I Am An Astronaut

Try looking down.

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I am an astronaut 

I'm in my space shuttle, my very own little satellite... orbiting the world.

No one looks at me, I see everyone.

This little space shuttle is my planet, my world

My space suit is my armor, my shield against the crass noise that everything is.

Everyone, everywhere gives way to a plague of irritation

Words, actions, feelings, emotions... unnecessary.

Hug myself tight, become a ball... get lost in this fish bowl of lost souls. 

I want to hibernate and never wake up, never exit my peaceful slumber.

I like being alone, no one to trouble you

But alas, I want to be troubled at times... no one seems to care then.

Can't blame them, after all... I'm an astronaut.

Wearing a shiny space suit, living in a little space shuttle.

Hey, my space suit is shiny for a reason

Notice me, I'm shining.

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Lullaby:

I am an astronaut - Snow Patrol

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What Does Independence Mean To Me?

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What does independence mean to me?

Independence to me is being able to be myself, be me

The summation of my culture, morals and faith

It is the person I have become and the things I do

It is doing those things wrong, repeating mistakes

Until one day… when I am no more at fault

Independence to me is the promise of maturity

It is how I’m living and letting live in a diverse society

It is the respect for each and every diverse independent person

It is when I eat mutton and firni on Eid with my Muslim friend

And when he attends the langar at my Gurudwara

Independence to me is when I voice my opinion

It is when none is against me when I raise my voice

It is when the whole nation’s voice resonates with me

It is the one single issue that the entire nation voiced

Gandhian with Nehru topi… independence personified.

Independence to me is 10 years since 9/ 11

It is wondering as a little kid why the plane killed the WTC

It is still being stuck with the same question, also

Marveling at Laden’s promise of his heaven with 72 virgins

In awe… hoping that those delusional souls find their sinful heaven

Independence is the iron lady fasting in the north-east

It is her unrelenting struggle against what is unjust

It is ten years and more of self-governance with resolve

It is the satyagraha the country forgot, it is

The day she waits for, the day justice will prevail.

Independence to me is what the Indian freedom fighters desired

It is not what the builders of modern India delivered

It is reflecting on the true meaning of freedom

It is where the mind is without fear

… And where, the head is held high.
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Manish Tweari on Team Anna

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Movie Review - Fright Night (Why Even?!)

Movie Review – Fright Night

What do you get when you mix a bottle of Romanov, another of Blender’s Pride, a few Kingfisher draught cans with an impromptu plan for a 3D movie?

You get a cocktail.

A multitude of us infrequent drinkers always have the dream to watch one 3D movie, when high. We have this weird idea in our diluted minds that alcohol would surely make the 3D experience even more real-er, excuse my grammar. And hence I and a few fellow drinking friends made way for the midnight ‘Fright Night’ show.

The original Fright Night came out in 1985 and though it might not have been the best vampire movie, it had a nice balance between comedy and horror and a few iconic performances, with my personal favorite being Stephen Geoffrey’s as Evil Ed. The remake strives to emulate the original, while still managing to keep it independent and fun overall. In simple words – same premise, modern setting.

The movie sets up with the vampire Jerry (Colin Farrell) on a bloody rampage. It’s all weird camera angles and people dying and hiding and stuff, the kind of scenes which are maybe meant to be scary but in all probability just end up making you laugh like a drunken fool. Thing is we all were drunken fools so the movie did start on a high for us.

Ten minutes into the movie we are introduced to our protagonist Charley (Anton Yelchin), who is your typical pseudo-geek who has newfound fame in his community as he somehow has magically managed to hook up with the prettiest girl in college. This is what movies teach us these days – you get the hottest girl and you climb the top of the social ladder.

Anyway, Charley’s ex-friend Ed Lee (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) tried to convince him that his new neighbor, Jerry is a vampire. Charley discounts Ed’s warning but pretty soon realizes that Ed was right as the same night he discovers Jerry’s secret lair where he keep his victims. He tries to save one of the victims but when she steps out of Jerry’s house she just bursts into flame, implying that she was bitten. The explosion was fine and cool in 3D. From then on I was just waiting for more explosions to happen. And the blood and gore.

So by now Ed has become Evil Ed as Jerry has vampire-d him and Jerry finds out that Charley has found out that he is a vampire. It’s just a survival battle which includes a crazy car chase and multiple deaths with a lot of blood and gore. Nice 3D effects.

Charley does realize that this is a battle too big for a geeky ex-nerd like him so he tries to enlist the services of famed illusionist Peter Vincent (David Tennant) who is apprehensive when first approached but of course turns up at the precise moment when Charley’s doom is eminent.

I like the movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a silly movie. As silly as it gets. But the director (Craig Gillespie) manages to balance the fun and the horror to make sure you don’t end up regretting your decision to go for a late night show which is bound to result in you missing college attendance the subsequent day. Of Gillepie’s directorial ventures I have had the pleasure to view Mr. Woodcock which had the evergreen Billy Bob Thornton starring as Mr. Woodcock so I was acclimated already to the kind of cinema he makes. And that kind of cinema is just pure entertainment, nothing more… nothing less.

Colin Farrell seems to love his character as it is the classic vampire and not the glittery Romeo in love that the Twilight series has popularized. The vampire is supposed to be a pretty boy who at the same time is a bloodthirsty villain and Farrell plays it to boot.

Anton Yelchin does a good job as well, he is of the same breed of actors that belong to the Jesse Eisenberg and Michael Cera clan – social rejects with overtly exciting lives.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse does his own variant of the now historical Evil Ed role with a dash of his McLovin character from Superbad, which is memorable and humorous in his own right.

David Tennant as the larger than life illusionist is entertaining and the little character quirks that he introduces just add to the humor and silliness. His hot assistant bodes well with Tennant as she has the mouth of an experienced sailor.

The 3D is good and the script has tried to introduce as much as it can to do justice for the decision of post converting the film to 3D. It tends to get dark at times but is still viewable.

I suggest you watch this movie with your drinking buddies and if you tend to be someone who carries their brain to the movies… then be generous with the cocktails.

Oh no you didn't. 

*** - 3 Stars.

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Sun's Up, World's Dark

The world is so twisted

You wake up at 12 o’ clock in the afternoon. You roll down from the top bunk of your two-storey bed. You pee and feel free while trying to concentrate to aim right.

You go to the kitchen, try to find some food. You find breakfast thoughtfully left by your mom for you. You ignore it.
You don’t like the fact that anyone wants to be nice to you. It makes your insides hollow.
A void.
You open the fridge. You take out the Appy Fizz bottle. You drink. You burp. You don’t like the taste. You take another swig.

You turn on the computer. Go online. Check if there is an update. An update to your status. The status of your admission in the college you want to go to. Or the college you think you want to go to.
No updates. You sigh.

You log into Facebook. You check useless updates made by useless people. You reply to dumbfuck queries made by dumbfucks. Jobless people try to talk to you. You try to evade. Attempt unsuccessful. You succumb to their demands. You reply. You’re sarcastic. Dry. They don’t get it. You ask the thin air for the umpteenth time, what the fuck is wrong with the world.
The thin air asks back, what the fuck is wrong with you.
Everything.

You log out. You sit online for a couple of hours. And when you look back, you can’t recall what exactly you did in those two hours. You’re confused. Zombied.

All this time you ignore your brother. He’s in the background. He’s the songs that play at malls in the background. The songs you don’t register. He’s the conductor’s voice in a subway. The voice you can’t make out. His presence is not acknowledged by you. You’re evil.

Your mother comes back from work. Tries to fix you some food. You give in. Rather your hunger does. You eat. A little. She tries to talk. You go deaf. You’re a zombie remember.

You try to watch the television. You’re amazed at how idiotic the box really is. You put on a news channel. It takes you half an hour to realize that you have not been provided by any news of note. You channel surf. You quit.

You get on your bed. Doze off.

You wake up to vibrations. It’s your phone. So many missed calls. So many texts. You don’t care to check.
You get up. It’s the evening.  You walk around. You want to kill. Maybe. Destroy. Kill. And then some more. You’re expressionless.

You notice your father is back home. Another zombie. Root of all the problems. Or so you like to think. You nod at him, he nods back.

You stare at the mirror. That liar. You haven’t shaved in a week. Your hair is perpetually messed. Your white shirt is not so white. You ask the mirror if you’ve been wearing your clothes for a long time. The mirror just stares back. You walk away.

You pick up the phone. A few names jump in your head. Should you call? You put the phone down. Opening your mouth to speak seems a mighty task. Thinking of words to say seems Herculean.

You think of how things could have been. How they were meant to be. What’s gonna happen next. You stop thinking.

You're thinking about some girl.. Stop. It's irritating.
The wall in between has to stand. Opposite sides.

You spend the next few hours watching movies on your laptop, eating this and that and just being a soulless corpse. You hear the birds chirp or whatever sound that is. You look out of your room.

The sun’s come up. But your world is dark.

It’s time to sleep.