in the eyes of someone ..

Hey beautiful, the case in question, very often, is the weather. The whole of yesterday was summarized by a grey, cloudy expanse. Totally contrasting was the bright sunshine and the sky that greeted me this morning. A bright blue sky, maybe a couple of shades off the striking blue on the plumage on a kingfisher, but still, illuminatingly beautiful. Unfortunately, circumstances force certain types of working people to spend a majority of their time in the confines of indoor recesses when they'd rather spend time in the yard playing with a couple of cats. Perhaps not, I'd prefer watching the clouds drift by. Indeed, there wasn't one in sight before noon. After fulfilling my share of time in the indoor confines, I set out for my haven. "Long may this routine last!", I sigh and say to myself fully knowing that it will not. Undeterred by this, of course, I was today. I looked up at the North-Western skies and there were wisps of clouds that looked like a human palm, fingers four in all and a thumb. I thought the outstretched hand was trying to tell me something. Or in the eyes of someone ...

Very soon, a bright yellow moon rose from the east, from behind the trees. The moon was in its full grandeur tonight, still is of course. Reminds me of Narsil, the sword of Elendil. The sword's name contains the elements nar and thil, "fire" and "white light", referring to the sun and moon. Ah, I remember the scene. 

"Anduril! Flame of the West. Reforged from the shards of Narsil!"
The sword that shines ...

is there a sparkle in the eyes of someone .. ??

Well, folks, isn't it amazing how a sequence of songs reads a well composed story. Here's one
I am Superman, Kryptonite, I'm No Superman, Here Comes the Sun and Hero.

Here's another one, it is incomplete though.
Strangers in the Night ................ Our House.

Wait up folks, I totally forgot to mention the fact I'm currently in a little bit of an inebriated state. I thought I'd jot down some stuff here before I drown completely in my inebriation. You, my dear friend, so not unlike me are wise if this makes utter nonsense to you. Rest your head, because everything is so easy.

- The Drunken Monkeh.

another half page of scribbled lines ..

Well, it is November already. This sweet melody is playing, like an old gramophone record from decades gone past my ephemeral existence of yonder. It has been a while since I've pieced a piece at this time of the day, perhaps a year or more. There isn't anything in particular that I'd like to write about. Maybe it's something to do with, say, pohucussing. They constantly flitter about, but let's just say that I have been thinking about islands and how you can't really be marooned on one.  It's like this, I suppose it might not strike you immediately, but it is like being wise, but, without wisdom. It's strange, this serenity that has descended upon me. I'm sure I will drift seamlessly into that realm now; where a stone dropped in the water creates ripples that echo through the walls of silence. Soon, little boy, that cloud you see will drift away.

- Local Hero

Some things are just meant to mean something!

Well crafted are the words of wise men.

Bruce Lee had this to say:

" Martial art has a very, very deep meaning as far as my life is concerned because, as an actor, as a martial artist, as a human being, all these I have learnt from martial art. To me, ok, to me, ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself. I mean it is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky, but to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to express myself honestly, that my friend is very hard to do."

I hope one day I can say the same thing about football,  maybe something, or someone!

The great thing about football is the way in which it helps you connect to life, or whatever.  You know, sometimes I feel its almost like a person you can talk to. I'm just trying to say that football means a lot to me, in a lot of ways. And, of course my club Manchester United.

In the wake of recent events, this is what I wish to say, of course with the help of a few well crafted words.

"Ah, fill the Cup:  what boots it to repeat

How Time is slipping underneath our Feet:

Unborn To-morrow, and dead Yesterday,

Why fret about them if To-day be sweet!"

XXXVII

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Well crafted indeed.

And there ain't no reason to fret today.

Well, because, you know what we've got? We've got faith, love for our team and most importantly, in Sir Alex we trust. I foresee one last act of greatness on his part.

He is the Genius of the Restoration

And at Manchester United we Aid our Own Resuscitation!

- An emotionally stirred Red Devil.

Never, never cross swords with a Devil who holds no sword and bares no fangs.

Of Stubbed toes and Punching Dry Walls

My dear punk, I know what you're thinking. And it's not whether I've fired six rounds or five. Hold it, backed by a bout of severe criticism from certain critics, existential, surely not the word I have in my mind, and imaginary, I have decided that from this current instant, and I mean this, I will alert the audience before I take my customary, seemingly unnecessary diversions. Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I've kind of lost track myself. But being this a .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and that would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question. Do you feel lucky? Well, do you? Punk. And that's certainly not what you're thinking because you're ambling along thinking, 'What a day it has been and what a rare mood I'm in, why it's almost like being ..', and then, all of a sudden you stub your toe against a dry stone and you are out of your reverie.

I'm sure you sweats know what unagi is. There is a concept in karate, called Unagi. Ah, some things really make you roll on the floor and laugh like crazy. It is quite something, and it's a real work out too. It's an exploding gigaloop. Exploding, because the gigaloop by default is implosive, initially at the least. Surely, on the floor on all your four limbs and punching the floor with your fists, you laugh so hard you start crying and your stomach starts aching; rolling around loling and then you think, ok, ok, enough. Everybody goes quiet for a moment, and then all of a sudden somebody just can't hold it in any longer and you're at it all over again. I don't know! Well, I did bring up Unagi for a reason. A person who is capable of true unagi wouldn't end up injuring the toe in the manner I have previously described. Maybe, just maybe, actually I'm sure there are times in one's life when one cannot remain in a state of true unagi. Of course, the simplest solution would be to wear shoes when you're out walking, but then you would miss out on the amazing, but painful, stubbed toe experience. 

Every time I've stubbed my toe, I've learnt a new lesson. On second thought, maybe I've just learnt the same lesson in a different way. It never was an act of recklessness, but more an act of appreciation. I'm sure the not-so-fair people understand what I mean. After all there is a soft spot, occasionally reserved, for those fairer people; actually when these fairer peoples stub their toe it most surely is an act of recklessness. Well, me being a football player and of decent pedigree, there are times when I play bare-foot. That reminds me of what one wise man among the wisest had to say, "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the wind longs to play with your hair!" Winds blowing and the hair playing, and yet another stubbed toe. Alright, back to the football. But first, a statement worthy of my modesty. I'm sure you folks know that I would be the last to deny the fact that I am light miles away from being a good footballer at any decent level. Actually, pick up the previously used adjective, pedigree, and chuck it straight at the kennel. What I intended to say is that I've never hurt my toes playing football. Night cricket at the entrance, yes! Anyway, you know what some wise men say - You stub your toe for a reason, oh you sure do!

Surely, this isn't all about stubbed toes. Being Photonman, I should be able to tell you how light is limitless and tireless. General relatively speaking, I'm speaking about waves and reflections and therefore how, everything we do, and by we I mean everybody, is just some sort of reflection. Newton's third, maybe and surely not! Song writing is something I've got to look at. He did say his music was literal. Actually, punching walls is something I'll talk about another time. Bright news for some of the old sweats, I've started working on my 'Elementary Treatise on Berbatovian Mechanics'. Patience they say, is the art of hoping. And what Wordsworth had to say, those beautiful words from the springs of tranquility, so apt. 

This ain't no poetry, but surely it isn't prosaic.

I know, for it was she who said, "It's mosaic."

Who the devil is she? It's always been said, 'Sometimes it's all in the name!'

--

Well, I wonder, 'What's in a name??'

Scribbles and dribbles!

This, and I don't mean this particular one, opening statement, I shall not use, for I will use it when the time is right. This one should do for now. Or maybe I should, no I suppose I won't.

I'm sure the old sweats would vaguely remember what I had to say about the, I mean my, Law of Discernible pairs. Folks new, in its simplest form it puts forth the suggestion that everything and anything is part of a pair of things. I happened to read a crass, with all due respect to the scientific and philosophical community abiding by this particular crassness, report  that suggested that some scientific development has since long disputed the Unity of Opposites. But, I, and I mean me, like the ancient peoples of our sacred planet believe that everything exists in pairs, but not necessarily as a composite of opposites. I'm sure you, and I mean you the reader, would agree that events would in certain circumstances qualify as things. Now we are here, and I, and I mean me, want you, the reader, to look at a pair comprising of two singular elements, music of any sort and events in your life.

Oh, I know what I'm saying. 

Each song, every single one of them in my favourite songs collection .. reminds me of a single, certain event in my life. Ah, I'm holding back, but you my dear friend, and I mean the reader, will find out soon enough. Oh, and sweats, old and new, there is something I want to admit. I'm sure you folks know that I would be the first to deny that ... more about that later. Well, the previous few lines put aside, most of these songs can me mapped to a football video! :D 

I'm sure it's all too obvious, but still, Baggio. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, what a goal by Baggio and then ♫ Tomoyasu Hotei -- Battle without honour or humanity! (5th sem, '07) ♫ Bitter sweet Symphony - The Pele video. ♫ Ordinary world - George Best. ♫ Rule the World - Ryan Giggs. 

Ah .. some other time I will write about football and martial arts. 

I remember what Cantona had to say, well I remember that he did say something about the music in the streets at Manchester. Essentially put all these things in a big bowl. On one hand you have the art, the music, the irrationality, I suppose you, the reader knows what that means for I don't, of it and football, the poetry that steps out of the book. And then on the other hand you have the hardened, logical, cold blooded, rationalizing powers of Holmes or House. What are you, and I mean all of us, supposed to embrace ? (♫ The Ashes by Embrace, David Beckham best assists.) Bruce Lee had this to say, "On one hand you have natural instinct and on the other you have control. You are to combine the two in harmony. If you have one to the extreme you are unscientific and if you have the other to the extreme, all of a sudden, you are a mechanical man."

The choice is yours ? Planet earth turns slowly, so you can always fly the other way, so fast, that you can accomplish time reversal. Superman did!

That's all irrelevant, because the Dark prince has risen, and he will not let things register at an emotional level. The time has come for him to become the cold-hearted brute he once was.

By-

If I wrote Crap Bag, it would be  plagiarism.

Dust Bin.

Ask me if I give a shite!


Let's end with that famous dribble .. "... turns like a little eel, he comes away from trouble, little squat man… comes inside Butcher and leaves him for dead, outside Fenwick and leaves him for dead, and puts the ball away… and that is why ........... is the greatest player in the world."

”

—Bryon Butler (BBC Radio)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is what King Eric had to say: "I feel close to the rebelliousness and vigour of the youth here. Perhaps time will separate us, but nobody can deny that here, behind the windows of Manchester, there is an insane love of football, of celebration and of music."

Added today, i.e., 22/10/2010

Peregrination from 'lout' to 'maul'. WL 29.

On a dark, desert highway ....

Strangers passing in the street; by chance two separate glances met. (meet?)

I wonder if they could see each other in the dark....

And then she woke me up in the middle of the night ..

Are we all prisoners of our own maledictions??

Does God have malicious machinations ?

Are they just aberrations ??

What is fate ??

One thing is for sure, if you lose control over your destiny, you will become a canoe about to be tossed right into a maelstrom.

Is there no return ?

Is there a threshold, I mean a point of no return?

Peregrin Took ..did he get the name because he likes to travel??

I ask too many questions.

___________________________________________________________________________

I don't know about this dark, desert highway ...

- Chu

13/09/2008

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have no idea what that ^^^ was all about.

- Raj

24/08/2010

Gone Away!

*Warning: Spoiler alert -> for people who haven't seen Inception or the latest episodes of Naruto Shippuuden*

Quite an eventful day, in front of a screen, it turned out to be. Home Alone for lunch, a little bit of the Spy Who Loved Me, the ending of The Truman Show and another bit from Life is Beautiful. I also spent a considerable amount of time listening to different versions of Ordinary World  and I was finally able to identify the song whose name had eluded me for over a year. And of course, Inception.

It was a pretty obvious connection for me, between the idea presented in Inception and the concept of Genjutsu in the Narutoverse. In both cases, there exists the notion of , I don't know if this would be the right way to express it, an alternate reality of sorts. After watching the movie, I got to thinking about what Itachi had to say about reality. "People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That's how they define 'reality'. But what does it mean to be 'correct' or 'true'? Merely vague concepts ... their 'reality' may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs?"   

Itachi's words are surely words of wisdom. The people who have seen Naruto/ read the manga would surely agree. All this thinking brings me back to the central theme, the ordinary world of mine. And so I sing,

♫ Where is the world that I recognize? Gone Away ??

 - Raj

(19/07/2010)

♫ It's all for the best it's all a lie ...

Gen stuff 3

"Childhood is measured out by sounds  and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows." John Betjeman

I saw the movie, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, yesterday. It's based on a novel by an Irish novelist John Boyne. The story is about living on the fringes of the Holocaust, from the point of view of a young boy. I can't, I'll stop. Just watch the movie if you can folks. It puts things in a whole new perspective, it did for me. 

The wind blows gently through the garden. Once again I have discovered that my abilities are inadequate to do justice ... but I guess that's fair enough. 

Growth is inevitable, but I wonder ... can I push the shadow back to the shadow whence it came from? Just a bit?

- The boy who used to play aeroplanes? 

 

Say you want a revolution ?

The things that we do, the things that are done, sometimes, make me feel like I need a retreat. It doesn't weigh me down, on the contrary, at the end of it, it make me feel lighter and higher. Amazing things, revolution in the air, on the floor.

You know, every time I listen to Imagine, I see a peaceful world, some place like the Shire. My hammock under the shade of a couple of trees. A cool creek to the right and a small hut, from one of those fairy tale books, in the background with a little puff of smoke periodically puffing its way out of the little chimney. 

A day in the life....

A day out in the fields, with my straw hat on, chewing on a blade of grass. God did say, "some of the happiest people in the world come home smelling  to high heaven at the end of the day." Hang on to the thought; I need to digress for a bit, for I do deem the digression to be necessary.

A good author is able to exactly recreate an intended picture in the reader's mind. Or, maybe she just creates a skeletal framework of the picture and the readers are supposed to fill in the rest with their imagination and personal perception of things. I suppose it's the latter, but I'll resort to letting pictures help do a bit of the talking instead of words that would, in my well estimated opinion, surely do injustice to the lucid images I have in my mind.  

 Day out in the fields! ( Leaving the Shire, LOTR)

We're back. Nothing like a dip in the cool creek after a good day of hard work. And oh, then there was the nice game of football in the meadows, no shoes, no tactics, nothing too complicated.

Joy to the world!

Another dip, this time in a nearby pond, caught some fish for dinner. Then, it was time to set up a little fire; flint, hay from the fields, dry twigs from the woods was all we needed. A small gathering had arrived. We got some good old earthen mugs out and soon they were being filled with some home-made ale. All the good old ladies were busy concocting some good smelling, delectable delicacies.

Today was a special day though. One of the lads is getting married in a couple of weeks, there was a festive atmosphere about the place. There was some music, the lad started singing, "I want to hold your hand." There was merriment and dancing around the warm fire.  The stars were all out now and the gaffer kept the little kids entertained for a while. Soon, it was time for some of us to go out on the usual perimeter walk, along the little encircling canal. By the time we were back at the begining of our circle the folks had retired to their cosy abodes. As for some of the young lads, a hug and a kiss and the lasses were off too, while some other genially devious mischief makers were busy conspiring. Some of us, we sat beside the dying embers talking about things from yonder and things of wonder till the seduction of sleep was too strong to resist.

I set forth on my walk, under the stars beaming through the wispy clouds, to the eastern check-post. There lies a gently-sloping piece of rock that faces the eastern skies. I place my nice, straw hat beside me and with a little hay for a pillow, now , I lay down on the warm rock as the stars watch over me. I look at the stars for a while and the words keep ringing in my head,

"Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes, inviting and inciting me to rise

And through the window in the wall, come streaming in on sunlight wings

A million bright ambassadors of morning!"

I close my eyes, for I know, I'll be woken up by that sweet, soft whisper in my ear, "Said you want a revolution! Lil Darling, here comes the sun!" and a little morning .... 

Imagine.

Snap.

- Me

Ruby valley, Nevada

PS: Thank you John, The Beatles and P. Floyd!

Owen Hargreaves, don't give up!

I'm not sure if clement is the word I don't want to use to describe the weather. But it sure is one of those days when I feel like going back to school. Old school on a rainy day, sitting beside the open window, wearing my sleeveless, navy blue sweater, (out of necessity and not because my shirt wasn't pressed) so I could feel the spray on my face. The perfect environment, dark days of deep, developmental contemplation, especially in the absence of a teacher. Perfect weather for some pondering.

The dots have been laid out by Her, but we are the ones who are supposed to connect them. I believe that Free will and Destiny are connected in this manner. This sure has been a year of realization. It started on that fateful night, the 27th of May 2009, when United lost to Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome. Then, we lost Ronaldo and Tevez in the transfer season. What followed was players getting injured at crucial times and inexperience costing us that Champions league encounter against Bayern Munich. (I don't blame refereeing decisions!) And this stupid thought lingers in my mind. I don't suppose it would make sense if I said Manchester United lost the league last year because, personally, I didn't work hard enough. I know it's plain stupid, but sometimes I have this incredulous belief that such an entwining is tangible and not merely imaginary. It has been disappointing, but the return of Owen Hargreaves was something that lit me up. 

I remember that amazing 2007-08 season, Hargreaves' first season at Old Trafford. I remember the fantastic match winning free kick in that crucial battle against Arsenal. I remember his penalty in the shoot-out against Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, on the 21st of May, 2008. It's the best penalty kick I've seen, awesome it was.

And then disaster struck. Operations on both knees, followed by a twenty month long rehabilitation program. After being out for two seasons, he made his Premier League return in the 92nd minute of United's penultimate game of the season against Sunderland. I was delighted to see him back in action. He touched the ball only once, but still, he was back!! He's a player who will run his heart out for the team. Yes!

Just when I thought everything was going to be fine, someone just had to pull me back out. Hargo is facing another serious injury setback. He's had to visit his knee specialist again and some fear that it may be all over for him. I've been feeling haunted ever since I got wind of the news. Reminded me of 'Red' Redding saying "Every man has his breaking point." I mean, how much can a man take? Every time he's taken a step forward, he's been knocked back and down. But, but, like I said, it has been a year of realization!!

Now that I think about it, I vividly remember the letter that Andy wrote to Red. Right now, for me, the best thing that could happen at Manchester would be the return of Hargo (and United winning everything :D and of course, City getting relegated :P !!) I hope he makes it back, I know he will. 

Don't give up Hargo!! 

- Raj

Chuism!

Chuism revealed!

Five years ago, I was subjected to some shitty, unholy ritual, which was unfortunately, conducted by the shittiest and crappiest conductor of this ritual you'd ever find. From that day on, I was called Chu Chu. No rhyme or reason, the name was supposedly a cute version of a very popular swear word. I took it in my stride and started this whole thing called 'Chuism equals Infinite Optimism'!
The principles of Chuism are simple:

• Always look on the bright side of life.
• Never lose hope.
• Never give up.

 There have been times when I have and when I haven't stood by my principles.

These are testing times right now. The most important thing in my life is on the line and I am not going to lose hope. Never!

Chu

A Billion, a Brazillion, 736, 32 or 1? Or a continent? The World!!

It's June 2010, but there ain't no dust that ain't dusting around in the you know where while moving through Kashmir! The Monsoon is here. It's been dull and cloudy here in town. But, I closed my eyes and flew up, up and away into the sky, of course I made sure I had clear headway before closing them eyes of mine, and I could see a certain radiance illuminating off of the world. These are the times when you could jump off a cliff and the energy of the world would keep you afloat, metaphorically of course. The sun ain't shining, the weather ain't sweet, but there is a beat, a rhythm out there y'all and it makes me wanna move my dancing feet yah! 

Haha! George Bush is one big time cupper! This one time, Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed." "OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!" His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands. Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

Talk football and everybody knows The Pele or a Ronaldo. Brazilians are the kings. They didn't win last time yeah, and I wait to see if a new usurper will rise. Soul Wayne Rooney, for if he loses it he's gonna grow that weird beard of his. Time for some numbers. There are probably a million people involved in organizing the show, billions watching! Partially fulfilled dreams of 736 world class professionals, a few broken hearts yeah and millions more for each one of those broken ones! 736 players, 32 nations. Butterflies in their bellies surely, but who's the one who's going to win it? Mae .. chounoyona mae .. Float .. float like a butterfly! Sting like a bee!

The war begins, but no lives are going to be lost in the making of history. Damn, this reminds me of Andrés Escobar. Sad story his, but probably a one off and something that isn't captured by this spirit. It's just a reflection of that irrational lunacy in humans. Let that never happen again. OK! I was watching the official starting ceremony on TV last night, people shouting 'Africa Africaaa'! It's a beautiful place - the desert, the rivers, the rain-forests, the Serengeti, geographically so diverse much like our own beauty. The message last night was 'Football - connecting people. Education for all.' In spite of the shallowness of my perception of life and understanding of the meaning of things, football for me, and I mean for me, has a very deep meaning! I don't care who wins the trophy, tears will surely be shed in the process. Oh, not by me of course. Watch this video --> Football Heartbreaks! and you'll get what I'm saying. It hurts, especially when you lose in a shoot-out! Part of the dream is taken away from you, that's part of life. Go out and get yourself drenched, play a game with the people and everything is gonna be alright soon enough.

For me though, all of them 32 nations are the winners, Africa is the winner and the whole world too. 'Lose your inhibitions.'  These are the times when we can sing 'Joy to the World!'

Un Diego!!

One Wayne Rooney!

-

   Ju ma pel What? What's so shady?  Joey can't speak French!

   And I'm always on time!

Scan this Wasted Land!

'My Shangri-la beneath the summer moon I will return again.

Sure as the dust that floats high in June when moving through Kashmir.'

Imagine yourself walking through a desert storm or sailing along dire straits.

What exactly would you be trying to find ?

- Jebowski