tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192103332012-01-08T09:52:39.968+05:00This is Kitsch! Nothing in particular and everything in general. Please enter - "No Jacket Required" <p> This blog is inspired by my all-time favourite quote: "Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say and say it hot." - D. H. Lawrence</p>Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.comBlogger1041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-85251699161096200002011-10-03T21:30:00.001+05:002012-01-08T09:52:39.986+05:00

"So how was Rajasthan?" my friends ask and I find myself reaching for the next hyperbolic adjective. I've run out of them. There can never be an elevator pitch for Rajasthan because it's not a destination - it's an experience that you cannot quite get your head around completely when you're living it. It steals on you, gets under your skin, and quietly settles in your bones. Everyone who's

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-84142062533251541722011-09-01T23:44:00.003+05:002011-09-02T00:03:56.970+05:00

If you followed the tenor of the Jan Lokpal bill debate between parliamentarians and representatives of civil society, you would've noticed that what got the "leaders" collective goat was the temerity of mere mortals to question authority. Many members of parliament were deeply offended that ordinary citizens were sitting across the table from them and demanding accountability. Their sense of

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-60840111038331193062011-06-12T13:06:00.005+05:002011-06-12T14:05:01.887+05:00

For a month now, the Indian television audience has been forced to ride shotgun on the most ridiculous debacle to have hit the idiot box in recent times - idiots seems to be crawling out of the woodwork (and the box) and into our living rooms "24/7"; apparently, no television channel is idiot proof and worse, imbecility seems to be contagious. A word about hunger strikes/fasts unto death: in a

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-48900834167906957572011-05-22T15:31:00.003+05:002011-05-22T15:36:09.203+05:00

The first thing I notice is the complete absence of noise – the jarring, corrosive sounds of everyday life – angry honking, mindless chatter, loud television and radio, a million inane things fighting for your attention noisily, aggressively. Not in the Park. The absence of noise quietens me from the inside, instantly. I look around. Blue sky. Fresh wet earth from last night’s shower. Flitting

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-45579051135691881322011-03-05T23:45:00.006+05:002011-03-06T16:34:03.266+05:00

Every mediocre job interview eventually comes around to: "....okay, so tell us something about yourself..."I'd give my right arm to be able to say to them:1. Oh, I'm an axe-murderer just out from a medically induced coma (very softly with a smile)2. I'm a nun, a none, a none-nun....hehehehehe...that's N-O-N-E space N-U-N...of your business....hehehehe....whatever3. I'm...uh...I'm....I'm sorry,

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-61675850598039601922011-02-04T10:35:00.004+05:002011-02-04T22:38:19.016+05:00

That could well be the anthem of change for a world that seems to be standing on its head. The Egyptian chant for change is a million-voice din that is begging to be heard above the din. Hosni Mubarak, the current Public Enemy No. 1, represents a malady that has overtaken our world today - a complete breakdown in listening. At every level and in every available space and forum, everyone is

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-86825043091214761122010-12-16T20:17:00.005+05:002010-12-19T18:56:37.640+05:00

It's official - thanks to TIME - the legacy of decade 2000 is reinvention of communication. Around the globe, people are "collecting" people, and how! You'd think homo sapiens is now an endangered species. In chatrooms, on cell phones and Blackberrys, on mailing lists and networking sites, people are talking to anyone who cares to listen, like never before. Celebrities are leading the yakking

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-19856595868117450372010-07-18T17:41:00.004+05:002010-07-19T08:22:03.438+05:00

This is a DIY manual on how to ruin a perfect Sunday evening.1. Sneak up to your comatose spouse and announce in your best "bright idea" voice..."LET'S GO SHHOPPPIIINNNGGG!!!!"2. Pick a mall that you're sure the world and its mother will be at.3. Wailing ambulance behind you.4. Slow down and pull over to let it pass.5. Wonder why he's chasing you and not passing you.6. Check rearview mirror. No

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-44189741994863655242010-03-13T21:29:00.010+05:002011-01-16T19:51:21.750+05:00

The idea of reservation itself is a backhanded compliment - it invokes pity, fractures self-respect, excuses and even celebrates mediocrity. It's as good as saying: "You have the brains of a cabbage, so here let me help you with a handicap." Reservation promotes divisive splinter groups that suddenly find legal sanction to placard and picket hysterically at the slightest hint of perceived injury

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-70651528813826730032009-12-28T18:01:00.006+05:002010-01-11T21:58:22.009+05:00

I haven't learnt to twitter - or rather, to tweetI haven't learnt to blush and study my feetI haven't learnt to eat with chopsticks yetOr that I argue like a complete idiotI know patience is the mother of all virtuesBut I haven't put that lesson to good useI haven't learnt not to shoot off my mouthTo prevent a bad situation from going further southI haven't learnt the art of grace under

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-58823395254457666442009-12-20T08:24:00.004+05:002009-12-20T08:48:01.884+05:00

A lot of people I know have an amazing road sense. Me, I was born without an internal GPS. If you stand me in a spot, blindfold me, and spin me around a couple of times, I won't know which way to turn (I'll probably stagger around drukenly for a few seconds, puke all over myself, and faint). People like me depend heavily on signage, landmarks, and auto drivers to get us to where we're going

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-68778924498228163052009-12-17T18:46:00.006+05:002009-12-20T09:08:11.295+05:00

Every opinion has an equal and opposite counter-opinion.Truth and fact are not the same thing because truth is almost always relative.People DO get away with crime.Sometimes it's easier to trust someone else than to trust yourself.No matter how eloquent you are, words will fail you when you need them the most.We talk the most when we have nothing to say.You're never too old for Archie comics.No

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-5296589513239500932009-11-30T21:18:00.002+05:002009-11-30T21:21:45.525+05:00

Kyrgyzstan - one of the 15 countries that declared independence when the USSR fragmented into so many pieces that if you walk this territory, your two feet may actually be in two different countries, one of which might (or might not) be Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgystan’s (pronounced “wow!”) claim to fame is that it’s the only country in the world with just a single vowel in its name.

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-43361063052931161352009-06-27T22:47:00.002+05:002009-06-27T22:50:02.736+05:00

We were absolutely crazy about Michael Jackson, my twin and I – 2 of the millions of his fans across the globe. Our first introduction to MJ was through “Off the Wall” in our teens - we went wild. It was the 80s – a time when there was very limited access to music videos or even visuals of celebrities, days of the audio cassette and SUN lyrics, and a decade before cable TV and Google. MJ

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-83199358019787954812009-05-31T18:13:00.002+05:002009-05-31T18:19:14.566+05:00

In what is being dubbed as an unprecedented comic crisis, UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon departed from his textbook address to the UN to express his anguish at Archie’s decision to marry Veronica. “Betty Cooper is all set to become a suicide bomber,” he croaked in a strangulated whisper as heads of state looked on in horror. “No matter what we do, there’s one born every minute,” the distraught

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-23129814586970269562009-02-20T18:14:00.002+05:002009-02-20T18:39:15.581+05:00

This article is written by Saugata Chatterjee. As the article clearly shows, our city is being taken over by thugs and sadists who will brazenly resort to violence against your person simply because you're not like them! Do we want to live in a society like this? Our police force is the joke of the world. This article provokes you to think what you would've done in Saugata's place. Read on.

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-18570149605060918772008-12-08T08:48:00.003+05:002008-12-08T09:10:00.152+05:00

I met Jasmine Shah 1 year ago to the month. A young engineering graduate from IIT, Chennai, Jasmine had just walked away from a promising career in the corporate sector to lend his hand and voice to nation building. Looking at him, I remember thinking: “How can someone so mad look so normal?” But if Jasmine is mad, what India needs right now is one billion lunatics.Jasmine is the brain behind

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-79477002553249783182008-12-01T21:17:00.004+05:002008-12-01T21:44:50.635+05:00

I'm not responsible for what happened in Mumbai - I know right from wrong; I'm right - you're wrong. I live in the largest democracy. I enjoy the liberties that democracy affords me - my democracy actually allows me to enjoy my rights placing no burden of responsibilities on me. My elected representatives (oh, by the way, I don't even vote, so I don't elect them either) are accountable to me

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-32574001421385799502008-11-11T08:29:00.002+05:002008-11-11T08:40:29.418+05:00

I lived in a great white houseWith rolling lawns and awesome viewsI shopped often with the spouseNever thought I had to pay my duesWithout actually paying, I spent a lot of moneyTo buy me the best life money could buyThe point when it stopped being funnyWas when I woke up one morning to the lieI had no job nor a bank balanceIn fact I couldn’t find my bank at allFriends and foes kept pace with my

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-11578234148838840082008-10-18T17:31:00.006+05:002008-10-18T19:22:10.479+05:00

Wanted: A country with a stock market that's not psychotic. Contact the White House - (Name withheld on request)For Sale: Silicone babies for instant parenthood; can ingest melamine without the side effect of dying - Democratic Republic of ChinaCoin a tagline and be re-hired by the King Kong of Good Times! Complete the following slogan in not more than 1 word: Men who wear earrings are _ _ _ _ _

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-81955540101538560542008-08-17T06:12:00.001+05:002008-08-17T06:14:20.956+05:00

After 61 years of independence, we have made the Indian farmer the fodder of the nation.Jai Hind

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-27657963519697433002008-05-03T20:25:00.007+05:002008-05-03T20:43:21.663+05:00

My life is insured by a government run insurance company, so I made my annual piligrimage recently to one of their anachronistic offices to pay my premium. Like government offices all over India, this one too was populated by groaning ceiling fans, irascible people with cobwebs, East India Company files, a forlorn-looking Gandhiji on the wall, and an unbalanced security guard in army fatigues and

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-50348255239928921082008-01-26T19:52:00.000+05:002008-01-26T20:01:41.787+05:00

Even in my dream, I knew it was a dream. No cellphones. No sales people. No Sonia Gandhi. I snuggled into my dream.The telephone exploded. I fell out of bed and grabbed it."Hello," I croaked groggily."Good afternoon ma'am. I'm Raju from _____. As you're our valued customer, we're offering you a free SIM card...""Dear Raju from wherever you are..." I whispered half asleep and then fell into

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-53643296850449521292008-01-04T18:47:00.000+05:002008-01-16T18:59:10.921+05:00

Along with Iraq, Pakistan is now officially in a free fall. Everything that can possibly go wrong with Iraq and Pakistan, has. In Iraq, tragedy is now bordering on the ludicrous. On Jan 1, 2008, a funeral procession for a bombing victim, was bombed. A year after Saddam Hussein was hanged by a kangaroo court and many years after the world woke up to the fact that Iraq never posed any sort of

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-86946618054136035212007-11-09T10:41:00.000+05:002007-11-09T10:45:07.244+05:00

It was 5:30 a.m. The RJ had floored the gas pedal on his motorized mouth. Listening to him talk made me gasp for air. He bantered with his colleague in 5 languages as his breathless listeners tried to keep pace. I wanted to throttle him. How can you be happy at 5:30 in the morning? Between them, he and his colleague gave their listeners some pretty useful information. Like if you sprayed

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-81792275711461797112007-10-12T10:00:00.000+05:002007-10-12T10:05:53.833+05:00

"For customer service, press 1.For your bank statement, press 2.For your account balance, press 3.For money transfer, press 4.Or wait for operator's assistance"I waited."Sasha, Customer Service Executive. May I help you?""Hello?" I said cautiously."Hello.""Hello?" I said again."Hello!""Hello?" I said a third time."Yes! Hello! What can I do for you?"I exhaled. Satisfied I was talking to a live

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-39994947719266878032007-09-22T12:00:00.000+05:002007-12-08T19:55:57.215+05:00

In 1973, America was brought to her knees by an incensed Saudi Arabia which imposed a total oil embargo on the US, punishing the superpower for siding with Israel in the Yom Kippur war. The short-lived embargo caused America to have a full-blown panic attack. Her concern over Middle-East oil dependence now turned into an obsession. Almost as soon as the embargo was lifted in March 1974, America

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-56067699026267247632007-09-01T14:45:00.000+05:002007-09-01T14:53:29.269+05:00

Manmohan Singh: Yes, and I am her most faithful servant.Nicolas Sarkozy: Only in France.Sanjay Dutt: I hope so.China: No, but if you place an order we can make Him.George Bush: I am He. Duh.Salman Khan: There'd better be.CPM: We're not saying there is no God. We're just saying show us the proof there is.Arun Jaitley: I cannot comment as the matter is sub judice.Hillary Clinton: Ask me next

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-76808119087337856432007-08-29T19:06:00.000+05:002007-08-29T19:09:01.023+05:00

Secularism comes naturally when geography and economics don't allow it to be any other way - like India where each state is practically a country of its own, foreign to its neighbour in language, culture, customs, food, clothes - there's no unifying factor, no common denominator for "being Indian." Yet, we've lived for centuries in mostly peaceful coexistence. Because of this diversity within

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-75980416745732150222007-08-23T11:35:00.000+05:002007-08-24T09:23:35.210+05:00

I've just about had it with this city's traffic. I've found a new mode of transport. It's called the One-legged Hippity Hippity Hop. All you need is a pair of good legs.No driving license, no parking hassles, no traffic lights - it's your ticket to anywhere anytime.Monday August 16, 2007, 9:30 a.m.: I've just hopped into an air-conditioned office where the receptionist (a cross between Jennifer

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-79304669363833355022007-08-19T21:47:00.000+05:002007-08-21T13:21:48.158+05:00

What's so surprising about CIA's alleged edits to Wikipedia entries? If you start a free-for-all online encyclopedia that people anywhere can contribute to and edit, it's hardly news that they do. Virgil Griffith, the CalTech graduate who developed the tracker is a self-confessed hacker. I wonder if the spotlight is turned in the wrong direction. If there's any surprise in all this, it's that the

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-45662162784903323512007-08-12T09:14:00.000+05:002007-08-12T09:22:05.470+05:00

ATTENTION BLOGGERS WHO VISIT THIS BLOG Sulekha.com in partnership with Penguin India introduces BLOGPRINT, a 6-month long contest starting August 1, 2007, and ending January 31, 2008. There are prizes to be won every week for 6 months. 52 of the best entries will be shortlisted to 25 by a jury. The 25 shortlists will get published in a Penguin book slated for a July 2008 release. Please log

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-70837092917567965982007-08-11T19:48:00.000+05:002007-08-12T07:01:11.986+05:00

The India-US nuclear deal is a business deal, not a political one. Business deals are made with profits in mind. No one cares how you make the profit. Morals are for morons and rules are for fools. Even patriotism has no place in a business deal and if we're dealing with America Inc., we should be prepared to roll up our sleeves and dig in for a long night.We cut a deal when we opened up the

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-89772650087300738352007-08-07T18:29:00.000+05:002007-08-07T18:33:50.424+05:00

Unless a big fat Bollywood wedding happens sometime soon, we're unlikely to be rid of Sanjay Dutt's sorry plight being shoved down our resistant throats by TV channels, newspapers, and magazines. Haneef is a smart guy. He couldn't have picked a better time to land in India. Had he landed after Dutt's wave-and-swagger jail entry, the media would've by now thrust a microphone into his days-old

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-75155988258938400922007-08-05T19:50:00.000+05:002007-08-05T19:55:20.584+05:00

I just finished reading Dr. Wayne Dyer's 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace. It's a good book to read - like most books on elusive concepts that human beings hanker after. If Dr. Dyer's success in his chosen field is any indication, it's evident that these secrets work. Here are his 10 secrets:1. Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.2. Don't die with your music still

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-67374866643299681242007-08-03T09:59:00.000+05:002007-08-04T19:44:56.253+05:00

In the Zulu language, there are 39 words for the colour green. A green leaf in the sun has a different word from a green leaf in the shade; a moist green leaf is different from a wet green which is different from a bone dry green which is different from green at a distance of 10 feet which is different from green at 10 feet with one eye closed...in English, there's just "green" with a few

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-35784667142660659532007-07-31T20:28:00.000+05:002007-08-01T18:32:17.825+05:00

Autorickshaw - a 3-wheeler public transport buggy; 'autos' are the only motorized vehicles that can simulate a horse ride without a saddle in the Andes on a horse that's trying to get away from gun fire. Alien to human emotions, 90-degree angles, and the rule book, auto drivers perch at angles ranging from 45 to 65 degrees to give their carefully folded passengers a lively and unforgettable ride

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-42366529745328110382007-07-29T11:38:00.000+05:002007-08-01T20:09:14.124+05:00

When Ricardo Semler inheritted his father's company, Semco, the employees expected a dyed-in-the-wool Semler Senior clone who navigated his ship with absolute authority and control. Ricardo Semler turned every rule in the book on its head and finally threw out the rule book tself to make Brazil's Semco the world's most "unusual workplace" which has a 2000-long recruitment waiting list.Semler's

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-42737805204394927952007-07-24T11:38:00.000+05:002007-07-24T11:44:28.462+05:00

In "When God Winks," SQuire Rushnell talks about the "power of coincidence" that "guides your life." Having "interviewed scores of people and researched hundreds of coincidence stories in hopes that a new perspective on such synchronistic events would help others enrich their own lives," Rushnell is convinced beyond doubt that through the course of all our lives, God winks at us a million times -

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-57064948737892075552007-07-24T11:34:00.000+05:002007-08-07T20:49:13.301+05:00

Humanity's greatest thinkers have saluted the power of the mind. The Buddha said "“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” All through mankind's history, philosphers, statesmen, even scientists have told us that the most powerful instrument available to human beings is their minds. It's scope is quite literally limitless. We don't

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1046803378820693762007-07-19T09:50:00.000+05:002007-07-19T10:25:48.664+05:00

When she was yanked out of obscurity and nominated as the UPA's presidential candidate, no one was more surprised than Pratibha Patil herself. Take a look: Millions of Indians wrote in to newspapers, journals, magazines, blogs demanding a second term for Dr. Kalam, India's most popular President. Some went on air with their appeal. We were simply ignored. Democracy in India means giving us our

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-20319925119734401782007-06-15T15:15:00.000+05:002007-06-16T19:58:17.500+05:00

Multi-tasking - A euphemism that means an inborn or acquired talent to ruin as many tasks as possible simultaneously. A multi-tasker is someone who can talk on the phone while cooking, watching the baby, and working on the computer. Obviously this someone is a woman who has the ability to watch milk boil over very calmly as she--again very calmly--tries to prevent her baby from eating a knife

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-62029338117172906962007-06-09T21:12:00.000+05:002007-06-11T21:30:09.689+05:00

The shrieking fire alarm made me jump out of my skin. RRRRUUUNNNN, RRRRUUUNNNNN, RRRRRUUUUUNNNN, it screeched urgently. Around me, people stared intently at their computers, chewed gum, chatted, laughed – they were oblivious to the fire alarm. I’ve always been intrigued by this: if they were caught in an unexpected downpour, the same people who now sat through the fire alarm chewing gum, would

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-47825975742461045772007-05-12T20:02:00.000+05:002007-05-12T20:20:07.770+05:00

A workaholic, unabashedly right-wing and dubbed "nakedly ambitious" by the media, with an intriguing mix of Hungarian-Greek-Jewish blood. Five years ago, Nicolas Sarkozy would've got nothing more than a sniff and a raised French eyebrow. Even 2 years ago, when France voted an emphatic 'non' to the EU constitution, it's unlikely France would've been kind to Nicolas Sarkozy. Not today. In the

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-16246771975088993212007-04-23T11:11:00.000+05:002007-05-12T20:09:03.781+05:00

Cell phones - mobile devices with which you can take pictures, listen to music, record events, send messages, play games, check your email, calculate sums, and watch a cricket match (if you're still interested). You can also make calls.China - an Asian country that's so big, it's everybody's neighbour and nobody's friend. Having gotten a foot in the door of the world's economy, the Chinese are

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-4481050668389655922007-04-08T13:57:00.001+05:002007-07-16T18:14:31.645+05:00

Volume 1 in an unknown-number series of a dictionary cum atlas cum encyclopediaSummer - Long ago, summer was one of 4 seasons - the other 3 being winter, monsoon, and spring. Over the years, they all merged and became one season called Famine. But people the world over, didn't want a season called Famine - which is a combination of 'fashion' and 'feminine.' A few wars later, Afghansistan which

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-89898563369057597192007-03-19T10:23:00.000+05:002007-03-20T18:21:50.811+05:00

It was one of those days that hurtle from one Oh-my-God-disaster to the next and makes you want to crawl back into bed and sit out the sunset. On my 287th oh-my-God, a voice boomed: "Yes? You called?"I spun around. "I'm God. What's your problem?" the voice asked."You," I said unhesitatingly as I crouched and looked under my cot, "you're the problem.""Get up...what did I do?" the voice asked."What

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-60603264345251106312007-02-11T14:18:00.000+05:002007-02-11T16:55:55.195+05:00

Have you ever been attacked by hysteria at the most inopportune moment and dissolved into helpless peals of hideous laughter that made everyone who crossed your path stumble backwards with raised eyebrows, dropped jaws, and soundless screams? It happened to me just the other day.I was in an auto on my way to work at 2 p.m. - a situation in which sane people would be at their waspish best which is

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1170311366606488772007-02-01T11:23:00.000+05:002007-02-01T11:29:26.623+05:00

We’ve existed as a Republic for almost 6 decades now and still our farmers who feed us are taking their own lives because they can’t eat. We celebrate Republic Day without a trace of irony. We show our might, we march, we salute our flag, we sing our national anthem loudly, we swell with pride about being Indian and heap scorn on those unwilling to participate in this hypocrisy – who are we

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1168916232881759882007-01-16T07:48:00.000+05:002007-01-16T08:03:59.880+05:00

Goodafternoonmadam, myselfxxfromyyproducts thisisapromotion justoneminuteopenthedoormadam" - the apparition rapped outside my door."Huh?" I blinked as the afternoon sun blinded me and I tried to find my bearings. The doorbell had shattered my siesta and I'd sprung out of bed and landed at the front door, unaware that I'd moved. I tried to focus."Justoneminuteopenthedoormadam" he danced to an

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1167711728024712702007-01-02T09:10:00.000+05:002007-01-04T21:15:07.990+05:00

No one is fooled by the “Iraqi court’s” trial, conviction, and hanging of Saddam Hussein. History will show America as probably the first nation in the civilized world to successfully carry out an unprovoked aggression against another country flouting all norms of international law and basic human decency, dethroning its head of state, and sending him to the gallows like a common criminal for

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1167036100691948912006-12-25T13:39:00.000+05:002006-12-30T14:36:53.763+05:00

As the world waits in vain for George Bush to get real (and get a life), Iraq continues in a downward spiral. The Allied Forces which is an impressive term for a motley crew of Americans and their faithful sidekicks, the British, have all but thrown up their hands. Even the Iranians are backing the Iraqis now - that's what Bush has accomplished - getting the 2 nations that at one time were at

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1166016654412948162006-12-13T18:28:00.000+05:002006-12-13T18:30:55.126+05:00

Fending off bullets from every quarter, the beleaguered US President looks set to push the India-US nuke deal through both Houses. The nuclear deal hasn’t gone down well with either the Indian public or the US. For starters, most of us really don’t know what the fine print reads. In our own media, we have different news channels and different newspapers telling us different things – what we

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1165933305443570952006-12-12T19:19:00.000+05:002006-12-13T15:25:31.820+05:00

When you lose someone you love, your world crumbles. Your days and nights become living hell. Every night becomes a nightmare of tears, memories, and insomnia. Every morning, you wish you didn't have to get out of bed. Then, the tears dry up. You can't cry anymore, but the grief doesn't go away. It envelopes you and nibbles at your insides. It’s almost a physical pain that won’t heal

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1164800639015793202006-11-29T16:41:00.000+05:002006-11-29T16:43:59.056+05:00

Death is the most life-changing experience. It's universal yet its enormity, its horror, and its finality can never be understood till it comes home. When you lose someone, you die with that person - the life you had with that person dies, a part of you dies, and you carry on living with that dead part inside you. It's a grief that will never go away and it's a grief that no tears or words can

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1161404457382842062006-10-21T09:10:00.000+05:002006-10-21T09:20:57.396+05:00

Once upon a time, there were two kids, A and B.A suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which made C very excited - C constantly lectured him, punished him, pleaded with him and generally gave him too much attention which A loved and his syndrome thrived. He truly was an empty vessel that makes a lot of noise.B was a psychopath but he was a quiet one (still waters run deep). He

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1159811269464014362006-10-02T22:09:00.001+05:002006-10-04T15:17:23.716+05:00

Manu Sharma is the son of a heavy-weight Congress "leader" in Haryana. One of his aunts is ex-President Shankar Dayal Sharma's daughter. He's also Jessica Lall's murderer. Who admitted to killing the lady in a deadpan confession. He's also a free citizen of India. He's in fact, thriving.If all goes well, Mohammed Afzal Guru will be hanged on October 20, 2006, for masterminding the attack on the

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1159365308241498652006-09-27T18:22:00.000+05:002006-09-27T21:24:41.210+05:00

I'm reading The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 reader - yes, it's a little dated (only 2 years!) but I don't think books should be read and movies watched when they're basking in their hype; it takes away the attention from the content and the hype becomes a thing with a life of it's own - also, the spin doctors are out when hype is in the air, so you're never able to put the book or the movie in any

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1158821964186313262006-09-21T11:19:00.000+05:002006-09-21T19:21:05.676+05:00

Lao Tzu, a 6th century Chinese philosopher, said "To lead the people, walk behind them." When you walk behind your people, you pick up things that you can never pick up if you're constantly sitting in a glass cabin into which you expect people to remove their footwear before they enter. It does something to otherwise ordinary mortals when they get into their cabins and sit on their thrones - wise

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1158382149138652052006-09-16T09:08:00.000+05:002006-09-20T09:24:14.936+05:00

"I get mail; therefore I am." - DilbertLaurence J Peter authored Peter Principle (published 1968) in which he contends that "In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence." At the time it was published, the Peter Principle might've seemed novel but now we have Scott Adams' Dilbert who encounters the Peter Principle every day at work.Increasingly, the world is being run

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1157729918438479932006-09-08T20:23:00.000+05:002006-09-08T20:38:38.776+05:00

Somebody with a lot of time on their hands decided that the Muslims of India should not sing Vande Mataram, the national song, so naturally the BJP (which has more time than anyone else) decided this is unpatriotic and now, we have a raging controversy on our hands, in our newspapers, and on TV.The media, especially in India, has become increasingly inflammatory in its coverage of sensitive

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1156958465875032112006-08-30T21:41:00.000+05:002006-08-30T22:21:05.983+05:00

On August 27, 2006, a professor in an Ujjain college was beaten to death by his students because he and his colleagues cancelled student elections. That's the worth of a life - it can be traded for a student election. Five or six decades of a life spent learning, loving, teaching, being a father, a son, a sibling, a professor, a friend - all snuffed out for what? A student election. What does

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1155459002506735182006-08-13T13:29:00.000+05:002006-08-13T18:54:02.013+05:00

The 1 p.m. News Comedy ShowKofi Annan on air announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah effective - get this! - tomorrow August 14, 2006, at GMT something. Not a ceasefire effective immediately, but tomorrow. Today, Israel and Lebanon can reduce each other to rubble and tomorrow - they even have a GMT - they can shake hands and go back to the crumbling remains of their lives.George Bush

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1154100133523609582006-07-28T19:42:00.000+05:002006-08-12T19:47:51.430+05:00

Sometime last year, I picked up a book called Only Love is Real by Dr. Brian Weiss and was blown away by its contents. I finished it almost in a single sitting and picked up Dr. Weiss's next book Many Lives, Many Masters - I was spellbound; I picked up another Same Soul, Many Bodies - each one of them as absorbing and unputdownable as the first.Dr. Brian Weiss is a practicing Miami psychiatrist.

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1153980462820912242006-07-27T11:04:00.000+05:002006-07-28T18:36:58.206+05:00

Here's an update on the Sabarimala farce: The priest of the temple was caught literally with his pants down in the company of prostitutes. What was that again about the idol needing cleansing? Maybe Jaiamala should be allowed to do the honours.(If you've been forunate enough to miss this farce and don't know what I'm talking about, see "Yes, I'm fooled" below on this page)

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1153626377177745272006-07-23T07:50:00.000+05:002006-07-28T15:47:01.590+05:00

What Israel is doing to Lebanon is nothing short of state-sponsored terrorism. Look at how blatantly it's being done! Where is the crusading leader of world peace now? If Israel kills innocent civilians, it's acceptable as long as the killers are Jewish and the victims are Muslims. Nobody would dare call that Jewish terrorism even though it's being done with the sanction of the state of Israel

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1153588442471612182006-07-22T22:10:00.000+05:002006-07-23T08:47:52.426+05:00

I can write so much about this whole episode of the Ministry of Communication blocking our blogs, but I'd just like to say how happy I am that the blogging community came together on this and forced a rollback. Also, it feels great to know that our democracy with all its ails is still alive and kicking!

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1152551543545370692006-07-10T21:50:00.001+05:002006-07-10T22:14:49.823+05:00

Like millions of watching fans around the globe, what I'd hoped to see was a legend walk off the field to tears, cheers, and thunderous applause for giving us some of our best sporting moments in soccer history. Instead, what we got was an errant school boy being marched off the field to an ignominous exit - it's not how Zizou's fans want to remember him, yet that one silly, uncalled for gesture

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1152448586716817002006-07-09T17:33:00.000+05:002006-07-09T17:36:26.730+05:00

We're 6-1/2 hours away from the World Cup final.Italy is my favourite team but Zizou is my favourite player and I'm torn between them! Who should I root for?Whatever happens, Cheers Zizou, you're a winner!

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1151859461824910062006-07-02T21:21:00.000+05:002006-07-27T11:10:07.993+05:00

Twenty years ago, a 27-year-old actress entered the sanctum sanctorium of the Sabarimala temple and touched the feet of Lord Aiyappa, one of the many bachelor Gods in the Hindu pantheon. Women under 50 are not allowed to visit Sabarimala - Lord Aiyappa has personally given strict orders to the fossilized temple priests at Sabarimala that his bachelorhood is in grave danger if a woman under 50

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1151830715310260742006-07-02T13:44:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:32:58.690+05:00

In the June 28, 2006, edition of the Deccan Herald, the story titled "US House Panel okays N-Bill", there is a sentence that reads: "The 50-member House International Relations Committee approved by vote of 37 to 5 the legislation designed to make exemptions in the 1954 Atomic Energy Act to enable the US to sell nuclear fuel and technology in return for non-proliferation..."In the June 28, 2006,

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1151049264041804392006-06-23T12:51:00.000+05:002006-06-24T09:34:37.876+05:00

There was once a man named JeroldThe pessimistic bachelor he was calledFor though he had not a careWhen asked to let down his hairHe groaned, "If only I wasn't so totally bald..."

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1150640454650842302006-06-18T19:11:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:35:20.710+05:00

#1. Zebra crossings are for zebras. People will cross 1 cm in front of whatever you're driving.#2. Autorickshaws are 3 wheelers whose sole purpose of existence is to get in your way.#3. All cyclists suffer from bipolar disorder. In their manic phase, they will chase buses. In their depressive phase, they will suddenly get off the cycle, carry it, and walk.#4. When you see a bus in your rearview

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1148970546873264842006-05-30T10:30:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:37:25.386+05:00

There are 2 reasons bullies get away with bullying: 1. Others let themselves be bullied. 2. Few people can stoop to and stay at the level of an imbecile bully. Both of these are reasons why a psychopath like George Bush can get into a country by deceit, falsehood, and delusions of grandeur, have his bluff called by the whole world, get licked beyondbeing able to lick his wounds, and still keep

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1146282143295284892006-04-29T08:33:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:39:49.880+05:00

Lucky you! I flunked the Account Lead Psychometry...again! Your accounts are now safe. Anyway, that's enough about me. If YOU want to take it up sometime in the future, I've designed this forerunner.....so, you're invited to take the Mock Psychometry to prepare you for the real thing.It's in 3 parts: Analytical skills, Numerical skills, and English.Part I - Analytical Skills1. Peter is Jane's

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1145076667903200512006-04-15T09:38:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:42:19.840+05:00

Fourteen years ago, when we moved into the house we're currently staying in, Ramanna was a pushcart vendor from whom we bought vegetables like everyone else on the street. Through the decade, as things that I never dreamed of became accessible to us, Ramanna became a choice we could eliminate. In 14 years, a lot has changed for us. Our lifestyle has definitely improved, we have choice - with

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1144604763777917292006-04-09T21:32:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:44:14.056+05:00

One thing that the technology revolution in communication has done is to give everyone access to everyone else's mind. To me, that's one of the greatest achievements in mankind's history. We hear so much about the "global village" (which is now somewhat of a dated cliche -it's given way to Thomas Friedman's "the world is flat"), but most of that talk addresses the tangible - there are more things

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1142694437775999102006-03-18T19:52:00.000+05:002006-03-18T21:30:19.956+05:00

Don't you love stories that tell you to chuck it and follow your passion - success stories of all those who dared to risk everything for a momentary lapse of senses and toiled with a laser focus to follow their dream, who met with failure, rejection, hopelessness, and heartbreak but with a sudden divine wink-nudge, began to live exactly the life they wanted. I love to read those stories - because

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1140880739834594582006-02-25T20:16:00.000+05:002006-02-25T20:18:59.850+05:00

Go Back Global Terrorist!

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1139721686891544942006-02-12T10:05:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:51:39.076+05:00

Twenty-one years ago, Daddy drove him in to our squeals of delight. My twin and I took to him immediately. The last of the original Fiat model, when we brought him home, he was already 15 years old - add 21 to 15 - ever heard of a 36-YEAR-OLD CAR!?! 9549 was 36 years old, 21 of those birthdays happened with us.I know cars these days come with loads of 'extras' and a cassette player is passe - but

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1138114394161849632006-01-24T19:45:00.000+05:002006-07-02T22:53:18.790+05:00

This is to inform you that a revised and improved Overtime and Conveyance Policy has been posted on our Intranet. As you all know, we're in a perpetual crisis. Everyone knows this - you know, your parents know, your spouses know (or is it spice?!?...anyway...), your children know (if you have kids at home who're just learning to talk, the first word they'll utter will probably be 'crisis' - do

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1138027392712987082006-01-23T19:32:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:02:33.466+05:00

You've all participated/will participate/are participating in the Employee Satisfaction Survey. This one's its counterpart - The Employer Satisfaction Survey. Afterall, unless we're satisfied, you can't be.Dollops has agreed to join hands with us to conduct this exercise. Dollops, as you all know, is a 150-year-old icecream manufacturing company located in Alaska (that's the state Russia sold to

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1137941012992910572006-01-22T19:39:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:01:43.926+05:00

I'm not what you would call gadget-savvy (give me a Remington typewriter any day). Here's why: I've logged in with my password, terminator (really, that's my password) for as long as I can remember (and here's my user ID: Harry. Go on, make my day). My computer usually welcomes me with this message: "Good Morning Harry Terminator. Have you told your neighbour about our referral scheme ? If your

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1137679582204728552006-01-19T18:35:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:03:23.150+05:00

I was bored. I looked at the clock - "1 more hour to go!!!" it screamed. I twiddled my thumbs idly, and for some inexplicable reason thought of Keanu Reeves. His immortal line from Speed jumped at me out of the blue and suddenly I had - what my 4-year-old nephew calls - "a great idea!"I sent a message on the chat to our front desk - "There's a bomb on the bus" - I sat on my hands and waited - 5

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1137677603244339612006-01-19T18:26:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:09:28.526+05:00

Look, I'm actually here to confess: My hearing's not so good anymore, and I sometimes hear and type pretty weird things in the my reports. I'm not getting any younger and with all my preoccupations, my thoughts sometimes influence what I hear. Is that a sin ? Like this other day, the day they took my snap for the ID (you know, those passport photos where they manage to make you look nothing like

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1137343627157723872006-01-15T21:31:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:11:06.066+05:00

Trust in God but tie your camel to a tree --Arab proverbBe careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint--Mark TwainDeath is life's way of telling you you're fired - UnknownWe live in an age where the pizza gets to your home before the police -- Jeff MarderSometimes the fool who rushes in gets the work done --Al BernsteinOutside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend; inside of a

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1135273804343519722005-12-22T22:26:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:12:47.150+05:00

I just read in today's newspaper that George W Bush recently had a slime-mould beetle named after him. Boy! What a popular guy! He's now rampaging the insect world.The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi apparently sent Goran Persson, his Swedish counterpart 24 bottles of wine because the latter was so aghast at the thought of drinking British wine which Tony Blair offered when he hosted the

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1135262349126816932005-12-22T19:09:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:14:24.570+05:00

They gallop away like a frenzied mareThat can't be tamed or saddledEmotional tornadoes in no one's careWhy should a deceitful mind be cradled?I once saw a fairy with her magic wandWhich she waved and the world wore a smileEven the ducks were laughing in the pondAnd they could be heard for a mile'Oh, Fairy!' I cried, 'take me with you to the land of peaceTake my heart in your beautiful handsMake

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1135260323059992452005-12-22T18:58:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:15:32.200+05:00

This was written in 1989 - I'm putting it up here because it's more relevant than ever today!Traffic jam on the pavementDitches center, left, and rightYour eyes bulge in amazementTo me, it's a common sightA whistle in the airIt's the invisible copHe's made himself a chairOn a car topThe cow glaredThe yuppie sworeYou no longer caredThere couldn't be much moreDon't lose heartIn this city many

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1135259780811090772005-12-22T18:46:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:16:56.866+05:00

Daniel: "I found this one, she's really goodShe's kind, she's caring, she's never rudeYou must meet her, she's the new girl in my lifeShe's really different and better looking than my ex-wife!"Emmanuel: "Oh! C'mon Daniel, not againI've heard all this many times, all in vainRelax a while, you try too hardAnd that's why you never play the right card."Daniel: "She's got long copper hair, huge black

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1134970224426635622005-12-19T10:08:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:47:22.293+05:00

YOU ARE KING!To be good at medical transcription, you must have a clear understanding about the roles of all involved players.First of all, there's you. Forget the customer, YOU are King. Do not underestimate your powers. You have the power, for instance, to determine whether 52-year-old John Smith, the Caucasian male who came in for a hernia repair, leaves the hospital with name, age, gender,

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1134190548392046582005-12-10T09:53:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:52:17.876+05:00

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htmAbsolutely fascinating article on water!Excerpt from the article on this page: "The photographs and information in this article reflect the work of Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher .......These photographs show the incredible reflections of water, as alive and highly responsive to every one of our emotions and

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132932257398532222005-11-26T10:00:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:53:20.946+05:00

To see a World in a grain of sandAnd a Heaven in a wild flowerHold Infinity in the plam of your handAnd Eternity in an hour- William Blake

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132753015872396292005-11-24T08:15:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:54:14.220+05:00

The plane angles sharply in descent. The blue sea seems to leap at your porthole. The beauty of the gleaming Mediterranean takes your breath away. You couldn't hope for a better welcome.Cyprus is a Mediterranean Island. It's called the Island of Venus, Island of the Sun, Island of Aphrodite, hundreds of names really but nothing does justice to this charming place. Locally, it's called Kypru. The

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132737507696028162005-11-24T04:01:00.000+05:002006-07-02T23:55:07.216+05:00

Scrape...scrape...scratch..tap...tap. A bandicoot. No, maybe a cat...or is it? Glllubb...gluubb...clink...clink...metal on wood, or was it glass on metal? No, this was not a four-legged animal. Footsteps...She got up slowly from her bed and tiptoed quietly to the stairway. She saw him. His back was to her. He had lit a candle and was looking for a place to put it down. She stood there studying

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132728016408934052005-11-24T01:15:00.000+05:002006-07-03T00:01:22.133+05:00

One night, as we relaxed after dinner, we heard a huge explosion that rattled window panes and sent people pouring into the streets within seconds to locate the disaster area. To appreciate what I'm about to tell you, you'll need to know a little bit about my locality. It's just off a busy main road that boasts of half a dozen eateries always packed to the brim, video libraries, net cafes, a few

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132676561507202402005-11-23T11:00:00.000+05:002006-07-03T00:03:45.530+05:00

Time stretches like an eternal blanket of snowListening to Life's soft footfalls steady and lowAnd Memories, Life's companions in shadowImprint images on Time in a hazy glowHope, a tiny seed in the eternal blanket ensconcedIn its icy warmth forms a lasting bondAnd when Life begins to limp on the snowAnd Joy's laughter is silenced by SorrowHope springs from Time's embracing armsTo walk by Life's

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132672516648906952005-11-23T09:50:00.000+05:002006-07-03T00:04:37.016+05:00

It was the in thing. Everybody did it and so did I. At the end of it, all of us had the same embossed certificate - AWARDED FOR THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF 'ART OF CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTANDING'. As I held the certificate unable to decide what I should feel, I saw someone I recognised from the neighbourhood. He was a queer being. Never spoke much, glared at everyone, and walked around

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132683834224271062005-11-22T23:15:00.000+05:002006-07-03T00:05:22.256+05:00

Hillary Clinton: I Know What You Did Last Summer - starring Bill ClintonAl Gore: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - George Bush, Sr., George Bush, Jr., and Jeb BushManmohan Singh: Sheena, Queen of the Jungle - starring Sonia GandhiKofi Annan: Who Let The Dogs Out - starring the Rest of the WorldBill Clinton: Last Action Hero - starring Bill ClintonOsama Bin Laden: Fugitive - starring George

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19210333.post-1132682383255481842005-11-22T22:57:00.000+05:002006-07-03T00:06:20.056+05:00

In what is being touted as the mother of all coups d'etat in the living memory of mankind, Osama Bin Laden has replaced George Bush as the President of America in a bloodless power transfer. One of Osama's trusted lieutenants went live on CNN to announce to a gasping world that Osama out of "generosity of spirit" decided to rid the American people in particular and mankind in general of the "

Aparna Muralidharhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00860240891462450056noreply@blogger.com2