Euthanasia

This morning, I happened to catch a news report about one of the most debatable topics ever encountered, euthanasia, or as it is more popularly known, "mercy killing". A doctor's act in Italy has triggered the dispute all over again. The doctor apparently took a long-suffering patient off the life support system that had been sustaining him and keeping him alive. Doctors who perform euthanasia can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

The opinion on mercy killing has always been divided. While the people who advocate it, claim that it is better to offer death to people suffering from painful and incurable illnesses, the people who are against it, declare that an act of killing is unpardonable, no matter what the circumstances. I've often wondered what the right thing to do in this matter is. Is it right to let a fellow human being continue to suffer till death envelops him/her and takes the person into its fold. Or, is it better to let the person die, thereby ending a life that would have only brought him/her more pain and suffering?!? I really don't know; I've never been able to make up my mind on this one. While I think it's true that no person should be made to endure so much physical pain and suffering that even his will to live breaks, does anyone really have the right to take another person's life, be it out of compassion or what you will?!? Then, there are those people who voluntarily plead with their doctors and loved ones to end their lives and put them out of their misery. What does one do in such situations?!?

The term, "mercy killing", is most obviously a euphemism for something far more disturbing and debatable. It may not be possible to arrive at the right stand that should be taken on such issues, or even a consensus regarding the same, but, if you had to deal with such a situation, what would you do?!?

Oodles of Doodles!!!

There's a nice Christmassy feeling everywhere. Even at my workplace, there are at least two Christmas trees, and decorations adorning almost every wall of the reception areas of the two buildings.

As the holidays descend upon us, can Google remain long without displaying one of its by now famous doodles!?! Take a look at what Google looks like this festive season!

http://www.google.com/

Peek into Google's archives and discover the wonderful doodles that have been created over the years, as also the person behind them!

http://www.google.com/holidaylogos.html

Last One of the Month!!!

Sending warm thoughts your way,
And, wishes by the truckload,
Here's wishing you a special day,
And, happiness at every node!

As another year comes to a close,
Wishes for a new one are due,
May this one be as smooth as a rose,
With thorns, if not none, then, few!

All my silly tantrums, endure, you did
Reprimanded me too, I must say,
Let's keep the fights ongoing, I do bid! :-D
Mummy, wish you a happy birthday!

Creeping Me Out!!!

Creepy crawlies really creep me out! Well, maybe not like how they creep out my sister and a friend of mine! Both start squealing even if they see so much as a picture of a bug or an insect! As for snakes, my sister can't even watch them on the television, or even glance at a glossy spread of the same, in a magazine or book! <grin!!!> In our childhood days, I've witnessed her standing atop the bed and jumping up and down till the harmless insect flying around the room has been safely let out the nearest window! To think that A played a prank on her by using a wooden snake! It's a wonder she didn't eat him alive!!!

Well, coming to how this blog post came into existence, on Sunday last, as soon as I awoke in the morning, on spotting/sensing a slight movement in a corner of the ceiling, my eyes darted to that very place, and to my utter consternation, I watched quite a well-fed lizard looking at me out of its beady black eyes! I almost broke out in a sweat; I hadn't seen a lizard in my one year of living in my present apartment, and I had no clue how it had come to be there!!! I guess my insistent gaping at it finally scared it out of its wits, and it scooted right down to the opposite corner of the ceiling, nearer to where the head of my bed is, and where I was fearfully sitting and watching the reptile's every move! With it scooting comparatively nearer, I jumped right out of bed with a speed that would have put an Olympian to shame!!! I opened the door and the windows in the fervent hope that it'd let itself outside, but, to no apparent avail! Sighing resignedly, I settled down to wait impatiently for its next move. Considering that it did not move even an inch for a good many minutes, I set about doing my daily chores; with of course, my eyes darting to the lizard's standstill spot every few seconds! It was at the intermittent time between two of those darting glances that the lizard decided to play hookey! When I glanced again at the by now familiar spot on the ceiling, a cold chill ran down my spine, as my eyes swept over the empty space!!! That was all I needed! A mischievous reptile waiting to spring unpleasant surprises on me!!! I didn't see it for the rest of the day, and it soon left the space it had occupied in my memory!

I guess it couldn't digest the fact that I'd almost forgotten about its existence, for, when I returned home from work last evening, and had just opened the door and stepped inside, I felt something fall from somewhere up above, to a chair stationed right behind where I was standing! I, at once figured that my nemesis was back, and with a vengeance at that!!! I slowly turned around and saw that I was indeed, correct! The athlete in me sprung right into action again, and I found myself on the bed, in a flash!!! Making sure that I did not make any sudden movements, I slowly stretched my arm and opened the door, the knob of which was luckily just within my reach! I then rolled up a nice, sturdy magazine, and thus began my attempts to drive my friend out the house! I knew I'd not have a peaceful night's sleep till it was out of the premises of my humble abode! After a lot of running around in circles and squares and what have you, I finally managed to get it till the very threshold of the invitingly open door! "Go out, go out!!!", I kept muttering under my breath, willing it to pay heed and scoot right out the door, like it had so easily done from one corner of my ceiling to another!!! Finally, when I had almost lost all hope, the beady black eyes seemed to look at me for one last savouring moment; and with what looked like a smirk, my friend scampered out of its home of two days, leaving me to exhale an enormous sigh of relief!!!

Not that I don't think you're cute, my friend, but, I'd rather I met you out in the wild, than in the confines of my house! Please do humour me in this!!! Please don't...ahem...come back!!!

P.S. Another dear friend celebrates his birthday today! Here's wishing you a wonderful year ahead, Appu (Vivek)!

Another Birthday!!!

A little birthday song,
On your special day,
I won't take too very long,
Just send wishes your way!!!

Wish this lights a smile,
On your beautiful face,
Spreads joy for many-a-mile,
As through the day, you pace!!!

I know we lovingly call you SB,
But, please dont sleep through this,
I guess now I'd do well to flee,
Not long, will your aim, its mark, miss!!!

To send these wishes to you, dear
Jokes apart, was all I wanted to do,
Here's to a lovely and wonderful year,
And, happiness through and through!!!

Happy Birthday, Nikhil!!!

From the time of your birth,
Till this very lovely day,
In your life, there's been mirth,
I hope even more comes your way!!!

Love, I ever wish you lots,
And, lots and lots of lasting luck,
Of joy, may there always be pots,
May happiness, your every breath suck!!!

You're the only, my nephew are you,
I still remember the day you were born,
You looked as fresh as drops of dew,
I looked at you, from dusk to morn!!!

At an alarming rate, have you so grown,
You were a little baby, just a while back,
Not that your naughtiness has left you 'lone,
Quite a punch, you still do often pack!!!

As I bring this poem to an end,
I wish you many many more beautiful years to come,
May joy you find, at life's every bend,
Wish from your only aunt, though, uncles there be some!!!

Nikhil

A Pot Full of Luck!!!

From time to time, the team I belong to at work, gets a group of people together and organizes a potluck lunch! It always is truckloads of fun, with people bringing all kinds of food to appease our hungry taste buds and tummies!!! Not having enough time in the mornings to cook something nice for these lunches, and considering that the things I can make are not exactly what they call "culinary delights"; I often end up buying something from the store for such parties. However, once in a while, the chef within me awakens and I manage to whip up a quick something that tastes pretty satisfactory too!!! The gulab jamuns I made for one of these potlucks remains my best effort to date! They didn't exactly turn out nicely round and stable, a good many of them crumbling at the slightest touch; nonetheless, they tasted pretty good, if not lip-smackingly good!!! Also, like I was reminded umpteen times in my growing up years, you eventually have to chew and bite everything you eat! How does it matter then if your task is made a trifle easier by having readymade bits/pieces to chew on!?! <grin!>

In My Defense, They Tasted Good!!!

An Unnecessary Traffic Snarl!!!

On my way to work this morning, I was caught in a terrible traffic snarl. One moment, my cab was zipping through the air and I had nicely settled in and started reading my book, with the drone of the now oh-so-familiar radio jockey in the background; the next minute, the cab that daily takes me to my workplace and then back home in the evenings, had come to a complete standstill. I read on, thinking that we would start moving again in a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, even after I'd turned over more than a few pages, we were still rooted to the same mundane spot on the road, and the loud decibels of the radio, now that it was not muffled by the sounds of the passing traffic and the cab itself, finally rendered it impossible for me to read. All of us trapped inside the cab started giving each other quizzical glances, as also raising questioning eyebrows. We hadn't been caught in such a standstill of traffic after that unfortunate accident on Airport Road, many weeks back. The driver of the cab couldn't enlighten us either. He did get out of the vehicle and try finding out the reason for the holdup, but, the others who had been stranded also had no clue whatsoever. By craning our necks out the front window of the cab, we could see a long line of traffic, right till the end of our line of vision!

Some vehicles started taking U-turns at the first possible juncture, heading back the way they'd come. The driver of our cab thought it ill advised to do the same, fearing that we'd be faced with an even more ferocious traffic jam if we ventured onto another road! So, we stayed put, and thankfully so, as in a few more agonizing minutes of doing nothing but twiddling our thumbs, the line in front of us started inching slowly forward. We were soon informed the reason for the mess. Apparently, there is an auto rickshaw strike in the city today. On hearing this piece of news, I was wondering to myself why on earth there was a traffic jam then!?! Wouldn't lesser vehicles on the road mean less traffic?!? In normal situations, yes, that's what can be deduced! However, we further learnt that some of the very same auto rickshaw drivers who were on strike, had turned crazily violent and disruptive, and had deflated the tyres of some of the other vehicles on the road!!! Those vehicles, unable to ply, and abandoned on the middle of the road in some cases, were the beginning of the traffic holdup!

I wonder why people resort to such tactics!?! Even granting the fact that they might have had what may be to them, valid reasons, for calling a strike and disrupting normal life, how does one explain these absurdly unnecessary and violent acts of deflating the tyres of other vehicles?!? It's bad enough that the arguably most used mode of transport in the city is on strike for an entire day, leaving many to struggle to reach the places they have to go to! To top it, such acts of violence certainly leave a lingering distaste in the mouth!!! If one really has to be on strike, can't it at least be one that does not cause even further damage than the strike, in itself, is liable to cause!?! Like one of my friends ironically remarked, maybe they were distraught with the strike proceeding so calmly and wanted to make their presence (absence?) felt!!!

As if all that chaos wasn't enough, the driver of our cab also seemed to turn crazy once the traffic started flowing freely again! He zoomed forward on breakneck speed, leaving all the lesser mortals far behind in the race against time! Not to mention the state of us lesser mortals inside the cab! We were left to brace ourselves every time he hit the brake and the tyres screeched to a halt! In fact, my friend's bag slipped right out of her hold and fell forward! A ride in the death cab, if there ever was one!!! Maybe, he preferred broken bones to a flat tyre!!!

Cranky!!!

I'm so borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred!!!

Late Kate!!!

A race against time,
Did I indulge in, this morn,
'Could have bet a new dime,
It was just about dawn!!!

Overslept, and how!!!
I awoke with a start,
It's no wonder now,
That my stomach turned a cart!!!

Rushing through the chores,
Got them quickly out the way,
'Was almost on my fours,
As I hastened to start the day!!!

The alarm did as usual, sound,
A, did also, customarily call,
But, sleep did I, another round,
Really! How did I have the gall?!?

Just in the very very nick of time,
Did I my timely cab, thankfully, catch,
Take it with a pinch of salt and lime,
Time, really, truly, has no match!!!

I hate to wait, I hate being late,
Punctuality is my middle name,
'Was the first and last time, I tell ya mate,
I'm no Kate, of "Late Kate" fame!!!

Pic Courtesy: Google

A Mishmash!!!

I am so very restless today! I just don't feel like doing anything for more than five minutes at a stretch!!! Woe betide me, it's just Monday too!!! I have the entire week to contend with! The turtleneck that I'm wearing today is making matters worse! I feel choked; can't wait to get back home and out of it! Monday morning blues at its very worst, I must say!!!

The weekend was okay. I attended the housewarming ceremony; in fact, was at the new house for the better part of the day. The house is a nice one, adequately spacious and airy. As I'd thought, everyone turned up with lamps of various shapes, sizes and hues, as gifts!!! I hope mine finds a niche for itself and doesn't end up getting lost in the crowd!!!

Dennis and Calvin's hybrid was as true to his nicknames, as ever!!! The poor fellow had been woken up at 2 in the morning and made to take a bath, as per the rituals of the puja that was conducted as a part of the housewarming ceremony. He was drowsy and sleepy, but soon got around to his usual chore of running around the house and creating absolute mayhem! Another cousin of mine has a sweet, little daughter. The two kids kept running around in circles, fighting, bickering, quarreling and then quickly making up, like only kids can!!! The hybrid, of course, thought it very amusing to pull down a Santa Claus hat right over my eyes, giggling all the while!!! I was glad that he was amusing himself with such non-violent acts, rather than with the punches and boxes that he so happily and usually doles out, to all and sundry! I guess I'd thanked my stars too soon!!! Before I knew it, he'd turned into his violent counterpart, hitting me and running off, before I could catch him! I must say, he's as strong and quick as they come! I finally managed to get hold of his arm and give him a mild, playful spanking! Ha!

In spite of his cheekiness and naughtiness, he's an adorable thing, and the way his face falls on learning that I'm leaving, as also when I bid goodbye, really pulls at my heartstrings! What would the world be without kids!?! <sigh>

Pristine!!!

I'm not really in a mood to post today. Although, I do want to put on record that the weather today, is absolutely awesome and delightful! I think today is the coldest day of this year, up until now, at least. The sight outside my house this morning, was stunning, to say the very least! A thick mist covered the air, leaving little to be seen by the naked eye, not to mention the ethereal quality that the lake near my house, had taken on! It looked akin to an ice skating rink; the water couldn't be seen at all! It just looked as though a whole bank of clouds had descended on the surface of the lake in the stillness and darkness of the night and early morning hours! Also, the sun was barely visible; it just seemed to be a pale shadow of its former self, and looked smaller than the moon! Here's hoping this weather stays on!!!

A nice, cloudy mist,
Did this morning, behold,
Nothing could be seen,
For miles, it was told!

Hope this weather stays on,
It feels so very mine,
Delightful and enchanting,
Its form, so very pristine!

A New Beginning...

This weekend, my cousin is holding a housewarming party to celebrate his buying a new house. I scoured the markets looking for a nice gift last weekend. I so didn't want to buy one of those traditional lamps, which I'm sure they'll get plenty of! At the same time, I didn't want to get something ultra modern that would earn me a few frowns, if not, many!!! Not far into my gift-buying sojourn, my eyes chanced upon a lamp that at first glance, seemed to be one of the traditional ones I'd been so hoping to avoid buying, but, which, on closer inspection, proved to be a delightful piece of art! It was a lamp, no doubt, albeit not one of the boring, stand-on-the-floor variety! It had no long stand or circular base. Instead, it had a nice set of links strung together, with a hook at the very end, which would let it be hung from the ceiling, or from a beam, making it a nice addition to the entrance of the prayer room in the new house! I was delighted that I'd managed to find such a perfect blend of tradition and art, in the form of the "latkan", the name given to such a lamp. Unfortunately, I had it all nicely gift wrapped, before thinking that it'd have been nice to take a picture first!

I hope my cousin and his wife like the lamp. It is not only exquisite in appearance, but, also so well equipped that five flames of light can be lit at the same time; one in each of the five little clefts that form a part of its beauty. Imagine the brilliance of light that can be created on a balmy evening!

Of course, a visit to their house entails playing with my cousin's son, who, believe me, is a fine mix of Calvin and Dennis!!! He has a ready trick up his sleeve at all times, not hesitating to spring them on all and sundry!!! I usually have an anecdote or two to relate, even if I spend so much as a few minutes, in his company! Not to mention how generous he usually is with his punches and other wrestling antics!!! I've been on the receiving end many a time, to not know what lies in store for me! I'm sure this weekend is going to be one interesting blog post!

The Triumvirate!!!

What do I have in common with Joey (of F.R.I.E.N.D.S fame) and good ol’ Garfield?!? Well, not that it accounts for them being two of my favourite characters, but, all three of us love lasagne!!! I have recently established that a nice dish of cheesy lasagne is my ultimate reason for pigging out, and completely shamelessly at that! My tummy always seems to have room left for lasagne, and doesn’t usually hesitate to crave for more after having been supposedly satiated with a full dish of the same, even a few minutes back!!!

On Sunday last, I ate so much lasagne that I almost felt like I was a nice box of cheese filled pasta myself!!! That's no wonder considering I had so much of it inside me! It was so divine, though! I usually buy it from this particular place called "Cake Walk", a nice little eatery that houses tons and tons of deliciously sinful cakes and pastries, in addition to the mouthwatering lasagnes and pastas that I've got so hooked on to! So much so that I can't wait to sink my teeth into another delectable dish of lasagne!

With dollops of cheese,
In every little bite,
With pasta that melts,
It tastes just right!!!

Diviningly delectable,
Lingeringly divine,
Yummily delightful,
The lasagne's all mine!!!

Arresting and so tasty,
Temptation at its core,
Cake Walk is my haven,
Aah! To have one more!!!

The Triumvirate and the Treat!!!

Pics (Garfield, Joey and Lasagne) Courtesy: Google

P.S. Forgive my primitive photo editing. I have no editing tools with me right now!

Sketching All the Way!!!

From the wee hours of the morn,
All day long,
Hour after hour,
Tons of sketches were born!!!

Most of my Sunday, did I laze,
Little did I do else,
Than put my drawing skills to the test,
At the screen of iSketch, did I only gaze!!!

Got me hooked, good and strong,
A nice, little game is it,
For people who love words and sketches,
It will keep you interested, for oh so long!!!

Had lost touch with the game for a lil while,
Long ago, did I discover it,
Back to playing in full feldged force now,
On a boring day, it takes me many-a-mile!!!

When the other players sketch,
Guess the given word,
Then, draw the word handed to you,
Your skill and vocabulary, for both, must you fetch!!!

US or UK English; aplenty are the rooms
Take your pick of dialect,
Or choose a different language even,
If through them, your fluency, zoooooms!!!

Points if you guess, and points for drawing well,
To make others guess,
Must be your diligent and true strife,
For, at the end of a stipulated time, does ring a bell!!!

Oh! What a long poem, have I, to a rhyme, set,
Think it’s time to play now,
Time to garner a whole load of points,
You can meet me at http://www.isketch.net/!!!

Drama... Galore!!!

Reality shows seem to be the norm of the day. The latest entrant in this arena in the Indian scene, is Big Boss. Based on the popular television show, "Big Brother", Big Boss is the much-hyped Indian version. The format remains pretty much the same, with a group of thirteen people being made to stay in Big Boss's house for a span of three months, with no communication whatsoever with the outside world. No source of entertainment is also allowed to the contestants. Every week, the contestants nominate two among them, who they think need to be evicted from the house. Then, by means of an audience voting system, the spectators (public) are encouraged to send their votes for that person who they feel needs to be thrown out of the contest. The crux being that the person who is not evicted at the end of the stipulated three months, wins the contest and takes home a whole load of cash!

Of course, these contestants are made to perform daily and weekly tasks, as also keep the house spotlessly clean and tidy! One interesting aspect of the show is the "confession room", where each contestant gets a chance to let off steam, about anything and everything! In this Indian version, all the inmates of the house are minor celebrities, and do they let off steam or what!?! If you want to watch backstabbing, politics and gossiping at its very best (worst?), Big Boss is the place to be! The contestants foul mouth each other at every given opportunity, with seemingly little qualms that the camera catches every word and action!

It's amazing how in a group of people, there will, sooner or later, arise friction for even the smallest of things! They fight on such petty issues that they could very well put all the daily television soaps to shame! No wonder that it's said that if you put a bunch of people from different backgrounds and viewpoints together, you can create enough enmity to start a war! I don't think I could ever stay in a place with so many strangers, being completely cut off from the outside world. I would either drive the rest crazy, or go crazy myself!!! Unless, of course, a bunch of us friends are made to live together in a similar manner! Imagine the ruckus we could create then! Are you guys listening? <You know who you are!!!>

Pic Courtesy: Google