Cricket: The new Opium

So, the Indian cricket team staring down at another whitewash. The entire India (including me) is disappointed and even angry with the performance of their "heroes". But you know the only section which is in fact silently elated?? It is the media.. The entire day one news channel or the other keep discussing the Indian fiasco and the cricket experts (most of who are big failures of their time) analyze what went wrong and what not?

But wait a second, weren't the same expert and the same media singing eulogies when the Indian team thrashed West Indies and England 5-0 a month ago. Clearly, the issue is much larger than this.. The media is playing a cunning game with the people. They are manipulating the sentiments to pursue their ulterior motives.

I remember an anecdote related to a roman king who used to organize fun fests every week in his capital so that people were busy in frolicking and didn't complain about the lack of civic amenities. What's happening in India is quite similar, everyone knows how "independent" the media houses are. They along with their lords are doing the same thing in India. They want the focus to be diverted from malnutrition, slow economic growth, rampant corruption and divisive politics. Cricket is almost a religion here and its is now being used to divert people's attention from the real issues.

Please tell me, isnt there anything more important than cricket in India? Shouldn't the malnutrition in India (which is more than Ethiopia and sudan) given prime time coverage than the angle by which Dhoni plays his shot? Have we lost our sense of priorities? Whenever I switch to any news channel what I see is CRICKET! CRICKET! CRICKET! I am not a hypocritical person and I admit I am cricket fan myself, but I am not a cricket addict. No matter India wins or loses I am not hooked to the news channels for all their "analysis".

Wake up Indians!! See through the veil of mist that the powerful corrupt have drawn before our eyes. A healthy interest in sports is good, but a morbid, addictive obsession will prove to be our debacle.

What do you think about it?
--
J

Life Laid Back :)

After a week of toil and hard work, it all paid off. I was selected for a project with Computer Science Corporation (CSC). It felt sooooo great. I always knew I had brains, but to get yet another commendable proof for it is always a pleasant experience. The week following it was a nice, sweet and relaxing one. A couple of days were spent in reorganizing the things in my house which I had messed up for the sake of "CSC Preparation". So, finally by the end of the week (today) things are at peace.
Though I am not an attention seeker (except in some "special cases"), I seemed to enjoy all the attention and admiration that people around me in college seem to exhibit. After all, I am one of those 20 guys who were selected out of 420 students! ;)

And when the mind is at peace, the heart tends to take over ;) <3. There is a "someone" who always keeps on hopping in an out of my "sphere of attention". Contacts with her and getting to spend time close to her.. Aah!!
I feel life is very sunny :) Now I have all the prerequisites to make my life a Successful fun filled "affair" ;)
Lets see how it goes. :D
Incase there are some people reading it ('coz I don't publicize these personal ones), let me know what's up in your lives apart from the chilling cold?? :P


--
J

P.S- Incase you think there are too many smileys, they were just the reactions of how I was really feeling while writing this one :)

Exciting Times!!

The Title says it all.. The new year has brought in loads of excitement in my life along with hard work and many things to look forward to :)
I have been away from bloggers arena for more time than I would have liked, but I really was very busy in my coaching and college.
So tomorrow is the D-day for me, would be facing a company project/placement process for the first time in my life.. It feels so exciting to imagine that I have finally grown up :) :) :) CSC is coming to the college for B.E project, and though the competition is tough, I have full faith in my abilities that I can fare very well. If I get selected, I will have the opportunity to interact with industry and that too when I am still studying!!
WOW *feels excited*
I hope everything goes off well.
Would be back with more soon
Lots of Love <3 :)
--
J

Happy New Year :)

First of all wishing all a very HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR :) :)
This post isn't about the usual "gyaan" that I often tend to preach :P :P

Thanks a lot for your overwhelming response to my last post.

Let us all welcome the new year with loads of  fun, Happiness and Positivity in your hearts. But, of course, if this was the only aim of the post, why would I have bothered to write this.. You already read all of this on my Social media..

Strangely I observed that there isn't much hope and happiness surrounding 2012. Some predict doomsday, others are simply too skeptical about what will happen in their lives and whether a new year will change anything at all. But Why so???
Life's all about happiness and hope and love. Ya, mark the last thing.. LOADS of it.. :) <3

2012 is a fresh beginning, a fresh start and new life. Who said calendar doesn't change anything. It does :)

The post is a short one, but it contains the message I had for all my lovely friends and well-wishers.

Please do check out this video, its a beautiful one and contains the soul of the post, will definitely set the mood right for you :)

Lots and Lots and Lots off Good Luck, Best Wishes and Love from my side..
Have a Gorgeous 2012 :)

--

J

इश्क सूफियाना!

दिल्ली-६ फिल्म का गीत "अर्ज़ियाँ" मेरे ह्रदय के बहुत नज़दीक है | प्रसून जोशी ने शायद इससे अच्छा कोई और गीत न रचा होगा| ए. आर. रहमान ने मधुर संगीत देकर और जावेद अली तथा कैलाश खेर ने अपनी मखमली आवाज़ से बेहद खूबसूरती से इसे निभाया है| यह गीत एक सूफी रचना है| दरअसल "इश्क़" और "सूफी" दोनों अरबी शब्द हैं| इश्क़ का अर्थ होता है काम-हीन प्रेम (lustless love ) , और सूफी का अर्थ होता है विशुद्ध, पवित्र |

आज के बिकाऊ संगीत के ज़माने में जहाँ "ख़ुदा", "मौला" और "सूफियाना " शब्द डाल कर हर गाने को "सूफी" बनाने का प्रयास किया जाता है; ऐसे में यह गीत सहज ही उस भीड़ से ऊपर उठता है|

यह कोई प्रेम में डूबे प्रेमी का गीत नहीं है| ना ही ये किसी नाकामयाब मजनू को "Lets Try Again" की प्रेरणा दे रहा है| यह गीत ईश्वर को संबोधित है; अब चाहे उसे खुदा कह लें या अल्लाह, भगवान कह लें या "God"| इस गीत के लफ्ज़ बेहद खूबसूरत हैं और सार स्पष्ट - वो ही सब कुछ है, हमें उसे कुछ बताने की ज़रूरत नहीं, वो सब जानता है|

इंसान की सबसे बड़ी नादानी यह है की वो ख़ुदा को बाहर ढूंढता है मानो वह कुछ और हो, स्वयं से अलग|
निम्न पंक्तिया यही दर्शाती हैं-
                   

                            "एक ख़ुशबू आती थी, मैं भटकता जाता था|
                             रेशमी सी माया थी, और मैं तकता जाता था|"

पर जब वो इस ख़ुशबू में खो जाता है तो उसे एहसास होता है की यह तो उसमे पहले से ही मौजूद थी, जिसे वो जान कर भी अनजान था| वह ईश्वरीय शक्ति (Divine Force) ही है जो उसे स्वयं का खुद से परिचय करवाती है| पर मज़े की बात तो यह है की वो उसमे पहले से थी; देर थी तो बस झाँकने की-

                            "जब तेरी गली आया, सच तभी नज़र आया|
                            मुझमे ही वो ख़ुशबू थी, जिससे तूने मिलवाया||"

हमारे साथ यह बहुत बड़ी समस्या है कि हम ईश्वर की असीमितताओं को अपनी सोच की सीमाओं में समेटने की कोशिश करते हैं| हर मनुष्य, हर धर्म, हर पंथ यही सोचता है कि ईश्वर सिर्फ वैसा ही है जैसा की वह सोचते हैं| निस्संदेह वह वैसा भी है परन्तु "वैसा ही " नहीं| नतीजतन, वह हमारे सामने, बल्कि सामने ही क्यों हमारे अन्दर मौजूद होता है और हम अज्ञानतापूर्वक आँखें बंद करके यह मान लेते हैं कि- "ना जी! यह ईश्वर कैसे हो सकता है?"

                       "जब तू रूबरू आया, नज़रें ना मिला पाया|
                        सर झुका के इक पल में मैंने क्या नहीं पाया|"

दुनिया में असंख्य बातें, लोग तथा घटनाएं हैं और हमारी दैन्दिनी में हमारा सामने उनसे ही होना है| पर ज़रा यह सोचें कि अगर हम उस परवरदिगार को ही अपना प्रेमी बना लें और इस बात को समझे कि वो हमारे अन्दर बाहर, सर्वत्र, हर जगह है तो क्या वह,  हमारे इश्क से बंधा हुआ, हमारे लिए इस माया को नहीं सम्भाल सकता? यही तो इश्क का सच्चा मतलब है|

तो कहिये? क्या आप तैयार हैं? "प्रेम" में डूबने के लिए?ऐसे प्रेमी के प्रेम में  जिसके लिए महेंगे उपहार, गाड़ी पे घुमाने आदि की कोई ज़रूरत नहीं| जो आपसे कुछ और नहीं चाहता सिवाय सच्चे इश्क के| और जो आपको कभी धोखा ना देते हुए हमेशा साथ निभाएगा?
ज़रा सोचियेगा! :)

आपका
--
J

The Good Samaritan

Just Watched Don 2 in the morning. It's helluva an awesome movie..
Get Lost all Haters!! Those who haven't watched it, GO AND WATCH IT. And if you are going with the reviews, then you are doing the same mistake which I did with Jab We Met & MI:4. Both the movies got opposite reviews (bad & great) and based on them I decided to spend (or not) my money. And I regret both my decisions.

Well Don 2 is a thriller. Its a very well made film and a welcome break from all those cheap Inspectors and security guards films. The thriller plot seems cliched at first but the twist in the end is mind-blowing. The actions are AWESOME and all those who find Hollywood action better than ours, will be in for a shock. The stunts are hell lot better than in MI:4. SRK (Shahrukh Khan) as Don looks classy and stylish. Priyanka Chopra is fab as well.

Coming to the point, the movie is "mostly" about evil and double crossing. And that put my heart and mind to thinking. All those gore killings and blackmailing were looking (thought of as) "COOL" & "STYLISH". There were claps and "oohh"s when SRK (the anti-hero) used to smash people and act mean & sinister. Is this what times have changed? That all that glittery and glamorous things, even though they are acquired by acts of crime and ill-will are looked up to, desired & lusted after. People try to imitate who do so.

Its just not about the movie but, its all around us. Just have a look. All the crime rate increasing is less coz of want of food but coz of desires and the flashy lifestyle. I mean where are those good jolly old people whom people used to reflect and adore. But that's exactly what seems to happen. Even on the romantic front the society around us portrays a similar picture. Its a common notion that BAD GUYS GET THE GIRL. The Good people are just "sweet" & "cute" and "just friends"-material.

Imagine A Bad "Santa Claus" :O. Can you think what would happen if all those cute things are rubbished to pave way for the suave badness?


Is this what we have come to??
Think about it.
Ciao :)
--
J

House Under Seige

Well for umpteen times, my house (my room to be more precise) has been my refuge, shelter and sanctuary. Be it my failing health, avoiding relatives & "family friends", or just taking some time off to be my own self, my room has been the uttermost island of sanity in this utter mad & reckless world out there. And now, ITS ON SIEGE. OMG!! OMG!!

I live in a government quarter and I admit it is a nice spacious one. The CPWD has risen from slumber and has suddenly taken to renovate my entire house all of a sudden and all at the same time. They are changing the flooring, laying tiles, smoothing the walls and then painting it as well. Phewww!! Its hell lot of work which is bound to take at least 3-4 days. They didn't even bother to think about the poor soul for whom his room is the only respite from all the hotch-potch and mess he utterly (& often) lands into.. :(
So, circumstances have cruelly thrown me into the drawing room. I absolutely don't like people coming in & out and looking into whatever I am doing. Come on, isn't there something called as privacy. Dunno about others but at least I am very very picky about it.
Secondly, the post is named "House Under Siege", so other aspect which I absolutely hate during these renovations is all the sand and dirt being all over the place. You come out of the bathroom, trying to feel fresh in this biting cold and what do you find, even before you could complete 10 paces, your feet are all muddy and dirty!!
EEEEEK!!
What could be worse start to a morning than this. :-/
Of course now I have braced myself for the comments- "Change is the way of life", "Growing is always hurting," blah blah!!
I know I am whining a tad too much and its just a matter of days but, Well..
Thats the way I am. Leave me or take me. B)
--
J