What's going on?

A lot has happened since my last post. A few of the things that touched me.

Euthanasia, or whatever one calls it, is a topic I have never been able to make my mind up on. I suppose that Schiavo shouldn't be just starved to death, but what right does anyone have to keep her alive when her mind and body seem to have given up long ago. It is indeed sad that a court of law has the power to decide if a human being should live or die (I am against capital punishment, but that's an easier issue to decide on, isn't it?).

Another teenager went on a rampage and killed his 9 people including 7 fellow students before killing himself. What's happening to you, America? May all their souls rest in peace.

On another note, the competition is hotting up in the web mail space. Yahoo is all set to increase mailbox space to 1G. IMHO, Gmail is still better, and way more functional.

X Vs. Y

Women are indeed more complex than men, says a recent study.

Home, Bangalore and back

Went home for a weekend after nearly a year. Found that people out there say the same things, do the same stuff that they used to, and feel pretty much the same way about me as they have since I was born :). Had to travel to Bangalore after that. Bangalore has become congested, but still feels wonderful. Went to Styx, my favourite pub, after nearly 2 years, to find that it continues to be the only place where one can hear really great music. Some sense of permanency in my world.

On maturity, or lack thereof

A couple of years ago, a friend who was fast approaching his 25th birthday told me, "Life will never be the same on the wrong side of 25". I had no idea what he meant till I crossed 25 a few months ago. Gone are the glorious days when I could get away with murder with the excuse of being an adolescent. The days of good behaviour are here to stay. Time and again, I have to remind myself that I have no right to behave the way I do because I am more than a quarter of a century old. I need to display maturity,even if I really don't have that beast inside my head. I have to smile and say "How nice" when I feel like raising an eyebrow as if to say "What shit!". I must act nice with the stranger on the train who knows more about a lost love than I do whilst my heart is getting torn into shreds. I have to smile at someone I'd really like to slap. Worse still, I can't be myself with anyone anymore, not even my parents. Was I 21 just yesterday, stepping out into the world like a frisky little lamb? Why does it feel like this one year has aged me much more than the 24 before?

On remixes

When I heard a remixed Pink Floyd, I consoled myself with the thought that The Wall was pretty much abused anyway. But yesterday, my blood boiled when I heard a dance mix of Lithium! It is a song that's quite close to my heart, one that has been a source of comfort on more than one occasion, and I take great exception when a timeless number such as this is mindlessly remixed. Curse the moron who did it! Cobain must be turning in his grave.

God bless Internet radio!

Do you remember the last time when you heard a song so beautiful that you had tears in your eyes before you knew it? Or the time when you ran to switch the radio off because you didn't want it to open a Pandora's box of memories? Or the time you wished for wings on your feet so that you could soar like an eagle with that tune on your lips?... Sometimes I wish I'd been around in the 70s when the fathers of rock 'n roll made music so beautiful and true, worshipped Jim on stage, felt the psychedelia seep through me at a Floyd concert, watched Eddie sing Jeremy like the lion he used to be. But good music is not dead yet - there is one Green Day for every one thousand 'N Syncs, one Radiohead for every million Britneys. Pity that these guys aren't pretty enough for their albums to be sold in India. I am very grateful to the Internet, for without Internet radio, I would drown in the muck that people call music these days.

Sir Bill

The queen has conferred an honorary knighthood on Bill Gates for his efforts at improving healthcare in third world nations. No, you can’t call him Sir Bill, but for once, he is in the news for something he won’t be scoffed at. Atta boy!