tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048413498576971192024-03-13T13:35:39.067+05:30The View from the Other Side - Vikram KumarA different view point,The other side of the mirror, the dark side of the moon, the other face of the coin,an open mind with no boundaries of thought, no impossibles,crazy thoughts,fun ideas,imagination and perception,politics and sleaze,no good no bad only grey...Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-85816155928888454752014-02-27T18:51:00.001+05:302014-02-27T18:53:51.651+05:30Does India Really Need Income Tax ?....A Revolutionary Idea That Opens The Mind <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you have reached this page I assume that you too are fascinated by a workable scenario for India with ZERO tax on income. <br />
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There has been a lot of talk about radically reforming the tax system in India most notably by Arth Kranti based out of Pune which like the tweaked proposal I am presenting under can free India totally from any sort of Income Tax, Corporate Tax, Excise, Sales Tax and Service Tax etc.<br />
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To put things in perspective various taxes collected by the government are as under (figures are rounded off for ease of calculation)<br />
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Corporate Tax: Rs.4,50,000 crore<br />
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Income Tax: Rs.3,00,000 crore<br />
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Wealth Tax:Rs.1000 crore<br />
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Excise Duties: Rs.2,00,000 crore<br />
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Customs Duties: Rs.2,00,000 crore (proposed to be retained for domestic protection)<br />
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Service Tax: Rs.2,15,000 crore<br />
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Other Taxes: Rs.4,000 crore <br />
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Total Government revenue apart from Customs duties : Rs.11,70,000 crore. This is the sum the government earns from ALL taxes in India and approximately 27% goes to the states and 73% is with the centre which remains constant for this model too.<br />
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<b>The Proposal</b><br />
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There would be a simple one point Banking Transaction Tax (BTT) at a minimum rate of 0.7% of all transactions through banking channels at the receipt account only which is credited into the government treasury immediately.<br />
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To illustrate : If you were to receive a sum of Rs.1,00,000 in your bank account Rs.700 would be transferred as BTT to the government. That’s it. No Other Taxes At All.. No Income tax,no corporate tax, no excise duties, no VAT, no service tax of any kind at all.<br />
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Any amount of cash deposited into any bank would attract the same 0.7% from the recipient account and the balance becomes legitimate “white” money.<br />
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<b>The Details</b><br />
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For this proposal to be successful we need a total dismantling of all government taxes at all levels state and centre with NO direct or indirect taxes at all on any transaction/service/manufacturing. The only exception being import duty of customs to protect domestic industry.<br />
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All receipts to be routed through banking channels including cheques,payorders,debit and credit cards,net banking and mobile payments. Minimum dependence on cash with a maximum bank note of Rs.100 and no legal sanction to any cash transaction over Rs.5000 (ie no ownership rights or legal status to any payment made in cash over Rs.5000). All single cash transactions below Rs.5000 exempt from BTT or any other levy.<br />
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No Income Tax scrutiny or questions and a definite time frame to citizens to deposit any amount of cash into their bank accounts with a flat 0.7% BTT and “clean” their money with full legitimate status.<br />
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<b>The Revenue Generation</b><br />
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The sum total of narrow money M1 in India is the total of floating printed currency and money that can be converted almost instantly into currency like savings/current bank accounts, credit limits by banks etc. M1 is the narrowest or most restrictive idea of money that is the basis for the medium of exchange within the economy. This category of money is considered to be the most readily available for transactions and commerce.<br />
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The M1 in circulation in India is Rs.20,00,000 crores which is the basis of all transactions in cash and banking channels in the country.<br />
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In India only 20% of all transactions take place through banking channels and the rest 80% in cash. Now assuming a very conservative rate of 20% of this Rs.20,00,000 crores is moved through banking channels every day and attracts a BTT of 0.7% only at the recipient level the total tax collection of the government would be as under:<br />
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M1 transacted every day: Rs.20,00,000 crore x 25% =Rs.5,00,000 crore<br />
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BTT generated every day: Rs.5,00,000 crore x 0.7% = Rs.3500 crore or Rs.12,77,500 crore annually which is far more than what the government generates presently (Rs.11,77,000 crores)from all tax sources. <br />
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<b>The Benefits to Citizens</b><br />
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1) No Income Tax, Corporate Tax, Wealth Tax ,VAT or Service Tax<br />
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2) Substantial savings in terms of accounting manpower and costs.<br />
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3) No tax on Savings or interest thereon<br />
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4) Black Money generation curbed and corruption becomes inconvenient<br />
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5) More disposable incomes . Substantial savings in terms of indirect taxation being removed.<br />
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6) One point tax. Prior tax calculation easy and sure.<br />
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7) Secure transactions with money trail all through the chain.<br />
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<b>The Benefits to Corporates</b><br />
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1) No Corporate Tax, No excise, No Service Tax, No Dividend Distribution tax equates lower costs and lower selling prices and higher demand.<br />
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2) Substantial savings in terms of manpower and records.<br />
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3) No corruption scams and cash transactions which may be dubious.<br />
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4) Cheaper finance available due to adequate availability if funds in the banking system.<br />
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<b>The Benefits to the Government</b><br />
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1) Instant Credit of Tax monies<br />
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2) Check on corruption due to no cash transactions<br />
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3) Man power savings with no tax collection and scrutiny required<br />
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4) Recovery of Government debts<br />
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5) Options for Fake currency eliminated being unviable for small denominations<br />
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6) Definitive Money trail for checking terrorism activities etc.<br />
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7) Across the board increase in purchasing power and growth stimulated.<br />
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8) Elimination of Fiscal Deficit- As transaction and compliance increases and the amount of money M1 through banking channels increases to 40 or 60% the revenue generation would be exponential exceeding over Rs.40,00,000 crores for the government per year turning it revenue surplus.<br />
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<b>The Arguments against</b><br />
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It may be argued that the system is flawed as it requires<br />
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1) Elimination of high value currency transactions<br />
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2) Revamp of the Tax system totally and empowering the banking system much more for a population dependent on cash transactions.<br />
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3) That the system is not progressive and taxes rich and poor alike at the same level.<br />
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4) That gold or foreign currency may be used for black money transactions<br />
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5) That transactions between family members would attract the BTT too taxing inter family transfers.<br />
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6) That financial transactions would become unviable with a BTT at every step basically eliminating any arbitrage business or financial investments especially very short term borrowings like overnight calls or 1-2 week corporate borrowings.<br />
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<b>The Net Effect</b><br />
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The removal of all indirect taxes will lead to much lower domestic prices and higher disposable incomes propelling demand and growth of the country.<br />
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The exclusion of savings including Fixed deposits in banks from taxation will give higher incentives to save and in turn lead to lower borrowing costs for industry and higher capital formation.<br />
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The attractive rate of taxation at only 0.7% would make black money redundant and people insist on having above board transactions. A deposit of Rs.1 crore would entail a tax outflow of only Rs.70000 compared to about 35 lacs as of now. The tax payout will be too small and painless to even bother to evade. Compliance will be far more convenient. <br />
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The governments monitoring would only be to ensure that the growth in M1 money supply is restricted to the growth in GDP and that would restrict inflationary pressures on the economy while promoting growth. <br />
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Finally, to facilitate and protect very short term financial borrowings, the banks would need to deposit the collected tax to the government on the 30th day from date of collection thereby giving them access to FREE funds for 30 days to be given out for short term borrowings at interest rates of 0-0.3% which even after accounting for the BTT would be viable for any transaction at interest rates lower than those prevalent today.<br />
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While its revenue replacement proposal might seem radical please do not approach it superficially and fail to account for lower collection expenses, freeing of government capital resources and the gains that accrue to individuals and small businesses freed from filing returns and maintaining accounts, not to forget the transparency and encouragement to those in the lower spectrum to enter the banking system.<br />
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If you find any flaws or have any questions please do not hesitate to ask or criticize in the comment box below as that will enable this system to be fine tuned till it is perfect. <br />
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Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-28284257131127877132012-05-02T01:53:00.001+05:302012-05-02T01:55:41.043+05:30Playing With Words...One of the world's best known short stories in six words by Hemingway.. <br />
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For sale: baby shoes, never worn.<br />
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In a new style very suited to our fast paced life where we usually don't have the time to read copious literature brevity has developed into an art.<br />
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The following are twelve stories all below 15 words... Enjoy them and feel free to add to them ..<br />
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1) The Daily Grind<br />
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I really hate my job! I'm quitting! Tomorrow.<br />
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2)See you in Hell!<br />
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And next thing I know, there he is!<br />
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3) The Impossible<br />
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"Let me give you my unbiased opinion here..."<br />
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4) Suicide<br />
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"You've wronged me, and now you must pay!"<br />
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5) If God Is for Me, Who Can Be Against Me?<br />
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Me<br />
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6) An Answer to Prayer <br />
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"Um... no."<br />
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7) The Unhappiest Man Who Ever Lived <br />
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"Forgive? Never!"<br />
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8) The Grand Illusion <br />
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"I am in control!"<br />
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9) Religion,Sex and Mystery..<br />
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Good God, I'm pregnant; I wonder who did it.<br />
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10) The Proposal<br />
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He asked her as the lift gave way. She smiled.<br />
They fell, in love.<br />
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11) Knock<br />
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The last man on Earth sat alone in a room.<br />
There was a knock on the door...<br />
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12) Happily Married<br />
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Longed for him. Got him. Shit.Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-9024058656702299722012-04-06T02:24:00.007+05:302012-04-06T02:34:04.909+05:30The Reality of Wealth and The Colour of Money<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The following is not fiction but a true reproduction of facts and with a view point that I personally subscribe to….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">In 1923, eight of the wealthiest people in the world met. Their combined</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wealth, it is estimated, exceeded the wealth of the government of the United States at that time. These men certainly knew how to make a living and accumulate wealth.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let's examine what happened to them 25 years later.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1. President of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed capital for five years before he died bankrupt.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2. President of the largest gas company, Howard Hubson, went insane.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3. One of the greatest commodity traders, Arthur Cutton, died insolvent.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4. President of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, was sent to jail.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5. A member of the President's Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from jail</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to go home and die in peace.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6. The greatest "bear" on Wall Street, Jessie Livermore, committed suicide.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7. President of the world's greatest monopoly, Ivar Krueger, committed</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>suicide.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8. President of the Bank of International Settlement, Leon Fraser, committed suicide.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they forgot was how to make a life! Money in itself is not evil! Money</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, clothes for the needy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money is only a medium of exchange. We need two kinds of education. One that teaches us how to make a living and one that teaches us how to live. There are people who are so engrossed in their professional life that they neglect<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>their family, health and social responsibilities. If asked why they do this<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they would reply that they were doing it for their family.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our kids are sleeping when we leave home. They are sleeping when we come<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>home. Twenty years later, we'll turn back, and they'll all be gone. Without<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>water, a ship cannot move. The ship needs water, but if the water gets into<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the ship, the ship will face problems. What was once a means of living for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the ship will now become a means of destruction. Similarly we live in a time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>where earning is a necessity but let not the earning enter our hearts, for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what was once a means of living will be become a means of destruction.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So take a moment and ask yourself....has water entered my ship?</div><br />
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</div></div>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-84070928450213121612012-03-03T22:44:00.002+05:302012-03-03T22:50:48.809+05:30All That Glitters....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It was by pure chance that my wife and I went to Sri Lanka. Had it not been for Sri Lankan Airlines who offered a free 3 night package en route to any destination as a tourism building measure during the time of the ceasefire brokered by the Norwegians between the Government and the LTTE, I probably would not have ventured to the previously conflict ridden land. <br />
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We were put up at the Galadari hotel in the heart of Colombo which was a lovely place and had all the usual facilities and tantrums of a good five star deluxe business hotel. <br />
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The Location: MGM Casino on Galle road…the place where we were spending the evening. A medium sized but plush place with no relation to its namesake in the US but with a good collection of gamblers. <br />
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As a rule, if we go to a gambling destination we put aside US$ 100 a piece to try our luck and spend a fun evening with top quality liquor and food that is usually included and encouraged if you are on the betting tables. <br />
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The wife, being the sensible one, pocketed her 100 dollars for shopping and I proceeded to encash mine for about 10000 Srilankan Rupees and felt pretty flush while parking myself on the roulette table with the round casino coupons of Rs. 100 each. <br />
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A Japanese senior, A Scandinavian woman, Lady Luck, the two of us on one side of the table and three portly East Asian guys on the other. We were the lambs of this table with the betting getting pretty high. But, Lady Luck was on our side and in about 20 minutes and 2 whiskeys down we were up to about Rs.150000. What ever we bet just kept going our way. <br />
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Just then an elderly Sri Lankan woman, very well dressed and dripping with diamonds and maybe close to seventy, joined our table right next to us. The wife at this point suggested we make an exit and cash our booty. My reaction: “One more Glenfiddich and Grey Goose and we’ll leave”… <br />
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The Sri Lankan lady was pretty friendly. She kept making witty jokes and just diverting our attention from the table. Somehow she was so smooth that unwittingly our bets just started getting bigger and more reckless. She just kept chatting softly about her experience at the tables and how her system worked for her most of the time… and we just kept betting. <br />
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She excused herself about half an hour later to go to the washroom and that was the last we saw of her and our money. We had lost all but Rs.2500 during our interaction with her and her stories. <br />
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The wife, now adamant, made me get up as we finished our drinks and food that they had generously served us and got our balance encashed. The smart wife then came out with the initial Rs.10000 that she had unknowing to me taken off the table and kept aside in her bag following her gut feel. <br />
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On our way back to in the hotel car that we had hired the driver asked if we had been lucky that night. And I told him about the happenings of the night describing the Sri Lankan lady and how we felt that she was somehow mixed up. <br />
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He just smiled and said.. “She owns the place…Didn’t she tell you that?” “Sri Lankan residents are not allowed to gamble in the casinos...” <br />
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Moral of the Story: Behind every successful man is his wife...but you have to listen to her... <br />
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Offical entry for <a href="http://www.expedia.co.in/" target="_blank">http://www.expedia.co.in/</a> as part of <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/" target="_blank">indiblogger</a> <br />
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</div></div>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-18837229649449057892012-02-28T15:27:00.003+05:302012-02-28T15:29:15.189+05:30Touché<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
On my third trip to London and my sister's first my father thought it wise to give us a cultural tour of the city, most of it on foot though as the London Eye had not yet been built.<br />
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After the usual sights like the Tower Bridge, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace it was the turn of the Tower of London.<br />
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We took in the grounds, the white tower and saw how the old monarchy had lived and even saw two of the six resident ravens, the widely believed custodians of the British Monarchy, sipping on water in the warm August sun.<br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3G9pMG2D18qJnw0jH0Tdz5Fz-zWe4_nqM_kA-vQkFAtFBF7TAIP9l4WiB2RabhKyF1RGQC0RLPvJd08J6KuU8AZNxku2G42522FQkqupCuB5QPvaPwMo8iEKBvY33ANjPSJUH7vDXTjaG/s1600/beefeater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3G9pMG2D18qJnw0jH0Tdz5Fz-zWe4_nqM_kA-vQkFAtFBF7TAIP9l4WiB2RabhKyF1RGQC0RLPvJd08J6KuU8AZNxku2G42522FQkqupCuB5QPvaPwMo8iEKBvY33ANjPSJUH7vDXTjaG/s1600/beefeater.jpg" /></a>Then the piece de resistance, the crown jewels... the main reason behind spending the £18 per person ticket, to see what our history books had told us.. The Koh-i-noor. It was exciting to enter into the jewel house with the tall and emotionless beefeaters standing guard. In the vault like display room as we were being urged by the ushers to "keep moving" but as we saw it we paused just a while longer at the Koh-i-noor. The world famous diamond at 105 carats and the star of the Queens crown. We truly were in awe.<br />
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My father in a moment of proud patriotism pointed out the diamond and said in Hindi; just to be sure that he puts his true feelings across to his children without drawing stares from the rest of the tourists,.."yeh hamare desh se chura ke laye the"..(they stole this from our country) . Just at that moment one of the Yeomen Warders who was right next to us says in chaste Punjabi " Himmat hai te ley ja wapas"....(If u have the guts, try to take it back).<br />
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The three of us were so stunned that we were left open mouthed like a fish out of water. We didn't know what hit us..we were like rooted and paralyzed as my father just kept staring at the bearded elderly beefeater refusing to believe what he had just heard.<br />
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It must have been the longest 30 seconds of our lives...as the beefeater smiled and said "Been married to a Sikh for 30 years and she didn't want to learn so I had to.....keep moving"... The look on his face of having taken the mickey out of us with his wit and element of surprise made us get back to reality and smile.<br />
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This event has been the highlight of my many visits to London and made me understand the level of penetration and integration of various immigrant cultures into mainstream British Life. Even today while saying anything in Hindi or Punjabi anywhere in the world I do always look around expecting a comment from the most unexpected quarters...Once bitten..Twice Shy.. <br />
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The above is an official entry for the <a href="http://www.expedia.co.in/">http://www.expedia.co.in/</a> and <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/" target="_blank">indiblogger</a> contest.</div></div>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-82496222055487531972012-02-28T14:43:00.000+05:302012-02-28T14:43:59.700+05:30Ah Paris!...Warmth in the Summer Sun…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Ah Paris! Paris is like a girlfriend you can enjoy even with your wife. It is not a city but an emotion.<br />
It was the fourth of our seven days in Paris and after exploring the city mostly on foot both over and under the ground ( the amount you have to walk in tunnels for the metro stations) my wife refused to go out for dinner. Instead she wanted..."A McDonalds burger".. Sacrilege in the heart of the land of gastronomy!!<br />
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Being the obedient husband that I am, I went in search of the ‘Golden Arches’ from our hotel in the 8th district on Blvd Haussmann, which incidentally is the best area to stay in, unless you want to stay under the Eiffel tower in the 7th district or you are gay and like the 4th district or the 18th district if you are an artist.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMDGbMcSjLifu84VnXutKdkXcP8mC6tpq_wsu7QODfjKDtDgGpqqklHfZYGpOZODGIZYzAjsCrOPw6BO4jJ3OW6uXC4ZIj8ypYd4dFQi9OrZ1K3JGlc8F_N0Nkpwxdv4w-_yF-jQzGLOM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMDGbMcSjLifu84VnXutKdkXcP8mC6tpq_wsu7QODfjKDtDgGpqqklHfZYGpOZODGIZYzAjsCrOPw6BO4jJ3OW6uXC4ZIj8ypYd4dFQi9OrZ1K3JGlc8F_N0Nkpwxdv4w-_yF-jQzGLOM/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Consulat at Montmarte 18th district...Creative Heaven</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>Like all good Indians I carried a bottle of vodka spiked sprite for the journey as it was about 10 pm ( time for my drink) and yet the sun was still very bright. The McD was like a 10 minute walk and just as I reached, there was a sort of small commotion outside which I just tried to side step as a good tourist should. I couldn't help seeing that the staff was shooing away a young girl who was picking up left over food from tables. In my mind I mocked the claims of a first world country taking care of the hungry and homeless.<br />
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Just as I walked out I saw the same girl sitting on the pavement sobbing softly. She looked just like the Afghan girl on the National Geographic cover a few years ago.. The same haunting eyes.. She was probably Algerian I thought because she spoke French and there were a lot of them around the city. In a moment of pure reflex action probably spurred by the vodka in me, I handed over the bag of food to her saying “ce fut pour ma femme, mais vous en avez besoin plus” or "this was for my wife but you need it more" in French ... And I turned back and re ordered from McD.<br />
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She was nowhere to be seen when I walked back and that was the end of it for me. I never mentioned it to my wife I really don't know why, but I didn't really think about it too. <br />
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We went about exploring Paris for the next two days taking full advantage of our research and absorbing in most of the museums (at half price of course.. we planned well!!), the lovely gardens and barely using our carnet of 10 metro tickets as the city is soo beautiful that it needs to be seen on foot. Also by virtue of being close to most attractions intentionally we chose to walk over horribly over priced taxis and metro tunnel mazes.<br />
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On the last day before we left we went for a walk along the banks of the Seine. Every year from the 21st of July to the 21st of August the banks are transformed into an artificial beach with huge amounts of sand ,beach umbrellas and loungers. It feels that you are really at a seaside resort and oblivious to the busy city just 10 feet above you.<br />
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As we were strolling along the girl with the ghost eyes appears again out of nowhere with a small bunch of wild flowers and hands it to my wife saying “je vous remercie et je vous bénis” or "thank you and bless you".. By the time we realized and reacted she just disappeared in the crowd..<br />
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My wife looked at me quizzically and the smile in my heart came to my lips..."I think the Parisians really do like you.." I said and just attributed it to maybe a case of mistaken identity. <br />
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In all these years since we have been to Paris what I saw was the usual Champs Elysées, Notre Dame, The Louvre, Latin quarter, Gallerie Lafayette, Opera, Eiffel tower etc. but what I experienced was going to stay with me forever.....until <a href="http://www.expedia.co.in/">http://www.expedia.co.in/</a> made me come out with it through <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/">indiblogger</a>..<br />
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</span></span></div></div>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-31391336696523591302011-09-14T19:46:00.000+05:302011-09-14T19:46:17.211+05:30The Last Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">“Do you think Chris will make it?” asked Dr Anand.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“I doubt it very much, he has gone too far already” said Dr Rao.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“Does his family know? Are they going to be there?” Asked Dr Anand.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“I think they have a fair idea that he is going but, I don't think they can be there for him..sad isn't it?” said Dr Rao.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Dr Anand fiddled with his fingers nervously. He was young, only thirty two big built with a forty inch chest and hands of an artist but was a bit slow in the head to be the best.<br />
Dr Rao was his guru..his idol. Dr Rao had taken upon him the task of polishing the rough diamond as he called Anand into the brilliant stone he could become. His talent was unquestionable unlike his intellect and Rao thought he could correct that.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“How much time does he have?” Asked Dr Anand.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“Not too much, I am afraid, things will have to move real fast and he really shouldn't be going like this.. ” said Dr Rao.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“You are sure it's terminal?” said Dr Anand.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“Of course I am.”<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“How can you be so sure?” asked Dr Anand.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“I read what's on the board very carefully. It clearly says terminal” said Dr Rao.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“2 or 3 Sir?”<br />
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“It's 3 and I'm positive” said Dr Rao.<br />
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“So when do you think we should tell him?” asked Dr Anand.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“I think about 6.30.”<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“Isn't that too early? Let's give him some more time” said Dr Anand.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“We have to be careful that it doesn't get too late...”<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">“Do you think <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> would have been better?” asked Dr Anand.<br />
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“Maybe, but <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Singapore</st1:country-region></st1:place> isn't too bad either for such serious stuff ” said Dr Rao</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So What do you think?? Will Chris get back in time from <st1:city w:st="on">Agra</st1:city> to catch his Delhi Singapore non stop flight at 9 from Terminal 3 to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place></st1:country-region> to study at University there ??</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The mind does play tricks….what you read does not necessarily mean the same as what you think…</span> <br />
</div>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-27184372092994035602010-08-04T02:05:00.001+05:302010-08-18T14:15:43.175+05:30Food for the SoulLife should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand, Chocolate in the other- body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "whoo..what a ride!!"<br /><br />The Japanese eat very little fat, the Mexicans a lot, the Chinese drink no red wine and the Italians a lot, the Germans live on beer but the French don't yet it is the Americans who have the most heart attacks.<br /><br />Now as far as hearts go, they are only good for so many beats..that's it. Do not waste it on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart does not make you live longer; it's like saying that you are driving faster to extend the life of your car. The way to do it is to take a nap!. Also,there are no advantages of an exercise program..no pain is good. Swimming? Have you ever seen a whale? Capiche?<br /><br />Getting to food and drink. Vegetables? Understand the logistical efficiency..Steak is nothing more than the most efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Green leafy vegetables? Chicken, Mutton, Beef and Pork give you 100% daily allowance of all vegetables. Just be careful to eat only the vegetarian animals. Scared of fried food? Food is fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, it is permeated by it. Now how could getting more vegetables be bad for anyone?<br /><br />Wine is made from fruit, Brandy is distilled wine (less water more fruit), Beer-whiskey-vodka all pure grain. Good stuff all. Chocolate from cocoa beans (more vegetable) goood!!<br /><br />Finally for those worried about body/fat ratio, if you have a body you have fat, your ratio is one to one unless you have two bodies..then it's two to one and so on. So just go out there and eat and drink what you like coz your body will always be in shape. After all round is a shape too.. Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-21164265037367560082010-07-13T13:40:00.001+05:302010-08-18T14:12:48.192+05:30Different StrokesThe thought process that follows an event is usually riddled with instinctive reactions from the heart and not from the head.<br />Although what you react at the spur of the moment may not always be politically correct but more often than not it is the voice within you that surfaces and is the true face of your character.<br />The beating up of some Hindu children in Pakistan for drinking water from a mosque is what led me to think.<br /><br />Instinctively because I am an urban,open minded and fairly well travelled Indian it seemed petty. It is the work of illiterate and small minded people who till today see differences on the basis of religion or for that matter caste colour or creed.<br /><br />Once the initial reaction wanes and the mind takes over you realize that it's not that petty.<br />The event has not happened because a few villagers thought that others were unclean or unsuitable. It is in fact a culmination of a collective thought process of a society/mankind that thrives on discrimination.<br /><br />Politics all over the world divides people in more ways than medically possible. Whether it is through religion or demographics, the better you carve ensures the length of your survival. And it all boils down to survival of the fittest by trying to create an illusion of superiority for those carved.<br />Now opening the field further and not making this a political issue, I seek to substitute the word politics with "Power Junkies".<br />Now if you see objectively you can fit in any of the following "America", "Al Qaeda", "Taliban", "Mayawati", "Congress","BJP", "Maoists", "Somali Pirates" ,"Khap" and a thousand others yet the meaning never changes.<br /><br />I am better than you because my power junkie says so..<br /><br />Think about it. It applies in every situation where there is power. An office, a factory, ministries, cricket, anywhere where there is a possibility of one showing superiority over the other. Divide and you shall prevail.<br /><br />It is the ego satisfaction need of humans to seek to achieve power and dominance over other humans. It is when dementia and megalomania takes over that the need to manipulate minds in destructive fashion and to get power through fear dictates the state of our living. Sad but true. <br /><br />Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-57176799421865481642010-04-07T03:25:00.001+05:302010-08-18T14:10:34.166+05:30Maobadis .. Shaobadis ..Maobadis shaobadis.. What's the big deal about them anyway. They say they are reformists and want a new social order. Their means are commendable and their actions swift and sure. They hate schools and hospitals and don't like trains either so they just get rid of them.. Swiftly,surely and completely. <br />So what if they kill a few hundred jawans on the way to liberation. Life is cheap in india anyway. And if they rape a few women, it is justified after all those are the ways of the jungle and the new social order.<br />Kishenji as the robinhood of the band of maobadis carries a gun somewhat similar to the flute of the kishenji of olden times. He is playing god after all. They plunder the other poor to give to their own poor and in the process gain control. No arguments just agreements, after all to live on the land is better than living six feet under it.<br />To wage war against the state is a right of freedom of expression which we should not deny them at any cost.. Even if it means that in the near future all of us would be required to get at least a couple of bullets in each family member. A small price to pay for a new social order.<br />The goverment dare not smoke them out of the jungles for fear of ruining the environment after all Global Warming is Global and a much larger issue than the Indian state. We must consider that or fear a backlash from the jholawallahs and horror of horrors a candle light vigil at Jantar Mantar. Also the sheer popularity of an interview with untraceable maobadis by our very resourceful media and the publicity and TRPs generated for politicians in the after analysis is beyond what most PR agencies can achieve.<br />We must give credit to them for providing employment to thousands akin to NREGS and security for all with ample firepower and total delegation of authority to fire. Our poor policemen should probably attend training camps held by them to learn the use of sophisticated weaponery as the 303 is a bit outdated .. Probably by about a 100 years.<br />The maobadis have achieved what no other political party could, they have succeeded in diverting attention from our border issues and ensured that security personnel in non border postings get as much action if not more in family postings..after all you don't want them to get out of shape do you. Yes, we will lose a few men but then all it will take to forget is one statement or a live screening of an IPL match. Easy.<br />Maobadis ... Shaobadis.. Let's use them as targets for the Commonwealth Games shooting championships..<br />Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-54629658257905569682010-03-18T00:43:00.000+05:302010-03-18T00:43:46.498+05:30The Elixir of LifeSoooo, it’s the time to fast…be the first to experience spiritual bliss with a navratra compliant product….something you can consume anytime, anywhere and with anyone.. A packet of “Sip it” Aqua Water! An amazing product, with no fat, no salt, no sugar, no fiber, and lots of nutrition (it's filling, yet gluten and trans-fat free, and will help you replace sweat!!). Based on the same stuff recently found on Mars and the Moon by SCIENTISTS using TECHNOLOGY.<br />
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Think of it! All you need to do is simply "add water" to this gourmet secret mixture of a thousand no spices and you'll get the bonus of two hydrogen atoms for every oxygen! It's AU NATURALE... so it must be happy, healthy, and good! It's scientifically proven that this special water is so so so so so good for you that you must have it, you must have it, you must have it. Yummy! Can't go three days without it. The taste is amazing, and the health benefits are so frickin' numerous and obvious we don't bother to write them up. It's the "anti-antioxidant!" It's ENERGIZING! It's Coconut Water without the Coconut which means you get MORE water! Wow.... so happy and healthy!<br />
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Instant Vegan "Di-hydrogen oxide..." And folks, it's organic (and free trade). You can drink it, you can pour it on your head, you can pour it on other parts of your body, hell, you can pour it on just about anything that needs pourage!<br />
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER: “Sip it” Instant Aqua Water might cause immediate hydration, periodic bladder flushing, a heightened sense of non-de-hydration, an intense wetness, profound watery-like feeling, and spots on some fabrics. Use with caution, do not operate heavy equipment while consuming, add alcohol liberally at your discretion, use a drip-free glass, don't use on Gremlins, cats might get pissed, and always, always, take with tongue-in-cheek (above the neck). <br />
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DIRECTIONS FOR USE: You must be able to breathe without moving your lips, live on Planet Earth, are primarily carbon-based, believe in food reviews without nutritional analysis of same, and waste hours reading things like this. You pay for postage and any residual psychiatric counseling that you may and will need. Scorpios with Venus ascendant do not consume alone.Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-48958741311966386862010-02-03T02:58:00.000+05:302010-02-03T02:58:55.215+05:30The Urban GhettoThis is not for those looking to bash up MCD or BMC for what they have made out of our cities. Not the infrastructure but our people who are just…indifferent.<br />
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We come across news items every fortnight or so where a driver mows into a pavement killing 5-6 people who were sleeping there. Alright, it is wrong to be driving drunk but if you are sober and genuinely do have an accident then do the pavement dwellers get to sue the government for not providing them with a safe place to sleep…or is the road okay just because they are not as privileged as you and me?? Life is cheap in the urban ghetto.<br />
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Looking for a new assistant I got a guy who proudly said that he works at the most up market mall in Delhi. He describes his experiences as life changing which makes me wonder…how can arranging stock and shelves for 40 hours a week 10 years at a stretch be life changing?? Apart from the fact that your house is OCD organized and the fact that you have learnt to clean up customers who have relieved themselves in their pants!<br />
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Aah the call centres…the swanky buildings with free pick up and five star food .. making morons out of our youth .. making them speak in strange accents and killing the entrepreneur in them. Booze parties as perks and an I card with a string making them look like tagged dogs.<br />
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In Mumbai, with the humidity, every day is a bad hair day. Also, if you are anywhere less than 5’9 tall you qualify as armpit level. You would know what I mean if you have traveled in Mumbai trains in hot muggy weather. It isn’t what you would call a pleasant experience. It’s the axe effect…use it to cut off the smelly pigs. It rains and the urban landscape is replaced by a vandalized vision of the backwaters..and the olfactory senses become even more pronounced.. being infused by the external odours.<br />
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Well dressed women are being replaced by ones in sweatpants…I don’t care even if they are juicy couture..It just sends a sign that I am unable to compete in normal society…I am miserable so I might as well be comfortable..What next.. flannel pyjamas??<br />
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Life is fun in a city where a pizza can reach you faster than the police or an ambulance..the cyclists on the road make their best efforts to encash the life insurance policy they had saved up to buy.. the fitness freaks riding their bikes in beige spandex shorts looking like nude eunuchs..the men who have taken the responsibility to water every tree and clean every wall of the cities with their brand of Morarji cola..<br />
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There are others who use spit as a form of freedom of expression… even a form of urban art..spraying at will and creating canvases out of boring clean walls. <br />
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Life is fun in a city where the most dangerous act is that of parking your car at another’s “place” as if they had bought the rights to the sarkari land along with the car..then the fact that they don’t even know who their father is because they keep saying ‘Do you know who my father is?”. Where you can get shot for just not giving way to the car behind you in bumper to bumper traffic.<br />
Life is fun in a big city…but is it sane anymore…Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-30791311249551628802010-01-21T02:18:00.001+05:302010-01-21T12:07:25.257+05:30The MercenaryHe was called Diler Shah (The large Hearted one). A veteran of war. It was the only job he knew. He had been fighting for over 25 years yet was only 40. He had never killed anyone…but was reputed to be the best fighter ever. After all he was alive after 25 years on ground zero and that meant he was special.<br />
The Soviets, the Afghans, the Pakistanis, the Americans, and the Taliban he had faced them all. His motive was to give his children the best education, his wife a warm home and his parent’s medicine. He didn’t care who won or lost or in fact even who he fought for, as long as they paid well.<br />
He never carried a gun. All that he carried was chocolate, dry fruits, newspaper, water, morphine and whiskey. The basic survival kit –high calorie easy to carry food and water to stay alive, newspapers to keep warm by wrapping or burning and whiskey and morphine to ease pain.<br />
He always said that he never needed a gun for if he was going to get killed it wasn’t going to be with his gun and if he was going to kill…he would make a deviation.<br />
It was like a job for him. A regular job where he was paid by the hour to survive. He did not believe in killing as he felt he did not have the authority to take anyone’s life. After all the person on the other side of the fence also was doing his job…and would only do it well if he lived.<br />
He was faceless, action less and a shadow. But he was always there. He had seen what nightmares are made of but as a true professional stuck to his job…that of staying alive and not contributing to the body bags. The paycheck had come from everywhere at some point of time. His life was cheap…the Americans had bought it, the Soviets at one time and even the Taliban had been his employers.<br />
He figured that more of the fighters had died of starvation and ill health than from the war due to the hostile conditions they were in. After all if they had been fighting in resort towns then the countries would have sent in their own people….no T steak shortage, enough toilet paper and of course coca cola. But in the back of beyond the cheapest lives go first. And at $20 a day he was one of the cheapest going…a bargain buy and with 25 years of experience to back it…he was hot property.<br />
The amazing thing was that no one questioned what he did…as long as he was there. No one wanted to check on him lest he refuses and they would have to go themselves where even the devil dreads to tread. He just merged in the background like a chameleon. He heard everything, spoke of nothing, he saw every thing but showed nothing, he understood everything but advised on nothing.<br />
He provided a service that no one else could and had his niche market. He recognized a need and serviced it. He was a true entrepreneur….Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-16658204616635647202010-01-07T03:25:00.000+05:302010-01-07T03:25:07.031+05:30Technologically Superior BCGreat minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.<br />
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Having said that it is obvious that I will be discussing an idea, rather, a radical thought. Its my take...you can have yours but do let me know.<br />
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Do you think that technology as we know it today is more advanced than in ancient times say like the times of the Ramayana or the Mahabharat ? Science with all its inventions and discoveries is more advanced than what it was say 5000 years ago?<br />
Studying the scriptures and the other mythological books with a very open mind and a fresh perspective, a thought crossed my mind...what if all of today's technologies existed at that time and we are unaware of it. If you look closely and think laterally without blind acceptance, it seems that we have not progressed at all in terms of technology in 5000 years. It is just our perception and utilization of technology to suit our needs that has changed. Let me illustrate my point more lucidly.<br />
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The assumption here is that the texts mentioned would be well known and would need no cross references<br />
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<b>The Ramayan</b><br />
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In the Ramayan when Lord Ram is in the jungle Bharat comes looking for him and finds him at once..Did Bharat have the support of a GPS navigation system? Lord Ram then sent Bharat with his symbolic slippers to rule over Ayodha....probably through Remote Access as is the norm in todays offices. Then when Sita is left alone by Laxman he draws a Laxman rekha which to me seems nothing more than a Laser Protection cage..the sorts they use in museums today to protect Diamonds and Paintings. Further when Sita is abducted by Ravan, she is carried in an <i>uran khatola</i> which literally translates into a flying vehicle...a helicopter perhaps, as she was screaming out ,the craft was not pressurised and it was low flying. Moving further when Hanuman was to go to Lanka he just leapt over the ocean...or did he use a micro light single seater craft with a low noise motor so that he wouldn't be sighted? Hanuman gives us more instances too such as the time when he brings over a full mountain for a herb...maybe a Boeing 747 freighter with a 120 tons payload with reefer containers to keep the perishable goods intact.Then again when Hanuman supposedly burns Lanka with his tail....Or did he use the blowtorch he carried on the micro light...after all he could not have had kerosene or a match box handy along with pieces of cloth....too much effort.<br />
Engineering marvels like the bridge across the sea to Lanka was made possible by using bricks of a composite material that floated and allowed construction on the water itself. Compare that with the puny Bandra Worli sea link and its estimated completion in 100 years.<br />
There are more compelling evidences in the texts themselves..especially as far as weapons go. The various types of powers on the arrows would definitely be akin to our missile systems and weapons of Mass Destruction. The Brahmastra was the ultimate weapon.....the nuclear device and it was fitted on a cruise missile with a guided GPS as it hit Ravan exactly on the belly button...accuracy.<br />
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<b>The Mahabharat</b><br />
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The Mahabharat also offers very compelling proofs that technology in those days was far superior to what is perceived. The primary, most direct proof is the Divine Vision given to Sanjay to narrate the war as it happened live.....reminds me of CNN and the Gulf war. The direct telecast was probably on the King's fancy home theatre, through a satellite receiver and was narrated as seen. The Akash Vani has been rightly understood and adopted as the radio by our national broadcaster. Then when it was said that Ashwathama is dead ....it was probably due to a weak cellular signal at the battle field that the words Man or Elephant were dropped/broken. Kurukshetra till date does not have the best cellular signal in the country. The shooting of the arrow to get water from the ground for Bhishma was also demonstrative of the technology and the power tools at their disposal in those days....u really didn't think an arrow can get u water from the ground ...did you?<br />
The final straw is the revelation of the self by Lord Krishna...the holographic imaging of the true form ...the transition from 2D to 3D and finally 4D with the actual experience..something that we are still trying to achieve...again.<br />
The Lord has said clearly that what Arjun witnessed was an illusion and just that.<br />
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<b>Other Notings</b><br />
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The city of Mohenjo daro one of the earliest civilizations discovered had a vast network of drains and sewage systems that our municipal corporations are still struggling to achieve. They even had slits in houses so that garbage disposal was swift, precise and not on the roads (Delhi and Mumbai please note). And to think they could have done it without todays technology...maybe theirs was better.<br />
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The Sphinx and The Angkor Wat align themselves in a geometric symmetry on certain celestial occurrences....could it have been possible without a view from outer space given that they lay thousands of kilometers apart?<br />
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I could just go on and on and will do so if you want me to but the question of superior technology still remains.<br />
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We live in times when scientists put a man on the moon before they put wheels on a suitcase. There is a reinvention of things known in the past...Does it mean we really live in a tech freeze and only our perception changes as we tweak what is already known and present it as an invention or a path breaking discovery. More Later....Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-67731162242546864102010-01-02T18:27:00.004+05:302010-01-02T18:35:23.276+05:30If Pakistan Had Made the Right Choices...<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Times of India has started a new campaign to promote friendship between the people of <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> (yet again). This has already prompted a lot of debate especially amongst the only people who are experts at running the country but are busy either cutting hair or driving cabs. I do neither but still have my opinion which I shall air as always.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was fortunate enough to have read a lot of articles on the political history of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> as well as the experience of watching it go down the drain over the past 3 decades. After all our media and theirs too for that matter believed at one time that the two countries were at the centre of the universe and the whole world revolved around them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The line of thought for this post was What if <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region></st1:place> had made different choices…What if they had not made the blunders they have.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The bane of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> has been the deviation from the original line of thought for which it was formed. Jinnah had envisioned a liberal, free thinking state albeit based on the socio cultural similarity in Muslim culture as a binding force. His thinking in his dapper suits was to create an Islamic state like what today is probably <st1:country-region st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region> or <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> with its tolerant moderate mindset and liberal outlook.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What instead transpired in the first six years of the existence was the taking over of the state and its soul by the rigid mullahs who interpreted the formation of the first truly Islamic Democratic state as a platform to forward their own religious ideologies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mistake Number Two was the acceptance of the population and their meek submission to the military. Maybe due to the scars of Partition and the formation of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> there was always a subconscious need to feel protected and thus the quiet acceptance without dissent. Also the leaders understood this meek acceptance and never really let the free media develop in the country. Even till date with the exception of maybe 1-2 newspapers and TV channels the entire Urdu media at least has been run by and for the establishment.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The cesspool of dirty corrupt politicians also played a part in the submission of the population to the military as in the absence of any accountability or answerability the politicians had a field day in looting and plundering the country.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On Dec 2 1978 Gen. Zia ushered in Nizam e Mustafa (Islamic System) a 180 degree turn from the predominant Common Law in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. It led to the establishment of Sharia benches and probably was the most instrumental factor in the final Islamisation of a society envisioned to be a liberal democratic and tolerant state.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then led to an era when the hygienically challenged very hairy breed of men was created as mercenaries for the proxy war against the Russians in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> called the Taliban. After the disintegration of the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USSR</st1:place></st1:country-region> the same mercenaries who didn't know what to do apart from war now turned inwards. They were used to a free hand and decided to continue with or without support from the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The Tigers moved from the jungles to the city when they needed to fend for themselves and fuelled by the military leaders who thought of them as bouncers to keep the population under submission, till they decided that they wanted to be the rulers themselves. NWFP and the other autonomous regions were seceded to the tribal leaders as the Taliban took control of a spineless <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the drug trade had filled their coffers enabling them to buy the most sophisticated weaponry.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mistake Number Three was the greed of the local politicians to fill their pockets in fear of being usurped by the army before they could have their fill. What they needed to understand was the fact that geographically Pakistan was so important for America as a base that they would have probably transformed Karachi and Lahore into New York and Los Angeles at their own cost had the Pak Leaders been even slightly true to their cause. The growing clout of <st1:country-region st="on">China</st1:country-region> and the tension in the Middle East made <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region></st1:place> the ideal candidate for American Partnership. It was the only country blessed geographically and they squandered or rather the leaders plundered the money they got from <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Till now it has not dawned upon the population that it is the absence of a free media and the voice of people being suppressed that has lead to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> being a failed state. They have the most beautiful people, a lovely language and strategic advantage. The choice is simple and it is up to the people of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> to decide whether they want to blame everyone for their problems or stand up and take responsibility for their mistakes. After all their future depends on the choice they make.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Having said the above please note that in 5000 years of its history <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> has never attacked any country, so why would we change now?? Why the suspicion?? Is it because of the thief within?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In comparison <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> has moved on. Our league has changed and in spite of any political party in power and charges of corruption or in competence we still manage to bring to book even the most powerful or the most influential and that my friends is the Power of Free Media ,of Freedom of Speech, and being heard by the people. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">The equation is now never India- Pakistan but BRIC (<st1:country-region st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>). </span>I personally think that we have wasted too many years and too much money and effort over an issue that has lost relevance in today’s day and age. They are our neighbours and we should be cordial and polite, but I need to enjoy my friends not force them for friendship. If an initiative has to be made they should be the ones asking for our advice for our system has proved itself in spite of its many snags to be far superior to our<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> neighbours</span>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If their choices had been different … who knows we might have done another <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-5429831509241819362009-12-31T00:52:00.005+05:302010-01-02T03:28:01.297+05:30The Unwanted Indian Politician<p>Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction as politicians do not go to Heaven. Straight, plain, simple and true.</p><p>Once upon a time (since it is a fairy tale) the angel Gabriel came up to the Lord and said "I have a serious problem. We've got some Indians up here in Heaven and they have created havoc. They have put up traffic barriers and are wearing Armani kurtas instead of their simple white robes. They are also riding BMW's and Mercedes', instead of the chariots and are insisting on registration numbers between 1 and 10. "</p><p>"They refuse to keep the stairway to Heaven clear and are forever missing sermons for what they call Working Committee meetings. They have put up party flags and hand symbols all over Heaven and are even challenging your election as being undemocratic.They have given out contracts to the holy food providers to supply samosas and tea to their meetings. The others are being very inconvenienced and they need to be disciplined. Oh Lord please help me!"</p><p>The Lord as usual listens patiently, then holds his head "Who is this Amar Singh guy?" He asks.</p><p>Gabriel shakes his head and says "All I know is that I got an SMS from him saying that he supports my election from the minority community....whatever that means."</p><p>"Well" says the Lord "He's set up a hotline between Heaven and Hell and Satan is on the line now and i just have to say the word 'Mayawati' to disconnect"</p><p>Satan on line 1 Sir . "Yes ...this is the Lord what can I do for you". </p><p>"Lord , Hi, i was wondering if you have been facing the same problem as us down here?" says Satan. " We have got a bunch of Indians who have practically taken over the place. They blend in with their saffron robes and have started planting Lotuses all over Hell." "They have practically destroyed the character of this place and have started installing air conditioning and have imposed what they call as a Uniform Civil Code."</p><p>"I am quite fed up and have decided once and for all that my people are not going to take in anyone with the Keywords "Indian" "Politician" involved with them. You can have them all if you want."</p><p>"Nooooooo...." says the Lord "Not over my dead body (sic)." "Lets just keep sending them back and let them fight it out amongst themselves."</p><p>In the absence of consensus the onus of broking a deal fell back on who else but 'Amar Singh' (The Immortal Lion).</p><p>Finally after much persuasion and reservation of few administrative seats for secular parties and minorities in both Heaven and Hell it has been decided to create a Buffer Zone where all the Indian Politicians will be kept and their memories erased so that they cannot have any <em>'Raaz Pichle Janam Ka'</em>. Signing out..... 'Mayawati'!!!!!</p><p></p>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-30067069748394784842009-12-28T16:05:00.003+05:302009-12-28T17:17:11.555+05:30The Paradox of Our TimesThe other day I was just chilling out with a friend who likes to read up a lot on ways to lead a good life unlike me who thinks of good ways to lead a life. But i cant deny the gyan he bestowed upon me albeit after a lot of drinks had gone down and people like George Carlin were in the air and life,its meaning and philosophy were in the air.....read on...<br /><br />The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers,wider roads but narrower viewpoints. We spend more but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families,more conveniences and less time.We have more knowledge but less judgement,more experts yet more problems, more medicine but less wellness.<br /><br />We drink too much, smoke too much,spend too recklessly,laugh too little,drive too fast,get too angry,get too tired,read too little.<br /><br />We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, listen too little , love too seldom and hate too often.<br /><br />We make a living but have not learnt how to make a life. We have added years to our life but not life to our years. We conquer outer space but not the inner self. We have done larger things not better ones.<br /><br />We are cleaning up the air but polluting our souls. These are the times of fast food but slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but divorce and broken homes. <br /><br />We have quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, over weight bodies and pills that do everything from cheer to quieten to kill.<br /><br />We need time now to slow down at times...smell the flowers...appreciate your friends.<br />Time to tell the ones you love and not assume that they know. The time to spend time with yourself, introspect and realise that your real character is what you are in the dark. Time to do what you enjoy and cherish instead of what you have to, so grow wings and fly...Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904841349857697119.post-53912731462033762682009-12-27T01:00:00.000+05:302009-12-27T01:12:14.781+05:30The Rise of the Phoenix<p>I have returned to the blogging/writing world after about 10 years. I was actively writing for a now defunct newspaper (not because of my articles) called "The Observer" and was doing it basically gratis for fulfilling my itch to write and also probably to get the kick of seeing my name every Thursday under a 2000 word article. </p><p>My wife is instrumental in getting me to write again as she feels that a lot of my opinions need to be given vent to, far away from her. Her logic is that she does not enjoy suffering alone and wants the world to suffer with her. So here I am and the torture begins....By the way in case u too suffer do leave a word on two in the comments as it will make my wife very happy...Cheers.</p>Vikram Kumarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09148365873696672986noreply@blogger.com0