Pursuit of Abstraction...

As people, we're obsessed with the idea of definity, finality, knowing what's happening to absolute certainty, being able to put things to numbers, figures, shapes, sizes & Symmetry. The idea of abstract and obscure scares us, confuses us & thus is usually undesirable to the masses, not to mention the broad sense of perspective required to grasp the abstractness of things. Thus, it drives us away. This however, leaves a whole world of Abstractness, far bigger than the world of certainty & finality, left unexplored & unventured or atleast, least explored or least ventured, and in effect least understood too. Now that somehow does not sit too well with me.. Because it just doesn't seem fair, neither to me for depriving myself of such vast unexplored arenas of natural existance, nor to the abstractness in question for not being acknowledged and refuted right off its face value.
In the world as most of us know it however, a man in pursuit of abstraction is bound to face challenges, as good must be seperated from the bad and right must be differentiated from the wrong, as black from white, for our obsession with definity, and our tendencies to look for clear purpose and meaning in everything.
This so called idea of the real world however, isn't anything if not paradoxical & at sharp contrast with the reality of the real world, where good and bad not only co-exist, but often exist within the same entity. Where black & white are not only juxtaposed but often muddled up to a shade of grey. Which makes one question the entire concept of reality of this so called real world. Isn't this merely a world we've created to our convenient way of living, cause the truth( assuming there is something like an absolute truth in existance) is inconvenient, incomprehensive and often scary for our thinking and understanding. Cause it's a truth we'd rather not know, or even worse, acknowledge. The sad bit is, our acknowledgment & acceptance would make no difference to the reality in existance. The only thing it can affect is our own real/unreal lives. Question is, do we want that state of awareness, state of constant dillema, state of conciousness, state of inaction in our lives. I don't know the answere to that question for certain, but what I do know is the fact that I would rather live a harsh reality than is blissful hypothesis, for there can be no redemption without the knowledge of the truth. And if there is something to be dug into and explored, I don't intend to just pass by it.

Etymology of Great Indian slangs: Part I - "Behnchod!!"

The idea had been cooking in my head for about as long as I remember, So I thought I might as well kick off with my research on the etymology of some of the most celebrated slangs from the Indian subcontinent, and find out what makes them the 'pride of the East' and 'Envy of the west.'
So the first in line is one of the most effective, powerful and yet innocuous enough slangs, "Behnchod!!" Anybody who has ever in their living breath, uttered this slang in its proper regional eccentricity and authentic demeanor, knows that nothing else would have done it..!! The sense and intensity with which one uses this slang, usually varies across the vast demographics of the Indian sub-continent and also depends on factors like the urgency, or the sheer lack of it, of a certain situation.
A search for the word "Behnchod" on google, leaves you with a plethora of information, both trivial and non-trivial, regarding the origin and the usage of the slang. Almost all of them however, point towards the one common and axiomatic fact, that this wonderful slang has been providing the much needed vent to our distressed impulses for ages now, and is on its way to colonize the western civilisation in the time to come, for simply put, there's hardly a match for this slang, not merely in english language, but in any other language.
What, you don't concur with my opinion?? Well, take a moment and say the damn word if you will...and as if you mean it...Don't think very differently, do you now??!!
Alryt, so what exactly does the damn word mean...right, there are no prizes for guessing that it means 'Sister Fucker' or one who fucks his sister, in the literal sense of the word, however anyone who's ever used the slang knows that it stands for a lot more than a mere sister fucker...and honestly speaking, most of the times it doesn't have anything to do with the sister, both of the abuser and the abused. A look into the origins of the slang, reveals that the word was used even as early as the 1800s. If you read Lawrence James' book, the 'RAJ', you will find that Bhenchod was used as a common slang even then.The slang is still used across India and Pakistan, more so in villages and by comparatively less urbane population, by men and women alike. The pronounciation may change with the region( Baheenchod in UP & Bihar or Panchod in Punjab,  bhaindchod in northern India(Delhi, Haryana) and Pakistan, Bhainnchodd in maharashtra and so on...)
Some credit the Origin of the words to regions of punjab located in modern day pakistan. One such article suggests, "originally from Pakistan, this word is now extremely popular within the sub-continent. Pakistanis use it very often as compared to the Indians. For instance, if a bunch of Pakistanis are sitting with a couple of Indians, they will definitely use it way more than the Indians would - in fact, the Indians would probably be a little startled at how frequently Pakistanis use it. This explains precisely where the word originated from."
As far as its usage is concerned, it can be used on pretty flexible terms to suit varying moods and occasions...For instance, to describe someone who's a real cunt, e.g."kris is a real behenchod." 
To express sheer disgust or disbelief, e.g. "Panchod, what the fuck are you doing?"
To express fear or remorse, e.g. "bhenchod, I forgot my wallet"
To reprimand someone, e.g. "bhenchod, kaam nai karna?"
or it can also be used in the middle of a normal and healthy conversation to simply ascribe or describe a sorry state of affairs, e.g. Juggy: Wat up J! i heard your new song in a club, is the album out?
J: Nawh man some bhenchod ripped it off ma my-space page!
These are only a few of the vast array of senses in which this glorious slang is used across our sub-continent.
One thing is absolutely clear though, when it comes to cuss words and slangs, we're definitely way ahead of the curve, and the west has some serious catchin' up to do.They do have their share of multi-utility slangs such as 'Fuck' and 'shit' which are a decent run on the money, but they're way overused and have started to lose their sheath and sheen. We on the other hand, are overtly well-supplied with clourful and culturally rich and radiant slangs, used to suit just the right occassion, from cracking a laugh riot, to puttin the fear of god in someone...This will be further evident when we anatomize a few more of the
commonplace slangs in the next edition of this piece...and of course, any suggestions and/or contributions are always welcome.
Till then, keep cussin'!! ;-)
 

 

Me & My (Street)Smartphone...

So, I guess smartphones are a far more common observance now a days, than say, smart people...Sometimes I wonder whether people have this deep-rooted notion of a belief that somehow a flashy smartphone would help add some glitter and smartness to their glum and morose lives. I don't know about the glitter, but the smartness thing certainly doesn't seem to be working out for us. Apparently, the smarter our gadgets get, the dumber we seem to become.
This is not to say that it doesn't have its positives, the smartphone I mean. It sure does.
It introduces a fancy preoccupation amidst insipid regularity and mundane obligations of our lives. Makes up for healthy & hearty conversations with peers and pals. Gives us the opportunity to flaunt and be proud of our possesion. Heck, it even makes for a perfect life partner, always by our side and constantly subjected to our 'fingerings' and 'touchings.'
For most of us, life itself would be unimaginable without that beloved pandora's box we refer to as smartphones.
These things are actually pretty amazing. There's no telling what these little electronic demons are capable of. From reporting sub-zero temperatures at the 'noth pole', to tracking your precise geographical position, down to the exact location of your penis-head through satelite navigation, to turning itself into a musical instrument, all within a flash, or atleast that's what they tell you anyways. Who needs the bulky guitar or the grand old piano anymore, when you can have both and much more, easily fit right into your pocket!!! Well, not quite literally, as somehow almost every smartphone user I have ever come across had their hands glued to their beloved gizmos. Even the dictionaries define smartphones as a handheld electronic device, and people seem to have taken the definition quite seriously.
On account of my personal experience I can tell you that these mean-machines can do pretty much anything and everything other than what they're actually supposed to do. Which is quite like people I think, well atleast most of us.
Yet somehow, smartphones have failed to catch my fancy, for numerous reasons that I shall explain as we move along. But one of more important ones, is a principle that I follow as a cardinal rule. Something my grandpa used to say, may god have mercy on his soul, "Never buy a machine that is smarter than you are." What can I say, I guess he was a great visionary. He saw it coming. Cause Invariably every smartphone I ever lay my eyes on, turns out to be way too smart for me. Worst is when during a seemingly urgent situation, someone hands over their smartphone to you asking you to  make a call, send a text or simply find a number, as they're onto something else. I don't know why people do that?? I mean, how long could it take??!! And you find yourself looking at a shiny screen wondering whether the keys along with the keypad have decided to take a walk at the hour of crisis, till you realise that the damn thing is touch sensitive, and yet it turns out to be either too sensitive or too callous to your touches. But you're adamant to get it right, so you persist, and decide to go 'trial & error' to the horror of both the machine and its owner. Heck, after putting in, what seems to be a painstakingly long time and a great deal of effort you might even succeed in doing what you intended to do, but then you ask yourself, "Do I wanna do this everyday??," and you hear a big loud "NO" even before you've finished asking the question. And with that, all your smartphone aspirations come to an end.
And so, I stick to my old chum, which I'm proud to say, is about as smart as I am, though that's not saying much, and that wasn't always the case. In the begining of our longstanding relationship, my good old phone did not refrain from playing the smart Alec. Although, it was only a matter of time before I had it figured out. But I really like how we've both grown together since then, both in our 'smartness' and 'persona.'
Both my phone and I have had to learn to adapt to harsh conditions of life in order to stand the test of weather and time. And the evidence of this adaptation is clearly visible both on my phone & me. It is for this reason that I like to call my phone; a 'streets-smartphone.' Although, I cannot say the same about myself.
It's a phone as good as any. It is what you'd refer to as an endangered species in the realm of technology and electronic gadgets, but it's not extint just as yet. Even though, it has started to make me seem peculiar and strange to a lot of people, some of whom even go as far as blaming it on my parsimonious and stingy attitude, I know that I'm not alone in my appreciation for 'ice-age fossils' and 'pre-historic artefacts'. Every now and then I run into the odd one walking with a lost 'dinosaur' in their pockets, emitting funny polytonal harmonies. And somehow, these are almost always found confined to the depths of our not-so-deep pockets, unless one absolutely needs to use them, as opposed to being a hand fixation, which is a great relief, cause frankly, I can always think of a number of activities, far more interesting, I'd like to keep my hands free for!!! ;-)

A not-so-pleasant Surprise!!!

So a sorry-ass State Transport Bus Driver decides to take an empty bus out for a Rampage drive, obliterating 8 lives while maiming scores of others...And the entire world is after his maniac of a sorry-ass, calling him "Pathetic" and "Delluded Beast" and whatnot. Probably justified.....but what I wonder is how this world hadn't the slighest notion of Insanity when millions were going gung-ho over that fad factory viral-'subject of Elite- B-School case studies'-'the next hip-n-hot thing in Japan(as reported by TOI, credebility can certainly be questioned)-Kolaveri Song!!!
Well, I guess the madness that millions indulge in together goes out to define the boundaries of sanity and insanity. I'm sure the friends and Kin of the dead and maimed won't be amused, and I'm taking the liberty of making a hopeful assumption that reading my online posts or my diary memoirs is not exactly the top of their priority list, and anybody else doesn't really have any right to be offended. For they're only confusing their 'Shock n Awe' with abstract emotions such as compassion and empathy, long dead and burried down the annals of our modern economic story, on high moral grounds....with which they can harldy fool themselves, let alone fooling me. In a way it is refreshing to see the shock n awe jolting us out of our eternal urban sedation. Although it sure indicates towards a sad state of affairs, to know that it's going to take mass killings & 'Kolaveri' type fads for us to be shocked and awed...for our endless apathy to the gross scum that we live amidst and a trail of which we leave behind, harldy leaves anything for guessing. The usual, regular murders, rapes, killings here and there regularly occupying the mid sections of the not-so-interesting pages of the newspaper daily, which barely, if ever manage to hold our quick glances for a few seconds, have become just as familiar a part of our lives as the dust on the television stand in the living room or the cobweb on the upper corners of your room...you don't like it perhaps, but don't wanna take the pains to remove it anyways.
Some people are saying that the guy is sick, crazy, lunatic, although nobody who knew the guy thought so. Not before today anyways. "Sagli Duniya Majhi Dushman Aahe," "The entire world is my enemy," he says after being apprehended.
What could he possibly have against the entire world?? What made him lose hope in the entire fucking humanity?? But more importantly, if he was sick, as many have claimed him to be, how did his sickness go unnoticed to all the people around him?? People living in the same house with him, people working at the same place with him, people talking to him, laughing with/at him??!!! It sure seems preposterous to think he became sick with a snap of a finger. What happened with a snap of a finger was the outcome of his prolonged sickness.A slip of the mask of supposed sanity of the modern urban society, built on a phony caricature of human emotions and human urges... Mental Sickness is harder to diagnose than physical sickness, some might say...But the answer that we probably don't want to hear is that, perhaps it's become so hard for us to see how sick we or others are, is because we don't really know who we are anymore....we have ideas, but nothing's for sure...for both, as a society and as individuals we have become so self-indulgent and hedonistic that we hardly ever notice anything outside our bubbles these days. The bubbles we keep walking in, thinking we're self-sufficient & independent, lost in our self-created, self-centred virtual universes, constantly feeding it a million digital impulses through social-netwoking and world-wide-web...constantly buying dreams of happiness and joy from multinationals selling consumer products, moving on from one dream to another, all the while hard selling ourselves in the ubiquitous markets of the society.....
As for the guy, he probably just needed a good lay is all!!!