Children..

Its unbelievable how children nowadays act, profanity and bad manners have become such a regular part of their lifestyle. I remember when i was a child the only time I used such words were when i read them on a board somewhere, after which I was told never to repeat them. But, now, kids know exactly what they mean and use them generously. Even the age when children start exploring their sexuality increases; its understood that most of this is due to media (eg. television, movies) but, parental control systems are clearly not enough to manage these problems. Because if even one parent allows their child to enjoy R-rated programming, that child may easily pass on their knowledge while in school. An increasing problem that needs to be dealt with, children should be allowed to live their lives carefree and without the worries of an adult. Although the picture attached is cute, remember that it is an example of a problem that we need to adress.

Racism

Racism. It's so degrading, we all hate it when someone makes a snide comment about us, and yet we do the same to others. It's interesting how things are so circular. Being a Sikh, it is very easy to be noticed and many confuse us with terrorists, and we get made fun of, constantly, continuously. But, I still sometimes make racist remarks in a joking fashion. Either way, both parties are acting wrongly. People are people. We are all, essentially, the same; and we should love each other for our differences. What kind of world would it be if there was no variation. Boring.

I know saying this is easy, but embracing our differences will make living, for everyone, much easier. I wouldn't have to face stupid comments about my beard or turban; and that is something I would appreciate.

devil inside

"I trust people. I just don't trust the devil inside them"

Trust is a very confusing matter. You never know the true person behind the mask, the face only shows a remnant of the individual within and not knowing what lies within, is scarier then knowing. The thing about trust is that it can be shattered in an instant, but it takes months, or even years, to build. The fragility of this emotion, combined with the aberrations of human nature make it impossible to build a viable deep relationship with any close one. The devil that lures within, prevents it. And so, what this quotation is ultimately implying is that the real person, hiding behind that impregnable mask, is much more unpredictable, and unstable then the one outside. True human nature, the one that befits us all and the one we all hide, is worse then the fake face we show to the outside world. That, albeit sad, is the true fact of life.

Expectations...

Why do we always depend on others to satisfy ourselves. Whichever way we turn there is something, someone basically controlling every aspect of our lives. In school everyone is expected to graduate, and if the grades aren't as good as their neighbor's kids, they are pressured to improve them so that the parents can be proud of their kid. Why is that we have to look around us before we can ever think about whether or not we are satisfied. It is this reason that things like cars, and makes of cars, and houses, and sizes of residences have erupted in all directions. Everyone is comparing their stuff to each other in hopes of impressing one another and ultimately showing that they are better in order to make themselves feel worthy. Let me tell you a secret, living a life under other people's watchful eye and never looking inwards for what you truly want is a life full of lies; because the only way we can ever be truly happy is if we live under our own expectations and without the influence of society and competition. It is under these influences that people become greedy, proud and angry; it is under these influences that we are succumbed to the 5 vices of the human personality. And under these vices we will never have the chance to truly be thankful for who we are, what we have and our lifestyles.

money money money money money...

A millennia ago people of the time used a bartering system to attain goods they lacked. For instance, if I had many cows and needed a pig, I would trade my cow with another farmer who had many pigs and was in need of a cow, simple. Nowadays, this bartering system has evolved into a much more complex issue involving money, economics, inflation and many other big vocabulary related to use of, or investing in, those little small pieces of paper we call cash. The interesting thing is, money and the age old bartering system are very very different in one small way. The bartering system involved only what was needed, whereas money involves desires as well. But you know what, when we die, and we will all die, everything that we spent in life, every penny, nickel or dime isn't going to go with us. Our wealth in life will not place us any higher in death, for we are all equal in a world without money. The book, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry is a good example of a classic world Utopia, but also talks about how life becomes distasteful without color and enjoyment. What we fail to understand and misinterpret is that money will provide us with a wealth of colors and bundles of joy. This is certainly not true cause even if it does provide some happiness, it'll only be for a short while and then slowly eradicate itself. In life we spend so much time trying to fit in, make a place for ourselves amongst others and earn a good living; these are all important, but the most important thing of all is to help others.

Charity and community service are highly underrated by those who perform it. Although it only takes up so little time and we feel that we have achieved nothing by standing and assisting this group in that time, the group never feels that way. Every needy person, every organization relies on these small visits to survive. Every small action in helping those who need it will serve as the wealth of life, in death. When it comes the day that you will be judged, it will not be on looks, money or the number of cars and what makes they are; it will be by how you lived your life, who you helped and the true person you were.

What a Sad Place...

Today I woke up and realized just how sad life is. I walk around in clunky cloth called shoes on a road made of hard stuff in a concrete jungle. I mean, what has happened to the green glory of nature, and the soft squishy feeling of grass inbetween our toes, and the feeling of free flowing water lapping on our feet. Everything we do is related to computers, we no longer have to leave the house to get anything, amazon.com pretty much does that for us, and with a one day delivery process, especially in the USA, who needs to leave the house. All restaurants deliver nowadays so nobody even has to leave the luxury of their houses to get food. It's a sad sad world that almost everything we do revolves around machines, like this computer. How people resort to text messaging and messenger services to talk when meeting in person is just so much more enthralling. What happened to the simple life, of walking up to someone and just talking about whatever pleases us, without having to worry about how they feel about it, or how they might view us after we have spoken? And the best thing is that I can complain and complain and complain some more, but I know that I will never do anything to improve it. It is truly a sad sad world.

The World Cup...

Every four years the entire world succumbs to a little fever called "The World Cup Fever" in which people of all nationalities, wealth and general taste come together to watch the clashing of the greatest football players in the world. I am a great World Cup, but it is only this year that I have realized that in addition to uniting the entities of the world the World Cup creates lots of tension between nations. For instance there was case in which a south American football player accidentally placed the ball in his own goal. Unfortunately, the country took it as betrayal and murdered him upon arrival. Also, fanatics often become so obsessed that a loss often leads to street violence, and further injuries are susceptible. Although these are minor cases, the importance of that Cup has become so great, that many feel the need to have the cup within the borders of their nation. The Fifa World Cup may be a uniting front and has definitly improved relations between many of the participating countries, but in addition to unity, it also creates divergence; in retrospect of nationality and national pride. It's a two way street, just as anything else.

Celebration of 60 Glorious Years...

Today all the people of Thailand gather to celebrate King Bhumibol's 60th Glorious year on the royal throne of Thailand. World renowned for his humanitarian efforts and overall amazing personality, the King is one of the few remaining Renaissance Men left in the world, with talents ranging from that of sports, to song-writing, music and architecture. He will forever remain in the hearts of all the Thai people. LONG LIVE THE KING!

Went to a Party, Mom.. (Borrowed..)

I went to a party,
And remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom
So I had a sprite instead.

I felt proud of myself,
The way you said I would,
That I didn't drink and drive,
Though some friends said I should.

I made a healthy choice,
And your advice to me was right,
The party finally ended,
And the kids drove out of sight.

I got into my car,
Sure to get home in one piece,
I never knew what was coming, Mom
Something I expected least.

Now I'm lying on the pavement,
And I hear the policeman say,
The kid that caused this wreck was drunk,
Mom, his voice seems far away.

My own blood's all around me,
As I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
This girl is going to die.

I'm sure the guy had no idea,
While he was flying high,
Because he chose to drink and drive,
Now I would have to die.

So why do people do it, Mom
Knowing that it ruins lives?
And now the pain is cutting me,
Like a hundred stabbing knives.

Tell sister not to be afraid, Mom
Tell daddy to be brave,
And when I go to heaven,
Put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.

Someone should have taught him,
That it's wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his parents had,
I'd still be alive.

My breath is getting shorter, Mom
I'm getting really scared.
These are my final moments,
And I'm so unprepared.

I wish that you could hold me Mom,
As I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say, "I love you, Mom!"
So I love you and good-bye.

This is an effort by MADD (Mother's Against Drunk Driving)

Just another sign that implicates how powerless we are against this world, and this life. We have no say of when this will happen to us. Working for this cause, however, will yield less disastrous results in the future.

:(

Education...

Have you ever realized how much of our known 'reality' is a result of censorship and disillusionment? Everyday we walk around this world, thinking that we may actually know something, but, we don't. What we read in the newspapers, on the internet, anything, what I am writing right now, is going to obscure your way of thinking in such a way that it will change your perspective on certain things. The issues involved with the parties that govern our nation states are all a mystery; when in democracy's we should all be involved in making the right decision for all. One of the places that we see social conditioning and the beginning stages of actually walking into the gates of this illusion of a world, is in many of the schools of the day. Children all over the world are succumbed to dictation, memorization and to learning without thought. Although the Socratic Method (asking questions to induce thought and learning) has been applied more thoroughly throughout the world's education system's; the school has a very strong hold on forming the ideals of an individual. As teacher teaches, we learn, and there is nothing else. But, the point of education is not, not, to withhold as much knowledge about any subject; it is to induce the thinking process, to teach a human being how to best approach a problem, and how to tackle any issue that they may face in their lifetime. It is to prepare them to enter the world, knowing that they will be able to face anything that may be thrown at them. The purpose of education is to build character, to learn respect, responsibility, life. When students are reduced to mere dictation, what will that teach them in life? In memorization, things become dull, mundane, and life is reduced to the repetitive action; and one without any thrill. But in the Socratic approach, the ability to work with the primary tactics and to trigger their evolution into something more, becomes a much more natural process. Of course, this would only succeed if the student themself has the ambition and strive necessary to be something in this lifetime. Education is an essential instrument in today's society, it should be preparing the students for the real world, instead of working to protect them from what is out there; because in the end, we all have to work to make ends meet, and there is never a harm in beginning early.

What is Love?

Society often constructs certain rules and markers in order to maintain some form of order in that specific society. If we travel back in time, to man without the complications of society, and still early on in the stages of language, we also see the lack of present-day emotions. The cavemen, the first of our kind, developed clans or groups to which they would protect each other, but marriage, and monogamy was never an issue. Does this, therefore, support that language, helped mold the emotions of which we feel? At that point in time, the only purpose of life was survival of the fittest, and humans were still rather instinctual in nature. There was no one man, one woman deal, that society has recently constructed and dubbed ‘marriage’. But, we still feel this emotion that we now know to be love. The question is now, what is love? Is it desire, lust, both? Is it shared, or is it individual? Nobody knows, and with recent misuse of the word, love has becomes even more ambiguous than before. The word love is a convergence of multiple words, all that mean ‘desire.’ But where did this idea of ‘love’ come from then? Love, although most usually associated with couples, is also prevalent in families. Once again, when a mother gives birth to child, does she truly love that child? Or is she just trying to say that I desire your survival so that my genes can be passed on? Or is it just that the baby is so aesthetically pleasing that she thinks that he/she is beautiful? How, then, do we see so many instances in which men and women are able to tolerate each other for life? Is there love, does love truly exist?

In chemical terms, love, the emotion, does exist. The Economist recently published an article discussing the prevalence of other sociable animals which mate and stay together for life. One such creature being the prairie vole. Albeit, it takes them approximately 24 hours to ‘plant their seed’, the partners remain so until either die. Recent findings show that the prairie voles are similar to humans in the sense that they share the ability to make vasopressin and oxytocin, two chemicals, of which play an important role in social recognition. Without these two chemicals, we cannot recognize the mate in which we underwent sexual reproduction, and therefore will find different ones. So, now, this suggests that prairie voles, like ourselves, only love because of recognition, comfort and understanding. Is this what love is then, two chemicals that allows for us to recognize people? If this is so, it also serves to exemplify that cavemen would have most likely felt an earlier rendition of this emotion, the true emotion itself. This therefore serves to prove that modern-day love is a social construct, a product of language, which we also see in the prospect of arranged marriage. Apparently, love grows with marriage. Therefore exemplifying that mutual recognition plays a fundamental role in the prospect of ‘love’, and further illustrating the role of language in the evolution of this emotion. Then there’s the case of many people, all of whom are in ‘love’ engagements, meaning they found their own partners. This just means that they have achieved mutual recognition earlier then expected. So, if this is what love is, than what is grief? Grief, the word, means deep mental anguish, compliments of dictionary.com. For the purposes of this presentation, grief will only be discussed in relation to loss of love, but in reality, grief is caused by several different occurrences, and events. Grief, like love, is a social construct that one MUST feel, after loss of something that one loves. So, in the case of Mersault, the lack of crying, or the social construct that we consider grief, during his mother’s weeding, renders him variable of society, and leads to his ultimate downfall.


Although emotions are actual chemicals, society exaggerates them to fit it to their own prospectus, such as that of love in marriage, and grief in funerals. Although this is true, interestingly, most religions preach to detach oneself from the world, therefore mourning prevents forgetting the loss, and moving on. Therefore, does society play a role in preventing enlightenment? Never mind, that’s a different topic, for a different day. Language itself plays a fundamental role in the evolution of emotion. In the beginning, love was just a sense of mutual recognition, and today, its definitions and connotations extend beyond the reaches of our minds, and language, once again, prevents us from looking at the world with clean eyes.

The Adventures of Mr. Beans #3

Mr. Beans at an ATM Machine



Some dude: What cha looking at!?
Beans: I know your password..
Some dude: Then tell me what it is...
Beans: It's ****

The Adventures of Mr. Beans #2

Mr. Beans at a Ball

Guest : Sorry I'm late I was stuck in the elevator for 4 hours because the electricity was out.

Beans: It's ok. I was stuck on the escalator for 3 hours also.

The Adventures of Mr. Beans #1

Mr. Beans' Brain


Doc : I'm sorry to tell you that you got a tumor in your brain..

Beans: Seriously! Yippy!! (jumping off the couch)

Doc: You understand what I just told you Beans?

Beans: Of course doc...you think I'm stupid!?

Doc: Then why are you so happy?

Beans: Because that means I have a brain!!


**Always look on the bright side of life!! :D

Hypnotic Cash

A great paradigm shift occurred in the 19th Century. Life no longer revolved around Church, rather people gathered along the corridors of the first department stores. Spirituality, over a relatively short period, turned into materiality. Slowly, after the invention of the elevator, buildings became the tallest structures in town. Church was not forgotten, religion was still a priority, but people began believing that luxury was more important than enlightenment.

Because of this shift in ideals, many religions lost followers and those remaining followers, lost faith. For religions such as Sikhism, materialism is the worst obstacle in the path towards spirituality. This is because material items bring about greed, anger and jealousy. What is luxury? Is it having material items, of which last only last for a short period of time then decay and are thrown out? Is it buying the newest, most expensive, items on the market, just to prove that you can afford such relatively useless materialistic items? Or is it being able to buy whatever you want, when you want it, and for absolutely no good reason? Such items will not, and cannot, be taken with you to an afterlife. In heaven, angels are not lazing around and watching a seventy inch plasma screen television, such a perspective cannot be related to such pure creatures. The simplicity of their clothing and lifestyle gives insight as to the life which humans should lead in order to achieve the ultimate goal in most religions, enlightenment.

All of the renowned and revered saints lived in simplicity. All of the more prominent leaders of religions, especially those with strong faith, live in simplicity. All humans try not to live in simplicity. The irony is the reality. Such a paradigm shift basically shifted the mind from necessities to luxuries. In truth, man needs only three things to survive: clothing, food and shelter. Not six cupboards filled with clothes and a 20-acre mansion.

Extremist Religious Groups and Societies Reaction

Religion: people’s beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life; as stated by the esteemed Encarta encyclopedia. Stated in an individual’s context, we have no right to blame a whole religious group on one simple act such as that of September 11. Simply because they stated that it was in the name of Islam, does not represent that the woman and children at home willed thousands of innocent lives to be lost. Although many people believe that religious discrimination has seceded, in reality it is still very alive and thriving.

The only reason for such racial inequities is because of the small extremist religious groups which try to prove points using violence. In 1985, a Sikh man hijacked and killed various people on an aircraft, and claimed it was in the name of Sikhs. This does not mean that I asked him to perform such an outrageous act; it was his lack of simple judgment that led to such aberrant behavior. Although Sikhs are known for their warrior-like nature, chosen as bodyguards for most of Indian party leaders including Indhira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, such an act is simple treachery. Not only to the people, who would have to face an eternal struggle, but also the religion. Why do such minute acts play such profound roles in the future of an entire religion group? In addition to this, September 11, made the Sikh people even more “unpopular.” Because people saw Muslims wearing turbans on the “telly,” any man wearing a turban is considered a terrorist and condescended upon. A recent trip to the US, has given me perspective on this reality. Upon arrival and departure, airport staff performed extra arduous checks on my family while passing through immigration. In actuality, since ignorance blocks the truth, various religions are still considered inferior and such ideas will persist until there is no more faith, or no more God.

Poor Men (borrowed)..

Note: Men on earth die and go to heaven. God comes and says," I want the men to form two queues one line for the men who dominated their women, and the other one for the men who were dominated by their women. Also, I want all the women to go away so that no man and woman can talk."

Next time God comes back, the women are gone, and there are two lines. The line for the men who were dominated by their women is 100 miles long, and in the line of men who dominated their women there is only one man. God gets mad and says, "You men should be ashamed of yourselves. I created you in my image, and you were all whipped by your mates.Look at the only one of my sons who stood up and made me proud. Learn from him! Tell them, my son, how did you manage to be the only one in this line?" The man replies, "I don't know, my wife told me to stand here."

Globalization...

The issue of globalization, and its accumulative effect on the world, is one of paramount importance, and one that seems to be greatly overlooked in today’s world. One clear example of such being the clothing we wear. Nowadays, the form of dress that most people aspire to is ubiquitous; pants, shirts, skirts, etc... Words have been created in different languages just to incorporate this new attire. Although globalization is often considered to cause negative consequences in relation to cultural integrity, in reality, it seems that it is, in its wake, leaving new, mixed, cultures.
Prior to globalization, occupations in Thailand were dependent on intelligence, knowledge and experience, in the Thai language. The issue with Thailand is that the population of the lower class far exceeds any other, and those people cannot afford to learn a new language, let alone spend time in a school to gain fluency in their own language. This new dependency on English has completely eradicated any chance that less fortunate people have of ever becoming successful. A universal language may be necessary to help increase the ability of nations to relate and for the people of the world to collide without a language barrier, but should such come at the cost of the less fortunate?
Globalization is the spread of one culture amidst others, it is not intended to be harmful, and has had several constructive results, but, in the end, it has only assisted the select group of people who are financially well off. There is no doubt that the mixing of cultures and the universality of English have had major effects on political relationships, as the language barrier was often the cause of misunderstandings between nations. But, it completely discounts the people who are unable to afford an education, and considering the populous nature of this group, the negative consequences of globalization far outweigh the positives.

Life..Just Is.. (Borrowed)

Life isn't about keeping score.
It's not about how many friends you have
Or how accepted you are.
Not about if you have plans for this weekend or if
you're alone.
It isn't about who you're dating or who you used to
date,
how many people you've dated or if you haven't been
with anyone at all.

It isn't about who you have kissed,
it's not about sex.
It isn't about who your family is
or how much money they have or what kind of car you
drive.
Or where you are sent to school.
It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are.
Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on,
or what kind of music you listen to.
It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black or
brown.
Or if your skin is too light or too dark.
Not about what grades you get, how smart you are,
how smart everybody else thinks you are, or how smart
standardized tests say you are.
It's not about what clubs you're in or how good you
are at 'your' sport.
LIFE JUST ISN'T

But, life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully.
It's about keeping or betraying trust.
It's about friendship, used as a sanctity or weapon.
It's about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe
heartening.
About starting rumors and contributing to petty
gossip.
It's about what judgments you pass and why.
And who your judgments are spread to.
It's about who you've ignored with full control and
intention.
It's about jealousy, fear, ignorance and revenge.
It's about carrying inner hate or love, letting it
grow and spreading it.
But most of all, it's about using your life to touch
or poison other people's hearts.
Only you choose the way those hearts are affected and
those choices are what life's all about.
LIFE JUST IS.

How is Our Knowledge Influenced by Media?

In the modern world, media has become a preliminary source of “knowledge”. In addition to this, most people look towards models (and actors) for fashion and style tips. The absorption of knowledge from the media persists at an unstoppable rate. The news, of which we read or watch, comes from one source and is therefore a somewhat bias opinion. It is with these speculations that we attach our “knowledge” of that such event. One such example concerns the recent tsunami, of which affected several Asian nations. Numerous articles, written by those who were not present during the time of the natural disaster, stated that with prior understanding of how a tsunami is caused, they themselves would have reacted to the receding of water, by running away. But in reality, nobody can really place themselves in the position, unless they themselves were there.

Similarly, the fashion trends are expressed through media. People look towards the ideal person, apparently actors and models, for tips on how to accessorize and look good in the modern day world. The interesting thing regards the actual physique of these persons. Nowadays, models have weight and height restrictions. These restrictions impose boundaries concerning what a person should look like. Several factors contribute to the amount of influence media has on the public. The most valuable factor concerns the strength of that society’s specific culture. One very profound example of this is India. Previously, and still, being overweight is a sign of wealth. This is in relation to the fact that food is a scarcity in India, and if you have lots of it, it means you are rich. Of course, now there are several health risks to being overweight, but the effects of media vary between all nations and cultures. Media is controlled and manipulated by society. It is society that has placed most of the boundaries already; media is just another media to continue doing so.