Nice pix

Alien Nation?

Alien Visitor

The more knowledge a person has, the more confused he will be. The more a person knows, the more he cannot give a straight answer to a problem. Of course, to exclude those who circumvent, circumlocute, circumflex, circumspect, evade, and dodge a question when they are guilty or ignorant of the fact. But ignorance is also bliss, they say. And the more you learn, the more subject matter remains unanswered.

Armed with the knowledge of Erich von Daniken's Unsolved Mysteries of the Past in the 'Chariots of the Gods?', I attended one of my good friend's daughter's engagement ceremony in a temple. Yeah, my friends are getting older, just like me!

Although this was not the first time I saw the things I saw, I saw things from a different light, not only due to my recent exposure but also because boredom hit me even before the ceremony commenced. Remember the saying idle mind and devil's workshop?

With Lord Ganesha (the deity with an elephantine head, trunk, and belly) in the heart of the temple's Gopuram, it looks like a driver in the driver's seat. 

With its crown and trunk, the elephantine head goes well with a head-geared space suit and breathing apparatus connected to the oxygen cylinder (belly). About 10 metres ahead was a tall flag-like structure which could pass off as a steer, and the mouse (his mascot) could be a navigation probe (mouse in a computer!). You just have to let your imagination go wild - you will see what your mind wants you to see. And do not forget the fire and the smoke from glowing incense (sambraani - benzoin resin) may just complement the aura of a lift off a spaceship. The climax of the prayers occurs when the priest parades a multi-tiered tray of burning camphor and the loud chiming of giant bells. Symbolic or what?...

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Roger- Escapee From Area 51

Just the other day, I decided to flip over the cable and watch some programmes. The most watched programmes in my household are American Dad, Family Guy and those other cartoon shows(not to mention The Cleveland Show!). Without complaining, I decided to watch the same programme with my two boys.

Meet Roger from American Dad. Sure, cartoons have come a long way from 'Wacky Races', 'Merry Melodies' and 'Wait till your father gets home'!
The above introduction was typed by Danny!

Flabbergasted by podcasts!

An old friend once (GVGL) -a precocious individual who enjoyed intellectual discourse and appreciates songs by Bob Dylan and Tracy Chapman- told me that I will soon be like a hermit on mountain - keeping all to myself and finding joy in recluse. My son thinks I am on the way there. With very few friends to go by, hardly receiving courtesy non-work related calls on my phone, indulging in a non team sport like running, working long hours alone and lately with the listening to myriads of podcast downloadable free from my iPhone, I will reach there in no time! Hey, but I am enjoying it!
The iTunes has indeed opened a new can of worms that a omnivore like me find hard to resist. The more you indulge, like a bull in a china shop, you can go berserk!
If never in this life time can you step foot in the lecture halls of Yale, Stanford or Oxford, the least you can do listen to podcasts of their distinguished lecturers. I am sure we all can go to these varsity as tourists as 'now everyone can fly'! I find great ecstasy in lectures on history, religions of the world and various civilizations. You can listen to anything at any time at the touch or slide of the tip of your finger (not even at a click) and a functional wifi connexion. BFM's programmes are available as well. Joy to the world!

N.B. Beware of the danger of being engulfed into a world of the unknown that may induce the unknown. Just heard of a twenty something son of a friend who went into the unknown world of the occult religion and voyeurism to which the young man subsequently succumbed to by self induced hypoxia! How unfortunate! 

Angry birds!

I should be king, you old man!

We came here first, you pendatang!

I am the fairer sex, despite my hue!

And I am left with this miserable fish!

I told you to keep the feet off my territory, as the First Amendment says!

I will get you if that is the last thing I do!

Who is the idiot who stepped my petite toe?

I told you that chick is mine!

I am home alone again while my guy goes gallivanting!

Huh, caught you red handed (footed)!

And you told me it is over between you and the tramp!

Ugh! Tasteless! I told you not to fly.

Cis, bedebah, berani kau?

Nah, ambillah habuan kau!

What miserable life? Feeding these bottomless pits! (Saapaatu Raman -சாப்பாட்டு ராமன் )

Religious Renaissance?

At one time in my early life (RRF, early teens), I was drawn into the Bhajan group (Hindu religious group) which introduced us to the likes of Sai Baba, Swami Sivanada and Swami Shantanand and the basic teachings of Hinduism. At a time when achieving academic excellence was the only agenda in our lives to uproot ourselves from the perpetual sorrows of our household, he were hoping for divine guidance and assistance to peel open our third Eye of Wisdom. In our simpleton minds,  we assumed that education which would lead us to easy wealth accumulation which in turn would be the panacea of all our worries in life. If only life was that simple!
In a world filled with deceit and forgery, one sometimes wonders why when it comes to matters pertaining to God, humans always transform to exhibit the best of their inborn excellent primitive virtues. This was evident from photos from Banda Acheh after the tsunami - only the mosque standing up tall midst ruins of homes and other infrastructure. Probably, the contractors did not short change the mosque when it came to using the correct ratio of mix of cement to soil during construction!
Quite a number of times during my not so frequent to my place of worship, I find the same group of people frequently returning there with full of bliss savouring the moment they are there, doing the things they do there. I wonder why?
Is it that the parties involved have ulterior motives or they have found people of same frequency and mind set to do the same things i.e. serve humanity? Have they done some much sins that no amount of divine forgiveness can rectify? Or is it a place to find solace for the wounded souls? Or birds of the same feather flock together, hoping that well thinking people will only augur pleasant thoughts and healthy activities?
My recent observations revealed a few reveling discoveries. It is by no means exhaustive or double blind controlled. It is only to satisfy myself and bloat my own ego.
I noticed a guy who found sheer joy in cleaning the soiled plates after the worshipers had eaten their temple food. He was there faithfully, without fail, on Sundays doing his thing humming his hymns. I later discovered that he was a physician and a vegetarian who had a bitter experience at matrimony - the bride did not turn up at the wedding - sounds more dramatic but actually the bride-to-be decided to call of the wedding a few days before the big day. The grieving groom never tried to give another hand at it but decided finding solace in the Way of the Lord.
Then there is a family who commemorates all functions in the temple. Can you imagine a 21year old young chap announcing to the world his freedom key by having a sombre bash in the temple? Of course you do not clap and you do not blow the fire on the candle (Agni), you chant when the fire is lit (Jyothi). You are supposed to rejoice when there is light (hope), not when the flame is blown away! Mmmm.... But then cutting cake is not Indian, you should cut kesari or halwa!
And you also have obviously oversized grandiosely wealthy grouchy grandmas with their accompanying helpers (maids) trotting along... If religion advocates moderation in all your activities, how did you get so fat? - could not control the temptations of the taste buds, despite being a vegan, eh?
And there are people like me who hope to cleanse his soul and mind by being in the house of God but keep thinking with devilish recurring ill deviant thoughts of people and things around him just for the kick of it. What's the point? I am back to square one!