I simply loved the way the Deccan Chargers defended their paltry total of 100 yesterday against Mumbai Indians. This was an intense game and nothing stood out more in it than Cameron White's aggressive captaincy. The way he handled Steyn was exceptional. A short leg and a slip - now that's what the premier fast bowler in the tournament needs - and not being saved up for the 20th over as Sanga did. Dinesh Karthik went just because of that short leg. And if Amit Mishra had held on to that catch and bowled a decent over at the end - DC could...
Monday, 30 April 2012
Sunday, 29 April 2012
There was a big buzz in the colony last week. All the night watchmen of the colony were summoned. These were not the night watchmen appointed by the colony committee - they were watchmen appointed by individual house and apartment owners. But for some reason the colony committee decided to pull them up. The reason? Petrol thieves are on the prowl. They have cut the fuel pipes and made off with petrol in many vehicles in the colony in the past week. Be alert you fellows. The watchmen - an assorted and apathetic lot of all sizes and shapes, all ages...
Friday, 27 April 2012
I read this somewhere in the past couple of days but I fail to remember the source. It said something I believe in strongly. That true power comes from being vulnerable.Power is not about rippling muscles and the forts and the guns and swords. It is about what conquers all these - innocence and love. The most powerful man in the world is helpless before a child. The storm rages on unable to uproot the humble sapling. Water gently erodes all that is in its way.Nothing in the world can affect you it appears, if you accept yourself and your vulnerability....
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Much of our valuable time and energy could be going into a big black hole called 'proving things' to others. This aspect of our lives gets pretty serious if we do not watch out for it. In our bid to prove we are right, we go to great lengths. I know, because I do this many times.Pic courtesy - PrarthanaSometimes this 'proving' business is used to move forward to achieve something. We want to show those who pulled us down and told us in...
Monday, 23 April 2012
Cars first. Was in Bangalore last week for a short trip. Decided to drive down and started off early. We were at Shamshabad airport by 545 a.m. and 7 hours later passed the Devanahalli airport outside Bangalore. I never do over 100 kmph on my Santro, so I think it's pretty good time. The road was in top condition and we paid some 480 bucks on toll but its well worth it. As for decent stops where one can stop with the family, the one that comes to...
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Movies are now slotted into three types for me. The ones that are hyped so much that you are an absolute idiot if you have not yet seen it. The ones that you hear bad stuff about but it stays in the theatres for long and becomes a hit with some 100 crores raked in the first week. And the ones that you hear good stuff about and want to watch it but it stays for only a week or two. I have a weakness for the underdog, the one who makes what he belies...
Saw two hot ads for two soft drinks with two sexy sirens sexing it all up. Kareena going 'pyaas badhao' with all the wrong intonations and intentions and Katrina making out with a Slice bottle in the fields. What's with this? I cannot imagine anyone drinking both soft drinks normally after seeing those two ads. It definitely adds a lot more than just a soft drink angle. Gives one much to think about. Also am waiting to see more soft drink ads.For example the suicidal Mahesh Babu and his gang that jumps off planes and buildings in their quest to...
Vinod gave me the 'Anatomy of an Illness - as Perceived by the Patient' by Norman Cousins to read, a couple of weeks ago, and I found very inspiring - a patient's guide to handle illnesses almost. The book which was on the New York Times bestseller list for over 40 weeks begins with the blurb on the front cover that goes 'How one man proved your mind can cure your body'.A well known journalist, author, world peace activist and professor, Cousins...
Friday, 20 April 2012
One of the reasons why I think the Deccan Chargers is failing so far in this edition of IPL is this fatal flaw I see in their captain. Sangakarra is a wonderful batsman and a fine cricketer, but as a captain he leaves much to desired. One particular flaw which cost them at least two games is his reluctance to attack aggressively and seize the initiative. He does not capitalize even on the early initiatives provided by his bowlers and settles back to play a waiting game. letting all the initial advantage go. This penchant to sit back cost him not...
Thursday, 19 April 2012
When we take the label of failure off it - it makes everything easier. Okay we did not perform as well as we could have - but we did something didn't we? We showed up. We learned something. That is not a failure.If you are the type who wants to measure it, it is a lesser amount of success. It is your chosen amount of learning for that day. (Everyone need not eat tonnes and tonnes right, we can choose to eat how much we want!)Suddenly, when the label is taken off, everything seems okay. We are in a safe space. There is no danger of slipping a bit...
We want success by thinking excessively of failure.Our successes - big and small - are ignored. Our failures - big and small - are magnified. What do we want? Success or failure?It is perhaps better to actively seek failure. Maybe then we can learn actively from our mistakes. We have the liberty to make mistakes. Maybe then, our thoughts and subsequent results, may go the other side....
This book authored by Meena Alexander is of special importance to me. Meena is a poet and a literary figure, based in New York, and it was a pleasure meeting her when she came to the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2012. I had not read many novels set in Hyderabad before and it was only at the HILF that I knew of 'Nampally Road' written by her (and later came across 'The Eighteenth Parallel' by Asokamitran thanks to Vinod). Meena set her story in a Hyderabad...
Monday, 16 April 2012
How does one be spontaneous in one's acts? How does one practice that? To me the connection seems to come from being true to one's emotions. To feel them as they come without suppressing them. Just as children do. Feel the emotion and react to it. The moment is gone, the emotion is gone, and its all over. Spontaneity has its benefits of living the moment and the emotion, and getting it over and done with.For example, a momentary flash of anger at someone who carelessly dropped something on you could be expressed right then and got over with....
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Act first. Think later. It is better to trust your instinct (and develop your instinct) so you act spontaneously. All the training you've had, your beliefs, your values will guide you to rightful acts only (for the concerned moral brigade) - so you need not worry about the act. If anything, the spontaneous act will make your act a pure one.Practice acting on your thought. Right on cue. You can think about it later. Buy the flowers, Stop the car. Go for a walk. Dive into the pool. Sleep under the tree. Buy that thing that catches your eye. Say what...
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Kancha Ilaiah wrote about something that has been on my mind in the Deccan Chronicle on April 11, 2012. The suicides that now number over 750 in support of a separate Telangana state, most of them from the lower strata, and of the first educated in the family, are the point of discussion here. He says that it is unparalleled and unnatural that nationalism or regionalism is the cause of so many deaths. He says that it cannot be, and that these suicides should be investigated and the cause found out as to why this is happening. Which ghost is driving...
Friday, 13 April 2012
What we think we 'want' is exactly what we don't want. Or at least what we think we don't deserve anyway.If we badly needed it we would have got it already. But by keeping those things in the 'want' list we keep looking at them, doing everything we can to not get them. All our actions, all our thoughts are against getting it. They will perpetually be in the 'want' list.It is better to let this 'want' list go and save some energy for yourself. You could divert it into things you need. The shorter and more focussed the list, the better the chances...
Thursday, 12 April 2012
I read this book many years ago and reread it again two days ago. It reads like a breeze. And if there is one book I'd advise every one to keep at home, it's this. (I like the first line of the Foreword written by Dave Braun who says that - 'if I were cast away on a desert island and could have only one book with me there, I might well choose Louise L. Hay's You Can Heal Your Life'). A cancer survivor, a rape victim and a survivor of an abused...
God knows which movie this song is from and who the actors are but its incredibly peppy and uplifting. I heard it before but I never knew where and who it was shot on. But I love the way it goes and the way the two actors go about their song and dance routine and saying 'ha ha, na na'. The white sari clad, sad looking Simi does not stop the two from their unadulterated pleasure. Lovely. Check it out and get your moods up right away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag3g4AJ-GuA&feature=rela...
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
The Act is done and gone.But we frame it with our judgment, belief, opinion - and stick it on the wall prominently. It will sit there and remind you of your judgment, belief and opinion. It will blame you and make you feel small. It will keep on accusing you and blackmailing you long after the world has moved on.The act is gone. Its truth long corrupted. All that remains is your useless judgment, belief and opinion that will serve no good to anyone. Least of all you. It will only help to keep you chained to that thought.Remove the frame. Let that...
Monday, 9 April 2012
The best way to deal with thoughts, (the hard, non-productive ones) that scare us or put unnecessary doubt in our mind especially, are to leave them with no boundaries. unchain them, remove the hard boundaries they have in your head in the form of opinions, beliefs and judgments. Once you free the thought it ceases to have any charge, any power over you. No judgement, no opinion, just a stray thought flying about.It makes it much easier on...
There was a time when friendships and marriages broke up because someone read a letter meant for someone else. Many movies had plots where such letters land up in the wrong hands and much mischief or drama happens later. But those were the times when people communicated through letters (pieces of paper which we bought in a government office called Post Office and write on it complete with an address - to and from, which was hand delivered to the addressee). Those letters cost us money, sometimes even as high as 75 paise, so we were all infinitely...
George Clooney directed this political thriller in which he acted along with a powerhouse starcast - Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and others. Mike Morris (Clooney) is the Governor of Pennsylvania and the Presidential candidate for the Democrats, competing against the Arkansas senator. The movie picks up in Ohio where the two sides are camping with their respective campaign teams. Mike's campaign manager is the...
Sunday, 8 April 2012
All feelings of genuine power comes from taking action, on our own thoughts. All feelings of helplessness come from taking action on someone else's thoughts. Or not taking action on your own thoughts.To create and to sustain this power one needs to do two things. One is to start thinking for oneself, for good or bad, and the second is to start acting on it. Resist attempts to have someone else decide for you, resist not acting on what your mind feels...
Do we show more responsibility towards the act or for the consequence of the act? I'd like to believe that if we showed more responsibility to the act, the consequence would not matter so much.Taking responsibility for the action indicates that one is clear why one is undertaking that action. There is no confusion on that aspect. Whatever it is, we have undertaken the act for some particular reason that we are convinced about. The consequences do not really matter after that. (It would normally also leave out factors such as guilt, disappointment...
Saturday, 7 April 2012
This book published by Headline Review and Hachette India (priced at Rs. 350, historical fiction), is the story of Babur (1484-1530), or Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, the foremost of the Moghuls and the one who set up the formidable Moghul empire in India. Told in a story form with lots of dialogue and interesting descriptions and characters, Rutherford, takes us through the life of Babur from the time he becomes the King of a small province called...
Friday, 6 April 2012
Imagine life without an audience. No one is looking at what you do. No one is clapping. No one is likely to even comment on your existence. No likes, no comments, no shares, no articles, no tweets, no emails, no messages. What would happen to our life if the audience was just not there? If no one even bothered about you and your existence at all? The whole world.For one thing, there would be much finer awareness. There'd be far lesser inhibitions...
Thursday, 5 April 2012
SuccessTo laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.This is to have succeeded.- Ralph Waldo Emer...
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
I am inspired by Raja's comment on my previous post, to write a full fledged piece on the tax on breathing and other such related items. This could give some ideas to the government on how to increase revenue.A friend of mine who works in the Income Tax department estimates roughly that of the 1.2 billion or 120 crores population in India (say 70 crores leaving out those who may not qualify) only about 1.5 crore pay Income Tax (or 3% as per some report I read as opposed to 45% in the USA). Now this identified segment is the flogging horse for...
One thing we are fighting here in Hyderabad (perhaps across India) is this invisible enemy - user charges. No one knows when and where the enemy springs from, because it is not mentioned in the price as a separate item. Some times it comes innocuously at the end of a long number of charges added to the actual cost of whatever service we are paying for. (Something like those 'service charges' that hotels and restaurants casually add to the bill at the end of the rather long line of taxes and items that have to be checked an double checked with the...
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
At the end of the Kurukshetra war Yudhisthir goes to the great warrior prince Bheeshma, his grandfather, who is awaiting the hour to die on his bed of arrows, to learn about the duties of a king. Some of them are applicable to the leader as well. Obviously it is a tough call, and one has to learn the art of fine balance to stay ahead of others. To trust and not trust, to be righteous and unrighteous, to be compassionate and yet not be too forgiving, to gather information on his own trusted aides - its interesting.Clearly the leader must be ahead...
Forever is only this moment - not the next and the next and the next - and onwards.This moment 'stretches' forever when engaged with fully, afresh. The moments 'shrinks' when engaged with partially, from the past. The moment ceases to exist on its own. It becomes a shadow of the past. Instead of 'stretching' it starts 'shrinking'.You, your world, your present, they all shrink with the burden of forever. To love forever is to love in the moment. That...
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