Modern Age

Modern Age

Supposedly, we live in a modern age

Where technology, information is the rage

Everyone, seems to know everything

Knowledge fountains, on every internet page

No matter, what we read, hear or observe

Blurred lines, separating the true from false

People they see, what they want to see

No time to question, or find some sense

Right against Left, we fight one another

Nation, people divided, brother against brother

A majority, discontent with sacrifices made

The rest stay quiet, uneasy midst this pother

Democracy we claim, many privileges we wave

A choir full of voices, unity in diversity we rave

Choked, suffocated and masked to a murmur

Sanity silenced, shaming people to behave

Mercy and peace, brotherhood and respect

Oft acquiesced, or all of it very suspect

An ogre inhuman, biting hands that fed

Teary trail of blood, all thats left to inspect

Shooting, lynching like there is war to wage

Shouting rioting mobs, very difficult to gauge

Everything, is now local and very very vocal

Surely, this must be signs of a modern age

Poem Hunter (Modern Age). Inspired from Modern Times by Bobby Sands

I am...

I am straight
I am gay
I am trans
I am les
I am homosexual
I am hetrosexual
I am black
I am white
I am woman
I am jew
I am muslim
I am christian
I am buddhist
I am hindu
I am dalit
I am brahmin
I am chinese
I am polish
I am nigerian
I am irish
I am catholic
I am sunni
I am sikh
I am poor
I am illiterate
I am underprivileged
I am ...
I am not ....


I am human
I am you
And when roles are reversed,
You are I

I am what you dont know.
I am not any different, than you.
Know me and when i know you,
We can overcome this I vs You.

- Poem Hunter (I am)

Jon Stewart on Crossfire

I recall watching the Crossfire on CNN during the early 90s, 1992 i think. There were some good moments and it served a purpose. But you have to agree with Jon Stewart, when he describes the show as a mockery of journalism.

Crossfire, and later MSNBC, and then FoxNews all took to the concept of "show", and slowly but steadily left "news" way behind. Today this has eroded TV News Journalism across the board everywhere in the world.

In India, TimesNow and a boat load of Hindi news channels have adopted the concept of "debate" shows, where less news is produced or talked about, but more noise is created to dumb down the viewer.

You see, news was and is always boring, and without of drama and punchlines would be unbearable to watch. And so enjoy the news.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Somethings you learn at school, you never forget. I am not talking basic arithmetic or science. We all know that 2 times 2 is 4, and the world is not flat etc. I am talking some serious poetry. Poetry for a person who is otherwise not enamored by poetry.

This is one that struck me, the very first day, i read it, and has stayed in my head. I liked the way it was constructed and the story it bared. The last few lines were favorited by many, and has been quoted repeatedly.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

- Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

What struck me the most was how the verses rhymed. The poem itself was simple to read and understand. While many have associated philosophical theories to these simple lines. I see only something simple, that is also beautiful. Kind of like, a Steve Jobs inspired design.

To talk a few words on the rhyme and structure. The poem uses a interesting rhyming scheme. The last word of the second last line in the four line verse, rhymes with the words of the next verse. So the third line of the first verse, "He will not see me stopping here", rhymes with the lines from the next verse. And "Between the woods and frozen lake", from the second verse will rhyme with lines in the next.

Much before i had seen snow in my life, i visualized it. The rider on the horse, and the winding path leading out of the woods. I saw it all. The words made it so easy to imagine it all.

Simple, Beautiful or simply beautiful. You pick your adjective. 

Sometimes, I wonder though. I had seen a movie, Telefon. A spy thriller, starring Charles Bronson. Would this poem have had the same impact, if i had not seen the movie soon after first reading the poem in my school.

One napkin too many ?

How many napkins (paper tissue) should one take? I know how many to use, but how do I know how many I would need when I am pulling them from the dispenser?

I usually take one too many and then I am in a conundrum - to return or throw the perfectly clean and unused paper. 

I wish there was an app for that !?

From above the clouds

This post has been delayed for sometime. Interesting, that i manage to jump off a plane one weekend, and then get caught up in a whirlwind of activity at the work front. Both are good and one shouldn't be complaining.

A friend of mine suggested i join him and other friends, to check-off a typical bucket list activity. This has been on my list for a long time, but time, energy and will were always a little deficient. There, apparently, is a lot of fun in making spur of the moment decisions. This was one.

The jump itself was monumental. The guys at Skydive Capitol City, made it seem like everyday chore. The most scariest thing was the site itself, which looked like a barnyard. It was, and the plane took off from a cleared grass patch in the middle of the huge farm, which was the Warrenton, VA airport complex. All said and done, it soon turned out to be inconsequential.

Few minutes of plain ride, till we hit the required altitude at about 10,000 feet. And then it was the moment i was waiting for. A split second of uncertainty as the instructor (Dimitrije) made the move to the exit, and we were off. Exhilaration, was clearly defined over the next few seconds, as we fell down to the earth. I later found out that my face is filled with a lot of extra skin and flab. We wont discuss that further here. The chute opened shortly and then it seemed like it was just another day - cruising slowly down the interstate from the clouds to the land below. The landing was soft, as soft as it can get on a bonny backside. My trousers later needed some extra special cleaning to get all the grassy-mud out.

Will i do this again? Sure. Why not ? Then again, maybe i should rather go climb Everest.

Democrazy

Its not real. Its just a crazy demonstration. There are no rights, limited duties and most importantly, the answer must always to be the question "Ask not what your large corporations can do for you? Ask what you can get the country to do for the large corporations?".

Facing the Voters in 2012
Patrick Chappatte - International Herald Tribune

A whole bunch of fools, the crazy part of the democrazy, are going to vote, thinking they can make a difference. All the best.

Lost millions in Apple stock

I am sure the news that the Apple stock hit 500$ per share and zoomed past it, is all old news now. However, no one seems to understand or comprehend the amount of money that could have been mine.

Ya. My bright instincts told me buy the stock when it was in double digits. I did. And some even brighter set of instincts told me to sell the stock when it reached or touched 300$. I did. But i cheated, and sold only half of what i held at that time. Well, so i made a killing in that sale. Only to curse my instincts soon after. So the AAPL stock has set new highs, just short of the 550$ mark.
I could have been a multi-millionaire now, only if i had a few millions to start with, and more importantly a set of instincts that actually worked. Damn it.

Occupy Wall St

Still on... one month later...