Author: manuscrypts

  • Theory of Relativity

    Heat. Lightning. More heat. Coconut trees. and between all these a tiny post, a day late….a classic case of blogginess overcoming laziness. (the style was intended to be something like the beginning of a work of fiction, i am practising every week … hehe)
    a lil bit about the title, am in no ways trying to expand on what ol’ albert said or did.. uh uh, i am not even trying to go there… on the contrary, it veers more towards the ‘how we are’ side of ‘philosophy’ than the ‘how we are’ side of science.
    It was sparked off by an article i saw in ‘the week’ about the difference in salaries of profs in the iims and the dudes who pass out of there, it was around 3 times. so, i wondered why the profs were still there – the first answer was an obvious one, they loved what they were doing.
    the other less obvious reason set off a thought process whose results were as follows – if we only look at what we are, what we earn, what we possess etc in an absolute sense , rather than in a relative sense i.e in comparison with what others have, what they earn, what they possess etc we would be more at peace with ourselves and the rest of humanity. there, thats the new theory of relativity. and so we would be able to spend more time doing things that would improve our lives…screeeeeech, just slammed the brakes on that line of thought, we will go there some other day.
    just realised a pun in this – ‘relatives are the source of misery’ 😉
    and now on to
    manuscrypts trivia
    When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers. ~ Oscar Wilde
    “out of my mind, back in 5 minutes” ~ unknown
    ” i do not suffer from insanity, rather i love every minute of it” ~ another unknown

  • And on the eighth day, He made God

    Usually dine out on Saturdays, its a weekly ritual, kinda relaxant for me… this week, went to a place called “Whats cooking?”… other than all the things that are the norm, i liked the place coz it gave me a view of arguably one of the busiest streets in bangalore – Commercial Street. For one and a half hours, i watched diverse versions of our species in various moods and states of existence – some rich, some poor, some physically challenged, some kids, some grown ups, some grown up kids, some angry, some peaceful, some happy, many sad and suddenly i happened to remember a song, which remains a favourite because of its lyrics and concept – “What if God was one of us” by Joan Osborne. It set of a whole train of thoughts in my head, all over again….. about the concept of what we call God, and how he can be so non-human – lacking of ego, anger, hatred… coz if I had a lot of atheists living happily, a lot of guys halfway atheist and demanding proof of my existence, (as if the entire phenomena around them werent enough), a lot of guys beseeching/threatening/cursing me for miscellaneous favours and forgetting me once i get the things done, and to top it all, some wisecracks who proclaim “if god is in everything, he is in me, so worship me”, oh hell, (pardon the pun), i’d be one pissed off God. Thank God they didnt choose me to be God (according to Hindu mythology, the best kings on earth were chosen to be Indra, the king of Gods, after their tenure on earth… we dont have kings now, so……)..hehe…
    While on the concept of God, here’s a good fwd i got, its titled “Whispers” (no, theres no brand involved this time 🙂 )
    The man whispered, “God, speak to me” and a meadowlark sang.
    But, the man did not hear.
    So the man yelled, “God, speak to me” and the thunder rolled across the sky.
    But the man did not listen.
    The man looked around and said, “God let me see you.” and a star shined brightly.
    But the man did not see.
    And, the man shouted, “God show me a miracle.” and, a life was born.
    But, the man did not notice.
    So, the man cried out in despair, “Touch me God, and let me know you are here.” Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
    But, the man brushed the butterfly away …
    and walked on.

    I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted …
    and now for your weekly dose of
    manuscrypts trivia
    the first quote will apply to a lot of bloggers, the rest are more in line with the post above
    “A writer writes not because he is educated but because he is driven by the need to communicate. Behind the need to communicate is the need to share. Behind the need to share is the need to be understood. The writer wants to be understood much more than he wants to be respected or praised or even loved. And that perhaps, is what makes him different from others.” ~ Leo Rosten
    “It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him.” ~ Arthur C. Clarke
    “Is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s blunders?” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche”
    God is not dead but alive and well and working on a much less ambitious project.” ~ Anonymous, Graffiti
    “I have too much respect for the idea of God to make it responsible for such an absurd world.” ~ Georges Duhamel
    “I don’t know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn’t.” ~ Jules Renard

    PS – If “God’s Own Country” still has internet alive and kicking, the next post will be from there!!

  • Thats the spirit?

    I’ve to thank my office pc (coming soon : home pc 🙂 ) for the post, though it wrecked nearly half of my birthday by developing bad sectors.
    it made me think of a computer in terms of its existence…. it is made of a whole lot of different parts and it has got its version of intelligence. all the parts have their own wear and tear periods, they also have to be upgraded for them to function smoothly, and inspite of all the upgrades, it will totally shut down one day, and in spite of anything we do, it will not start again.
    if i were to draw a parallel with the human body, it also has a version of inteligence and has parts with wear and tear periods and need repairs, and most importantly, will shut down one day, never to wake up again.
    now if i told you that my comp has a spirit which exists long after the comp has shut down the final time, you will laugh me off….but if i told you the same about the body, you would be in two minds.
    please do not compare hard disk/ processor to the spirit, thats the brain..we can store that, maybe not harness its contents, but….
    and therefore is there a spirit, or is it something the maintenance guys made up?? ;-))
    will leave you with
    manuscrypts trivia
    check this link, there was a huge uproar coz an episode of Xena , showed her killing Hanuman!!
    and the regular quotes
    “To be nobody-but-yourself–in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else–means to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” ~ E.E. Cummings
    “Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving, but does not make any progress.” ~ Alfred A. Montapert
    “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you” ~ Lao – Tzu

  • Life of Mi

    apologies to a certain mr.yann martel for the title, (and yeah, i know its not pronounced “p”, but i can only be so creative!! 🙂 )…. this post is because this week happens to have a moment thats chronologically perhaps the most defining moment of my existence. so i am jotting down a few things i have picked up on the way, a few things that have changed my perspectives, a few things they didnt teach me in school or college, but a few things that life has made me learn anyway… (someone has inspired me to write it this way, i would give credit, if only i know who)
    i’ve learnt that i could not have belonged to an earlier generation.
    i’ve learnt that i might want to do a whole lot of things again, and not do some, but i cannot.
    i’ve learnt that we will always be too small to comprehend some things.
    i’ve learnt that sometimes we have to take the time to be happy.
    i’ve learnt that some friends last forever, some fade away.
    I’ve learnt that money is a lousy way of measuring happiness, but it still is THE way.
    I’ve learnt that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache or joy for life.
    I’ve learnt that good friends are family members that God allows us to choose.
    I’ve learnt that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
    I’ve learnt that ‘customer is king’ ……………..in books.
    I’ve learnt that sometimes, the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.
    i’ve learnt that some people are sweet enough to read your entire post, irrespective of font size.
    I’ve learnt that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
    I’ve learnt that we cannot change our background and circumstances, but we can change ourselves.
    I’ve learnt that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
    I’ve learnt that it’s not where I am that is important. It’s where I am going.
    I’ve learnt that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
    I’ve learnt that it takes a long time to become the person I want to be.
    I’ve learnt that its very difficult to imagine youself in someone else’s shoes.
    I’ve learnt that sometimes we are helpless, we can only cry.
    I’ve learnt that we cannot change some things, the desire is there, but……
    I’ve learnt that you can keep going long after you think you cannot.
    I’ve learnt that either you control your attitude, or it controls you.
    I’ve learnt that there are people who love you dearly, but just don’t know how to show it.
    I’ve learnt that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
    I’ve learnt that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
    I’ve learnt that maturity has more to it than how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.
    I’ve learnt that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
    I’ve learnt that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.
    I’ve learnt that wherever i drive, the worst drivers follow.
    I’ve learnt that some people are fake, but unfortunately, more convincing.
    I’ve learnt that we realise we love our parents only after they are gone.
    I’ve learnt that times change, and so do people, nothing can stay the same, and so, i have still a lot to learn.

  • Thats what I’ve been trying to say

    but never found the words..so when i got this mail, i had to share it….here it goes
    The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.
    We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
    We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
    We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
    We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.
    We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
    These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
    These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
    It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or close the window.
    Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
    Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.
    Remember, to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
    Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

    now, to more mundane things…..this is shocking to most guys my age, whose imagination was triggered by ‘baywatch’. 🙂
    loved billy crystal in the academy awards…especially this “the last time i compered was 13 years back, and things were so different – bush was president, the economy was down, and we had just finished a war in iraq..”

    and yippeeee for schumi, he has started the season with a bang…which leads to
    manuscrypts trivia
    “All the gold in the world cannot buy a dying man one more breath. So, what does that make today worth?”
    ~ Og Mandino
    “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
    ~ Albert Einstein
    “i am objective, i object to everything” ~ manu…..(naw!!, he just saw it on a t-shirt) 🙂