June 20, 2004

Now we all know that people blog on every imaginable subject, but how about this one that I came across (dont ask me how) recently:

'Why Your Wife Won't Have Sex With You -- and other subjects of equally earth-shattering importance'

Now this should interest all the married boys and also the unmarried boys whose women are not co-operating. I also found this earlier post from the same blog quite interesting. Just hope I dont get sued for reproducing it here.

Do Women Prefer Bad Boys?

Why do women go for jerks? Or another phrasing: why do women go for men who treat them like shit? For every woman who wants to be on a pedestal - note the intentional use of cliche - another wants to be under the heel. Good looking, bad looking, fat or thin, rich or poor - doesn't matter, you can find a million women who want a man to tell them what to do.

The phenomenon of "women going for jerks" is a real one, but there is a very, very important thing missing from the usual understanding of it. It is, I believe, a product of women's enculturated fantasies that jerks really AREN'T jerks down deep in their most hidden souls. The usual La-La Land construct is that jerks are really powerful, confident, and misunderstood men that only the 'Very Special Women Who Truly Love Them' can bring into the Light, so that someday the erstwhile jerk will finally appreciate the 'Unconditional Love' that has been lavished upon him so stupidly unstintingly. At which point, of course, he will fall into stunned, eternal adoration of the 'Very Special Woman who Stood By Him' while he was going around being a powerful, confident, misunderstood jerk, world without end, Amen.

Yeah, it's nuts. But you do have to understand some of the vital elements of this scene to understand female sexuality. What turns women on? Novelty and beauty, of course: the new and different, the gorgeous hunk, the intelligent or humorous personality, an air of mystery. Touch, warmth, attention, sensual surroundings, laughter. But above all, most women will say that a man's inherent personal confidence, in and of itself, is a big turn on.

The sexual appeal of masculine confidence is why a bald assertion of power, pure ashcan walkover stuff, can work, especially in the beginning of a relationship (it's the secret to how a lot of men get a lot of one night stands). And it is also a fact that many women can't tell the difference between put-on machismo, the violent, belligerent swagger that is often a mask for a LACK of confidence, and real manhood.

Many women believe the classic romantic construct too faithfully, and it is such an insidious mythology that it can incorporate any manner of disgusting behavior depending on a woman's need to believe it. A woman will go for years believing that her lover's 'Redemption' is just around the corner, letting him wipe his boots on her. She feels alternately thrilled by his 'Power' and tortured by the length of time it's taking for him to start giving her the 'Love' she's "owed" for all the dirt on her back. If she leaves him now, she's admitting he wasn't worth it. She can't do that, can she? Surely he's going to come around any day now.

So...do some women "want" to be degraded? Yes. Do some women "want" to be ordered around? Yes. Do some women "want" to be Daddied like infants? Yes.

Does that mean that any mature, centered, MANLY man should indulge these women's fantasies and encourage these neuroses?

I leave the answer as an exercise for the reader.

June 19, 2004

I have to admit: I cant think of anything to say here today.

I'm listening to J.J. Cale again. I remember telling you guys about the first time we heard J.J. Cale. All of us cousins were sitting on the sand at Baga beach in Goa, watching the sunset. Behind us, one of those beachfront restaurants(it was called St. Anthony's Cafe) was playing what we thought sounded so much like Clapton - songs like After midnight and Cocaine. Then a British guy sitting a little distance away comes over to us and says something like: "that's not Clapton guys, thats J.J. Cale".

And I dont know why, but every time I listen to J.J. Cale, I'm transported back there to that beach - freaking with the gang, sipping on Kings beer(in those small brown bottles)and licking our fingers after devouring the most amazing deep fried shellfish! Viva Goa!

I've still got some photos from that trip. Problem was, most of the time we were too sloshed to focus the cameras right! And lot of crazy things happened in those few days; I'll tell you some other time.

Ok, this J.J. Cale song called 'Hey Baby' goes out to our dear michelle; though I dont think she'll quite like being called 'baby'. Anyway, here's to you m.

Hey baby, it's your time now
Hey baby, you made it somehow
Don't let nobody come and bring you down.

Hey baby, you've got 'em on the run
You know, you've got 'em on the run
I know you; you have just begun.

Yes you have.

June 17, 2004

Ok, how many of you guys really believe in this Vastu Shastra & Feng Shui stuff?

I was reading my book at the library today when one of the guys comes and sits next to me. You’re facing the wrong way – you should facing in the opposite direction, he says. Then he starts to talk about how the earth's magnetic field affects brain performance and efficiency and stuff like that. I didn’t show much interest but he just kept on telling me his theories, like one of those Born Again maniacs who make you believe that you’ll rot in hell if you don’t pay heed to their message and opt for salvation.

Then he gets me to draw a rough layout of the rooms in my house; it seems my bedroom is in the worst possible location. The position I sleep in is also not helping things. Now you know why things are not looking up for you, he tells me.

But there is hope, he says. You must move into your parents bedroom, because that room is situated correctly. Now how could I tell him what my dad would say if I talked about switching bedrooms with him – he’ll say something like, “son, get your own damn place and then sleep in any bloody room you want” …I swear that’s what he’d say.

But frankly, I don’t like people like this. How the hell did he conclude that my life is going down the toilet; or is it that obvious? He also happens to be an amateur face reader, palmist, and astrologist - it's no wonder he’s been doing his engineering course for the last 7 or 8 years.

So it seems my face tells him that I’m depressed, have no love life (yes he really said that) and very few friends. “You’re absolutely right. Thank you; and now get lost,” I said.

I’m only trying to help you, he insists. Anyway, if anybody you know needs Vastu advice, I'll be glad to help out. I don’t charge people who are badly in need of help, he says. That didn’t make sense to me - why would someone who doesn’t need help pay for it? Anyway, he’s probably got it all worked out.

But I’m thinking: what if there is some truth to all this – especially the bedroom/sleeping position thing? All those people who are convinced and claim to be living proof that this stuff works cannnot be completely wrong; or can they?. As for me, there isn’t much I can do about it now, even if I wanted to. And also if you look at it from a practical point of view, how many people actually get to choose or plan their rooms according to these Vastu principles? Not too many, I’d say.

So, do all of us unfortunate one's sit and cry about how shitty our luck is; or how great our lives would have been if we had to get up every morning with our ass facing the sun? I don’t think so.

What then? ...what the hell do we do to fix things?

I think I'll have a beer.

June 13, 2004

So she’s on strike. But we all know “she’ll be baaack” …she loves us too much.

Nothing to do today – just lazing away. I was hoping to go see a movie this afternoon - its been ages since I saw a film on the big screen - but nobody seems too keen on a movie today.

My first preference would have been Harry Potter, but my cousin tells me that even her kids who are big Potter fans didn’t like it all that much. The Prisoner of Azkaban, it seems. But wasn’t the next Potter film going to be called ‘Harry Potter and the Five-Dollar Whore’

…or is it the five-dollar whore who's the prisoner of Azkaban?

But what else is there to see? Great Indian Warrior Chief - Big B’s latest movie ‘Dev’ is reportedly running to full houses. Maybe that’s because this film doesn’t have his son ‘Little Shit’ acting in it. The producers have done a great service to the Indian movie-going public by keeping him out.

Then there’s smiling reptile Rhithik as an army officer in Lakshya. No way anybody here is gonna want to see that. Seeing him gyrate in those tank tops is bad enough – but in military fatigues!?! …and I don’t think anybody with an extra thumb and a smile like that would ever make it through Services Selection Board.

Lets go see the lesbian movie next week, someone said. Amrita Arora and Isha Kopikar together is sure to a sizzler! 'Little Shit' must be fuming mad - what a waste of babes! But besides the booty, I dont think we can expect anything more from a movie with a title like 'Girlfriend'. And already, some sections of the moral police are gearing up for action.

My folks are out for the weekend – distant relatives wedding. The guys want to come over this evening to watch Euro 2004 England vs. France football game over a couple of beers and some grub. They had a good laugh when I told them about the catastrophic effects of too much beer – yeah, the last thing we need is them phytoestrogens.

Ok, I know this is a rubbish post. Apologies to all the Abhishek and Roshan fans. But you’ll watch MTV’s Fully Faltoo, dont you’ll?

Anyway, have a good week.

Peace, love, and a fish called Goonda!!

June 10, 2004

Listening to classical guitar is like drinking a glass of fine wine - it soothes your senses.

And speaking of fine wines, the best I’ve had is the Hennessey XO and Remy Martin VSOP that Pashu had nicked from his aunt’s wine cellar (loft actually). This stuff costs something like 5-6 grand a bottle, so I don’t think we’ll be having that again anytime soon.

Playing right now is Spanish guitarist Moro. You can download some of his pieces from the website - good music.

I’m not really in a blog posting mood right now. Its good to be quiet sometimes, I guess.

Madcap: MTV Live airs at 10:30 pm on Sundays.

The Olympic Torch Relay which took place in Delhi today is a good example of how stupid we Indians are. It just doesn’t make sense to me – here we are, a country of a billion people who managed just one bronze medal in the last Olympics, and we rush to make such a huge event out of the Olympic flame coming to our country. If you ask me, the IOC should have left India out. And what can be more insulting to all those athletes and other Olympic sport participants who have to put up with the lack of funds, support and facilities, than to see bimbo’s like Bipasha Basu and Aishwarya Rai carrying that torch. Only in India.

BFN

"The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon"
- Thich Nhat Hanh

June 1, 2004

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky;
I left my shoes and socks there - I wonder if they're dry?

May 26, 2004

We got really drunk last night.

"Reality is an illusion that occurs due to lack of alcohol"

The HR prick told him he had failed the logic and reasoning test. So what do you think our man does? He comes up with his own logic and reasoning test which he is going to show to that HR guy, just to prove to him that their test is flawed.

Yup, he is going back there today to demand that they give him a chance. I told you he was a lunatic.

I guess my last post left people thinking I was feeling down or something. Far from it.

We talked a lot last night. About life, people, money, music, and of course, women.

We have one thing in common, he and I - we just never throw in the towel, for the simple reason that there is no damn towel to throw in.

"Pick up you weapon and get out there soldier!"

"Yes Sir. Sir."

"Wait, whats that you left back there son?"

"Oh, those are just my dreams, Sir. Could you hold on to them for me till I get back. I wont be needing those where I'm going."

May 11, 2004

This Gypsy Kings' version of Hotel California is good, good, good.

...all the guitars, all the percussion, and that gypsy dialect they sing in - I love it!

Anyway, Blues Over Troubled Waters is a year old today, so I just did a little post in the old page. Rediff seems to have fixed the problem, but I dont want go back there. I like blogger - they even gave me a free Gmail account.

...this music is goddamn good, I tell you; makes me forget about the money i'm losing in the stock market and everything else thats depressing these days. Exams are 5 days away, but damn that - I've done what I could do. If I dont get through this time, I'll just do everything again.

So, the voters in Andhra Pradesh have chosen to hit ctrl+alt+del on good 'ol Chandrababu. I laughed so much when I saw that headline on NDTV - some creative chaps you have coming up with these headlines. Our man was all set to put his Cyberabad on the world IT map; guess he forgot that it's not the techies who voted for him, it's the farmers who've been going without food, water and electricity. It seems he even wanted to build a Formula-I race track in Hyderabad, can you believe that!

...but that'll teach em' not to ignore our farmers again.

Damn right I got the blues!

May 4, 2004

I Just checked my portfolio on Moneycontrol and guess what ? I now have Rs. 1,98,247 worth of bluechip shares. Yesterday I had nothing. All my money is in those damn mutual funds.

How did this happen to be? I dont know. Either somebody has hacked into their computers, or their Oracle systems are down. Or, it might just be that God in heaven decided to give me something to smile about for a change.

After all, I have been knockin' on his door, haven't I?

You know, I think its the most terrible, terrible, thing to find people treating their daughters like inventory that needs to be scrapped when its reached the end of its shelf life. In this case that would be the time a girl is of marriageable age. You can understand when uneducated people in villages do this, but when you see it happening in educated homes, it is just so sad. You generally see parents showering their love on their little girl; dressing her up real pretty for everyone to see. So what happens when the little girl grows up?

I've seen this happen in my own family with my cousins, and I know I would hate my parents if I were their daughter and this was the treatment I got. I say whip the blighters - 500 lashes will do the job nicely.

Anyway, thats all I want to say today.

Little girl, little girl,
dont you know its true.
I dont wanna stop
rockin' and rollin' with you.