God I love rivers

The river is bending and it is difficult to say what will the view be like on the other side. It has been interesting, all the forces that come into play when the river bends. I like this example, for one thing, what would you say - is the water the same or has the water changed since the bend. :D

Anyway, the point is that I know that I am moving cities and I know that I am not going to spend my weekends in the university, like I did for the past couple of months. So, to anyone who has come here to read these pages, thank you I am glad you came. If we ever did talk about anything, even if we disagreed, I really enjoyed talking - words are much nicer than the gray and yellow walls. Do drop a line, if you feel like it.

A couple of blogs that I have read for the past few months or sometimes longer. Oh do I need to tell you what's good about each one of them? They are all people really, much like anyone of us, with their own sets of the good, the bad and the ugly ;) and, there have been times when I have found the communication gaps too big while communicating over blogs, such a pity!

So, having said the previous statement, I can honestly say all good things about them now - so here goes, in no particular order -

Jabberwock - Jai Arjun Singh, also writes professionally for the newspapers. He mostly has interesting things to say about interesting things. Much much fun.

India Uncut - Rave Out - This is written by a geographically diverse group of people talking about similar things. Basically reviewing books, music etc.

Mukta writes Chiffonesque - A cool little charming blog, its hard to put your finger on what is so charming about the blog, but I guess it is the honesty.

David write Relative Poetry and thinks Deep Thoughts - if you search around on his blog, there is an excellent story of a mouse :D. The first time I came across Dave's blog was thru 'NEXT BLOG' button and it was during a four part (1, 2, 3 and 4) series (it was of course cool that he ended up the series for me - thanks), I am glad he wrote about it again too. There is a whole lot of meaning on Dave's blog.

Scott Adam writes the Dilbert blog, of course.

Brian is finishing an MFA (which is something to do with writing fiction) has one of the most sarcastic posts, sometimes puts pictures of himself and his cat on the blog - but most importantly has Haiku Saturdays. Tut, I dont think I will be able to write there with the weekends being spent like normal people. (and just because i have to say this - american saturday is australian sunday)

and Quinn has a project on. Hear him talk about writing and you wonder how did you never realise there is so much to it before. Anyway, PFANM publishes a magazine, so this is one thing I can see past the bend.

So this really is kind of part-1 leaving. there might be other parts and then, finally, i might shut up!!

The picture on the top from here

Today

Some days are long days, and sometimes they stretch into weeks and come close to months. Some times your daemons find you, and strike you from within and without. And so relentlessly, that you begin to see, their (the daemon's) outlines fade and what was disagreeable begins to numb.

And the what ifs have somewhat changed because you cant see past the cloak in which they come and don't know which one choose. And yet you begin to realise that a speck of dust in the eye is quite a different thing to a full blown storm; only fearing that one could be the harbringer of the other. And the trivialness of a lonely storm in the bigger picture, maybe someday, we'll get there too.

But for now, it's about time things get better!!

The law of the land

On law - Martin Luther King said

The answer lies in the fact that there fire two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the Brat to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all"

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.

here

India does not have a unified law. This is an article about the situation.

I support unified law, if a religious or any other fanatic doesnt agree with justice or equality, surely we cannot SUPPORT that by having different laws!!

Much a do about nothing

Let me begin with a confession, I am, in fact, a loser to notice things like these and desperately need to get a life. Someday. I will. Change the world. But today let me just get this out of my system.


So, is it just me or do you find something odd with the above picture? (I always notice the odd thing in pictures, it is the common theme running thru all of mine. That is mostly a terrible thing, but sometimes it comes in handy because it gives me the moral right to make fun of odd pictures.)

I saw this picture months ago, and my first thought was - why is the guy not leaning on the tree? surely he is not trying to put Cirque du Soleil to shame, because he is so going to drop as soon the camera has clicked! But why would anybody sit like that? now from personal experience (yeah i know you know about my social life, no point pretending) I can tell, the guy went to this beautiful looking place with some other people and then the other guys who could see nothing but wet grass, some wild trees and cloudy skies and could not appriciate the poetry of the moment said -

'Hey this is boring lets go back!'

and our friend said -

'But but.. this is so beautiful!'
'It makes one think of poems and such beautiful things'

and they said -

' '

and he said -

'Ok take a picture at least'

and they said -

'Hurry up then'

and in the hurry, people, in haste, we find this most unnatural pose ever; which has bothered me sufficiently to finally put it right for myself.



*sigh*

I was in a big hurry yesterday and I only had time to post Piolin Fax’s email. I must thank her again, and I must explain how I love that picture.

Firstly to Piolin Fax - you are an amazingly talented person and I wish you good luck with your art, I do not know the language you write in so I haven’t been able to decipher anything on your page.

Now about the girl you see above - Do you see the rough edges, the yellow, the blue, the red, the green at the background, the black hair, the unconventional black smile – a huge one too, the unruly black hair, the big huge flower. The unkempt girl, un-barbie-doll-pretty and charming. Do you see that there are such strong colors and yet nothing really stands out, everything is in some kind of harmony.

Oh I love the girl you painted, Piolin Fax!! Many thanks!!

The Mystery Revealed - For You

I just got an email from the lovely person who drew the picture on my profile, A BIG THANK YOU to Piolinfax. Read below (excerpt)-

Hi, Neha! I am Piolinfax.

Please keep the picture as your visual ID as long as you like. :) Thanks for asking.

I use that picture here: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedysta:Piolinfax

I keep the picture small there so that people who click on it can see it more clearly because the text below is not Spanish but Polish. "Dla ciebie" means "for you"... I like giving simple things and flowers are great. Well, it says "for you", so I guess it also is yours now ;)

Anyway, if you like I can send you a copy of it with the text below cropped out. Just let me know. :) I tried to post this message in your blog but I could not because I needed to do it from my blogger account and I do not have one... yet...

Hugs, kisses and flowers :)
Piolinfax

a book review

about pictures of people

First let me explain why am I saying this -
(a) To procastinate
(b) To stop me from putting my pictures on the blog, if someday lightening strikes, I lose my head and think it might be a good idea.

I guess if you are normal and lucky, you have atleast one picture in 1-2 years that makes you look decent. If you want people to have a face in mind when they read your posts, this picture would already be in your profile.

All other pictures of yours are going to make you look crap. If you have a LIFE of anykind you will not have perfect features of a Barbie doll (or her male equivalent); if you do not have a LIFE and have Barbie doll (OHME) features then you will look PLASTIC in your photographs - and from here on i am not talking about you ;). So charming people with wonderful lives, there is nothing in a photograph that is reflecting the real charming you with fuzzy expressions merging into one another and dancing on your face. What ends up showing on your photograph is a weirdly frozen expression, which lefts people wondering "what on earth were you doing?" and "why on earth did you want people to see this?"

See, there are 2 kinds of people who read your blog, those who have seen you and know how charmingly wonderful you look. These people dont need to go to your blog to see your pictures. Then there are people who just read your posts, and thru them come to think you are a wonderful clever human being, why would ever want that image shattered for them and replaced by this new photograph taken impromptu!!?!

oh sorry there is a third, an important third, category of reader who reads your blog - YOU. do us all a favour - whenever the urge strikes, look in the mirror!!

Some conversations...

that make you wonder about the point of having them.

(Actual conversations that took place in a tone you would use while asking to a librarian for help.)

Last hour at uni, after 3 years of car pooling together

She said: You know sometimes you used to say things and I used to give those really random replies that never really made sense.

*My eyes lit up and I said*: You knew you were being random?

She said: You were speaking too softly I did not understand what you were talking about.

****

He said: blah blah blah (something about buying a mobile)

I said: Are you.... singing in African?