29 Apr 2005

Happy Death

Posted by Oblivion in General | 7:44pm


Lonely road
Majestic tree
Wilful gale
Graceful fall
Trampled leaf


Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

21 Apr 2005

The Looking Glass

Posted by Oblivion in General | 5:57pm


"Can we question together all the foolishness and hysteria of modern mysticism, of the occult,and the fascination with unusual phenomena? Are these things not breeding a vague, inarticulate field of social demands and illusions? Can we put away the new age as well as the old age?

"It's hard to put away all illusions, including the illusions of contribution, of self-importance and the like.
 
"It is hard work to see clearly into this whole mess, into the insanity which man has woven around himself. You need a very, very sane mind to see, and to be free."

- JK

Has the human mind lost all capacity to understand anything simple or obvious? It seems so. Society prepares an innocent kid for the kill, and education completes it. The individual is dead and what remains is an automaton that keeps the wheel of society make another successful turn.

Unless one acknowledges the mess, one cannot do anything about it. The entire process of education and upbringing imposes a fascination for illusion, the craving for which, eventually, becomes a subconscious trigger that gets pulled automatically. Naturally, this defies all chances of perceiving reality as it is. Distortion, categorisation, justification and rationalisation become indispensable.

Forget about being passively aware of one's own psychological mess, one cannot even perceive the world candidly. As a simple example, one comes across so many people who do not admit there's anything wrong with the state of politics or law or police or education in the country. These are usually obsessive practitioners of optimism. The house is on fire, yet they suggest you to look at the other side of glass! They point at the distant, faint cloud that would pour soon with the heavenly shower and assure you that it would extinguish the fire. On the other hand, one finds those who are absolutely certain that the fire would raze everything to ashes and one cannot do anything but give up and grieve.

If the house is on fire, it's on fire. If democracy is farce, it's farce. If it's a hopeless situation, it's a hopeless situation. If the world sucks, it sucks. Seeing is the point, and when one sees it doesn't matter how good or bad reality is; a sane person is not bothered about categorization, but just about observation. Blind adherents to optimism fail to realise that in waiting for that grand tomorrow they are merely prolonging chaos for yet another generation. And those who resort to pessimism run away from the responsibility and wait for a miracle from the saviour. The house continues to burn.

As Russell said, the world does not need either optimists of pessimists, but constructive thinkers. True, all those fancy thinkers with their convincing logic and anslysis systems do more harm than good. Sanity is in seeing. Without any glass whatsoever.



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

19 Apr 2005

Six Degrees of Separation

Posted by Oblivion in General | 8:16pm


"...successful social search is conducted primarily through intermediate to weak strength ties, does not require highly connected hubs to succeed, and, in contrast to unsuccessful social search, disproportionately relies on professional relationships. By accounting for the attrition of message chains, we estimate that social searches can reach their targets in a median of five to seven steps, depending on the separation of source and target, although small variations in chain lengths and participation rates generate large differences in target reachability. We conclude that although global social networks are, in principle, searchable, actual success depends sensitively on individual incentives."

The results of Small World Project are finally out.

I have been trying for two years to get in touch with two friends with whom I had lost contact. I'm still waiting for the slightest information that could lead me to them. Methinks six degrees of separation theory holds good only conditionally. Need to think more on that... 



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

6 Apr 2005

Lost in Transition?

Posted by Oblivion in General | 4:40pm


"Do you love me?" Marthe asked suddenly.

Mersault burst out laughing. "Now that's a serious question."

"Answer me!"

"People don't love each other at our age, Marthe - they please each other, that's all. Later on, when you are old and impotent, you can love someone. At our age, you just think you do. That's all it is."

- An excerpt from A Happy Death by Albert Camus

How true! How true! Camus is a genius.

Love: a four-letter word used by everybody to package the combination of the egress of biological instinct and obsession for psychological security, and a wholly selfish emotion in the form of a most expansive state of mind. A socially-endorsed, culturally-imposed drug that, aided by art and literature, sustains immaturity across generations inebriated with delusion. Without doubt, the most misconstrued and exploited word after God.

It's a painful realisation - for anyone who does realise - that nobody really loves but everybody believes he does. Love - that gift from heaven - have we lost it somewhere on our road to civilization? Or, was it never there at all? A bad turn. Worse, we don't even realise it!



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: Ilaiyaraja-apostrophe-s instrumentals

30 Mar 2005

Joyce-ism

Posted by Oblivion in General | 11:43am


One from Joyce:

"A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery."



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

27 Mar 2005

Death, Interrupted

Posted by Oblivion in General | 8:36am


Man's conception of the Universe and his understanding of the world appear to be rooted in his fear of, and failure to understand, Death. So, all his morality, spirituality, belief systems, etc seem to be the effects of thanatophobia. If he knew with certainty what acually happens after death, I doubt if we had such moral codes and schools of thought in place. What, instead, would have existed, depends on the combination of four things:

1.There is life after death
2.There is no life after death
3.There is God (let us assume God is that someone who has no better things to do than keep an account of our deeds, and rewards or punishes accordingly)
4.There is no God

Assumption 1: That there is life after death and there is God is the assumption that is most widely followed. So, there would not be much deviation from the currently prevalent belief systems and codes, if this assumption were true. Little deviation, however, would have happened because man's behavior would be different; the certainty of a second chance makes him take many things for granted. The world would not have been much different, although some schools of thought would've come up a little later, and in a totally different way. Interesting to imagine how Insurance would have been affected.

This holds, however, only if the next life is dependent on the deeds in this life. It is only this dependence that makes man attach any importance to God. If one is assured that he will be born a man again regardless of his actions in this life, I wonder how many people would respect or fear God.

Assumption 2: There is no life after death but there is God. Except for those who fear God or realise the beauty of Truth, all people else would be disillusioned and refuse to attach any importance to God. The effect? More suicides, less virtue, relaxed moral code, more licentiousness, more sanity, more insanity too. Death would be more dreadful than it now is. 

Assumption 3: There is life after death but there is no God. Man would love this. It's akin to a world without police and law. And what more! there's another life to live all over this again! Chaos twice over. Death would be a non-issue. Most philosophers and writers would've committed suicide - some, out of disappointment, but most, out of sheer boredom. The legend of Sisyphus would have inspired more fiction than any other legend possibly could have.

Assumption 4: There is no life after death and there is no God either. Pessimists would have ruled the world. More fear, more violence, more insanity. The rest is not hard to imagine.

Neither of the aforementioned assumptions would have affected the rational man though. He would live the same way no matter what. A rational man derives his points of view from the significance of life; the irrational derive theirs from the fear of death.    



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

22 Mar 2005

My Little Sister

Posted by Oblivion in General | 9:53pm


I held her hand firm as we approached the school gate
She is precious to me, but I had to let her go
As she hastened her tread, she turned to bid adieu
My hand still lay open as we looked at each other
Tender tears no more flowed on her baby cheeks
Instead, a cherubic smile adorned her innocent face
With a glimmer of delight she waved me goodbye
Joy of heaven was mine as I looked at my precious one
But, alas! I let her go alone into the ruthless world
And that was why mine were also the pangs of pain
World mocked at me and reminded she is no more a baby
Frozen memories of fourteen years melted by recollection
Grown-up is she for the world, but little she still is for me
Little was she when I held her with care in my arms
When she ran in the sand with abandon, she was little
She was little too when fairy tales were the world to her
Little also was she when cute plaits danced on her shoulders
When she learnt her first rhyme and shared her delight
When, after the day's play, she slept to my lullabies
Little she was when, in pain, she looked at me for a hug
My precious one was little when she believed all my stories
Little was she when her world crumbled on the first day at school
Little is she now as she walks away from me for school
And little shall she be to me however many years may pass
Yes, my little sister shall always be the precious little one to me


Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

15 Mar 2005

Method in Madness

Posted by Oblivion in General | 9:00pm


Meaninglessness cannot be ascribed to life, for the concept of meaning and the process of inference belongs to the realm of mind, but life does not.

As it might appear, then, sanity is, on the contrary, not in admitting failure and living in disillusionment reminding oneself, "after all, there is no meaning in anything anyways", but in transcending the realm of mind and embracing life with passion.



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

11 Mar 2005

Time and Me

Posted by Oblivion in General | 8:49pm


On our journey to nowhere, my feet ached
My feet ached, and I saw the swift flight of a feeling 
A feeling of numbness crept in, and I paused
I paused on our journey to nowhere, and looked back
I looked back into His eyes yet again
Yet again I met with that indifferent stare
Indifferent stare but compassionate eyes His were
His were the eyes with no trace of weariness
Weariness and boredom were my constant companions
Companions in my joy, in my strife, and solitude
Solitude encompassed me as He smiled and beckoned
Beckoned me to walk ahead, and I stood askance
Askance I stood and wondered what lied ahead
Ahead have we been walking for years but reached nowhere
Nowhere have we reached, and futile the walk has proved
The walk has proved futile, or so I thought
I thought and I stood shattered. "Where to?" I asked
I asked and He just smiled. "To nowhere", He said
He said thus and noticed the tear in my eye
My eye, and the eyes, went blurred as I turned
I turned as I mused what I did all along the walk
Along the walk, all along, I wanted to be ahead of Him
Ahead of Him I wanted to be, in speed and in sight
In sight of mine, blinded by ambition, was always the destination
The destination that I now, alas, realise is not there at all
"Not there at all!" tears rushed in a cascade
Cascade of memories, joyful and painful, fleeted past
Past was all life that I lost waiting for a tomorrow
A tomorrow when I believed eternal happiness will be mine
Mine, I believed, will be that happiness for eternity
"Eternity, my son, is always in THIS moment", He said
He said, He also said, "don't run. Just walk. Beside me"
Beside me, He walked now, as I slowed down
Slowed down on my tread, I looked around for the first time
For the first time the million doors of delight opened
Opened were also the crooked, closed windows of mind
Mind rested and flew with the clouds as we walked ahead thus
Thus walked, now as friends, ahead on our journey to nowhere
To nowhere walked ahead both of us - Time and me



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

6 Mar 2005

This Moment...

Posted by Oblivion in General | 11:19am


How many people are gorging on sumptuous food?
How many gadget-freaks are typing SMSs?
How many children are blissfully asleep?
How many poor, old women are hungry and praying for crumps of meal?
How many kids are playing in sand?
How many poets are walking on a beach?
How many cancer patients are battling for life?
How many orphans are thinking of their mothers?
How many men on the battlefield are feeling home-sick?
How many tourists are watching at Eiffel Tower?
How many idlers are watching the strangers on the street?
How many citizens are bribing the bureaucrats?
How many lonely hearts are pining for their lovers/beloveds?
How many lovers are holding hands and walking at Bandra?
How many jobless youth are worried about uncertainty?
How many adolescents are running into the chance meeting with their first crushes?
How many beaten and cheated souls are contemplating suicide?
How many frustrated children are deciding to leave their homes?
How many couples are making love?
How many thinkers are trying yet again to make sense of life?
How many scientists are hoping to discover another solar system?
How many composers are going mad to get that final note correct?
How many sons are holding hands of their mothers just about to die?
How many prostitutes are pleasing the men and cursing their helplessness?
How many school-kids are dreaming of becoming an actor?
How many innocent people are being tortured in prisons?
How many politicians are troubled by feelings of guilt?
How many guys are waiting for the moment to sleep with their girlfriends?
How many women are anticipating labour pains?
How many drunkards are on the verge of being inebriated?
How many insomniacs are wondering why there is night?
How many bosses are screwing-up careers of their subordinates?
How many journalists are making up stories to meet deadlines?
How many judges are passing capital punishments?
How many young boys are being initiated into terrorist groups?
How many Priests and Nuns are regretting their decisions?
How many murderers are standing inside confession boxes?
How many frightened kids are lying to their fathers about marksheets?
How many insane men are hacking the heads of helpless hostages?
How many innocent kids are walking to school to return and find their families killed?
How many passengers are traveling in the flight about to crash?
How many brothers are writing letters to their little sisters?
How many readers are disappointed with the latest work of their favorite writers?
How many bored chaps are surfing porn sites?
How many copywriters are preparing copy for Women's Day ads?
How many godmen are foisting another belief on the blind followers?
How many anxious girls are deciding on the reply to the guy-next-door's proposal?
How many compassionate people are shedding tears for the sorrow and injustice in the world?
How many romantic chaps are listening to Moonlight Sonata?
How many mavericks are giving up on everything and just walking away to nowhere?
How many schizophrenics are returning to normal?
How many atheists on the death-bed are praying for the impossible?
How many agnostics on the death-bed are braving the inevitable?
How many young AIDS patients on the death-bed are hankering to live?
How many intelligent girls are uncomfortable with the misconception of women empowerment?
How many businessmen in their Mercedes-Benzs are waiting for that tomorrow when they will be happy?
How many unhappy onlookers are envying those businessmen in their Mercedes-Benzs?
How many happy people are admiring the speeding Mercedes-Benzs without a trace of envy?

How many lazy guys like me are writing junk in their blogs?

Strange world; interesting life!



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

5 Mar 2005

Of Sin and Slang

Posted by Oblivion in General | 12:22pm


A: Slanging is sinning.
B: Slanging is slanging. Sinning is sinning. No connecting.
A: I saying slanging is sinning. I insisting. You better listening.
B: ...but slanging is slanging, sinning is sinning. Why you connecting?
A: You acting smarting? If you not listening, I fucking you.
B: Good referencing. You saying fucking - that is slanging. If you forcing fucking, that is sinning.
B: Slanging is simpling. Sinning is complicating. Connecting slanging and sinning is even more complicating.
A: You daring speaking more!? I slitting your throat and killing.
B: But, killing is the biggest sinning.
A: No giving a damning. I eldering, you youngering. You not listening to me is mistaking. And I punishing.
B: You go aheading with beheading. But I believing in no connecting slanging and sinning.
A: You fucking culpriting. No respecting? You deserving punishing. I killing you.
B: Amening!

Life is full of obscenity and vulgarity. By taking so many things for granted, and with heads full of convoluted and illogical belief systems, we commit sins enough to warrant ten sentences in hell and yet are completely blind to this fact.

Sin is deeper than the knife can go into the other person's flesh, and slang is often packaged in the nicest words possible that kicks, imperceptibly at that, deep into the other person's ass and makes him feel guilty! We fuck one another with words and gestures, and yet attach virtue to it.

We make it easy for ourselves to do anything and justify the same, by classifying some definite actions as sins and some definite words as slang. And any action that doesn't belong to that set is not a sin, and any word that is not a part of that word set is not slang.

Brilliant, but blatantly shit logic! Man excels at this.



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

28 Feb 2005

What If?

Posted by Oblivion in General | 10:02pm


What if all this world is just an experiment? An experiment designed to fool one person, say Mr Z? What if the world maps, history, biographies, evolution theories, etc are all fiction, just to ensure that Z isn't troubled by the faintest signs of doubt? What if everything is created on the fly, just as the landscape is created in a virtual racing game as the car moves ahead? What if everything is meant to vanish the very next moment after the death of Z? What if all of Z's friends, relations, acquaintances, colleagues, strangers, and everyone else are merely actors who are told what to say and do? What if everybody and everything that Z has seen or known or imagined knows that their only function is to keep him in delusion? What if Bertrand Russell, Plato, JK, etc were never born and that their books, biographies and photographs are just manufactured to keep Z busy thinking and wondering? What if there was no such place as NY, and that WTC attack, Bin Laden, Bush, UN, Kofi Annan, War on Iraq, etc were just gimmicks of someone's imagination - again, to remind Z that there certainly is something out there? What if his friends never go abroad but just go to a retreat at some secret place, and make him believe that they are indeed in US/UK/Australia/etc? And, if Z likes to visit a place, what if it is created right at that very moment to make the impression of reality ever so stronger?

Yes, what if everything is just an experiment?

A fitting case for paranoia extremis, but a fantastic experiment to test the strength of delusions.

Freaky as it sounds, that it is not absolutely impossible makes the question 'What if?' linger...

(It reminds me of Russell's idea that the assumption of the world having been created just five minutes ago and the memory having been so programmed that it takes 'past' as a reality cannot be logically proved wrong, although it does not sound very convincing for logical consideration)



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

23 Feb 2005

Michael Speaks

Posted by Oblivion in General | 5:37am


"Every piece of shit that every man eats on every day of his life is personal. They call it business. OK. But it is personal as hell."
- Mario Puzo, written for Michael Corleone

Some writers appear to me to be more intelligent than most philosophers. I have read as many naked facts, with profound insights, in the works of fiction as I did in many volumes of philosophy.

Some works of fiction I rate among the best:
Disgrace by Coetzee
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre

These writers' brains, to my mind, have the optimum combination of the intellects of Freud and Russell.



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

19 Feb 2005

Omerta

Posted by Oblivion in General | 3:24am


Omerta, the law of silence. [Ref: The Godfather, Mario Puzo]

Maybe the world would be a better place if this law were made an indispensable part of education. Or maybe it would not. Even then, it cannot be worse than the way it is now. So, either ways it is good. It would make people at least more patient, if not anything else.

Kudos to Puzo, no tough guy was ever more impressive than the old guy Corleone. 



Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---

15 Feb 2005

Life, Redundant

Posted by Oblivion in General | 7:57am


While necessities are enough for survival and a healthy life, we, it appears to me, spend most part of our wakeful state occupying ourselves with redundancies. However, dividing redundancies as regards how beneficial or harmful they are, we have necessary redundancies - those that are more beneficial than harmful - and absolute redundancies - those that can be wholly dispensed with without affecting the status quo of the happiness in the world.

Absolute redundancies:
Fashion
Hope
Beliefs
Ideals
Religion
Nationality
Morality
'Self-help' section in bookstores
Politicians
Defence
Marriage
...more to be added.

Necessary redundancies:
Talking
Entertainment
Sports
Interior design
MBA
Law
Police
Mercedes
Psychoanalysis
...more to be added.

Feb 14th - Valentine's Day! All hype and fuss around. Seriously, what are we doing with ourselves? Where exactly have things gone wrong for Homo Sapiens?


Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: ---
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