. Spine on Flames
Fire of Glee
Light of Mirth
the Soul, the Body
on a Flight of Ecstasy.

The Words flow through the wind
The mist smiled upon
They flow like Streams
of Chocolate, of Wine,
Captivating.

Height of plain fascination
for the Sky is High,
The mist is Low.
The World thrives on its Mist
I thrive on the Sunshine above.
Spurts of Red, from Me, around Me,
Wings take me to the heights unknown.

Alone.
In the raw emptiness
In the orgasmic freedom
Alone and Thankful
to be Alone.

New passion in the veins
I wake up in the mist
Mist speaks, I ignore,
But I Smile.

Spurts of Red on the pages
Speak of the World above
Speak of Me.
:)

Eclipse

Shadows play games on the walls
I look upon the Light in the air
Slow treble, Soft notes,
Yet I see Black and I see White

I stand, unmoving and See
I See what I want to See
I see the Yin and I see the Yang
The thread that holds them together
Does but Exist.
Grey?
But I see Black and I see White

Eclipse
Of the Moon, Of the Sun,
One hides behind other
Or the other triumphs?
Of the Heart,
Somewhere the Smile
Stays but a Smile.

Hues of colors, Vibrant monotones
Splashes, Streaks of Red and Blue
But I see Black and I see White

White is mostly loved
Black may be avoided
But the Grey dust lives on..
Mute spectator of tired Eyes,
Of the Rainbow in the sky.
World speaks of Colors.
World understands Shades.
It sees All and Black and White

Take a glance again.
Tilt your head,
Smile.

Behold the Symphony!
From you! Around you!
Myriad Shades!
Colors of Life!
They eclipse your former self.
:)

Loads of Jelly

Night-time is a catalyst for the blues to creep in and possess you.
A pal (RST) had once asked me, “Dude, do you face the blues?”
And I had replied in the affirmative.
Yes man, I face the blues. And I thrive in the blues.

Today I want to be frank. Every time I think of some specific topics, I tend to blanket the feelings just because I know what the right direction is.
I tend to smother the emotions just because I know there is no place for those.
Who decides there is space for what and not?!

There are times when I think whether I have the right approach when it comes to relationships. And since I am in none at the moment, I wonder whether I tend to close my self to the world around me. In the past, the girls I dated were my pals and I had known them for at least a year before. And funnily enough, I really fail to remember how exactly we ended up being together. Though I distinctly remember making special efforts to be a part of their life and I also remember them making similar kind of efforts. But how did we ‘start’ taking that extra step?
I Cannot Recollect.

Love happens.
It begins after the initial smiles and conversations. And guess it IS like coffee after all.
Every brew gives you a new hit and not one mug tastes the same.
Every time you brew new coffee, it is a new adventure.
Repeat the procedure mechanically and all you get is bad coffee.
A New Adventure. That is what Love is.
That is what Making Love is. :P

Getting back to the silliness I am going through-
I would like to unfold the many-layered issue.
I unravel the Practicality,
I unravel Sensibility
And I unravel the Reality.
Inside I get a raw and little part of me still in love.
Madly in love.
This I have blanketed with stuff not entirely wrong at all. And at the same time, there is a crazy wish that what really makes sense should not make sense at all! To hell with what the rest of me feels, to hell with what her practical self means, to hell with everything! :D

But it doesn’t work that way.
And that crazy bit inside me, I smother again.
Hoping it will die. Or maybe not.
I Do Not Know.

Maybe this is like putting a lot of thought into seemingly unimportant things. Maybe this is known as applying loads of jelly on a single slice of bread.
:)

Adam and Steve

The wheels started rolling when I got a text from a friend- "God created Adam-and-Eve NOT Adam-and-Steve.. hohohahaheehee" :| This surprised me. Many little things do, actually.

Homosexuality is a topic of healthy debate, one where even intellectuals are divided among themselves. When I had a chance to Edit a college magazine (The Wall), I was hoping to include an article on the same in English and Marathi section. Sadly, our college authorities had their way and we had to have none at all. Justification- "It may look as if college is promoting such activities.."
No really, what activities?

I'll be frank- I can't accept this sexual orientation exists in nature. I can accept people being gay but somewhere inside, something will keep bugging me. And this will change as I grow up. I know for sure.

Homosexuality is neither a disease nor an abnormality. Those people are neither freaks nor weirdos. From the suspects around me- I find them extremely friendly, affable and helpful. But somehow they seem to be under the glare and are talked about.. not always in a good sense.

If we can accept a guy and a girl kissing, why can't we accept a same-sex couple doing the same? What exactly is wrong if we see two guys or two girls holding hands in public places? What is weird in all this? Do we have answers?

We have proof that homosexuality is very prevalent in animals. Famous personalities have been gay. Indian deity 'Shankar' has been shown as part-male and part-female. It is all about being aware of both sexualities in a being. You know what, we are all a bit gay. It is all about the percentage of being gay.

Experimentation has increased over the years and people these days are more aware and ready to explore their sexualities. Yet somewhere, the openness is absent. A certain India prefers to keep it wrapped up in a closet. A certain India fails to accept. A certain India does not mind while the rest does not care.

This post does not tie all the loose ends of the thread but just touches random topics in a discrete manner. I know it is an injustice to the same but then- I'm writing a blog post, not a book. Every topic deserves a couple of pages at least.

I'm waiting for the day when people won't cast a weird eye over a couple of very happy Adam and Steve. :)

Vote For Nice People! :)

I live in a nice locality full of nice, educated people.
Friendly shop-keepers know everyone and we being especially old customers, take care that they stack everything we need. So we have stale breads, a single brand of ketchup, the dry dry-fruits and voila! LAYS is not available. This is because the nice shop-keepers are health conscious. Monosodium Glutamate, remember?

Being a nice locality full of nice people, I'm very proud of the roads. They resemble those of the moon, so moon-walking ain't a big deal for us. Sometimes, one of the street-lamps just decides to doze off and that patch of the pot-holed road is in the dark. So it becomes very romantic and safe.

All individual societies full of nice people take the duty of guarding their premises very seriously. So they build walls around their 'gardens' which boast of rare weeds and poisonous reptiles. They hire age-old watchmen or rather- veterans in the business of security. I feel the main reason behind this is the fact that brains are more important than brawn. After all- the robbers and the thieves would be afraid the experience these Security Guards must have had. So what if they are all above 60?! They can run fast or so the Society Chairmen believe!

Getting back to the friendly shop-keepers in our nice locality full of nice people, they have everything that can be made of brittle steel and brass. Be sure that the stainless steel sold to the nice people will rust. :) Vegetable-vendors buy the stuff weeks before selling it to us. And since the nice people buy it, there is no one to complain.

Why are all the people nice you ask?
Because the children as young as Five can abuse extremely well in the area, 'Quality' is probably a word unheard of by any of the people here, they know Metro Junction as an awesome place full of good stuff and a Merc parked in that awesome mall can be broken into. This is because of the intimidating presence of the Veteran Watchmen.
These nice people are divided into Four main political camps and they keep on urging you to vote to some particular civilized party. Imagine your nice neighbors asking you to vote for random people. Most of the youths have joined mainstream parties and have forgotten what 'Development' means.

Then there come the elections.
New goons stand each time and they get elected too. And our nice life continues as it is with NO FRIGGING CHANGE.

All the nice people vote in my area. They say it is our duty as responsible citizens to vote. Yes dear folks, vote for goons and make India proud. Don't you see? You ACTUALLY GET TO CHOOSE from among the many goons present! :)

Useless, irresponsible citizens like me who don't vote are termed as lazy. Nice people say that we can register a Null Vote. No wait.. I'll quote- "Declare before the Officer that you ain't gonna vote!"
Bwahahahaha! How is that gonna affect the system?!

But NO.. the officer is a nice guy. He will contact his superiors.. and they will maintain a count of people who registered a protest vote. This will go the much higher level. Then a committee will be formed to look into the matter. Then the next time, if a goon stands for election again, he will be barred. Wow! And the committee will find a Responsible, Nice, Educated candidate, right?
Right? :)

No one will enter politics. Everyone will either cast a protest vote or cast a Responsible vote. And then go around telling people off for not voting. Politics is not for people like us. We can do MBAs and be good leaders but politics is a no-no. So what do we do? We VOTE and be a good citizen.
What makes a good citizen?

What makes a good citizen?
Only voting, right? It does not matter that we pay our taxes on time, we don't cheat the government by tampering with the electric meters, we always buy tickets, we save water, we save electricity, we don't encourage corruption, we don't litter, we don't keep our feet on the seats in the train..
It DOES NOT matter as long as we VOTE.

Because VOTING for a goon is much much better than being a good human.
So vote for people who don't deserve to be there and be a responsible citizen.
DO YOUR DUTY TO INDIA and vote.
And live happily in your nice neighborhood with all the nice people.
:)

For All It's Worth

After a long time I find myself in a familiar mood with a familiar mug filled with an 'unfamiliar liquid' yet in a familiar frame of mind. It has been a busy month and for all I know- probably made me learn a lot. I had to deal with people (sensible and imbeciles, lovely and st00pid), I had to tackle deadlines, I had to sort out myself before myself and dear Family... and grow. Yeah, I had to grow.

Why the Unfamiliar liquid?
My wonderful hair are leaving me with 'Male Pattern' as an excuse. I'm happy because that shows I got an awful lot of testosterone in there. So what if it releases oily stuff on my scalp which strangle the hair and thus make them fall off?! Eh?

So Coffee not allowed. Green Tea is in!

The Wall '09
Hell-fucking-yeah this has been an awful/awesome/much-needed/awesome experience. There were times when I had to dominate and much more of those where I made sure I DON'T dominate. (That was the hard part I confess) Diplomacy comes hard when there's shit going around you and when things don't go the way you want them to go. But then- there is stuff to be understood when we deal with loads of bits of population. :)

In short,
I made new pals, got to know interesting folks, got to know the extent of one's creativity (and stupidity) and made a sexy magazine happen. I'm happy and I love the Team for that. Compromises are bound to exist when we ain't the only ones taking decisions. Better be democratic and still Rule the folks. ;)

Muzak
I like this. Thank you Anirudh, thank you Porcupine Tree, thank you Asa. Anirudh because I bet he suggested the term to be used for the Music section in The Wall. (If not- thank you Aninya :P) Porcupine Tree because guys, you named the song after all. Asawari- you mailed the PT songs in, dincha?! Thank you Dad (Baba) for the music phone though I still stress on the fact that I deserve an iPod for everything except academics. (But that's the focal point for you so.. :P)

(Quoting Sneha here..) "A set of earphones IS the best invention after the wheel". I get to listen to the lyrics much more clearly than ever before and hell- had no idea that November Rain will make me cry in the train. Morning hours had found me sentimental, I believe. I never knew Ozzy is so damn good.. Elvis is better.. and Doors. THE BEST if you count in Clapton, Knopfler, Cobain, Oasis, GnR, Porcupine Tree, Staind and you get my drift.

I found two music lovers (NOT freaks) in Shibani and Anirudh. I love their choices of Muzak. I trust them to introduce me to their tastes. I trust them to be my database when needed. :P
I'm loving the music as never before!
And it's helping me grow. Grow... yeah.
Mentally and Spiritually. :P

Southpark and Physics Lab, RAIT (Room 113)

"Timmaeh!" *hand gestures*
"Wanna get a high?" *coupled with Rahul's expressions and Towelie's voice*
"I LOVE that tee, Sushrut" (Shibani's Take on my Southpark tee)

The cartoon is crazy. Very smart, very sarcastic, very stupid and makes me laugh. It has everything, it covers everything... May it be starving Africans or Fight-Friendly Russel Crowe... from Underwear Gnomes to a Talking Towel... from Racism to Anti-Semitic Jews.
So we need no excuse to just make the Physics Lab (our The Wall workplace) a bit crazier with Southpark mentions among many crazier ones.

Poetry Names, Grins and Arguments

Mayuresh doesn't name his poems. So when asked by Pratyush what to name one of the works, I replied in Hindi. And bang went the name in the soft copy of the mag- 'Nahi Pata'

My arguments with people with whom I'd never thought I'll argue.
It helped. :)

Physics Lab and Appreciation Letters

Ah.. the lab is so freaking good. Complete with a couple of understanding Profs who are kind enough to complain to the lab assistant that the Ed-Team is noisy.. (like he is a DGP of some sort) An extremely cooperative, sweet, particular Convener Professor. And there's a lab assistant who is always confused whether to smile or not.. whether to scowl or not. So let us call him 'comical'.

And then, we write letters (supposed to be from our college Presidents, actually written on their behalf) which state that "The Wall '09 has two sections, one of English (100 pages) and other of Marathi (20 pages), which is a new venture and a remarkable decision" :P :P
Wow! This goes in the magazine for sure! (Why do I smell sarcasm in the air?)

We have 5 different letters from various poles of the management. Budget crossing One Lac has its effects. :D We have the Founder, two Presidents, Director, Principal and Convener complimenting us in 5 different ways. Wow! This goes in the magazine too!

Just another FE

There was this FE (will soon be evident in the mag, who IS this fella) who didn't see it fit to inform us his branch. Plus he had ended his interesting(?) article on '3g' technology with a systematic 'Conclusion:'
So we just added 'Theory:' at the very top.
Shweet!

Inauguration

I gave a speech in hardcore Marathi, English and represented RAIT for the first time on stage, dear ol' VP laughed at my blooper, guys were busy ogling at the 'Pink Chick' and the 'Pink Chicken', we took crazy pics in the backstage, The Wall '09 was inaugurated by Dhanraj Pillai (!!!) and appreciation was all around. :D
That biryani WAS awesome!
(And Vijay's shirt was Black!! :P So was Aninya's..)

Walk Today Back Home

November Rain, Simon and Garfunkel and Jeff Buckley in my ears and I think Philosophy. I think over what's done, what's left to be done and stuff I can look forward too. Too many of it. :)
And the Moon just grins from behind the clouds.

For All It's Worth

The last couple of months helped me think the way I could have never done!
It's worth a lot.
I'll end it all now, people.
"Timmaaeh!!" *more enthusiastic hand gestures*

:)