Rooting for Bringing Back the Stupidity in Zombie Movies...nothing artistic about it!

Like everyone curious-eyed teenager, my love for Zombie movies began just around the time when hormonal growth was in the throes and daily testosterone resurgence was making a heavy impact. This meant an unending fascination with primarily white & yellow-faced bodies being slashed, and cut down to smaller pieces where the chopped-away body part often had this individual ability to move around! But somewhere down the line, not due to too much TV, the entire charm with the niche died. Not sure why but I can understand that this has got something to do with ditching the old ways of making Zombie movies, choosing the modern, more digital way of doing things. You see, the charm of Zombie mayhem lies in stupid finishing touches.

Blog, Share, Comment often? NO, you are not close to being a good writer

There is a hidden author in you, this could be the week when you start your globally-awaited journey towards being the novelist that God wanted you to become...thoughts like these will continue to traffic your mind but the fact remains that like most things in life, at least crafts that need every nuance of the trade to be baked with extreme effort, Writing is not that easy!

When Family Time sounds like your Psychologist's Favorite Phrase about what you Should be Doing!

Tail-end of 80s and 90s played host to my growing-up memories

It was during the morning hours of getting ready for work and the usual music channels were upbeat with new tunes and songs. My mind just popped some images of audio cassettes of yonder that once used to find ample space in my schoolbag, drawers, cupboards and always seem like trending without the hashtags or Instagram stories. We didn't need social media channels to tell us what was cool - we could pretty much handle this on our own. We didn't need Likes on our images to realize that what we had was of some value and liked by others. These were really plasticky times and still they now seem a lot more real, less commercialized, more restrained without getting suffocating. This was during the late 80s and early 90s.

Do Abnormally Creative Mixing Skills Mean a Good Career?

I am looking for a job profile titled Mixologist. Your expectations should be:

• can mix all forms known to man - air, water, fire, earth, pornographically permeated ideas
• suffers from severe mixing tendencies that were once evaluated as the result of God-mixed, genetically-conjured split personalities
• has no shame in admitting that most mixing experiments lead to severe accidents
• someone who cannot be trusted with a kitchen that is reasonably stocked
• expects you to be ready party to anything and everything that is mixed and whipped beyond recognition
• seems to look at everyday food choices as a challenge and wants to defeat them
• has the distinction of not suffering from acidity despite multiple, same-day food experiments
• was once listed as a wanted offender for challenging the stability of our food chain
• has won accolades for mixing three types of shaving foams and four types of deodorants
• suffers from borderline disassociation syndrome when mixing possibilities dry-up
• cannot be trusted with small kids as his creations might make the kids choke or allergy-up
• envies mixer-grinding machines who seem to mix better than him [seem...they actually don't]
• is crazy about textures in food

Almost Ancient Moral Science Classroom Chapters that Make More Sense Now!

Our moral science classes were usually held in the first period of the day. In a catholic school, as a fraternity, we were big on manners and learning the good things to do. At that time, it seemed a bit too vague, often about things that we really didn’t practice but yes, it helped to draw some sort of line between the good, the bad, and the reasonably acceptable middle, grey zone. These lessons were usually forgotten and often the classroom aura was more of winding down for the day to follow with many mates catching up on quick bites and pending homework copies. Things that were transmitted to us were usually never received or processed. Now, after nearly two decades, it seems that many of the lessons that we didn’t bother to learn during that period are waiting for their share of the spotlight. We were told not to lie and yes, I learned this lesson rather well before giving it away when handling the type of projects that were too big for the teams I managed. The lesson of one lie opening a box of more dicey stories, tales sprinkled with misleading creativity followed. Soon I realized that no matter what the Management or the workplace buddies say, don’t lie to your client – this will blow up in your face in the most hurtful manner. The smallest lessons about starting the day in a refreshing manner, always taking the time to tidy up make more sense now, in my middle-30s when there are a million tasks to manage and not starting the day on a positive note means daylong anxiety and unwanted stress!

If only, at that time, someone could have schooled in the wisdom of teaching these lessons as life-essential skills and not just another round of classroom learning.

When Life Gives You Lemons, Ask for Martini...Demand One!

This is not some Instagram-worthy post with hash-tags like #lifemotivation - this is just me, sharing something that I have learned along the way when repeatedly trying to undertake a journey towards an utterly believable state of happiness. I have this firm belief that as an individual, I never exploited and fully utilized the gifts that God granted. I did not encash the opportunities that Destiny presented. For a long time, Life has been about committing many mistakes and then finding the energy to try redemption. The result is this constant battle where I have to fight off bouts of unhappiness that stem from this reconfirmation. However, I have also found a way of dealing with such days. This short blog post is about such life management...

Did you just mark that wall with your imprints? Don't dumb it up!

What is it about fingerprints on the walls that make people gush about its authenticity? Just recently, I read an article about how to decorate a room using your handprints. My reaction was a blend of confusion and amazement. I felt confused because the idea of having an entire wall covered in handprints as the accent walls trending did not appeal to me, and more so, I could not understand what is so organically creative about it. I was a bit amazed because some people call it artistic! I can never understand this. Prints of human hands, with the fingerprints, clearly showing, in a color of the paint or pigment, does not create great visuals. There is nothing so progressive about them. I am not complaining about how some people have abused heritage sites with this irresistible urge to leave their imprints all over these places of cultural or religious greatness - instead, I am talking about my failure to really interpret what makes this such a lovable thing to do. No one has majestically different hands whose imprints will create a Picasso-niche imprint. Most of these will be scratched away or painted out someday. As long as they are there, plastered on the surface, they look plain ugly. Some vacationers tend to think of these hand imprinting exercises as a very anthropological way of marking their territory or adding that family aura to something that only society or community actually owns. However, nothing of the sort is the reality. Imprinting your hand over anything, often creating smudges, is no art! I see people do it in the kid's room, and for once, a couple of handprints on a call can look cute. I say so being the father to a 1.8 years old girl whose feet and handprints have never been properly captured. As a couple, we have always planned to do it but just never got around to doing so. Here, the visual appeal of it is somewhat understandable but that too in the form of a few prints only, and not doing the entire wall in a maze of handprints. However, handprinted walls in the kitchen, living room, or bedroom are not macabre or eclectic.

Some Food Cooking, Serving, Ordering Habits that Need a Change

Like anyone else in this world, I love eating, and I also love the mannerisms, the sub-cultures, the unspoken rules that are meant to be broken that are inherent to many cuisines. However, the zone of must-DOs often overlaps with irritation, making me pause and think - who created these self-anointed rules of the game? I seriously don't understand why people should order a butter parantha with butter-chicken or paneer butter masala - there is no such disease that is diagnosed with lack of cottage cheese! Why is that a burger seems more complete with a dumping of fries by the side - is there a reason why I should chew down more fried stuff when I only wanted a good burger? Some food ordering and eating preferences are seriously questionable... 

Approach to Restarting Life Inspired by Falling Leaves

Nature has this weird knack of teaching us a lesson all the time. It is just that we never take the time to stop, observe and learn it. However, with time, when Life has jerked you around a bit too much, with too much regularity, you tend to take notice. I took notice nearly five years back and since then, the entire perspective has changed. One such visual that I remember from my transition days is that of falling leaves. For a moment, believe that the leaves are days, hours or moments during which we realize that we need to overhaul our lifestyle choices to enable better outcomes, for a life more aligned along the lines of achieving fulfillment.

Don't Preach about Micro-scoping Everything We Eat

There is hell lot of online wisdom out there about how to choose, about how to be very careful about what we eat - however, some of these seem too preachy and at times, irritating! There is something very simple and unsaid about food that is good - you have to close your eyes to the obvious things that will not agree with a nutritionist's advice. Soulful food is invariably high on calories. Perhaps, this is why it is so happy and big and yes, it contains a lot of fat too which you cannot enjoy if your conscience keeps asking you questions about the calorie count.

Something about colored, bright ice-creams that create the goodness aura

The Naturalness Index of a Food Item
Can be Pure Visuals...Just Don't Dig Further!

You might have come across my recent blog about how all ice-creams that vouch for being fruity and being ultra-natural tend to fail on many counts. I am still sticking to my stand. All ice-creams infused with some type of fruit mix or extract are not that high on the goodness part as they claim to be. Most of them have decent amounts of processed sugars and fats despite all the claims. But there is one thing about ice-creams that wear a color emanating from their fruity formulation. These fruits are invariably some shade of red and their extract can create different hues of maroon, pink, and reds. The visual effect is sometimes extraordinary. I was Googling images for ice-creams made with natural stuff and came across the graphic shared here. Just one look at this concoction of traditional ice-creams with fruits and you get this feeling that there is something very pure about it. This is not about feeling relieved because the fruit content would have removed some of the high-density calories but the colors that create this interplay of a textured surface.

Neck Aesthetics - not that common, doesn't happen to everyone & it is a big deal!

This small topic came to my mind when watching neck workout videos during YouTube surfing hours. Immediately, a thought flashed - I had been making mental notes of which UFC wrestlers and Bollywood ladies had beautiful necks! Obviously, the parameters are very different for different genres. You cannot have a Lesnar neck on someone who weights 160 lbs. I believe that a person’s neck contributes a lot to the overall facial appearance. I say this for men and women and some similar anatomical characteristics apply to both genders. Firstly, a slightly thicker neck without being bulgy like the un-groomed tree trunks found on professional wrestlers helps to define the overall facial persona. It is like giving a beautiful base for your face to sit upon.

Highly Raised Stools with Leg Support >better> than Regular Chairs?

You might have people exchange a lot of notes about the type of back support they prefer, what makes it easier for them to relax their legs and how some modern seating options seem to be agonizing their spinal column. Taking cues from the web and my own experiences, I can promise one thing - there is very little people are doing in terms of really exploring the playing field here. Just think of this: most people assume that they need highly padded chairs with elongated back support for maximum comfort. If you have visited some recently done bistros or cafes, you might have seen these high-rise stools that are awfully bigger than your regular, bedside stools.

More vertically blessed and without any dedicated back arch supporting fixtures, these stools can be shockingly comfortable. Most of them have iron legs and this means very high weight-bearing capacity. A simple, no-nonsense seat replaces the snug fitted sofa chairs, car seats or Ottomans. You get a humbled-down, agrarian like approach to furniture choices. There is almost no design here and the lack of it makes this seating option unique and effective.

A Note to My Dear Phus-Phus...[Love Sign!]

You call it a water sprayer. I call it Phus-Phus. You think it is elementary and mechanical. I think it is the smartest invention. While you think spraying the plants is no big deal, I claim it is an art, an acquired taste that evolves with time...

[Image Awaited]

Before you, there was no love in watching the plants grow!

Watering the planters had become dreary, a daily activity that had to be done. With you, I have so many angles to explore. I understand the effects of wind on water stream or spray patterns better. I understand how to control the thumb pressure to control the intensity of spraying. While some people call this misting the plants, it feels like am nurturing something, and you are the medium through which I express my caring for things that otherwise have nothing to say, nothing to complain about and will never answer back. You help me connect with the most innocuous things despite being undemanding and unpretentious yourself. In a way, you exude the type of wisdom that must keep monks grounded and humble.

Pizza in the City: Paneer Tikka Pizza? that is Blasphemy, not gastronomic artistry you fool!

Tomato puree has been replaced over-sweetened ketchup. Stringy, real cheese has been substituted with dry and less flavorful cottage cheese or paneer and now, we have pizzas that look like a bouquet of vegetables you were supposed to eat as a child!

If pizza was styled as place to linger, it wouldn't score big, i.e. if the place was located in Delhi.

The cookie cutter lifestyle has somewhat narrowed the options we have for eating-out. Saying that it has helped expand our gastronomic horizon would be lying blatantly. Urbanity is closely related to easy foods and the pizza is the king of all things easy to assemble and deliver at short notice. However, something very wrong is happening in the world of pizza making in the city.

Love Nature but wearing it is entirely different | Ridiculous Fashion

All Floral Prints are Not Flattering

I call them flora & fauna prints - seen on apparels that seem to have been invented by a gardener with a clinical love for anything that takes root, springs like a stem, fruits or flowers and needs sunlight. There is something visually offsetting when the palm trees on your tee seem to complement the sandy spread of beaches in the background. Yes, even in a typical vacation along the beach, wearing floral clothes does not make sense to me. I am talking about vacation-wear that takes the concept of wearing what you love to a new level - you really don't need to declare your love for the flora & fauna - most people love plants and there is very little room to present your case as someone with a superior sense of being connected with the outdoors. For some reason, I just cannot get a sense of these fashion choices. Yes, there is something classic and lovable about floral prints but when you overboard, its gets highly distracting and is far from looking refreshing or graceful. I don't expect fashion to run a botany class on me. I shouldn't be separating the stems from the branches, leaves and flowers - yes, this is how discomforting floral prints can be!

WhatsApp Invitations aren't that un-personal unless you choose to be upset...

This is about wedding invitations sent via WhatsApp and other lifetime moments that are communicated via a messenger that some people interpret as being rude or impersonal. I find this rather useful. When everything around us is getting digital, the sanctity of the wedding invitation too has to be transformed. WhatsApp invitations are just an extension of the way we function. It is a soft-copy, contains easy to share data and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Calling WhatsApp wedding invitations cheap or impolite would be making a statement about our entire lifestyles.