PJ time

ELEPHANT-BANANA Series:

(Highlight each question and the xtra space below to see the answers!)



An elephant has 5 bananas and it is hungry, but yet it does not eat the bananas. Why ?
Because the bananas are made of plastic.

The 5 bananas are real , but yet the elephant does not eat it. Why?
Because the elephant is made of plastic.

Both the elephant and the bananas are real, but yet it cannot eat it. Why ?
Because the bananas are in the TV.


Both the elephant and the bananas are real and in the TV, but yet it cannot eat it. Why?
Because they are on different channels.


Both the elephant and the bananas are real and in the TV and on the same channel, but yet it cannot eat it. Why?
Because the TV is off.

What the hell!! What the #%&*!

Its 1.51 am, 27th NOV and i(alone) am travelling in Chennai Mumbai Express towards Mumbai. And i am shit scared. Scared for my life! I got a call from my sister around 11.30 that there have been some blasts in mumbai. I rugged it off as just another case of serial blasts and didnt worry. Then another call from Jiju in bangalore at 1.20 am that theres blast, terrorists throwing grenades, police firings, etc. I decided to put on my laptop and check for it myself thru news websites... only to realise that the terrorists have themselves openly taken to ground thistime and to me it seems as if i am heading towards a war front! With police in my bogey, appearing and now disappeared, i m even more scared...

I dont kno what tomorrow morning holds for me when i reach Dadar. But trust me Its very scary.
Moreso for those whose loved ones are in areas near where the firings are on... God!

Prayers for Peace!!

A stitch in time will save India!

Its not for no reason that one would fight to get the control over any place that is called almost a heaven, if not completely a heaven. But things this time around are far more intense than one can imagine. Some call it a freedom movement, while others claim it to be an identity crisis for this place whereas other little influential persons are busy politicizing the issue not realising the hazards. If you are still confused about what i am talking about, let me cut the whole story short.. Kashmir is in serious danger!

Not that the Jammu and Kashmir has faced very less problems since India's independence, but this one, by far, is most difficult to address as unlike the previous problems, it seems to arise from our own side.

Little did any one know that a protest over handing a piece of land to The Amarnath Shrine board for better facilities of the pilgrims would take such an ugly turn that the local party i.e. the Hurriyat conference has demanded freedom for Kashmir, let alone the cross-border problems. The thought itself provokes many and irks my feelings towards those trying to seperate the land from the nation. They have put us in the similar state, we had put the British in, by chanting slogans like "Give us freedom" , Quit India", etc. Mind you the former was a different issue altogether.

But the question that lies is... are they justified? Or is the Indian government unable to satisfy the demands of the J&K janta? Or is it that some people are just trying to turn the tide in their interest in the heat of the moment? The questions are many... but there's no body to answer..

Ever since the introduction of Article 370 that has special provisions for the state, the valley has been in controversies for reasons associated with treatment of Muslims to that of issues with Kashmiri pandits and various other local communities. While our Pakistani counterparts are all willing to gain authority over the region, any mishandling of the issue by the government can cause irreparable damage to the nations developments which historically will be regretted.

But as the saying goes, "In every adversity ,there's an opportunity!"
So i believe this is the time when the Manmohan Singh government has to take some tough calls and act with a lot of metal in the blood. It is the time for the Indian government to set an example before the world that how secular as a country we are. This is also an opportunity to show the British a way of dealing as we would have expected them to during their regime. All in all, its a golden chance to do things, a chance for a real reform in the valley.

Though giving in to the demand for a free Kashmir is far from a thinkable solution, the first step should be to control the upsurge(read violence and protests) by some means to get on with negotiations. Once able to reach there, J&K citizens should be assuaged by Kashmir given treatment as any other state of the country and not as just an extension of the territory, even if that calls for an amendment in the Article 370 or the worse scrapping of it. Then various trade reforms are necessary. High mobility within the state and intra state trade with jammu anf Kashmir is required on a large scale. High subsidies, even if they are a burden in the short run, special allowances, grants and sanctions for various development projects and the like are necessary steps. This will not only gain the trust of the Kashmiri people but will also keep the local politicians busy with such projects and avoid any kind of a frenzy situation for the center.

These might seem very optimistic and idealistic but realistically for solving problems of Kashmir, it is very essential to solve the problems of the kashmiris. This might at least stabilize the state and give it a respectable position in India's growth story.

I really wish that India always remains a united country and for this people of this nation have to come forward and voice their opinions. It surprises me to know that we are from the same urban city where some made it a fashion to speak shout "Save Tibet". Wondering why nobody has still come forward for saving kashmir.

"Assam se gujaraat tak, bengal se maharashtra tak
jaati kahi dhun ek hain, bhasha kahi sur ek hai,
kashmir se madras tak, Kehdo sabhi hum ek hai,
aawaz do hum ek hai.... jaago!!!!

Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!

Regards,
BM

PJ Time

IN an asylum for insane, late in the night one man shouted;
"I am Napoleon!"
Another man asked "how do you know?"
He replied "God told me."
There came another voice from the next room "i never told him!"



A foreigner asks Sardar while visiting his village...
"Has any great man ever born in this town?"
The sardar replies;
"No sir, only small babies are born here!!!"

India attacked!! Again!!

BM Press:

In my last post on this issue on May 19th (I feel scared!) i had mentioned about the jaipur blats and next possible intentions of the terrorists.. This is an extract from my article-

"Also i feel that not much can the government do as most of the times a new organization openly undertakes the responsibility of the blasts or the act. This time it was another new organization some *** al**hindi* which claimed the act and not only did they do it successfully, but they also had the guts to release the video of their plan and mail a news channel using words"*fida*yin* wait Modi" indicating some unaccomplished mission."

this has unfortunately turned out to be true as Bengaluru(5) and Ahmedabad (16 serial blasts) have been their next targets and Surat in Gujarat has also been targeted with 20 live bombs found and diffused in a single day. This time again there was a new organisation little known 'Indian *ujha**din', and again a mail has been sent openly to the news channels of Mumbai being their next destination...

GOD, PLS COME TO OUR RESCUE... things arent improving and dont seem to.. I would not want to repeat my appeal to the citizens as they stand to be same as in the earlier post.

Does any one from the system administration have an answer for our worries?

Songs you must listen to befor you die-II

Lata Mangeshkar's best:

"Yeh zindagi usi ki hai, jo kisi ka ho gaya... pyaar hi mein kho gaya."- 1953

"Jiya beqarar hai aayi bahaar hai.." - 1949

"jeevan ke safar me raahi, milke hi bichad jaane ko.."- 1955

"Mohe bhool gaye saawariya.."- 1952

"Thandi hawayen, lehera ke aayen"- 1951

"hawa mein udta jaaye"- 1949

Selections: BM
Year courtesy: sa re ga ma Golden Collection

BM Quotes

"Obstacles are those frightful things that you see... when you take your eyes off the goal!!"

The Gujjar saga- This is how our democracy works!

The Gujjars have been maligned for the violent methods they adopted to voice their demands for a quota. But one cannot fault the principles on which their agitation was based.

The original list of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes prepared in 1950 has expanded over the years. So there is no reason why groups such as Gujjars, who feel that they deserve quotas, can't agitate for ST status.

In any case, the BJP before it won the elections in Rajasthan had promised ST status to the Gujjars.

The Gujjars have a pretty strong case for being included in the ST list. Besides the Gujjars themselves, there are many who believe that they've been hard done by when compared to the Meenas.

The Meenas, who have a similar socio-economic background as the Gujjars, are classified as STs and have cornered most of the central government jobs in Rajasthan.

The Gujjars, by virtue of being a nomadic group, have always found it difficult to mobilise and articulate their demands.

This year's agitation, as well as the one last year, is an illustration of the political maturity and clout of the Gujjars.

There are some who have pointed out that the Rajasthan government's move to grant a 5 per cent quota for Gujjars flouts the existing 50 per cent limit fixed by the Supreme Court.

But we shouldn't forget that the Constitution does not limit the quantity of reservations. There are many sociologists who believe that scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes together make up more than three quarters of India's population.

So why should there be a 50 per cent limit to reservation?

It's no use bemoaning the fact that groups like Gujjars are demanding and getting quotas and opening the door for more such agitations. So long as there is reservation on the basis of caste and tribe, we can expect groups to mobilise along identity.

Only when the system of reservation is changed, can we expect movements such as the one in Rajasthan to cease.

(Views of TOI correspondent-Prodosh Mitra. Endorsed by BM)

Realty Prices to go up?

Mumbai, BM press:

Considering the latest announcements that have been made with regards to the construction sector and given the increase in steel and cement prices, a price rise in the realty industry seems inevitable.

Last week it was announced that VAT i.e Value Added Tax @ 5% will be levied on all constructions after june 2006. A day later came an announcement of builders being able to charge a 4.5% service tax. Obviously, no builder is going to pay the VAT from his own pocket and the burden will be ultimately transferred to the final buyers.

Also adding to this is the Inflation rate of India which is close to 8% making basic necessities more expensive than ever. And the RBI increasing the Repo rates are adding tho the woes as getting loans has just got a lil more burdening.

So buying a dream home is proving to be a costly dream now.. Watch out for the growth in Tier II and Tier III cities. And if any plans to invest in the realty sector/lands or plots do take these cities into consideration.

"Mere desh ki dharti sona ugle, ugle heere moti... ..mere desh ki dharti.."
Apparently, nothing comes for free in this world... so what if u grow diamond and gold in your backyard.. all hypothetical!!

New Logo Unveiled!!

Hi guys,
After putting in hours and days into it, i have finally arrived at the final logo of my blog.
Also note that the blog will now on be called not as "Renaissance", but as "BM BLOG". Though the essence will somewhat be similar.
Thanks a million for being at the logo launch ceremony..
(pls comment and criticize the logo; valuable inputs if incorporated shall be rewarded in some way.. friends i need ur support and interaction to continue with the same enthusiasm and develop my general skills. thanks a lottt for ur motivation.)

Regards,
BM

Announcement!!

Hi dear friends,
Thanks a million for visiting my blog...
In the process of making my blog better, i gives me immense pleasure 2 announce that i am about to unveil a new logo for my blog..
So just stay tuned..
Event: Inauguration of the blog logo.
Venue: Ur desktop.
Date: 28th May 2008
Time: Between 23.00- 00.00hrs

Be there. Be a part of Renaissance!

Thanks n Regards,
BM

Songs you MUST listen to before you die!!

(Apologies if they are completely unfamiliar to you. But cant help)

Ruk Ja Raat ke Theher ja re Chanda, beete na milan ki reina.. - Lata Mangeshkar.
"Everything comes to a standstill, once the song is over. One of my favorites."


Dheere Dheere chal, chand gagan me - Rafi (Love Marriage).
"Slow down and enjoy the journey of life."


Aa ja sanam madhur chandni mein hum - Raj Kapoor.
"A great melody."


Bhuli hui yaadon mein, mujhe itna na satao.. Mukesh.
"A substitute for cigarettes and alcohol."


Chingaari koi bhadke... Kishore Kumar (Amar Prem).
"Takes you away from everything, literally. Another good substitute."


Suhana safar aur yeh mausam hasin... Mukesh (Madhumati).
"You smile atleast thrice during the song if you listen to it carefully."


Yeh dil tum bin kahin lagta nahin hum kya kare.. Rafi-Lata.
"One can be sure to hit the previous track button of the media player as soon as the next track starts."


Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nissar... Mukesh (Anari).
"You begin to prepare a balance sheet of your life."


Yeh hai bambai, yeh hai bambai.. meri jaan - Rafi- Geeta Dutt.
"Nicely portrayed picture of Mumbai thats applicable even today, but more importantly a wonderful waltz song from that era."


(Above selection from the oldies... Another post on new and not so old ones..
Coming soon,
Regards,
BM)

PJ Time

Three men- Vrateek, Yinit and Pash visit a doctor for a memory test.

Doctor to Vrateek: "what is four times four?"

Vrateek thinks for a while and says, "291".

Disappointed doctor turns to Yinit and asks him the same question,

"so Yinit, u tell me what is four times four?"

Yinit pretends to think a lot and finally says.. "Tuesday."

Doctor with a grin on his face, with no expectations asks Pash,

"Hey Pash, what is four times four?"

This time, without wasting any second Pash suddenly answers,

"I know, 16".

The delighted doctor congratulates Pash,

"Well done Pash, thats the right answer!!!!", "So now can you tell your friends how did you arrive at it?"

Answers Pash, "Simple, just subtract Tuesday from 291.."

I feel Scared!!

The recent terror strikes at jaipur and the previous incidences of violent terrorist attacks on Mumbai and other places all over the country has suddenly made me ponder and think that "We are NOT Safe"."At all"
Don't know why, but i am feeling more scared than ever after these serial blasts.
They might have taken place far away from us but it is an eye opener that the terrorists network is already reaching out to the tier II and III cities like Jaipur and metros and the heaven J&K are not the only ones affected by it.
After every blast the government comes up with some schemes for the victims and their families and an assurance of fighting the terrorists with more stringent policies and aggression. But whats the state of affair? The strikes are still on.
Also i feel that not much can the government do as most of the times a new organization openly undertakes the responsibility of the blasts or the act. This time it was another new organization some *** al**hindi* which claimed the act and not only did they do it successfully, but they also had the guts to release the video of their plan and mail a news channel using words"*fida*yin* wait Modi" indicating some unaccomplished mission.
One might also think why Jaipur as the spot. The reason could be to announce their prescence to international people as Jaipur/ Rajasthan is the most visited place by the foreign tourists after Goa and Kerela in india. or may be some other reasons..

But the bottomline remains that India is not a terror free state at all and i seriously don't feel that any one can be safe any time here. U cant be safe while traveling in the trains or the buses that go to your home, the crowded stadiums of cricket matches can be their next target, u can never be sure to send your family members to the market place alone...

What has to be done? Do we give up to these attacks? What is it thats going wrong?
We only have two options:
1. Let the things be as they are and live with them, and
2. Take up the responsibility of changing the situation and promise our kids a better and a safe future.

The choice is yours...

I have no intentions of scaring any one of you. But all that we need to do is be ALERT citizens and co operate with the system. Encourage education, general as well as moral in the backward areas so unemployed youths are not dragged into these things. Not only do we have to be alert, but we also need to keep others alert about the situations. Do some self Policing. Your one moment of presence of mind can save hundreds of lives and families.. I hope we can contribute something to our motherland.

God let there be peace in this world....

(Please send in your ways to tackle terrorism in the comments section. If satisfactory solutions are generated, I PROMISE to put my efforts in conveying them to the masses and the Government authorities. Lets Join Hands for a free world!!)


Regards,
BM

BM Quotes

"Slow down and enjoy Life...
It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast,
- you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."

PJ Time

Sardar had twins. He named them Tin and Martin.

Again had twins and named them Peter and Repeater.

Again twins and named them Max and Climax.

Again the same. Disgusted Sardar named them Tired & Retired.

BM Quotes

"A dream is not what you see while you are asleep...
...A dream is that thing which does not let you sleep!!"

Welcome!!

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Renaissance!

I, Bhavin Mehta, express my heartfelt gratitude to you for visiting my blog. It gives me immense pleasure to announce that in coming days there's going to be a lot of new weekly editions like Issue of the week from various aspects of life, PJ of the week, newer polls and many more things just for you guys..

I hope to make it as interesting as possible so that it gives you back worth the time you invest in my blog. I would appreciate if you make it more interactive with your valuable feedback and suggestions in the comments section. Feel free to demand a relevant post on any topic of your choice using the comments section.

Also, if you wish to receive an email notification regarding the updates on the blog or want to communicate anything in person pls send a mail with subject as 'Renaissance' to the following address: reply2bhavin@gmail.com

I hope i can live up to your expectations. Happy blogging!!

Thanks and Regards,
Bhavin Mehta

The secret i know!!

I dont know why i feel like sharing this secret with people i know, but the fact remains...
"You see so many things in your daily life. Get soo many feelings for others- good or bad. But what you fail to realise is that the whole world around you is nothing but just an ILLUSION!!
Your friends are an illusion,
Your Relatives are illusion,
You ever felt that u shared a wonderful bonding
with someone special, it was an illusion.
Your achievements were an illusion,
The races you ran as a child
and the ones which you won were an illusion.
Mind you,
Even if you lost something it was an illusion,
if ever you lose someone close to your heart, it ' ll be an illusion
coz the zero distance between the 2 hearts was itself an illusion.
The sky might not be the same for all,
the animals may be humans,
humans are probably still in the stone age,
this is the fact of the fact, that it is just an illusion.
You were never together with someone, nor were you ever alone,
coz wat ever u felt was an illusion.
The health you build, the diseases you have,
the food you eat, the water you drink dont make a difference.
The rainy winter, the cloudy summer, the spring et al was, is and will be an illusion.
Dont be happy for what you have,
nor be sad for what you dont,
Never question your presence,
coz illusion cant be questioned...
Every thing in this world is an illusion,
The terror, the sports, the growth stories, the independence- is all illusion

PS. Only one thing is not an illusion... there might be a different meaning (that no one else ever discovered) for this word called ILLUSION!!!
Dont be illusioned, that everything is illusion."

Winter of 05!

Roz subha ko 6 baje uthke,

Brush karke nahake dhoke,

Ready hoke mein college jaun,

Aur phir lecture me so jaun..

.. College ke baad project ke bahane,

Canteen aur frenz ke ghar jaun,

Full-to timepass masti karke,

ghar pe thakela muh leke jaun.

Mummy soche beta ye mera,
dekho kitni mehnat hai karta,
Par toh ye sirf hum hi jaane,
Khud ki kare hum aise deewane,

... These were the best days of my life!

Oh Yeah, back in the campus of Bhagubhai.

(next stanza for professional life)

Boss ki wife ko Bhabhi bulakar,
collegues ke saamne use bhaiya kahenge,
Boss ke saath meeting me jaakar,
Sharma sir ke jaise shayari kahange.

Company ke, AGM me jaake.

Jahbak ke jaisi comedy karenge.

Senoirs hume kuch kaam bole toh,

Reema maam ke jaise Shut-up kahenge,

Hamare saare collegues ko hardam,
Saxena sir ke Paath padayenge,
Aur hamare juniors bechare,
Unke liye to hum devils hi rahenge.

....Those were the best days of my life

... We learnt all this in Bhagubhai

Oh Hun,,, Campus.. campus of Bhagubhai.

The above poem is written by Bhavin Mehta (thats me) in memory of college days of NM BMS spent in the capmus of Bhagubhai Mafatlal Polytechnic.
Statutory Declaration: No offence intended to any one. Neither the professors, nor the college nor the campus.
its was all fun to be there.
Regards,
BM.

ICL- A failed league or just bad marketing?

Some time back when Kapil Dev along with Subhash Chandra announced the inaugral of a parallel cricket body with the BCCI in the form of ICL- Indian Cricket League, it had definitely brought a grin on a lot of faces of the board officials with regards to the future of Indian Cricket. However, at the end of the Edelweiss T20 challenge of the ICL, everything for BCCI seems to be a smooth sail with no possible threats as expected from the league.

They came, they played and they went away. Nor did they conquer anything- Fans, media or sponsors. There was hardly anyone very enthusiastic about the tournament. The event was a failed attempt and the loser? Kapil- No, Players- No, Sopnsors- No, Cricket- Yes! Who to blame for this failure.. Was there something wrong with the concept or the marketing guys couldnt sell it well or just lack of proper planning?

I personally feel that the concept is very promising and good enough to generate interest among audiences. But certainly it was timely counter attack by the BCCI with the announcement of the Indian Premier League IPL based on the same format. The only difference- IPL has all current international players and ICL just content with a few retired international players and some domectic players. People need stars, they need excitement whuch was all missing. May be they would have tried hard, but there must have been some more popular players from the international cricket and international domestic cricketers as well to give it a global feel. The league had players like Chris Harris, Chris crains, Nathan Astle (NZ), Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana (SL), Heath Streak (ZIM). Jason Gillespie. Damien Fleming, Damien Martyn (AUS) and a full fledged team from Pakistan(oh!).

Secondly the timing of the league was also not proper. It started from 3rd march or so and went on till 6th april. This period in India is time for EXAMS! School or college students all either giving exams or reeling under exam pressure. (After all everybody knows, they have IPL waiting for them after exams, who wants to waste time on ICL).

Today is the era of glamorisation. But the glamour of ICL was not accepted. The cheer leaders dancing in skimpy outfits in South Africa T2o world cup was a digestable fact. But this thing is not readily accepted in Indian culture. The family head avoids going to such events where his children are exposed to such westernization. Moreover the matches were not even held in proper metros. They were held at the mercy of Lalu Prasad Yadav who offered them railway grounds after BCCI restricted the use of National cricket grounds for ICL. So bollywood sizzlers Celina Jaeitly, Neha Duphia, Rakhi sawant et al performing was for an empty house dull audience, some of who dont even have cable tv at their homes.

Instead, the glamourising could have been in terms of getting a few high profile sponsors- no matter if it came for a low price. There was no print or media partner, no airlines partner, no refreshment partner, drinks partner or telecom partner. Even if these slots had gone for almost free, the corporates would have atleast ensured a decent success for the tournament. Dont know about Zee sports, but Ten sposrts which also telecast all the matches(except semis and final- cant figure out why) did not have even a SINGLE AD for the whole innings. Even edelweiss did not come up with a ad clipping.. disappointment all around.

It would have rather been wise to issue some free tickets as part of contests, than to have no audience in the house. Local schools students could have been given free entry on ID cards, college students discounts, benefit for group booking, support camp/teams benefits, freebies of team support and so on..

Though its easy for us to sit here and criticise any event, it actually takes a hell lot of resources to build a successful one. Many more points yet to be discussed but frankly a bit tired right now. Well its 1.29 am on the clock and i better stop giving my gyaan on issues that dont need mine at all.
I wish best of luck to both the ICL and IPL and hope that whatever be the case, it ultimately severs the purpose of developing the standard of the game all over- the game which is not just a sport in our country but a Religion called "CRICKET".

This is not my Mumbai!

What is wrong with the influential people of this wonderland called MUMBAI.
Is this the same city which has won accolades for its spirit of unity, one ness and helping nature during the crisis times of 26th July incident and the 7 july blasts, when the people of this very city came out of their homes to lend a helping hand not bothering about the caste and religion of the receiver. We Mumbaikars have always been proud of the distinct qualities of humanism and secularism that make us so special. But the recent comments by a few ploitical leaders againgst a particular section from the northern India has left me dissapointed with the way things are shaping up.
I hope that this matter does not bulge into a big issue, which if happens will surely have dire consequences. I dont want to comment on how it all started, who started it and when was it started.... i just appeal that please.. after all, all of us are Indians. What is wrong if your brother stays in your house and contributes to the sorrunding. If mumbai can not accept people from all sections of the country, then it has no right to be called as the financial capital of India, a Metro, a developed city, an international city.. If you claim that being Bih*r* is a disease, isnt it the responsibility of the healthy members of the family to take care of them and ensure speedy recovery. Will you leave him orphan, to recover on his own? i m sure we all love our family.
To all the political leaders,
come on now, we have many important issues to deal with, dont we? why waste time in such silly matters and make a fool of our own selves. Whats more disheartening is a few bollywood celebs have also commented and added fuel to the fire... Huh!. PLEASE let us be in PEACE.. Let us pledge to not give up to such things that can divide us. Lets dream of a brighter future.
I am sure we will come out of this troubled time very soon. Just keep the faith alive as Mumbai has always done...
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
"Hoton pe sachai rehti hai, jahan dil mein safai rehti hai,
Hum us desh ke vasi hai, Hum us desh ke vasi hai,
Jis Desh mein Ganga Behti Hai...
........ Mehman jo hamara hota hai woh jaan se pyaara hota hai...."

Back From the Break!!

It has been4 months since i last posted on this page... this was due to a few reasons: got stuck with xtra currics in college, then prelims, then boards, then holidays... and meanwhile no internet connection (my dail up stopped workin)... n blah blah..
Now i wish to constantly be in it and lets hope i improve on my verbal ability in the process. i hope you would like the upcoming articles on my blog. suggestions always welcome..

Huh... it's RENAISSANCE!!
(this one is 1 of the very few informal posts that i wud ve on my blog..)