On the other side

...And even when the thick seems thinner, why do we still leave it to fate?

Waiting on you.. waiting for you,

Still walking on the road, 

That did end before a mile or two..

I’m still walking.. trudging along

The same old, endless roads.

With a promise once made,

That bridged right and wrong,

A dream we dreamt together,

To lay this promise bare,

While still hoping on hope

That I’ll meet you there...

Moments

Moments.. They fleet by

Days.. in and out, they say, but

People.. Like you and me

We're here. Here to stay.

You come with an empty mind

And leave.. heave as it fills

And like waters

Rushing in the Spring,

Memories with us...

They'll never stand still

YouTube - For those times you need to appear to look busy at your desk

There are times (at work, especially) when we feel
- Bored
- Lazy
- Jobless (hopelessly)
- Too lazy to overcome any of the above

and that's when YouTube kind of becomes your best friend. Here are some random and rather entertaining discoveries that i made while spinning it up :

[Heres a guaranteed (min.) two hours of Entertainment. Entertainment. Entertainment. :D]

Ten Second Songs

This guy takes one popular song at a time and sings it in the style of different music artistes: Ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Johnny Cash.. Adele to Eminem.. He most obviously uses a processor, but you gotta give it to him:





Here's his version of Linkin Park's Numb in 20 different styles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urzWY6sqVGw

James Corden - Carpool Karaoke

The dude has a hugely popular show called the The Late Late Show with James Corden . It all started with a singalong with Maria Carey last March and since then he's been just killing it. From twinning with Justin Beiber, crying with Stevie Wonder, to singing along with Adele as she rapped a verse from Kanye West's 'Monster' - and - Sia, who's famous black and white wig he stole.

Check the Adele Carpool video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nck6BZga7TQ


The Indian Jam Project

This group does popular music themes, right from Sherlock to GoT. I know there are already a handful of people who do this sort of thing, but these guys are pretty good. I especially liked the settings of their video.




Here's their Pirates of the Caribbean with some Flute, Sarangi, Sitar and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztu4qWbQPjY




Venu Mallesh (He HAS to be here)

Recommended by a colleague, this guy is the Rajnikant of YouTube's music scene. Believe it or not, this video of his (gone viral for good reason) has got 6,747,575 views.

You gotta check him out. Goes to an altogether different level after 2:36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJa2kwoZ2a4

Say..

This is a poem that was actually a random conversation with a friend (who also happens to be a compulsive ranter) on one slightly drunk night. It all started  with a question - 'Given a chance, without having being judged or the worrying about what people might think.. what would you say to someone you've been meaning to pour out your heart to?'. Suffice to say, i didn't really 'say' much, but this is how it wound up...

If, today, you'd have nothing to lose

What would you say?

Would you fill in the spaces between silences?

Or simply stand as today walks by?
Would you say a thousand words,

Like pearls found only after diving deep?

Or like those sunsets that we have known to be,
but never seen..Until the dawn sets in?

Would what you say be like the raindrops

that touch a pane and glisten like diamonds?

Won't they still slide away?

Would the rest then become the rainbow,

that would rend the air?

Say what you mean, mean what you say..

Could be just one or three if you may,

With an open mind and empty heart I come..

You've nothing to lose today.. 

So, Say.. Just... Just say.

WTF are we really 'Learning' ? O_o

"Education is Not the Filling of a Pail, but the Lighting of a Fire".... or so, opined W.B Yeats.
Sadly, today, its nothin but a Quaggy Mess!

Its no more a process that enlightens, inspires or drives the innovator or creator in a student.
Its The Bulls vs. The Bears. The Fight for Survival!
From kindergarten to Post graduation, its a mess, 'Schemozzle', i'd say.
There are coaching classes and tutors to teach and 're'teach everything under the sun.
Balls to Self discovery and Learning. Its Read, Rote and Puke, all the way.
We've drawing class, cooking class.. fine.
But, two-wheeler driving class? Counselling for filling preferences in a Univ. form? Tutoring fr 'SOP's?
As if tutions for theoretical exams weren't enough, some even have 'Practical exam' tutions

WTF are we heading towards?
Education reforms in our country, proceed at a snail's pace, much to our chagrin, rather, bad luck.
The confusion that this learning process creates, leaves students 'confused' about the 'future'.
Driven in the race, we never really know 'WHY' we are doing what we're doing, till the End.
'Why' Science? 'Why' Commerce 'Why not' something else?... i still wonder.

Even after stepping into Engineering, i still dont what i am really in for.
The massive fees that we pay for education isnt even half its worth, while people churn out 'lacs' to get their kids into apparently 'good' colleges, thru the fracked Management Quota
We have 'guides' for 'online exams'
Our civil drawing sheets in the 1st sem, were what we 'photocopied' from each other.
Forced to attend classes, lest we have to pay the 'defaulters' fine

One mechanical prof. i heard of, during a viva, with 2 students:
T: Haan, bolo, kaunsa topic liya ?
S 1 : IC Engines Sir.
T: Aur tumhara?
S 2: Lathe Machines Sir
T: Accha, shuru ho jao.
Main dono kaan se sununga, ek is kaan se aur dusra ek kaan se.
S 1 & 2 (perplexed) : Sir, iska matlab?
T: Matlab shuru ho jao, Viva hai yeh
S 1 & 2: But Sir...
T: Dont argue, or ur viva is done with.


Friggin' Bullshit.
And still our principals and teachers wonder why our marksheets are colored with 'backs'.
Is it worth it?

And i'm sure, scenes like this run in every college and university we know of, except the 'elite' institutes where there is genuine education delivered
(which we can count on our fingertips)

While the education reformers in our country continue 'bitch slapping' each other, millions of students are segued into becoming 'Roting Machines'.

We'll never know the practical value or application of anything, unless we step out of this mess.
Hard Luck.

India is touted to be the 'Knowledge Economy' of the future.
The other day, i read that 'Career Point', Kota based tutorials, plans to raise Rs.115 crores thru initial public offer (IPO) to upgrade the infrastructure at the institute.
You'd sigh if u know of the Super 30. Initiated by Anand Kumar in Patna, where he selects 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections of society and trains them for the IIT-JEE. Which brings 100% almost every year.

A study proclaims that India's burgeoning education market will be worth 50 billion USD by 2015!

The Moot Point is, if our Education System itself is tailored by the people who know its actual VALUE , we'd never require any of this Coaching.
We'd attend lectures if the teachers were good, do our homework and do something useful (once and for all).. Wont we?
While we gape at this mediocrity helplessly, we know we can bring about a CHANGE, if we want to.
Instead of cussing pointlessly on 'facebook' and 'twitter', go ahead and give REAL opinion during Student Feedback.
Vote for the right ideology.
Express your opinion.
Better still, step into the Govt.

Spare the Plato-works. Puhleez.
We really deserve better than this.


http://www.blogger.com/

I cry in the rain...

Its a lonely day, i want to play
Life spins around..
I've won some, and lost some too,
Nothing else i found..

A tiny wish to hold
A secret thats still untold
Please be mine, mine again
As i cry today in the rain

Where's..
The face that lit a spark,
The voice that made a mark
The hand that led the way
The eyes urging me to stay

Those moments we caught
Like a falling star
The times we'd together
Now seem so far

I miss the laughter
I miss the fun
When all we had
was each other as one

A tiny wish to hold
A secret thats still untold
Please be mine, mine again
As i cry today in the rain

HOCKEY WORLD CUP 2010.... Dhak Dhak Go

What: The 2010 World Cup will be the 12th instalment of the tournament and the second to be held in India. The first was in Mumbai in 1982.

Where: Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi, India

When: Feb 28 - March 13

We shed tears of joy when Sachin scored a 200
We're crazy about the Wimbledon and Football Leagues
Cricket runs through our blood. Its the glue that keeps us together.
We wail
We sulk
Yet again
We smile
We hug

But, when asked, we plainly answer
" Hockey is our National Game"

So very ironic!

Why is this "Step-Motherly" treatment meted out to the Game!???


This Sunday, the World Cup Of Hockey embarks on yet another journey(wonder how many of us know that!?)...
India beat Argentina 2-1 in a practice game!

Shows great Promise indeed.

Germany have been the Unbeaten till the last 2 times, but, if we Cheer enough and Team India proves its mettle.. Together We'll make history!!!


Go Cheer!
|| Chak De ||

The Sunscreen Song =)

“Everyone’s Free (to wear Sunscreen)” by Baz Luhrmann – often refered to as “The Sunscreen Song", is one of my all tym fav songs..


The 'song' is musically based on “Everyone’s Free (To Feel Good),” a song by Quindon Tarver on the soundtrack to Luhrmann’s blockbuster film William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
It actually sounds like a commencement speech, set to music.It 1st appeared as a column in the Chicago Tribune on June 1, 1997 entitled "ADVICE, LIKE YOUTH, PROBABLY JUST WASTED ON THE YOUNG" by staff writer Mary Schmich.

Sometime around Thursday, July 31, 1997, Mary's article found it's way onto the internet in the form of an email hoax, claiming to be the 1997 commencement address of Kurt Vonnegut to MIT grads. The real address that year was actually delivered by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on June 5. You can find it posted on MIT's website.

A year later, the email re-circulated claiming to be Kurt's commencement address to the Class of 1998!

The email caught the attention of Australian film director Baz Luhrmann.

Luhrmann eventually tracked the source of the speech to Schmich, and contacted Chicago Tribune management to buy the rights to the words to turn it into a song. He took Quindon Tarver's "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" song, remixed it.

The song received heavy airplay from American radio stations nationwide after KNRK in Portland aired an edited (about 4 1/2 minute) version in the spring of 1999 -- about the time of graduation that year. According to Luhrmann's label, Capitol Records, it became the most requested song on radio morning shows in Atlanta and Philadelphia

Friends....Random Jang

"In Good Times our Friends know us,
In Bad Times, we know our Friends...."

Truly opined!

A true friend is the one who will stand by you in the harshest of tempests...
When life is on the right track, everyone you know seems to be ur bestest bum-chum.
You have fun, fool around n have a gala time.
But, at the end, when even the slightest thing goes wrong, the onus is only on YOU.
At such times, only a true friend would make the effort to read your mind.
Empathy counts!
Only they would make you smile, laugh and live life like before.. evry1 else drifts by.

Life is a series of choices we make...
U make some
U break some

It goes on...
But the only thing that really lasts, like an anchor, is true friendship that asks for nothing in return.


~ Dedicated to a really special friend,
'Badoo!'

What Paper Presentations are all about

It was my first try at a paper presentation.
Axlerate, the Tech-fest organised by the Mechanical Dept. of MIT, Pune, is a most sought after event...
It includes an array of various competitions, including paper presentations.

Contrary to the great 'gyaan' bestowed upon by many of my seniors, i quite liked this event.

Paper presentations are meant for all those (irrespective of the Year u are in!) who like researching,compiling info n looking beyond the horizon.

WHY TO DO A PPT?
1. It is an added asset in ur profile, when u go fr higher studies.
2. It invariably, adds to ur knowledge n makes u self confident in many ways.

WHAT TOPIC TO CHOOSE & HOW TO GO ABOUT IT?
1. U either choose a simple topic and personalise ur paper in every way.
Ur hardwork should be evident when u present ur paper.
2. U choose a topic that is rare and go about it the way u like.
Here, it doesnt matter even if u just copy/paste stuff, but finally, u know for urself, that its crass finally.

TIPS FOR PPT:
1. Present the info in a simple manner so that every Tom, Dick, Harry understands.
2. For a powerpoint presentation...
i) Be confident of what u talk and prepare accordingly
ii) Incorporate pictures, tables, graphs.. Generate interest
iii) Keep coming back to the main points under consideration.
iv) Simplify the layout of the presentation by giving a 'Key' at the start


Finally,Keep it Simple !

A Chafed Soul...

IT IS A LONELY WORLD THERE

EACH ONE TO FEND FOR HIMSELF

PULLULATING WITH SORROW

SUBJUGATING THE MORROW

HALLOWED BE HE, WHO LIVES TO TELL THE TALE

VINDICATES THE INSURRECTION OF HEAVEN IN HELL...

Self-Importance

People have myriad ways to show how important they really are...


Now, now... INDIA spells IDIOSYNCRACIES, needless to say.
Any process here takes tenfold the time that it should've normally taken..
e.g. You go to a college during submission of an XYZ form. After understanding the process of submission (implying being tossed like a salad- to n fro from this table to that), waiting for ur chance in a serpentine Q n still not being able to submit it... why? coz a single teeny weeny paper is not signed!
Argghh.. u go.. but then comes Peon Kaka to the rescue...<>
With his stamps et al, n one has to go beeging to Him of all, n he pretends to be a VIP
Then again, the same paper needs to be signed by the principal

The process still doesn't end here,
Cz, by the time u go to submit the paper,
Ta Da! Lunch Time for the office......


Divas Sampla!

And still the work is never done....


God be with you..

Jai Hind!

Pictorial Representation of Lovestory by Taylor Swift...

We were both young when I first saw you.

I close my eyes and the flashback starts:

I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.

See the lights see the party, the ball gowns.

See you make your way through the crowd

and say hello;

Little did I know

That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."

And I was crying on the staircase,

begging you, "Please, don't go."

And I said,

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.

I'll be waiting; all there's left to do it run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story - baby just say "Yes."

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew.

So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.

Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter,

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet,"

But you were everything to me; I was begging you, "Please, don't go,"

And I said,

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.

I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the prin

cess

It's a love story - baby just say "Yes."

Romeo save me; they're tryin' to tell me how to feel.

This love is difficult, but it's real.

Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.

It's a love story - baby just say "Yes."

Oh.

I got tired of waiting,

Wondering if you were ever comin' around.

My Faith in you was fading

When I met you on the outskirts of town.

And I said,

Romeo save me - I've been feeling so alone.

I keep waiting for you but you never come.

Is this in my head? I don't know what to think-

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said,

"Marry me, Juliet, You'll never have to be alone.

I love you and that'd all I really know.

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress;

It's a love story - baby just say yes."

Oh, oh.

We were both young when I first saw you..

I was just surfing the net on a random note of ennui, the other day, n found some really intriguing stuff [courtesy Google]:

A guy who has too much time on his hand n other body parts:
http://www.beseechfanclub.com/bored/


if ur a 1st std kid, amused by the WOWness of internet
http://web4health.info/en/aux/do-instead.htm


if u have an Unlimited broadband plan, n love videos:
http://www.i-am-bored.com/


Still, Bored? Listless? Help is at hand!
Pass away the pointless hours with our list of things to do when you're bored:

http://www.urban75.org/useless/bored.html

Here's some of the crassiest ideas:

Scratch yourself
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
Go ahead, scratch yourself now. Even if nothing itches, go ahead. Doesn't that feel pretty good?

Pinch yourself
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
What is pain? Why is it unpleasant? There's nothing physical about it - it's all in your mind. Plus, after pinching yourself for awhile, boredom will seem nice next to being in pain.

Try to swallow your tongue
(Amusement Potential: 1-2 minutes)
There's not much to say about this one. It is possible, but really stupid.

Look at something for awhile, shut eyes, study after image
(Amusement Potential: 2-5 minutes)
Another great time waster. It takes about 30 seconds of staring to create an after image, and the image is then viewable for about the same length of time. Fun to combine this one with pushing on your eyes.

Pretend all humans will die except for people in room with you
Amusement Potential: 10-20 minutes)
What would you do if this really happened? Would the group stay together, or would there be factions? Who would join what group? Remember, there would only be power for a few days before the plants ran out of fuel or broke. To travel, you would always have to be near cars to siphon gas out of. Best to do with people you know.

Step off a curb with eyes shut, imagine it's a cliff
(Amusement Potential: 2-5 minutes)
To get any benefit out of this one, you have to have a good imagination. Don't step off immediately, build up to the jump. Study the ravine below. Feel the winds at that altitude. Step off and...AHHHHHH!!!!!






MORAL OF THE STORY:

u will never again dare to be bored!

Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy.... himmat asel tar adva

Director: Santosh Manjrekar
Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Makrand Anaspure, Siddharth Jadhav, Priya Bapat Genre: Drama
Language: Marathi
__
The last marathi movie I saw was Dombivli Fast, which was indeed a thought provoking one.
But nothing has been ever so moving, yet entertaining to the hilt, as this movie....

It throws light on the quiescence of the common man or Marathi Manoos [as highlighted], in this oppressive world.
Interwoven with the glories of the Great Maratha King Shivaji Maharaj, it is the perfect concoction to 'Jaga karo' the Countryman in each one of us.

Dinkar Bhosle (Sachin Khedekar), is a typical middle class man, with a 9 to 5 job in a bank.
His son (Abhijeet Kelkar) is an Engg aspirant, made to realize that donation seats in colleges run by Marathi MLAs are merely a vice of the filthy rich non-Maharashtrians.
His daughter (Priya Bapat) aspires to be a Bollywood actress, but faces rejection by producers, on the grounds that Marathi girls are too conservative and vernac-accented to make it big in Hindi film industry.
His wife (Suchitra Bandekar) wants to sell-off their derelict, ancestral home to a Gujarati builder in exchange for a flat at the outskirts of Mumbai, to add to Dinkar's chagrin.

The cumulative repression of money, politics, education et al leads him to curse himself for being born as a Marathi... A scene, wherein Dinkar speaks to the mum statues of gretat men of the past, is particularly heart wrenching and stirring.
And this is what instigates the resurrection of the soul of the Great Shivaji Maharaj, from the sands of time..
Hereafter follows a series of events that lead to his transformation from a diffident old man to A people's hero.

How he saves his property from the impudent builder, gets his son into an Engg college, how his daughter finds her clarion call in the film industry and many other things in succession, without even once bowing down to repression, is intensely moving.

The Character of gangster Usman Parker, played by comedian Siddharth Jadhav, indeed makes an impact.
The term 'ghati', ascribed to the ppl living in the coastal part of Maharashtra, finds a whole new dimension here.

Though it is highly peppered with cliches and is quite stereotyped [a fact repeatedly hammered in2 my head throughout the movie, from a certain, so-called Precious Pearl], it manages to strike the right chords.
There's just one song n dance sequence which cud've def been better.
The crisp editing and screenplay and in-your-face dialogues makes it a complete entertainer!

Contrary to movie brickbats, i would say that this movie, is an effervescent show of secularism, not confined to just one state or creed, even if it rings with the 'Mi Marathi' hymn...

Meri Ma

Meri Ma....


Days weave in and time goes go by,
But, none sweeter than those under her eye.

We fight, we differ,
We plunder, we pilfer…

Not a day, that there hasn’t been a tiff
Yet, I cant have enough of our miffs.

From the moment I rise, till I retire,
She does her duty with zest and fire.

Whenever I am down and out with tears
She holds my hand and wipes all fears.

In her eyes, is the love
That melts for her pieces of heart

Wherever they may be,
Today, tomorrow, near or far apart.

She sings her symphony of life
From which we learned what it is to strive.

For all the world may be,
She will never leave me.

As I stand here today,
Words are pithy to glorify her,

Her place is way above all,
She is my dearest.. Mother.

Why oh Why???

WHEN A NEW DAY BEGINS
AND THE SKY TURNS BLUE,

I OPEN MY EYES
AND THINK OF YOU

WHEN THE DAY NEARS AN END
AND THE DUSK SETS BY

YOU COME YET AGAIN
AND THOUGHTS OF YOU FLY BY

ALL ALONG I TRY MY BEST
TO BE MUM AND THINK OF ALL THE REST

BUT, YOU- THE DEVIL, (AS I ALWAYS SAID)
HOWEVER MUCH I TRY, WON’T LEAVE MY HEAD!

WONDERING WHO I’M RANTING HERE ABOUT?
ITS MY LIL DOGGIE WHO’S POKING HIS SNOUT!!

Poof! A dream came true

I peered and pondered,
I watched and looked,

But couldn’t find out,
What had them all so hooked?

Book in hand, and mind full of fear,
I was down and out, all with tears.

What’s that you said????
Oh! this lesson, I completely forgot!
Still we got to do this girlie,
Whether we like it or not!

Between stress and expectations I was caught,
For silence.. Shh.. and time I fought and fought.

But just then it was like floo
No. Better, a dream come true,

I couldn’t understand what to do,
my happiness out of all bonds flew.

The exams had been cancelled,
Hurray!
The teachers left tangled,
In Dismay!

All of us happily prancing away,
While the poor Misses took in the mêlée !

L.O.V.E. etc.

Love is a game that you play alright,
Waking up through the day n night.
Surely is a dream you don’t want to wake from,
No start, no end, no break, no norm.


Its all bout passions,Its all bout pain,
Its all bout lessons,All along the lane.
It takes you in n out of unnerving trial,
Yet, bears the bliss that has no denial.


Starts off as a sweet, sweet story,
Takes over like a wild, wild worry.
Its all bout bearing,Its all bout stay,
Its all bout daring,All along the way.


Just one look lights up your day
Just one smile makes u want to stay
Just one word gives u so such a high
Yet another one makes it tough to say goodbye.


So love n let love,
Coz’ it’s a world to behold
Go ahead and witness
The magic that unfolds…...

Life without you...

Everytime I look at you
I live a dream I lived saw before
Everytime I look at you
I can see the love I saw before
Everytime I look at you
I wanna get closer to you
And then I know, I realize
What I am without you

I see you, I see you,
Wherever I go,
I feel you, I feel you,
Forever my love

Life without you
Is uncharted.. without destiny
Life without you,
Is a thought without integrity
Life without you,
Is when I live myself
..Without being me..

I see you, I see you,
Wherever I go,
I feel you, I feel you,
Forever my love

Everytime I look at you
I feel the power I never felt before,
Everytime I look at you
I hear words, I never heard before
Everytime I look at you
I get a surge, like it’s a new start
Everytime I look at you
I’m at peace, though we’re apart
And then when you look at me,
I know, I realize,
The emptiness there was,Without you…