The Blogging Bug...

Almost everyone's got it now, and it's spreading like fire on fuel. Brilliant.
Everyone has a blog. Everyone that doesn't have one, wants one. Yes ALI, you do too. Admit it. Admit it.

From Shweta's republican attacks to Harry's homosexuality, things are indeed getting interesting. Nothing "Secret-Dubai-awe-stirring-like" though - Harry's coming close. Ashiq's getting wiser, but his blog ain't going anywhere, even though the 3 posts he has are brilliantly brilliant. Consistency is vital. The Cryptic is somewhat revived, thank God. Romit's memory is pushing along. Vent-spaces are growing and daring moves are being made - 'Sex & Dubai' - unbelievable. 'Sex & Dubai' (who is referred to as a person) is actually a part of the UAE Blog Community. Oh, and I advice all you fellow UAE-based bloggers to register to the UAE Blog Community to increase hits, and spread the fact that "they know they want it". Also registering yourself with Technorati is another way of officially establishing yourself in the blogosphere.

All you other budding dogmats (:P), get hold of a blog. It's simple, it's a way of growing, it's entertaining, it's your way of being a part of the world wide web that is making our world smaller and smaller, it's your newspaper, it's your memory, it's your way of being heard, it's your way of connecting with world and making those previously-impossible contacts, it's your space - you do what you want with it - enjoy it. Rajiv, Republican - you would do really well with one.

Blog on!

P.S. Maths = screwed.

by Anish Malpani

Reco-s

Anything to get past the earlier post, I thought I would put up some of the stuff that I listen to. Many a time, I find it hard to find good music, and if you find yourself in the same rut, maybe this will help you.

1. Meatloaf & Marion Raven - It's All Coming Back To Me Now: Personally, I really like it. It's one of those slowish rock songs, with a lot of piano. But what makes it brilliant is the duet between Meatloaf and Raven, it's beautifully put together.
2. Oasis - Masterplan: Known to most as emotional or "cry-ey" song makers , Oasis fail to disappoint with another similar rendition. But hey, it's still really good. It's a very new song, and will do well on the charts. A must hear.
3. Christina Aguilera - Hurt: Yeah fine, everyone considers her to be one of the "Britney-Spears" types, but no one can deny her ability to sing. Hurt is an okay song technically, but Christina Aguilera's voice will just blow you away. Shit, she is awesome. It starts of as a piano acoustic, and then moves into some drums and violin. I really enjoy listening to it.
4. The Scorpions - Hurricane 2000: Ali made me listen to this, and the intro just makes me listen to it over and over again. It's a re-make of the Scoripions-hit, Rock You Like A Hurricane, but with an orchestra backing it. Again, brilliant.
5. Rascal Flatts - What Hurts The Most: This Tejas recommended to me, in his bid to tell me how he could relate so much to it. Sometimes, that's what makes a song awesome, the fact that you can relate to every word. Anyway, it's a good song. I like the lead singer's voice.
6. Jimmy Eat World - Pain: I love the pace of this song, and the name "pain" is very daunting. I love listening to it!
7. Good Charlotte - Emotionless: A very emotion-full song - that's why I like it.
8. Matchbox Twenty - Soul: I had to put an unheard-of Matchbox Twenty song to pay homage to my favourite band. This song is full of energy. Maybe you won't like it when you hear it for the first time, but the words and the passion makes it a very close-to-the-heart song once you start liking it.
9. Snow Patrol Featuring Martha Wainwright - Set The Fire To The Third Bar: The new Snow Patrol song that really grows on you. This one has been on my playlist for quite some time. It once, meant a lot to me.
10. Razorlight - America: It's a very nice song to listen. Just nice. I thought I did not like it, but then I heard it randomly and I was like "nice".
    

A few hard songs which I love listening to at full volume when I am pissed off or when I require energetic inspiration:

1. Cobra Starship - Snakes On A Plane
2. 30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill
3. Shinedown - Save Me
4. Crossfade - Cold
5. 3 Doors Down - This Time (Tejas' recommended)
6. My Chemical Romance - Helena
7. Incubus - Megalomaniac (Nishant's recommended)
8. Tantric - Mourning
9. Silverchair - Tomorrow

Enjoy!

P.S. Any recommendations?

by Anish Malpani

Stress...

Stress is everywhere. Exam time - it's around even more. Everyone, everywhere, is going through 'shit'. So what all us "going-through-shit-ers" need is more stress. Confused? My theory - "Beyond a point, shit stress converts to fun stress, so get stressed above that point." I really don't know what I am saying.

"Calm is for wimps. Get real. Get stressed."

Some stress-increasing maneuvers:

1. Choose friends you don't like.
2. Be late. Always.
3. Behave like a sardar...
4. Go to the premiere of Casino Royale. Sit next to people. Talk loudly.
5. On your way out of the cinema, discuss the end of Casino Royale loud enough for the world to hear.
6. Record the sound of a dentist's drill. Play it at bedtime.
7. Recognize your limitations. Then ignore them.
8. Recognize other peoples' limitations. Then tell them what to do.
9. Before reaching the paying counter of Carrefour, remove all the bar-codes of your shopping so they won't scan.
10. If you can't do it, don't let others do it.
11. The best policy - Be honest. All the time. With everyone. About everything.
12. The better policy - Lie. All the time. To everyone. About everything.
13. Practise rudeness, not just to make others feel bad, but also to make you feel bad about yourself. It's a win-win situation.
14. Fart in confined spaces. But only if other people are present.
15. Burp, and then say "Bless Me".
16. Hear others burp, and then say "Bless You".
17. Whine daily.
18. Become a politician.
19. Have Red Bull before going to bed.
20. Never return things you borrow.
21. Get a job writing junk mail.
22. Blog about "how you open the bathroom door".
23. Take credit for successes you have nothing to do with.
24. Buy a multi-alarm clock. Set the alarm for every 30 minutes. Then go to sleep.
25. HFZ - Make yourself a Humour Free Zone. If you ever find yourself laughing, go to the bathroom and get yourself together.
26. Always borrow money from your friends. Forget or put off repaying them for as long as possible.
27. Make study schedules you cannot keep up with.
28. Leave everything to the last minute.
29. At family get-togethers, start talking about the following: sex.
30. Be a wet blanket.
31. Write down your worries. Read the list before you go to bed.
32. Learn to snore.
33. Shout at people at least twice a day.
34. Try your best to make every competitor know that you are licking ass to become a prefect.
35. Buy shoes one size too small.
36. Always criticize everyone's clothes.
37. Become like Karan. (sorry, I am in the mood)
38. Blame everyone else for your failure.
39. Remember that there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it.
40. Never have a bath.
41. Forget brushing your teeth.
42. Eat lots and lots of garlic, and then ask your crush for her number.
43. Make rumours. Spread them.
44. Intentionally fail in your exams.
45. Join the "best" school.
46. Try and enjoy the stress...
47. Do you have any more of these?

P.S. Gone are the stress-free days so make use of the stress-ful ones. Most of the above quotes were taken from "The Little Book Of Stress" written by Rohan Candappa. One of the quotes in it is, " Take credit for successes you have nothing to do with." Thanks Rohan.
No offense intended.

by Anish Malpani