Hate & hatred!

Hatred works through insecurity and paranoia. It creates a political discourse of self-defensive, pre-emptive, aggressive posturing. Where insecurity and paranoia rule, we invite the dialogue of the deaf, negotiation and consultation by mutual harangues, name-calling, vilification and blame. Hatred generates parallel universes of self-justification and the ethos of the bomb-o-gram. Insecurity and paranoia make the first strike the first resort of choice in a political arena that has all the sophistication of a children's playground ruled by the ethics of the bully. Where in such a world is there any hope of transcendence? The culture of violence, the political rhetoric of the bomb-o-gram, has to be opposed everywhere. But it will be opposed only when there is genuine commitment to alternative means of communication. Political arenas and institutions have to become effective and responsive in offering negotiation, accommodation and the capacity to act.

(Ziauddin Sardar & Merryl Wyn Davies)

self...

Selflessness should ensoul the purpose of every action in one's life. Listen like a cherokee, watch like a falcon, think like hawking, but most of all... act like the sublimation of a worthy God.

No human is good enough to be kneeled to, but no human is bad enough either to be crucified. A world where superficial thought guides actions and, an eyes vision cannot see through the shadow of a pety action, there is an intense need for general forgiveness and acceptance.

The point where hatred is touching 98 degree centigrade, and thinking is suffocated to tiny cocoons of self-reverence, humanity needs to redefine its relative morality to something bigger than self...

Its interesting that the word self can bloom into Sympathy Emancipation Love & Freedom

or...

it can rot in to Selfdom Egotism Lust & Fallacy ...

I hope that someday people will pride not in their God, not in their Country, not in their possessions, but in collective good of humanity. When not a single more human will die of hunger and starvation.

desperation...

Reading Bakunin's essay on borders and nation states and listening to Muse's soldier's poem at the same time has a combo exponential affect. Just realizing how much injustice there is in the world and how nation states are ripping off their populations just in the name of patriotism. They are acting as nothing more than huge corporations that also have the military power to destroy the monopoly of other corporations. There is so much I wish to write, and so many examples that I have but I really do not know how and where to begin.
But I think I will be writing more on this in real detail soon.

watching the empty highway..

So here I am, back to blogging after a long break. I think I am writing my first or second blog since I came to America. Starting and job and getting paid does have its advantages and it is sort of fun but it does not take long for a man to already start planning ahead. There is this feeling of doing more, learning more and to feel like having accomplished some long forgotten mission.
Well, am just at the beginning! I realized today that there is so much I want to do. My ambitions are somewhat fuzzy but not invisible. Its like both seeing and not seeing what I want to see. This much is though clear to me. I won't look far behind the dome. I just want to take a little step at a time and enjoy this beautiful world. This beautiful life that I LOVE!! Its simply beautiful, simple and amazing.

And I think I have stopped running after happiness. And the day since I stopped chasing smiles, they are chasing me. Everyday provides me more fulfillment and relaxation. Although when I look behind me, it seems that I have come a long way, just the way I was looking behind on I-20 west heading to Jackson. And the road ahead is only making me happier. I felt a peace with my bicycle on my side on that road. It was like a complete comfort that no matter how far my home is, I will make it to my place before the night falls. And I did in fact!!

Thats how I am at peace with love. I have sehar on my side. I am fulfilled. I don't ask for anything more in my life...

her step!

Perfection - in a sense
she's an art
a breath of blue
when the sun shines
in the cool autumn wind
and lifts up the curtain
the trees speak
under which she sat
the path that saw her everyday
miss her
look for her ecstatic step
shining - in a sense
she's a stone
carved in beauty
those deep eyes
make me light
when the sun shines
in the cool autumn wind
lift me up
lift me up
am no more...

My Stencil Art!! A Tutorial for Beginners!

Here I have written a basic tutorial on how to print stencil art on t-shirt. I have tried various methods mentioned online, and after some basic changes, I have developed this very simple and efficient method :)

Things you need:

1. Some A4 size transparency sheets. (used for presentations)

2. A simple box cutter.

3. A cheap 20 - 40 watt soldering iron.

4. A simple printer for black and white prints.

5. Spray Paints.

6. Masking tape or Duct Tape.

7. Scrap papers, tissues and newspaper.

Step-1:

Take the picture you want to stencil, and convert it in to black and white through microsoft word or adobe photoshop after messing around with it. Its easy to figure out the right combination of black n white through grayscale editing of picture.

Step-2:

Print the picture on a white A4 sheet using any cheap printer.

Step-3:

Tape a transprency over the sheet, and fill any remaining missed stops with black marker or whitener fluid.

Step-4:

Switch on the soldering iron, and when its hot enough in 2-3 minutes, just trace over the transparency sheet on picture.

Step-5:

Simply pull off the transparency sheet from the paper, and use the box cutter to cut any remaining smaller parts missed by the soldering iron. Your stencil is ready to be tested.

Step-6:

Place your stencil somehwere, and test it. I use my rooftop to test new stencils.

Step-7:

Put some stick-on glue on back side of stencil, and place it on an ironed t-shirt and press it, till it sticks, with no opened spaces. Use the masking tape to cover the sides with newspaper and scrap paper.

Step-8:

Spray 4-5 times in layers on the t-shirt from a distance. I find the 'flat black' spray paint to be the best as it has rough texture, and it does not smudge or cross t-shirt layers.

Step-9:

For miniature stencils, glue the stencil as told before, and use the liquid acrylic paint and use a small paint brush andcover the stencil with single strokes in same direction. This not only saves paint, but also provides a very sharp image. The important thing is to use minimum layers of paint when using the brush, so it wont smudge or scrape off later.

Precautions:

NEVER handwash a spary-painted or brush-painted t-shirt.

Preconditions:

Be creative, and outrageous!! ;)

ADAM AND EVE STORY - SOME QUESTIONS!!

I am basically surprised at the illogical approach of average joe when it comes to rationality in belief and religion. To believe in something is everybody's right, and am not against it but the point here is to be as curious in asking religious questions, as one would be in asking questions in a medical school.

Lets talk about the story of Adam and Eve in a little detail. I will not try to delve in to the anatomical mystery of how Eve was created from Adam's bones, since even the imagination makes it seem funny. The interesting point however here is not about who ate apple, and who was the culprit, BUT in fact the real questions arise after Adam and Eve supposedly came down to earth. Islam, Christianity, Judaism and all monotheistic religions have taught us that Adam and Eve had three kids Cain, Abel and Seth. Most Muslim students learn the story of 'Habeel and Kabeel' in their early school days, and how one killed the other. But nothing is mentioned about what happened later? And am surprised at the silence of teachers as well as students in figuring out the confusion. The unanswered questions are:

1. Adam and Eve DID NOT have any daughters, so who did their sons married to for propagation of the human species?

2. If there were any daughters of Adam and Eve, of which there is no historic mention; then too the moral question arises, Was in-marriage allowed between brothers and sisters as incest for the species propagation?

3. Why is there a total ethical vaccum in this story ranging from incest to woman being born 'bended' and also being the one to eat the fruit from forbidden tree of knowledge?

This seems simply like the beginning of a mythical and patriarchal story, with no moral or factual reasoning. No offense to anyone with this writing :)