Quote Digest

[tushantin]

Satyameva Jayate is probably the most inspiring and enlightening Social Reforms talk show I've every seen (though, of course, I need to confirm most of the details they spout on TV...). Still, these quotes (and many more) just cheered me up.

Amir: The boy's side of the family... they were screaming and yelling aloud, demanding for a car and several lakhs of Rupees?
Female Guest (Dowry victim): Yes. Beggars apparently always bark, scream and yell.

I laugh with the morn, and I fight the waves. What is a Rupee going to sell ME?

I'm from Assam, and I've only read about Dowry in books because this just doesn't happen there. But it's strange... Me, being a fully capable male, asking for money from the very wife I'm marrying, one whom I promised to keep happy for her entire life... I'd rather die than commit such a sin.

[tushantin]

"If you think positively,
Sound becomes music,
Movement becomes dance,
Smile becomes laughter,
Mind becomes meditation,
And life becomes a celebration."

LET'S CHANGE A BICYCLE INTO A JET-PACK!

[tushantin]

http://lifehacker.com/5674007/burnout-and-how-to-deal-with-it

"When I worked for vBulletin helping to build version 3 (and ImpEx) and being involved in bits after that, the product was a reflection of the people involved, the passion, the happiness and camaraderie. The product reflected that at the time, from the quality produced by the tech team all the way over to the responsiveness and unrelenting calmness of the support team, even in the face of some very challenging situations."

This often reminds me of what FaustWolf often tells me. Often the accomplishment of dreams may seem like working in a coal mine with greasy elbows so that the commanders may benefit with all the wealth (and often, that is the case), but truer dreams and satisfactory creation can only be accomplished when you have enough power to at least benefit the happiness of a penny to those who also have similar dreams but are simply waiting for a chance to bloom. You then have nothing to lose, but that mere penny is their chance. 

[tushantin]

A friend of mine loves sending me quotes and poetry for inspiration (usually pertaining to my own nature and worldview, though); they're so awesome, I plan to share some of them here too.

"The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give. The joy of life is to love."

[tushantin]

“Kaise akash main suraag nahi hosakta? Ek pathar toh tabiyat se uchalo yaaro.”

"How can the sky not have a dent? At least try to throw the stone above with good health!"

[Katie Skyye]

Wasn't sure whether to put this in Springtime of Youth or...?

[tushantin]

Now THAT is the most badass quote in the whole thread!

[tushantin]

Our Patriarchal culture currently tells us that real men do not cry. But I think that only de-humanizes the men living their life, and hence makes them more of a monster. Meaning, it's not just the women who have something to lose, but also men, who lose crucial sensitivity.

What is the opposite of Patriarchy? If you thought Matriarchy, then you're most likely incorrect. Patriarchy is one extreme, and Matriarchy is another -- so if one is wrong, then so is the other. So, the actual opposite of Patriarchy, that one we ought to obviously follow, is Egalitarianism. We don't want gender superiority here, and we don't want one gender being oppressed (no matter which). We are striving for equality, and I believe that with enough effort we can acquire that.

The last quote is one of the reasons I started the "Social Reforms" thread, and I believe that I was right. Whereas we do our best to curb misogyny, it still makes no sense to overpower one gender over the other, no matter how sentimental we are towards these crimes, because in turn we'll only end up with a counter-intuitive society. We must not forget the original dream we once had -- a free world, where every gender and every race can walk proudly and safely. And happily.

[rushingwind]

"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile."
~C.S. Lewis

[tushantin]

[rushingwind]

Love this. It's so true.

[tushantin]

If the author creates the character, he creates the world of that book. For example, if ice is hot and fire is cold when the world was created, we could still think that's nautural. The result is a different physical system. If all humans have only one eye, they will see one who has two eyes as a monster. So there's no "poorly" written book in this case, everyone is unique.

[tushantin]

Just finished reading the novelization (written by Edgar Jepson) of the play "Arsene Lupin", which was initially written by Francis de Croisset. This novelization makes an interesting alternative introduction to the original one "Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar" from the cannon. It also offers an interestingly alternative "ending"! Though it had some weird moments (such as the brilliant Guerchard missing some very obvious deductions which wouldn't take a genius to solve), it did have many thrilling moments of its own, and also was a bomb of quite fascinating dialogues (it was based on the play, after all)! It portrays quite well of Lupin's own professionalism with such power that even the police officers would find themselves crapping bricks when confronting him.

In any case, here's one dialogue I very much loved, taking place at Guerchard's confrontation with Lupin, who promised to steal the coronet by midnight. Guerchard held the gun at Lupin, but the time was running out and Guerchard feared, knowing that the man he faced was capable of anything.

Arsene Lupin: "As the hand of that clock moves nearer and nearer midnight, you will grow more and more terrified. Your nerves are on edge!"

Detective Guerchard: "Joker!"

Arsene Lupin: "Oh, you're as brave as the next man. But who can stand the anguish of the unknown thing which is bound to happen? ... I'm right. You feel it, you're sure of it. At the end of these few fixed minutes an inevitable, fated event must happen. Don't shrug your shoulders, man; you're green with fear."

Guerchard: "My men are outside ... I'm armed..."

Arsene Lupin: (in a deep, thrilling voice) "Child! Bear in mind ... bear in mind that it is always when you have foreseen everything, arranged everything, made every combination ... bear in mind that it is always then that some accident dashes your whole structure to the ground. Remember that it is always at the very moment at which you are going to triumph that he beats you, that he only lets you reach the top of the ladder to throw you more easily to the ground."

[tushantin]

After my brother showed me that humorous (and sarcastic) article on Sify, I've grown to love the journalist Vinayak Hegde's corner and his satirical style of writing. He's now my favourite journalist, yes indeed!

In India, the space to make a film that reflects our actual social situation is shrinking with an alarming pace. While films about 50-year-old heroes seducing girls twenty years younger than them during the course of making ‘goondas' fly a hundred feet after being punched are super hits.

You can't make a film about terrorists - that offends certain religions. You can't make a film about caste discrimination - that offends the castes that do the discrimination. You can't make a satire about the silliness of certain times or situations - this offends the people who originally did the silly things. And you cannot make a film about any political situation - That will get your film banned (most probably).

India has no shortage of gifted actors, talented directors or risk-taking producers. What it lacks is a rational space for these artists to express themselves or their ideas.

The Congress party did not allow the film Rajneeti to release unless Katrina's character, who was modeled after Sonia Gandhi, was not referred to as the  'widow', but rather as the 'daughter'.  (Like that was gong to fool anyone.)

The simplest idea is to not watch the film if you feel it offends you. Why must we all not watch something because a tiny minority of us apparently lacks the maturity to accept that not everyone is going to accept their point of view?

While many may dismiss this all as mere entertainment, the fact remains that cinema is the best medium to convey ideas or concepts to everyone.

And in India this concept is a hollow shell.

Toilet humour about homosexuals and cross-dressing has replaced subtle observations. And you can forget about political commentaries, social observations or even wry off-hand comments.

Thanks to this intolerance, what we mostly end up with is a pre-sanitized, pre-packed mulch that is intended to appeal to as low a common denominator as possible.

[tushantin]

Vanity post time!

I'm certainly not the best writer around here, but when I write something amusing it sticks to my mind like glue, putting me in a euphoria immediately. Anywho, here's a quote form my Dream Splash entry "Origins of Flea":

"Ouch! All the more reason for this wretched Empire to crumble, unless we do something about this. Let's go; we need to inform that clumsy Knight Captain of our search, before he trips onto a pebble."