News galore...

These past few days has seen a flurry of activities not only in the country, but all over the world. Even at my home, things have picked up, what with the day of the Visa interview coming near and all that. All this has really effected my writing schedule. All my current projects have been put on hold because I can't spare the time to continue them, even though I want to. Well, such is life... So, let's begin with what has been going on since I last wrote. Supporting Link 1 Okay, if memory serves me right, California had been the first state in US to grant the same rights to same-sex couples as any other heterosexual couple, essentially granting them the right to marry. It was heralded as a great victory for Gay Rights and I, myself, welcomed the news. It seems that the joy was short-lived, though. With more states legalising gay-marriage, California took a step back when its Supreme Court upheld the ban with respect to Propostition 8. It saddens me to see that the world has still not evolved from judging their fellow humans. It is heartening to know that earlier it were the women who were oppressed, then the Blacks, and now sexual minorities. Evidently, humans have a tendency to be oppressive and when one group breaks free from their hold, they find another group to oppress. So many countries, as well as religions, profess the ideology of 'live and let live', and yet, we see reports of policemen crushing a peaceful pride march. (Moscow) We hear of police blackmailing, extorting and even abusing sexual minorities. (Allahabad, Mumbai and various other cities) Is it so hard for people to live together in harmony? Have we become so full of hatred that we must look towards our own brethren with contempt so high that it turns to killing? That brings me to the next piece of news. Supporting Link 2 News reports of Indian students being attacked in Australia have swarmed the television in the past few days. It is horrifying to see such images, tales and reports being broadcast, seeing as I am a potential international student (albeit, to the US) myself. I have still not understood why these students were attacked, but am surely appalled at the callous way the investigations are taking place. Surely, the Indian and the Australian government need to take this seriously? Talking about the Indian Government, it comes as a pleasant surprise to see that the Congress is supporting Meira Kumar for the role as Speaker of the Lok Sabha. If elected, she will be the first woman speaker of this country. Supporting Link 3 But, I am concerned. If a person like Somnath Chatterjee had a hard time controlling our rowdy politicians, I wonder how Ms Kumar will fair. So, it is good to see this news piece.... Link This is the kind of promise that is going to go a long way in ensuring that the BJP and its allies remain a strong presence in the Lok Sabha. Well, at least they promised, and we all know about politician's promises, don't we? I hope this one breaks the norm, though. Talk about breaking the norm, Nadal was knocked out of the French Open today. Robin Soderling, seeded 23 in the tourney, defeated the world number 1 in a gruelling 3 and a half hour match to win the fourth round 6-2 6-7 6-4 7-6. Seems like pink is not Nadal's colour. It sure seems like it is mine and my sister's, though. Last night was totally smashing! On the last Saturday of every month, the Defence Services Officers Institute (DSOI) organises a special function - Tambola and Dance Competition. Mum, my sister and I had a last minute plan-change and we decided to attend the party, and Di and I both wore wearing pink. Boy, was it fun. Di and I won prizes in Tambola, but it was the Dance Competition that took the cake. In the 18-30 age category, she and I won the first prize!! O.o Imagine!! I don't even know how to dance properly; I can carry myself on the dance floor at best, and here I am winning the first prize along with my sister!! Stupefying. lol It was fun, though, and I really enjoyed it. It was also the first time that I danced non-stop for 30 minutes. A real work-out. ;) The last news for today...Seems like our 68 year-old favourite comic book character has decided to tie the knot. Archie Andrews has finally proposed to long time beau, Veronica 'Ronnie' Lodge; to the much heartbreak of Elizabeth 'Betty' Cooper. The proposition is made in the presence of Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III and the rejected girl, and the former has a look of horror on his face while the latter wipes a tear with a tissue. Ronnie has replied with a resounding 'Yes' to seal the fate of the longest running love-triangle, leaving its fans disappointed. Being a romantic myself, I feel the same. Even though Archie will be marrying broke, it should have been Betty instead of Ronnie. With this, though, it is a typical Bollywood 'rich girl-poor boy' end to the Riverdale love-triangle. And that is all for today....Ciao...

Dig a hole....

...and you'll yourself fall into it. With a classic case of one's own pet coming to bite one in their own a$$, Gunmen attacked a police headquarters in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday, setting off a car-bomb that killed at least 24 people in what the government said was revenge for an offensive against the Taliban. 'Revenge against offensive against Taliban'? I mean, Taliban is taking revenge, why?! Because it captured parts of a country that it has no rights over? Or is it because they have been a major PITA for the whole world and now when the world is saying 'C'mon, dude, party's over', they have to scratch their bums and go 'Awww, but we just started!' Supporting Link 1 The Pakistani government must be given credit, though. They have finally got their act together and are actually doing something to route the menace from the northern part of their country. Too bad it took a lot of hard-balling from the US to make them get their back sides up and into action, but hey, as they say....at least we are doing something. In a press conference, Interior Minister Rehman Malik made the following comment, "New York humaare sheheron se kai zayada bada hai, aur wahan bhi police hai, par wahan ka crime rate bhi to zyada hai. Aise ikke dukke waardaat to hote rehte hain.Iska matlab yeh nahi hai ki humaari hukoomat kuch kar nahi rahi hai." Translation? New York is far larger than our own cities and even they have police there, and yet, the crime rate is quite high. These one-odd events keep happening and it doesn't mean that the government in Pakistan is not working. *Looks stunned for a second* Excuse me?! Death of 30 civillians with 250 injured is a one-odd event?! And you are comparing Pakistani cities to New York?! Get real, Mr. Rehman! Call us when you have your head out of the sand. He continues, "Let me issue a warning. All militants in Pakistan should put down their weapons, otherwise we will not spare them." And if they put down their weapons, what will you do, Mr. Malik? Dub them as 'good' Taliban and strike a deal with them? There is an idiom in Hindi that roughly translates to the English one - 'It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.' So, even if they put down their weapons, they can't put down their thinking....So, you decide. In sports, Nadal charged into the third round of Roland Garos, wearing the same dress he wore in the previous match. It seems as though I would have to suffer through the bright colours all through the French Open, seeing as I am rooting for the Spaniard. The match was a no-brainer, with Nadal winning in straight sets 6-1 6-4 6-2. The Russian, Teimuraz Gabashvili, never stood a chance against the barrage of winners from Nadal, who was at the best of his game. The match lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes, and each of those minutes was a pleasure to watch. As the date for the release of Angels and Demons comes closer and closer, there is still a glut in the release of quality Bollywood movies (99, notwothstanding). There appears to be no respite in the fight between film producers and multiplexes as fresh talks down on Tuesday, with no solution in sight to this month-long crisis. This conflict is benefitting no one, not the producers, not the multiplexes (who have lost approx 2.5-3 billion rupees since) and it certainly is a big loss for the viewers, who are left with nothing better to do in the summers (read: vacations). I wonder, though...was this a ploy to get around the IPL with no big releases and now that the event is over, we see a miraculous solution coming to the fore? But then, isn't the World T20 starting in 8 days....so there goes my theory! Whatever....I feel the biggest set back has been to the consumers who have not been able to enjoy a nice movie for quite some time. Even Hollywood has failed to churn out good movies these past two months. With big names set to release in the summer, I can't wait. With names like Transformers, Angels and Demons, Night at the Museum, Harry Potter, Terminator....I don't think anyone can... :) Ciao

God to me...

My good friend Manyu asked me to define God in my own words, so here it is... Well, according to me, God is someone you look to for support in times of need. He is one whom you ask for comfort in times of distress, and thank when happy. In short, He can be anyone. He can be your parents, your friends, your partner, or even your pet. He (and no, I am not being a chauvinist here) is actually a result of us humans' eternal quest for explanation of things we cannot understand and also of spiritual balance....

Season of garishingly clashing colours...

While I was watching Star Sports, trying to catch a glimpse of the Roland Garros (that's the French Open for those not so in the know-how), I was taken aback by the flash of gaudy colours. Intrigued, I let the match run on for a few minutes to see who was the fashion disaster that was playing. Guess my surprise when I realised that it was the King of Clay himself. Have a look....

I mean, WTF?! O.o What was he thinking? Doesn't he know that pink does NOT go with yellow? Or for the matter, with Blue? And hasn't he ever noticed that the clay is already a glaring orange? As if that weren't enough, I was subjected to another fashion anomaly. Here...

His opponent, Marcos Daniel of Brazil was wearing, yes folks that is right, LIME coloured shirt. Let me tell you guys, this pic actually does justice to the T-shirt. But if you had seen it on Live television, along with all those French Ball Boys' lime coloured T-Shirts, you would have run screaming! I am sure that had Vinay Khosla (Harsh Chhaya from the movie Fashion) seen them on TV, he'd have gone, "Oh puh-leeze! Sfphaare me the Hovvor!"

The match, though, was worth watching. Nadal at his best. Check out the rest of the pics, here.

In other news, I guess I spoke too soon when I said that there wasn't any retaliation or voilence in the home front related to the Vienna killings. I mean, this is India! How can we guys let go a free chance to destroy public property, right?! <_<> Supporting Link 1

Curfview was imposed in several major cities of Punjab and tensions mounted through the day. So much for lauding them in my previous post!! The worst part is, they are not even a part of the Sikh community and the said religion is being blamed. They are a part of Ravidasis and Dera Sachkhand, which are, technically, not Sikhs.

Well, this also just came in. Apparently, North Korea has 'tested' yet another of their nuclear capable missiles.

Supporting Link 2

Heelllooo? When are the countries of the world going to take Pyongyang's case? Hell, a country with 'supposed' WMDs was attacked, conquered and left to ruins, but here, a country is openly defying world consensus and we are all 'expressing concerns about regional and international securtiy'. Dumbasses!

I am not saying that another military operation is a solution to this. But if sanctions upon sanctions have not deterred DPRK's resolve, certainly there must be some other way. Don't tell me that the International think-tank's tank is empty right now?

Well, to round this up, I send out a heartfelt prayer to those affected in the Cyclone Aila. By God's grace, no major city is in its path, but I hope and pray that even the smaller towns that are, receive minimal damge to both life and property. May the recovery process be fast (hopefully) and efficient. And may the lost souls find peace in the afterlife. Take care....

Oh my GOD!!

Supporting Link 1 Supporting Link 2 Supporting Link 3 No seriously! What is wrong with people these days? Can't we really co-exist peacefully? Oh, right! Whom am I kidding? God conveniently forgot to hard-wire 'existing peacefully' into our genetic make-up; the same GOD that these people are fighting over. Now, I am not an atheist. But, I do draw the line over this....

This is a picture from Jalandhar. I mean, what has that poor owner of the truck done to the protestors' religious sentiments? Or, for that matter, the issue at hand. What has Sri Guru Ravidas Ji done to incite Sikhs around the world? I mean, don't we call all teachers as Gurus? And wasn't the Sikh religion based on this same principle, that all our Gurus are not Gods, but messengers of God?I do not profess to be an expert on Sikhism or religious politics, but I do know madness and fanatisicm when I see it.

And it is not just with this one religion that things are going out of hand. We can see it happening with almost every religion in the world. with Christianity, Hinduism and Islam in the forefront. While all of these religions were founded on the same principles of love and brotherhood, this message seems to have been forgotten in the endless politics that has taken over the religions. The only saving grace with this news is that only Dera Sachkhand were the perpetrators and none from the Sikh community retaliated. Well, thank GOD for that! We surely don't need another Dera Sachha Sauda incident on our hands. Moving on, the IPL madness has finally come to an end with a nailbiting finale. Personally, I won't say that this season of the IPL was as entertaining as the last one, because that would be a plain, flat-out, white lie. It wasn't. It wasn't in India, so, so much for the INDIAN Primier League. And to boot, the elections were also taking place and that added to the distraction. And lastly, college applications took a huge chunk of my time. Nonetheless, congrats to Deccan Chargers for their impressive win and I wish them the best for the Champions League, which is to take place sometime this October. The last topic on agenda are the Cabinet Berths.....Seems like that the trouble for Congress is not yet over. I believe that, after DMK got its wishes, other allies, and particularly the NCP, is also demanding fair share. They say that the allies were getting a cabinet berth for every 8 MPs they gave and that DMK has got more..... Wait a minute.....is this a barter system going on? I mean 'get a cabinet berth for every 8 MPs'? WTF?! What is this, a Mega Sale on the Westside, or what? Buy 3 and get 1 free! Helloooo?! The Congress is the party with the highest number of MPs, so quit blubbering about it and deal with it. If not, I am sure that us voters will be able to take away whatever little the 'others' have got. Sheeesh! Seriously.... Ohkay, that is the end of rant for me.... Ciao!

A Gift of Life

Author's Notes : I’d like to thank Sharon for her help with this story. Without her guidance, this work would not have turned out the way it has. There are so many things in this world that we humans take for granted. It differs from people to people. Parents will say that their child takes them for granted while that same child will profess that her boyfriend takes her for granted. As for me, I say that people take their eyes for granted. I would know, for I was born with the curse of night blindness. Incurable, they say. The doctors in my tribe are the best for miles around and yet, they can’t find a cure. I am not a cynic. Do not misunderstand me. I have learnt to live with my disability and having been doing so quite comfortably for the better part of my eighteen years. I am quite happy with my life, thank you very much; but sometimes, I wish that things weren’t as they are. Sometimes, I yearn for the normalcy of life and hope that one day God will answer my prayers and cure me. Life – another thing that people take so much for granted, coming back to the topic, if I must. My mother says that I have the attention span of a dragonfly. I think she means it in jest, but with her, I can’t be too sure. Judging by what I have written so far, I must conclude that she is right. Life, as I was saying, is another one of the many things that is both overrated and underrated at the same time. Not many take it seriously and those who do are too few in number.. The tourists that come to our island do not venture too far into our area, as we are a protected tribe in our nation’s Constitution, but since I help man the only tuck-shop on the island, I have a healthy contact with them. I have heard of something referred to as global warming that has been spreading its wings over the planet that we live in. They say that the people that live in big countries, similar to our mainland, have been systematically destroying our planet’s ecosystem for decades. According to them, my country and China are the fastest growing countries of the world and that both of them are highly populated – overflowing, actually. For me, it is not hard to imagine, but for my fellow tribesmen, it is like hearing the fables and myths of old. I have been going to the big island up north for supplies and am quite familiar with the outside world. Only I, being the chieftain’s son, have that privilege. No one else is allowed off the island and certainly, no one is allowed into our protective area. The tourists are allowed only up to the beaches and that is where the shop is. I also have a gift, or a curse – depends on how you want to take it. Personally, I think it is a curse. There is nothing worse than knowing how or when people near you are going to die. I can see the nature of death that each person in question is going to go through and even feel it. It is horrifying, to tell you the truth. The worst part is that I can’t do anything to prevent either the visions or the death I see in them. I have the visions during the night and by the time I recover from the ordeal, the person is already dead. The only positive aspect is that the visions come sparingly. God knows what I would have done if they were a nightly occurrence. I would have gone insane from grief or pain. The more intense the death, the more time it takes me to recover. It took me almost a week to recover from one vision, when that shark mauled Hoki. The latest, though, knocked me out-cold for a month.

***

I had always been shy and kind of an introvert, never letting my inner emotions come to the forefront. That is why no one asked me about my vision when I awoke. They knew that if it were important, I’d tell them. Quite possibly, according to them, the one I had the vision about was probably dead – dying an ugly death. As for me, I needed time to think and so, as soon as I was able to, I grabbed the first chance to get off the island. I took the small motorboat – the only means of transport off the island – and set off after bidding my father farewell. “Take care of yourself, Arikara, and be back before sunset,” he advised. I fully intended to return well before that time. I didn’t want to be stranded on the big island when my handicap chose to rear its head. Whenever I had made the journey to the Port, as the island was called amongst my tribe, I had ensured that I was back before sundown. I enjoyed the view as the boat slowly chugged through the choppy waters. The Indian Ocean is one of the most treacherous oceans on the planet and could be unrelenting at times. Now, though, it was relatively calm. The boat was a novelty. It was not old and was, in fact, bought when I was just twelve. I remember I had come running out of the hut when Father had announced that the ‘new motor’ had arrived. I was ecstatic, because the old boat was hanging by its last thread and I hated using it to travel. When I first saw the new boat, I immediately fell in love with it. It was the usual boat, but with a slight difference. The base of the hull was actually reinforced glass. Therefore, as the tiny vessel traversed over the water, one could actually see the vast ocean life beneath. To anyone who has not seen it, let me tell you that the view is breathtaking. The schools of fish rushing past in a harmonious and synchronised way, onward to their destination; creatures one can only dream of swimming in the blue of the ocean – it was a sea of life, and a sheer pleasure to be a part of. By midday, as the wide expanse of the Port came into view, I took out the tribe’s flag from a box kept in the back. Port’s laws required all sea-vessels to check in with the harbour, but this flag gave my tiny boat the... as they call it...‘diplomatic immunity’. I guided it into my usual spot – a small cove on the harbour that was right next to the moped rental shop. Our tribe had a long-standing agreement with the two-wheeler shop and the owner never charged me rent because of that. “Hey Rammy,” I said, entering the shop. It wasn’t a shop, per se, but rather a huge shed under which stood about thirty mopeds. In one corner sat the owner’s son and my long-time friend, Ramsey. “Hiya, Ari. Long time no see, yaar.” The smile on Rammy’s face could literally light up the surroundings and today was no different. “Just passing through; not much to do on the island these days and business is slow too.” “Yeah, it’s the same here as well. However, it has been picking up in the last few days. So, you should see some coming your way anytime now.” “Uh-huh...” I was not in the mood for chitchat and, I guess, Rammy caught on to that as well. “I’ll just grab a moped and head out, okay? Be back by the usual time.” I made my way to a nice cherry coloured two-wheeler sitting in a corner. “Righto, dude. See ya later, then, and take care,” he called out as I waved, without looking back.

***

The best thing about Port is that even though it is a huge tourist destination, having around half a million tourists each year, it is relatively untouched from human interference. The natural beauty of the island is still intact to this date. I think it is one of the many features that helps attract so many people from around the world to this place. There is a subtle peace and calm to the archipelago that inspires people to come here, including me. There is this isolated beach in a small corner of the island that I frequent whenever I need to be by myself. It was well worth the hour’s travel by that slow two-wheeler to reach my place of solitude. Once there, I picked a nice spot, removed my clothes, and lay down to sunbathe. It is a heavenly feeling, lying down like this in the nude and basking in the glory of the magnificent sunlight. It calms me down and soothes my nerves to the point of unconsciousness. It really helps me think, and thinking was something I needed to do today. The dream that I recently had was so new for me. Not only did it knock me out for a much longer time, but also it was completely different from what I am used to. It wasn’t the usual premonition about the death of a certain individual. It was, rather, about an event that I was to be a part of in the near future. That, in itself, was an alien feeling to me. I have never, in my entire life, ever had such a dream. I was in a quandary. Logically, I knew what I had to do, but I couldn’t ask my father to take such a step. It will be a devastating revelation, but I owed it to my family and my tribe to tell them the truth. The consequences of both my actions, and inactions, could be life altering. I don’t know how long I must have lain there, thinking about my situation. I must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing I know, Rammy was poking me in my side, trying to wake me up. “Huh?” I asked groggily. “Thank God! I had thought that you had conked out on me. And seeing you like this, in this position, it doesn’t inspire nice thoughts, mate.” I turned a deep shade of red, realising that I was indeed displayed in all my glory. I scampered up to grab my clothes, cover myself, and breathed a sigh of relief only once I had my privates safely tucked away. “Shouldn’t you be already on your way back, Ari?” Rammy asked me. I looked at him in puzzlement and he pointed to the setting sun over the horizon. “You know...” Oh my God! Yes, I should have been back on the island at this point of time. In another fifteen to twenty minutes, I’d be as blind as a bat with nowhere to go and no one to help me. “C’mon. Get your backside up, and I’ll take you home.” I looked at Rammy, grateful for his offer and embarrassed due to my shortcomings. He helped me up and, together, we trudged up the sandy path toward his home.

***

“Are you sure about this, Ari?” my father asked me in the gravest tone I had ever heard him use. I nodded in response. “But this is insane!” the tribe’s chief priest shouted. “You can’t expect us to abandon everything based on his silly predictions. So what if he’s your son, you can’t just believe everything he says.” “Must I remind you that every one of Arikara’s premonitions have come true?” Father said, his tone indicating his rising anger. “Must I remind you that he has never uttered a lie? Must I remind you that I have never doubted what he has ever told me?” His voice rose to a tone that made the priest cower before him. “And above all, must I remind you that I am the Chief of this tribe and I command a certain respect from all members of this community?!” “No, my Chief, I apologise for my imprudence. But I must implore you to give this a second thought.” “There is nothing we can do.” Turning to the entire tribe assembled before him, he continued, “Arikara, my son, has foretold us of many things in the past. Never before has his predictions turned out to be false. His gift has never let him, or us, down; ever.” I cringed. His calling my curse a gift was something that I detested. How could seeing someone die, and feeling every part of that person’s death, be a gift? “What he has just informed me of is a matter of grave concern. I ask you, as your Chief, to let me finish before you say anything. I will not force anyone to do anything against his or her will. You all have a right, as members of this tribe, to decide your future. “You would remember that, last month, Arikara was unconscious due to his gift. He has come forth with the details of his visions and I must regretfully inform you that they are not pleasant.” Father paused to let this sink in before continuing, “One month from now, a great wave will strike our islands and destroy everything that surrounds us. It will not spare anything in its path and we will all perish if we remain here. “My brothers and sisters, it is time for us to make a tough decision. I have petitioned the government to help us with this situation, but I don’t think help will come. They do not have the same faith in my son’s abilities as I have. Even if help comes, it will be too late. “Therefore, I, along with my family, have decided that we will be leaving our home for the mainland; for higher lands. Everyone is welcome to join us, but I will not force anyone. This is a decision that you, and your families, must make. I just hope that you make the right one.” Father closed his eyes and sighed. He pulled me into a sideways hug and guided me into our house.

***

As expected, the government scoffed at our petition. Father used all our money, and the money collected from the families that agreed to come with us, to buy a boat for our travel. Some people from the Port, who were told about the impending ‘tsunami’, also requested to join us. Together, we set off for the mainland with just a week to spare. Once on the mainland, we sold off our boat and used that money to buy transportation. We immediately set off for the mountains, hoping that they would be high enough to ward off the tsunami. The journey was not easy. It took us six days to finally reach the summit of the highest mountain on the mainland, and the better half of the seventh day to climb it. As I stood at the apex, I looked around. Even though I was aware of the impending doom, I took a moment to admire the picturesque view. Far ahead in front of me, I could see the sun setting behind the mountains surrounding the valley. The orange hue of the sun peeking from the clouds that adorned the mountain tops. I looked down into the valley and saw a beautiful lake in the middle, surrounded by trees and wildlife. Birds of all kind lazed around the water, enjoying the fruits of Mother Nature. It was a remarkable sight, to treasure for life. Alas, it was not meant to be. Like a hunter springing upon its prey, I could feel the impending disaster waiting to strike us. I guess the birds down below sensed it too, because they got quiet all of a sudden and then took off into the air, flying away behind the mountains. A deafening roar could be heard behind us and I turned to look in that direction. From behind the smaller mountains and hills, I could see the water rushing in, filling up the valleys and crushing the life that resided there. The view was very breathtaking as well as gut wrenching. For the first time, as I stood atop that mountain with my friends and family, I truly felt that my curse was not a curse at all. Had it not been for my ability that foretold this event, most of our tribe would have perished as well. I looked into my father’s eyes and I saw an echo of my feelings there. Yes, my ability was not a curse. It was a gift – a Gift of Life.

A place to wax the lyrical...

And so I thought, let me also try out this wonderful world of blogging, and voila...this is the result! I hope that the layout is great, if not, y'all can Kiss My....Ahem...I am told that I have to keep this blog G-rated. The AdSense people do not like 'A' stuff on their sites. But c'mon, I mean, let's see how much I can stretch that rule, can I? :P Well, let's start with some basic things that have been happening lately. Rain! It rained today and let me tell you, if there is one thing that gets my creative juices flowing, it is rain. There is just something about the pitter-patter of the drops that gets to me. The freshness in the air, the myriad of noises in the backround and the look of immense satisfaction on everbody's faces - how can you not like the rain?! Well, even though it was a short spell, I enjoyed it immensely. I was also watching a movie, Bee Movie to be precise, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The humour was exquisite and the storyline sharp. And the issue at hand, while taken up in a light way, was rather quite serious when you come to think of it. Yesterday was Ibadat's birthday party. I really enjoyed it, even though some people were being their usual 'jerk' self. Well, whatever. At least, the girls agreed. lol. So, I hope that people (read: my friends) come and read this, 'cause I intend to make this blog a regualr thing. Even if you are not a friend, do read it and comment. :P So, that's that for my first post. Oh, and yeah....before I forget.... Disclaimer: The posts are written by me! This blog is about me! The views expressed in the blog are all ME! If you still haven't got it by now, all that 'ME' means that if you don't agree with what I have to say, and have constructive (and I repeat, constructive) critisicm, only THEN post a comment. Flames will be deleted immediately! Enjoy! :D