Confessions of a Disquisitive Writer

I Started A Joke..

May 27, 2013 Leave a comment

This is a wonderful wonderful Song by the Bee Gees and it gets me everytime I listen to it…

I started a joke, which started the whole world crying,
But I didn’t see that the joke was on me, oh no.

I started to cry, which started the whole world laughing,
Oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me.

I looked at the skies, running my hands over my eyes,
And I fell out of bed, hurting my head from things that I’d said.

Til I finally died, which started the whole world living,
Oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me.

I looked at the skies, running my hands over my eyes,
And I fell out of bed, hurting my head from things that I’d said.

Til I finally died, which started the whole world living,
Oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was one me.

Filed under Music Tagged with bee gees, classics, crying, I started a joke, living, lyrics, music, songs

I really loved this place when I went to Stockholm for the first time. There was a lot of snow around and very few people on the streets. The colors of buses, buildings and road signs seemed magically enhanced thanks to the brilliant whiteness of the snow. This is a picture capturing the winter.

Filed under Photography, Travel Tagged with colors, Photography, scandinavia, snow, stockholm, sweden, Travel, white, winter

Biking in Barcelona

May 26, 2013 1 Comment

One of the first things I noticed when I went to Barcelona (Spain) was the vibrant red and white bikes they keep for the people to hire and ride through the city. I just loved their colors and took this picture. They call it Bicing!

Filed under Photography, Travel Tagged with barcelona, bicycles, bikes, Photography, photos, red, spain, Travel

Top of the World

May 26, 2013 2 Comments

This is a picture I took from the summit of Eiffel Tower in Paris. Really, being there you do feel like on Top of the World.

Filed under Photography Tagged with eiffel tower, france, height, Paris, Photography, photos, Travel

The phobia of reading Romance

May 25, 2013 2 Comments

There is something weird about reading novels on romance because I have never been able to read one. Yes, Love Story by Eric Segal is something almost everyone has read and so have I, but I must declare, with humbleness, that that is where my affair with the genre ends (so far as reading books is concerned).

I’ve bought and read hundreds of books in my life – philosophy, biographies, crime, drama, humor, etc. – but I have never been able to pick up another book on romance. I’ve heard a lot about authors who write very good romance and I’ve also considered getting my hands on Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, but something doesn’t click. Trust me, I am not against the concept of romance, and like everyone else, I do aspire for it in the same way, but there is something about these books that makes me keep away from reading them.

After years and years, I finally own The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks – a book that is only about 180 pages. I’ve had it with me for over 2 months and yet I am unable to finish it.

What is this phobia then? Is it the fear of loss or the possibility of happiness that they might falsely promise?

Filed under Reflections Tagged with Books, Happiness, Life, Loss, Love, Novels, Phobia, Reading, relationships, Romance

Does everything happen for good?

May 25, 2013 2 Comments

When something bad happens and people tell you, “In the end, everything happens for the good,” I find it unbelievable how easy and simplistic they make it sound. How do you know things ALWAYS happen for the good? And how do you know that that good will be for everyone involved? Moreover, how and when will you know the end if there ever was one?

If someone was born physically challenged. Would you say everything happened for the good? You know what could have been good? Being born NOT physically challenged.

If someone contracts a fatal disease, like cancer, would you say everything happens for the good? One might give examples of survivors like Neil Armstrong and Yuvraj Singh and make a point that “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” But ask yourself this. Did cancer make them stronger or was it the fact that it was cured that made them stronger? And what about the thousands that Cancer really kills as opposed to the very few handful who survive?

Two people who love each other get separated. Would you say everything happened for the good? Good of whom? For one, I could understand, but for both? I can’t agree. And by “In the end..” what do you mean? When should that end have been? Finding the next partner? But even that might not be the end? You might separate from them also. Then what? Will the end keep shifting until the whole thing becomes pointless?

Life is not for people to pretend to simplify. Human beings are complex and their lives and situations are complex. Good doesn’t always happen. Nothing’s ever right and you can’t always make things right.

Let us not cheat each other of our tragedies by saying that everything happens for the good. Things just happen. You don’t get what is good for you, you just get what you get. There is no universe looking out for you trying to strike a balance. You just need to be happy in whatever you have.

Enjoy your happiness but equally enjoy your miseries.

Filed under Philosophy, Reflections Tagged with Bad, Death, Fate, good, Happiness, Life, Love, misery, Philosophy, sadness

Argument of God vs Evil

May 20, 2013 2 Comments

What displeases me about arguing with creationists is that in order to challenge the existence of an imaginary being (i.e. God), we must first assume the existence of another imaginary being/force (i.e. Evil) and from there start arguing backwards. Of course, just as concept of God is flawed, the concept of there being an Evil is also equally flawed because we again end up dividing good happenings and bad happenings as effects of a supernatural phenomenon, rather than using the most simple and logical explanation: That human beings behave differently and some of us do good while others do bad. Natural things happen according to the laws of nature and these laws do not presuppose the existance of a special species such as Humans. However, to creationists, the idea of assuming more and more imaginary entities is nothing of concern. Once you say Yes to religion, you can go on believing anything that you like. Even that Elvis is still alive.

Filed under Atheism, Religion Tagged with atheism, Belief, Disbelief, evil, faith, god, Religion

Blessings from God Via Facebook

May 16, 2013 Leave a comment

Is it just me or does anyone else think it equally absurd that there are apps on Facebook that pretend to send you blessings from a God of your choice? I mean, look at the picture below and tell me how does Sai Baba (who lived like a zillion years alo) send blessings to families of people who subscribe to his app on FB?

Not only that, if you go ahead and click on any link from this notification, it forwards you to a page where Sai Baba – and this is what I find most incredible – actually asks your persmission to access your public profile!!!

Now now, some will tell me that I shouldn’t make fun of people’s religious sentiments and beliefs and that everybody has a right to look like a fool, blah blah blah. But hey.. look I am just saying that I find it absolutely amusing that a God is trying to connect to me (Ok, not me but SOMEONE) via Facebook. And that he needs my permission to access their public profile?

Well, just really ticks me off everytime I see it.

Well then, I am sure a lot of people will hate me for writing this, because some do not have a sense of humor, but you’ve got to give me this – that seeing on your News Feeds that a certain someone has just received blessings from a God via facebook is actually funny.

Imagine my timeline showing that I received a Law of Nature from Einstein today. Most people would look at that piece of news and say… Duh!

Filed under Religion Tagged with atheism, Blessings, Facebook, god, Humor, Humour, Religion, Sai Baba, Shirdi

Carl Sagan on the Magic of Books

May 1, 2013 Leave a comment

Filed under Books, Quotes Tagged with Books, Carl Sagan, magic, Quotations, Quotes, Reading

A cold and harsh reality

April 21, 2013 Leave a comment

People who have faith in the supernatural, sometimes find it a lot easier to deal with pain. Faith acts as a guiding force, a form of support that helps you cross the road when the going gets tough. All you need to do is continue to believe in a universal force that is out to help you very soon. There is comfort in knowing there is a big brother watching over you. Sooner or later, things will be better.

But for people who do not put their faith in an invisible deity or mantra or good or bad karma, any suffering becomes hundreds of times more difficult to deal with. There are no imaginary friends to take care of you and no promises of a better future. All there is is a cold and harsh reality. Things won’t become right by kneeling, praying, offering sacrifices, worshiping idols or following godmen who claim to be agents for your salvation. There is just a realization that you don’t always get what you want, you simply get what you get. Things happen. We can’t always explain everything but it’s alright. The question, “Why me?” gets the answer, “Why not!” or maybe “So what?”

I feel it is alright to take support in whatever makes it easier to deal with pain, despite whatever anybody else might say. And this is coming from someone who chooses not to do so himself. Because I also think there is no way I would ever pray, ask or beg for happiness. That is not the way life is supposed to be lived. I believe we are a lot more than puppets being subjected to good and bad conditions by a universal force just so that it can get devotion and admiration in return.