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Jottings on 12th December 2015 - (2002 - Hit and run - Ruminations on a judicial travesty and an act of magnanimity)

2002 - Hit and run - Ruminations on a judicial travesty and an act of magnanimity In 2002, a "car carrying an actor" drove over few unfortunate individuals who happened to be sleeping on the pavements of Mumbai. One of them lost his life, others incapacitated for life losing active livelihood. Like everything else there was national outcry, and the question debated in the courts of India for nearly fourteen long years was this : Was the actor driving the car when this happened, and secondly was he in state of intoxication during that period.? While common sense, the most preciously uncommon commodity, dictates beyond doubt that these were true, contrary to any arguments that may be provided by any learned exponents of law; our judiciary managed to prolong this trial for over a decade finally delivering a verdict last week, which anyway was a foregone conclusion that there is no "conclusive proof" against this "venerable actor". Though he was physically

The day I bought my car in the US - 13th December 2015

"It's been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come." - Sam Cooke, writer and singer, 1964 As an immigrant, one of the first acts of spending in the US is on a car. Rightly so. It is considered almost impossible to move around unless there is one in our possession. Also, The system of trading cars here makes it so very simple to acquire one. From the time we conceive of buying a vehicle to the point of actually buying, it would take not more than a day to thr ee days. Add to it, the plethora of options not only in terms of what car, make, color, Mileage and the rest of it , but also different financial options available - it becomes almost impossible to resist buying a beauty that exceeds ones budget or expectations. Therefore It is not very uncommon to see young families driving a BMW, Porsche or a Mazda on a shoestring immigrant worker salary. But that's alright. This is supposedly a land of dreams, milk and honey , and one has the right to be a lit

Thoughts - A journey within

Thoughts - A journey within Sometimes all that it takes for a ripe fruit to drop without effort is the slightest shake of a branch. No wrenching, no tugging, no spasms of pain on being uprooted from a source that had held it for so long. It just gives way, severs itself to begin a new life. Similarly, there are those precious moments in one's life when a casual conversation can suddenly reveal a side of a relationship that was hanging there all the time, but hidden by a thin veil of ignorance or self deception. And, all of sudden a chance remark pierces that tenuous veil, a gaping hole appears and everything becomes crystal clear to mind's eye. Things can never be the same after that. The important thing though is one's inner availability to recognize and change at that moment. It is easy to struggle, rationalize, argue with oneself, lose that poignant moment to be radically transformed and continue in our mutually uncomfortable relationships. But an intelligent, wise

Jottings on 21st December 2015

The best way to study something is to look at its extreme manifestations, isolating it from what is considered normal flow and then subjecting it to intense scrutiny. All sciences, in a way, develop in this manner. Experiments are conducted in well defined boundaries or frames of reference, and results derived are generalized to suit hypotheses and propositions. And nothing bends itself to this kind of study more than that of human behavior and nature of the mind. Almost our entire knowledge and experience in Psychology and psychiatry are derived from human beings who have displayed extremities of behavior. Almost everything that sciences have known about Human mind comes from observing compulsive abnormalities than normal ones. The writings of Freud, Jung, Adler - fathers of this kind of study- abound in case studies of individuals who came to them with distinctively extreme behavior. It may be sexual, neurotic, schizophrenic, stress or all the rest of it. It based on such individua

The 1960's - Vidal-Buckley debates, a sign of times to come

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The 1960's - Vidal-Buckley debates, a sign of times to come (To all my readers : This is a long essay, and I primarily meant to write it for my own understanding and use. It took about two hours to write this piece, and when I finished, I felt there may be few readers who would be interested in what I have to say. Hence the posting. The Vidal-Buckley debate is now captured in a wonderful documentary titled "Best of enemies", which incidentally is available on Netflix. For those us, who have time, interest and desire, it is definitely worth a watch. America doesn't produce people like Vidal or Buckley anymore. They were quintessential Americans: Free, opinionated, liberal and deeply wanted an America free of dogmatic encrustations. With Presidential elections round the corner, the Vidal-Buckley debates still resonates with intellectual vigor and enthusiasm for a better future, which sadly seem missing or lacking in what we see today) Charles Dickens begins his ep

The Devil's advocate

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The Devil's advocate As long as there is need for an Omnipotent Human God, there has to be his antithesis - the need for a Devil. This is not merely a logical or epistemological necessity but a commonsense proposition as well. However, this has been a long standing problem with Monotheistic religions. In all three of them: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, The devil figures as symbol of “evil”, a representation of all that is malevolent and pernicious in Human life, responsible for acts that entices Man to stray from his path, motivating perpetual strife, violence and restlessness; creating discontent, encouraging avarice, promoting vanity and sexual depravity - in all, he is the sole reason why Man still remains in his fallen state keeping this struggle of-“God overcoming the Devil”- fantasy alive and vibrant. Fortunately for polytheistic religions, they never got themselves into this tight knot. Their world view not only allowed for multiple Gods and demons, but their origins

Playboy - a resurrection

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Playboy - a possible resurrection In early nineties, a friend of mine from high school days visited me at Chennai. He was in the US for higher studies, and was travelling to India on a short break. Apart from a brand new Panasonic Walkman, he also happened to bring along with him a few old copies of Playboy, hidden deep under layers of clothing in his suitcase, covered in brown paper (making it look almost like a packet of hardcore narcotics).He was very proud that he had made it passed Customs in both countries. We waited for everyone to go to bed before his slipped the packet into my hands. Guilt ridden, in mellowed lighting, cuddled on the floor, I opened that packet with trepidation and trembling hands. The excitement in my eyes, I am sure, would have been palpable for anyone to see. Holding the famed Playboy in my hands was almost a dream come true. At near about twenty years of age; testosterone rapidly coursing through one’s veins, this magazine represented the consummation