Euro-trip memoirs - Auschwitz 1...Of silent screams and shattered dreams

This is one post that I've put off for a while, not out of procrastination or sheer laziness (which let's admit it I am guilty of like every other human being)...but the sheer weight of this subject is one that I think anybody would think twice about before writing. There are many things in life that have you re-thinking, evaluating and defining your reasoning & approach towards both the simple and complex things in life. This entire subject was triggered while I was being my shallow self and wanting to write a post on Frivolity v/s Substance - A New Age mantra, but, the mind is a mysterious thing. It likes to wander, and when you give it the full liberty of doing so, the things it thinks of just renders one speechless at times...at least mine does depending on which plane of thought it lands up in.

I'm sure I must have mentioned this in posts past, that there was a mini Euro-trip I was going on with my folks marking the official start to my summer break and all those fun things. While I'm starting to think that such a trip was a complete figment of my imagination at this point in time, I actually have pictures that prove otherwise and are evidence that such a trip happened. There might be thoughts or even queries 'bout the adventures on said Euro trip. Well, there were plenty of adventures, in fact it was adventures galore, and well I got some of the best pix of the folks ever!!! So whenever I hit those blues, I just go through those pix, and a couple vids I took on my trusty iPod gadget. Thank you Mr. Steve Jobs for that wonderful creation, here's to more innovators, geniuses and creators who are not afraid to lead and denounce the automated and sedentary life of being a follower.

Moving on from that sidetrack, this post is about one of the most powerful, life changing experiences I was fortunate enough to experience, visit and feel the full effect of. There are few things in life that we wish we could experience and be part of, and then there are those moments that give us sheer goosebumps at the mere thought of imagining it. I'm not a major history buff, compared to Broda...now, that boy has a passion for history that I think he inherited from the folks, my knowledge and recalling abilities as far as history is concerned is...well...not the greatest. But this piece of history I'm sure each and everyone of you is aware of, because, it definitely is one of the most publicized, recognized and horrific travesties that human kind has ever committed in the history of mankind. Not that brutality and bloodshed is anything new to our kind, it's some sort of legacy that we idiots have taken upon ourselves to transfer down through to every generation and spread and proliferate. These are the things that make me question the theory of evolution, how is it that the thirst and wont for violence and bloodshed has played such a rampant and dominant part through the ages? Have we really learned nothing from it all? With the ages, we've only learned to kill each other off in more efficient ways, we've learned and advanced ourselves in the art of delivering unwanted terror and death faster than we have made any medical progress or scientific progress for that matter.

I'd like to share this particular experience with whoever chooses to read this, because, I think it is quintessential that we all have this moment where we stop, question, and ponder what exactly it is we're doing here, what our purpose is and whether we're headed in the right direction or not. No these aren't rhetorical nor philosophical questions, not after this particular experience. These are questions that we should be asking not just ourselves, but our leaders as well, these are questions that will linger, and should linger and be posed to our future generations as well. While this part of the trip was really one of the last things we did before we headed back to HQ where it all began, I don't think I have enough words to express the exact sentiments that coursed through me during that visit. The last city on our travel itinerary, as well as the first, was the city of Krakow in Poland. One of the things that one just has to do while in Krakow is to visit the concentration camp at Auschwitz...yes the very same one that you learned in those History classes some of you dozed off in, or tuned out in. It's a place that's neither for the faintest of hearts nor the strongest of hearts...it's a place that unifies every heartbeat, every thought and every sentiment of whoever chooses to walk through the gates of one of mankind's own creation of Hell.

It all started on a very early and bright Saturday morning. The three of us got ready and we didn't really need alarm clocks, I think internally we were all raring to go because this was the one thing that all of us were really looking forward to. We rushed, scarfed down breakfast and started our road trip to Auschwitz. We did have our reservations with our GPS, the chick (well the voice on the GPS that gives us our directions) would get us sorta kinda close to the place and then have us going in circles while trying to get to our actual destination. Oh Praha was a perfect example of the GPS driving us absolutely nuts. I think my dad has the story and scars to prove it lol, poor papa bear. The day started off nice and sunny, which had us groaning 'cuz of the cruel and merciless heat beatings that the Sun dished out in Praha. Thankfully this time around, the GPS chick didn't have us land up in Ukraine or anything of the sort, we got to our destination and then there were wonderful signs telling us how to get to our destination. Our excitement and a certain sense of anxiety and anticipation, crept in as we got closer to our destination...only we were completely unprepared for what was coming our way, and to be honest, I don't think anyone can ever be prepared.

The group tours started later in the day, but we chose to do the solo tours. As we stepped out of the entrance building, the main reception area and all of the administrative areas...and stepped out into the external area surrounding the camp a certain sense of trepidation started permeating my pores. My senses were growing more aware of the surroundings and my fight and flight sensations seemed to be kicking into high gear as though it was anticipating and sensing some imminent yet unseen threat. The feelings became harder to shrug off as we got closer and closer to the entrance to the concentration camp. The moment we crossed that threshold and entered the concentration camp, it felt as though I was teleported into a different time, a different plane of existence. The hairs on the back of my neck shot up, as did the goosebumps....it was an overwhelming feeling that, to this date, I have not been able to metaphorize nor compare to, and I sincerely hope that day never comes where I actually have something to relate those feelings to. A certain chill crept into my bones, I turned around to see if I had been teleported elsewhere or if it was my mind playing tricks on me...nope there was no teleportation, the world I had left behind at the threshold of Auschwitz was still there; those tourists taking snaps of the motto (that sealed the fate of it's residents) "Arbeit Macht Frei" which roughly translates to (Work makes one free) were still there. It was as if my senses had stretched out up till the entrance and came rushing back to me like waves possessed by the currents, with a force and power that could knock you off your feet. It was overwhelming, to say the least... As I turned around to proceed walking down the path ahead, I looked both ways at the path intersecting the one I was on, to see just how far the path stretched both ways at the entrance. You see after crossing the gate there's a path that goes horizontally, it expands the entire length of the compound, and looking both ways all I could hear was the deafening screams and bloodcurdling roars of silence. It was as if every stone, brick, cement block, leaf, blade of grass, barbed wire, glass and tree was sharing and shedding the tears of those at the receiving end of the horrors and atrocities carried within their gates...their eternal curse, their eternal memory. Right then, in that very moment, you realize that no amount of reading, analytical abilities, rationality or logic can prepare you for what you are about to see.

Now, visitors visiting Auschwitz had access to a few of the blocks located within the camp. The Polish Government has converted these blocks into a museum of sorts, that, houses remnants and possessions of the many inmates/prisoners. This way it not only serves as grim reminders of history, but also so that we will NEVER forget exactly what we are capable of. Reading about the atrocities Hitler, the psychopath (such a bloody understatement), committed is one thing, but to actually walk through those corridors, passageways and hallways truly is something else. What's even more appalling, besides Hitler's twisted notions and theories, is the willingness and conviction with which people followed him and carried out his orders. Sure you can tell me the soldiers within these camps were threatened if they didn't follow orders or would have had their families and themselves executed and what not, but, if you know what you're doing defies common human decency are you telling me you would not do everything in your power to end it? But that is not even a topic up for discussion in this post.

Most of these blocks contained either huge display cases or rooms with maps and documents and presentations about prisoners, the SS guards and survivors of these camps. One of the first display cases was almost filled to the brim with this dark coloured material/substance that looked like unprocessed cotton. Now these display cases were freaking huge and spanned a huge length, they're almost the size and volume of my living room. Now, this material pretty much lined up almost halfway if not a lot more than the halfway mark of the display case, and as we kept walking towards the end, where the display card next to it said that the material was human hair. Hair shaved off of the heads of women prisoners of the camp....this hair was then sent to factories where it was processed and then used to make fabrics (I believe drapes) and other things...and how this fabric was coveted amongst citizens and was actually worth a lot in monetary value. At that point in time, I think I was thinking how breakfast was such a bad idea....just seeing and reading that had invoked such a repulsive reaction from me...I wasn't sure if I was going to last the rest of the trip. With each display case and block that we covered a deeper feeling of disgust and an unfathomable and unshakeable feeling of sorrow and loss gnawed it's way deeper and deeper into my soul. One of the other display cases that shook me to the core of my being, was one that was filled with piles and piles of shoes almost the whole way. The sign next to this display case said that these shoes belonged to all the women and children that were brought to the concentration camps. Usually when people were brought to the concentration camps they were divided into primarily two groups...those capable of doing work and those who were incapable of doing work and were considered useless. That usually constituted 3/4th of the group of people brought to the camp, and the section of the population that fell under this 3/4th category were children, women with children, the old and destitute, and those who were ill. These people upon being brought to Auschwitz, were told to shower and decontaminate themselves...sometimes the facilities were on the train and at other times the infamous gas chambers. The gas chambers were made to seem like actual bathrooms where the SS had placed fake shower heads...and so the prisoners would undress and go to take their showers, which was when the gas chambers would dispense their toxic substances and seal the fates of these unknowing souls. Once the gassing procedure was complete, these SS soldiers would go collect anything of value that might be on the person, such as gold teeth/fillings and things of the sort. None the less, seeing those mountains of shoes that belonged to all those women and children was something beyond heartbreaking. Each display case was just more heartbreaking and soul stirring than the previous one...there was one that housed luggage and prostheses that  belonged to the prisoners, yet another housed the dishes used by the inmates and this particular display case was the size of a basketball court and also the volume of one...yet another one was filled with toothbrushes, shoe brushes, razors/blades, and glasses worn by inmates. Other blocks were replicas of the living conditions the prisoners were subjected to and some rooms had pictures and descriptions ranging from portrait paintings to caricatures, to letters written by inmates and sent to allies. These rooms contained the stories of some of the bravest people the world has ever known, who fought until their drying breath to free others and themselves, even if that freedom cost them their lives.

One of the most striking sites, within the camp that has been maintained, is the firing wall. There's a wooden barricade either side of the entrance and there are windows from the blocks overlooking the firing range. The moment you enter that area, there's a jolt of stillness that grips you hard and envelopes you and shuts down the screaming silence. As you stare at that wall, where countless innocents met their end all because some sick sycophant thought it to be a worthy agenda, I kid you not when I say that I could almost hear the echoes of the shots ringing out. It's as if nothing else has penetrated those walls and that entrance since it was first set up. We also got to take a look at the cells where the prisoners were herded if not throw in...there were certain cells that had absolutely no light, some, that were tiny enough so that people could only crawl, and, some where there was only a limited air supply....and then, there were the standing prison cells. These are cells where if one were to stand their heads would hit the ceiling of the cell. People had a little bit of a pit area dug up so that they could stand in them but the pits were neither too deep nor did they have enough of a circumference to allow people to sit, so regardless of what people tried to do they wouldn't be able to sit, and one can only imagine what it would've been like for someone who would've been extremely tall. Add to the fact that each of these standing cells didn't house 1 person but sometimes 4 people to just one of those cells.

With each block we passed, there was this clawing urge to get out and get back to a reality away from this reality, away from the screams, the cries for help, for mercy....Finally unable to see any more, we headed back towards the entrance to Auschwitz...there were a few blocks that we did not visit which were the dispensary blocks that were set up by country/region. The decision to skip the dispensaries/hospital/medical facilities located at Auschwitz 1 was primarily influenced by whatever we had read in the previous block that mentioned Josef Mengele. With all that we had seen, heard and read (as a result of history books, documentaries and later the displays at Auschwitz 1), we were definitely not ready to see any sort of medical evidence or proof of all the sick experiments Mengele deemed fit and a necessity to better understand the human race. I don't think seeing any visual evidence of Mengele's experiments with identical twins, or for that matter, seeing evidence or reports of the medical experiments conducted by any of those unworthy blots in the history of mankind and medicine would have been something we could have handled.

Initially we had planned on going to Auschwitz-Birkineau as well, but by the time we got out of Auschwitz 1 we didn't have it in us to go to Auschwitz-Birkineau. How would the atrocities committed in one place be any different from those carried out at another concentration camp? Walking away from Auschwitz, there were absolutely no words that either of us had, it was a quiet drive the whole way back to the hotel. While we were at Auschwitz 1 the weather had drastically changed as well, compared to how the morning had started out. It had turned cloudy, there was a certain pallor of gloom visible in the skies and the clouds, and while we were at the camp, there was a moment when there was a bit of a light drizzle, that lasted for a few seconds or probably a minute or 3...even the heavens couldn't bear the sight of such a memoir of mankind's darkest hours. No amount of tears from the heavens could possibly cleanse or wash away one of history's starkest and darkest moments.

Just when you think you understand or maybe grasp the extent of what mankind is possibly capable of, you see something that redefines that feeling and that makes you feel so small and insignificant....it reinforces that feeling of just how little it is we know, understand or value our lives or the human experience. I for one know that the entire experience has been burned into the deepest recesses of my memory and is something I will remember and value until the day I die. I strongly recommend that if you do get a chance to visit Auschwitz that you take that chance...if anything, but to experience and see just how low we as human beings can get. Reading about slavery, violence and camps are, as I mentioned earlier in this post, one thing, but seeing and experiencing it first hand is something else by itself. Auschwitz can be seen as the ultimate epitome of human depravity, insanity, cruelty, hatred and evil....but it is also a symbol of bravery, determination, hope, fight, courage and survival. Let us not forget those who died staving off & saving the rest of us from the hands of those hellbent on snuffing the very life out of us. To forget them, their trials and tribulations, and most importantly their pain and suffering isn't just an insult to their memory but it's also an insult to our very natures. They gave up pretty much everything in their lives in the name of humanity, so lets not sully their memories. An experience like this makes you re-think all the things in life you spent bitching and whining about, and it really makes it all seem small and futile and worthless. As if on autopilot, your mind starts sorting events and people out based on how much they help you or hinder you, and things suddenly seem clearer than before.

Don't waste your time with regrets, don't fill your world with hatred, anger and words and actions you know you can never take back...there isn't enough time to waste on such things. We as human beings should learn from the gravest and worst mistakes of our past in order to secure a solid foundation of harmony and coexistence for the future. Why are we so hell bent on the trivial things in life? Why are we so hell bent on bringing each other down, instead of standing shoulder to shoulder? Why is there such an insistence for discord based on differences like race, colour and nowadays that biggie called religion? We're all the same for crying out loud, we all have DNA within us, basic molecules made outta the same damn components/units needed to make DNA, we all believe and wish for the same things...so instead of wasting time trying to separate and segregate you'd think we'd take the time to find out common interests and build something together. Have you ever noticed the following? In a conversation, it's easier for someone to pick out the differences and things they dislike faster than it is for them to find commonalities and similarities. Sounds kinda ridiculous doesn't it? Let's hope the future is one where every other front page headline isn't about bombings (be them suicide or IED's) or military coups....it really is depressing when you only read about the ways in which we're eradicating each other off of the face of the earth. Let the future generations say that we actually paid attention to the past and made the future count.

Beating the Odds

'It's all about beating the odds, right?' famous words uttered by Detective Kate Beckett on Monday's episode of Castle. Of course there were more words to it than just those, I just don't want to give away anything with the stuff she said before those words. They just kinda stood out, in their own nice, stark, crisp, mulling way. The moment those words were uttered, my mind was flooded with a bunch of images, snapshots of times past...probably it was a subconscious mental sweep to reassure myself that we (as in the collective me) are not strangers to the odds per-se and that we have always been able to fight the odds, maybe not beat them all the time, but it's the essence of that fighting spirit that keeps us going...(in this case I guess the us and the we refer to not just the collective me but the rest of us collectively)

I guess it's important we all have our quotes, our magic motivational potions and our lucky dice, besides probably something stronger than an espresso and more potent than an Irish coffee. Beating the odds is definitely a lot more tiring and draining than we expect or anticipate it to be. I'd like to say I've mastered the art of beating the odds, but, that would be a lie. I'm no gambler, in fact I'm pretty hopeless at it, but I've gotten better at riding the wave that goes with beating the odds. Some days it's a crushing, brutal force that knocks the wind outta you and sucks the life outta you. It does more than make you give up you know? It eats it's way through you from the inside out and at times it just obliterates you and makes you question your very existence.

It isn't just love that's all about beating odds, it's a concept that is weaved in with the whole fabric of life, whether it's the hem or it's the actual shroud of life that's woven, it plays a role. Brings to mind a quote from the Hunger Game series, 'May the odds forever be in your favour'. There's just such power, weight and responsibility that lies behind those words, no not just the quote from HG, it's easier said than analyzed, understood and interpreted. However, like all things that possess great power, they all come with great responsibility (Oh yeah Spiderman would be proud :P), it would be absolutely stupid and ignorant to believe that all odds can be evened out. It would be wiser to assume that all odds exist to strengthen our choices as well as chances with every randomly occurring moment of probability. Be forewarned, probability wasn't really one of my favourite subjects to tackle or handle in school.

There is a certain addictive nature attributed to probability....well perhaps it's a gambling thing. I wonder if gamblers view their lives as a probability problem where they can approximate with a certain degree of accuracy, probably to the 2nd decimal point, the outcomes of the decisions they make. I wonder if they're the kind of people who can plan their moments 40 steps ahead of a non gambler...imagine, if such a thing existed and if it was scientifically proven that gamblers made for efficient decision makers and planners, then I'm pretty sure every kid would get an all access pass to be the best at poker and blackjack by the age of 6. Scary thought 'en it? I think my folks would be stunned if kids who came up to my knees were all *psht, you don't know how to play poker? What's wrong with you?* Or actually knowing them, they'd agree with the kids and I'd be the proverbial 'sore thumb', you gotta love family...they know when to jump the ship to nominate you as the entertainer/regular stand up comedian...even if it's the sleep inducing kind. Now c'mon you know you wanna have the power to induce sleep...I mean imagine knocking people out without physically clocking 'em, but with the power of words...it's almost like uttering a chant or incantation loaded with the power of nature and majick :D.

Yes I'm in Harry Potter withdrawal mode, oh well what the heck can I do about it, except go into a crazy "I shall read all 7 books within the next 2 days mode?" Ooh speaking of books, I'm close to being done with this highly fascinating book, a review will be up as soon as I'm done reading. Anyhow, this post has nothing to do with reviews, it's all about beating the odds.

We all definitely hate those times when the odds don't favour us, thing about those times is they aren't just a one time event, but there's a bunch of them that occur simultaneously and make us feel like we're ready to be sucked into the depths of our own blackholes, never to resurface, never to reappear. Those odds of ours, break us down quite a fair bit, I wouldn't go as far as to say that they mock us, they sting us, especially our souls and our egos, 'cuz you all know we have that crazy egotistical thing going on within us, like freaking bee stings and our reactions vary from anaphylactic shocks to the slightest shadow of hurt, pain and disappointment. None the less, it's not reason enough for us to shrug our shoulders and say no...possibility is the parental figure for the basis/existence/establishment of all hypotheses, as well as the key ingredient in the composition of the delectable nectar of knowledge, and the stepping stone a visionary needs to fulfill and make their visions a reality.

Do yourselves a favour, besides making lemonades galore and downing tequila shots with the lemons life hands you, go with the odds, 'cuz one way or another they're only preparing you to realize your full potential and unleash all that you've got. Remember they may make you think you're weak, but there's nothing more powerful nor stoic than facing your most crushing moments head on, nor looking your failures in the eye and overcoming them. Not a lotta people are lucky enough to do so, so don't you dare hesitate nor feel embarassed while relating or reliving your failures and fears, because nobody is perfect and everybody has a story to tell.And don't you dare gloat and boast nor let your victories get to your head, 'cuz pride always comes with a downfall. For all you know your story and your experiences may give some people the solace, advice, support and strength they never realized they needed, and there's nothing more gratifying nor satisfying than knowing you managed to change someone's life.

Well that's my random schpiel 'bout odds and probabilities, I just had to throw in my 2cents about it. Don't worry nothing cataclysmic nor catastrophic has occurred...take care people and I hope you have a great week ahead!

Reviews and Reviewers - The 43 Minute edition

*Commencing Transmission*

Hello all,

Welcome to another fine tuned webisode of my verbal onslaught. I would call it Verbalis Mentalis but who knos what the hell that means and who knows when someone is actually going to use that term to start diagnosing people with some life threatening shit? Fun thing about Latin and Medicine, well the Health Industry I guess...if you know a little of both, then you can probably have fun driving up combinations that have people fearing for their lives. Besides, the world capitalizes on fear now, doesn't it? Be it a Capitalist mindset or a Socialist one, fear drives people and causes establishments to thrive. Don't worry, I'm not going to start an aandolan (strike/resistance/movement) against fear, I'm not quite sure if that is possible. None the less, fear is not the main topic of this particular post...clearly can you see fear anywhere in the subject line? Yeah didn't think so.

So what I have for you today is the simple yet dismissive art of reviewing, and on that menu for reviews, there's a few TV shows and movies lined up to get evaluated. Well the movies might find themselves headed for another post, so you can heave a sigh of relief. No don't worry I make no profits outta doing this, and if I did do you actually think I'd let you know? Well....that depends on the profit margin and also on the presents I get myself :D.

So as you all know, fall TV is the time we have new series being launched, old series being renewed and we all wait with bated breath to see what happens next after that 'cliff hanger' moment we had on the season finale of the show back in April/May. Well hello, we've had a busy week, well it's been a busy one for me 'cuz a lot of my fav. shows came back...and some of 'em came back with a BANG! And the others...well they left a bit to the imagination, a bit to the 'hmmmm' part of your curiosity 'cuz you kinda sense a major plot storm brewing or you just get all hyped up, and there's a few patches of disappointment where you feel that a particular situation could've been handled better. But overall it wasn't such a bad week in tele land.

Let's see first up is the season premiere of the most anticipated show (for me), namely 'Castle'. That season finale was one helluva season finale earlier this year. To match pace and tempo with that season finale definitely would have been challenging, because you want to find new ways and means of keeping the audience guessing and reeled in and wondering what happens next. The lighting, cinematography and effects just set the mood and pace for the entire episode, it was terrific. It will definitely be interesting to see how twisted and wound up this season is going to get...the character graphs tend to get a lil' jumpy and hit spots you didn't see coming. Then of course there's the whole Caskett (Castle and Beckett for the newly inducted Castle members) thing that I think a lotta fans are talking about, but in all honesty, I don't really care 'bout the relationship just yet as I do the plot and the writing. The one thing 'bout the writing on Castle that I've truly enjoyed is how snappy, sharp and of course witty, the dialogue tends to get between characters and the character dynamics are also just bloody brilliant. The other cool thing about Castle is how the show is actually expanding on the whole main character and actually gets the books that Castle supposedly writes published in real time. Heck Marvel is even doing a graphic novel for Derrick Storm, one of Castle's major 'cash cows' in terms of character, and a very popular and loved character in the whole murder, mystery, spy thriller genre of things. I'm definitely curious to know just how this season goes.

Next in line we have one of the other shows that I've been absolutely looking forward to since it's finale and since all this casting news that's happened between the end of Season 6 and the Season 7 premiere. That's right people, the brilliance called 'Criminal Minds' was back in full force and action on Wednesday and HOLY SHIT was it AMAZING!!!! It's so bloody brilliant to see everyone back, Season 6 definitely had it's moment, the best story arc being the one involving Prentiss and that whole Lauren arc with Ian Doyle. It was such a well shot and well executed story arc for one of my fav characters on the show, Agent Emily Prentiss! A few of my other fav episodes being JJ and Coda. The action packed, adrenaline pumping season premiere was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! And I think this is going to be one amazing season of CM! Season 6 saw quite a bit of a falter, and I thought it had quite a few shaky moments, especially towards the end, but hey the rest of the team held it together even with the addition of Rachel Nichols, who yeah the fans absolutely despised 'cuz they figured she was a replacement for our beloved JJ. I must add thought that it is very unfortunate as to how popular a person is due to their character on screen, and we all tend to have that lapse where we forget to differentiate between the character and the actual actor. None the less, thank you Rachel for all your efforts on CM while you were there, however, it would be pretty freaking cool to see you return for a few episodes or a story arc. But other than, oh man did the fans of the show have SO MUCH to rejoice and celebrate 'bout on the season premiere and yeah as an aside, Hotch looked pretty freaking cool with that scruff going on haha. Here's to an amazing season up ahead!

Then we have 'The Mentalist' to follow up on Thursday. Well, the Season finale of 'The Mentalist' was pretty freaking awesome...it was quick, action packed and pretty much outta nowhere. Well I thought the Season premiere was pretty standard. Pretty much Jane and his charm, tricks and his personal story and his personal vendetta to find 'Red John'...sometimes the story line irritates me 'cuz it goes winding around and around and around without touching on anything substantial. I'm not sure if it's something I'd tune into every week, or just wait till the season is done before I do a marathon. Well that's what I did last season, it's not on the top of my must watch list, but hey keeps the mind amused if I'm bored outta my mind with my hectic schedule haha. I guess we'll see how the season goes. However, the one cool thing 'bout the show has to be the episode names, I love how they incorporate 'Red' into pretty much every single episode title, absolutely brilliant work at that.

I decided I'd give 2 new shows that premiered this past week a shot to see how gripping/interesting they would be. The promos looked fairly interesting over the summer. First one up is, 'Unforgettable' with one of the actresses from one of my fav shows, 'Without a Trace', as the main lead. It was refreshing to see Poppy Montgomerey grace the screen yet again, however, I dunno man I thought the premiere of 'Unforgettable' was pretty forgettable...however, that being said I'm not giving up on the show just yet. It's like a mix of 'The Listener' and 'Without a Trace' in terms of the way the show's been edited and put together. Maybe in time it'll turn out to be cooler and I might actually eat my words from this post. Remind me 'bout this post if you happen to find me screaming 'OMG OMG Did you watch that episode!!!??? It was freaking AMAZEBALLS!!!'...well you won't hear me screaming but I guess you can anticipate it with the enunciation in the key strokes and all.

The second new show to premiere this past week was 'Prime Suspect'. Yes it's a cop drama, yes I enjoy cop dramas, they're pretty freaking cool. It was a pretty cool season premiere, to a certain extent it reminded me of 'The Closer' only unlike Kyra Sedgwick's character (Brenda Johnson), the main character on the show definitely doesn't seem like the kinda person who would put someone down/retort and retaliate verbally with the kind of finesse and dare I say Southern hospitality Brenda Johnson does it with. I'm definitely looking forward to the next episode, oh and I definitely dig the main character's, portrayed by Maria Bello, fashion choices haha. So far, I enjoy Maria Bello's portrayal of Jane Timoney. The opening scene had to be one of the best scenes to this pilot episode, the main character trying to kick the cancer stick habit and trying to get a better handle on her health. The way the entire episode went about I think there's a lot more character development that the viewers can look forward to. Right from the get go the creators have made it a point to showcase the layers to Jane Timoney, from the tough and thick skinned cop who is the only source of estrogen in a testosterone filled Homicide Detective division, to the dedicated and efficient cop who puts people in their place and takes no BS in terms of following protocol and getting the work done, to being the street smart NYC chica who doesn't give up getting leads to a case, to the vulnerable woman who shows her colleagues she doesn't get affected by what they say but cracks in the confines of her own personal space...it's refreshingly done.

I have yet to check out 'Ringer' but once I do then my valuable opinions shall make their way here. Shows I'm definitely looking forward to in October include Homeland, Grimm and Once Upon a Time. I cannot wait to see Damian Lewis back on screen, it's such a shame NBC cancelled 'Life', it was such a good show, something I'm sure a lot of Life and NBC fans will never forgive NBC for doing. Well that's it for now folks, have yourselves an awesome weekend, or at least what's left of it. And...watch this space for more stuff. May the power of thought, imagination and progress forever be yours to acquire, gain and possess, for they are the most important ingredients to make this life of yours count. Well on that cheery and dreary note, cheers, adios and all that good stuff.

*Transmission ended*

Hiatus

Gotta love that word, hell it makes me feel like those prime-time fall shows that go off the air over the summer and come back with a BANG some time around now in the fall. Well here I am, and ready to go through a verbal free fall. So let me start off by saying, how kind of you to tag along and join the ride. I have no spoilers for the season ahead, oh wait, *doh* this ain't a TV show now is it? What do we have on the menu? Nothing in particular, the usual fare, randomness served up with even more randomness and just the general joy and angst of being back to the writing board.

Man did the summer fly by, I mean one moment it's all *bloody hell I hope it's summer soon*, next moment *Boom! Bang! Kabang! Alakazam! Hello summer here we are*, and then *Bam!* the next moment it's all done and it all happened in the blink of an eye, and you honestly do stop, ponder and wonder if all that time really did pass you by. Well I keep bringing back summer like something major happened over the summer, but no, nothing major happened, I mean we had a few major comic book and other novel adaptations on that huge ass silver screen come out this summer, some bigger than others, but of course one thing has to be said about them...The movies never quite live up to the books and I'm not sure how many ever will, but it's still an attempt that should be lauded, and despite saying that, I know, I'll be one of those people lining up to see how they adapted my favourite book on the big screen. Curiosity will always be the biggest draw for such genres of cinema, yes it is a genre 'cuz nowadays it has carved out it's own niche, it has it's own set of viewers who will definitely show up to show their support for said project. However that being said, the screenplays aren't exactly original now are they? They're adapted from the original creator's body of work and given a life of their own. That being said, my summer was a time to recharge the batteries, to re-align and re-design priorities, and to refresh and revel those bonds that matter. Oh yeah I'd love to say that it was also the time I took to rescind those bonds that are just a pure waste of my time and energy, but I didn't exactly get around to doing that. I mean who the hell thinks of stuff like that when they have more important things to take care of? Garbage always finds a way to dispose of itself..

I literally spent my time in my Fortress of Solitude brooding creating, destroying, contemplating and regrouping myself. There's always going to be a point in everybody's lives where the hustle bustle of life literally pops you all out and you just need a lot of time to pick yourself up and do what you think is best for yourself. I'm not sure if it makes sense but picture it this way, you are physically free but your mind is caged in, absolutely trapped and weighed down by the sheer volume of thoughts, actions and plans of action that you keep creating and discarding. People are at peace when they're mentally freed, freedom isn't just about the physical source of being free, where you aren't tied down, or cuffed to a radiator or sum'n, freedom is when given the time of day you don't feel like the wind is being knocked outta you by the right hook your brain assaulted you with. It's not having that feeling of being Atlas or inverse Atlas where the weight of the world resides on your chest and not on your back. The human mind is an amazing tool all by itself, you don't need scientific research to prove that, you just need a few On days and Off days to do so. There isn't a more liberating feeling in the world than to think through everything and find your solution instead of hitting up dead ends and bigger obstacles that you have to find more ways to overcome. 

Of course don't ask me what happened, 'cuz I myself didn't see the final result of all that summer fresh brain harvesting. But here I am giving a discourse on freedom and brains and fortresses and things of the sort. There were a few but fabulous events from the summer that I absolutely loved being part of and just feel really special and blessed when I think back to them, and then there were some not so pleasant events. But I guess if you look at it from an astrally projected 3rd person point of view you can't have the good without the bad, but, I must say thank you to my wonderful family/el familio/family outside of immediate family that beats immediate family at being family :D, for being so awesome and supportive. You guys know how to make things right if not better and you make every moment count. Thanks for keeping me in check and keeping that big picture in perspective, we are so totally gonna take over if not dominate the world. Look out world, we're on our way, coming soon to every billboard near you...well if you're not the billboard kinda person then every monitor/screen/device near you. Oh yeah we're that damn good.

Alright so here's the deal, I'm making quick random spurts of acknowledgement to things that I think you all should keep your senses peeled for, 'cuz I think it may blow your mind away.

Firstly, mad props to my boy Shah and his co-creator Gui for bringing their beautiful web comic creation, titled 'Qwixotic', out there for us heathens to revel in and enjoy. I believe it is coming out soon, so watch your spaces for updates 'cuz that's something you will get from me. The artwork is simply bloody brilliant. Congratulations with your Fan-Expo stint, I can only wish you guys all the very best and much success in the upcoming Comic Cons and conventions, You guys deserve nothing but the best for all your hardwork and dedication! In case you have no idea what the hell I'm talking about I strongly encourage and recommend visiting the link following up in the next few lines. So do yourselves a favor and check out,

http://qwixotic.wordpress.com/

Next on the list is the Hunger Games series. It's quite an intense read and not your regular fare sorta tale. It's a fantastical concept and very original and imaginative. I believe the movies are coming out soon, none the less if you can read the books I'd say go ahead and read 'em. They're not your standard fare, well nowadays standard fare would be vampire, werewolves and supernatural tales wouldn't it? But they aren't any of those, to put it simply try imagining it this way...well this is the way the author imagined it, so, try imagining and blending  war and reality TV. In essence that's the base if not core foundation, of course you do have so much more to it than just that...but it's the starting point. You  may find the beginning boring, but, it gets quite a grip on your attention a few chapters in.

Next on this list is the movie 'Sucker Punch'...holy hell did that movie pack in quite a punch. Such brilliant bloody cinematography and a brilliant script to go with it too. Such beautiful work, really there's a lotta scenes in the movies where the actors didn't have to mouth lines to convey a message, their expressions, gestures and the cameras did a fantastic job of telling the story. It was a brilliant movie that just rocked me to very core, bloody fantastic movie. If you're the faint of heart who cannot bear topics of violence and abuse and the darker and grittier aspects of humanity that isn't delved into too much, or might be overly done in terms of treatment and all of that fun stuff, or the kind who can't stomach the conceptual aspects of Law & Order SVU or Criminal Minds (well it isn't as gruesome) then you might want to think twice about it. Otherwise, take a watch, it's a pretty brilliant flick.

Check out the following shows, if you haven't done so already, they're worth the tele time

-Leverage
-Rizzoli & Isles
-Body of Proof
-Alphas (interesting show/concept, it's Heroes with a more scientific approach and reasoning to things)

New shows I definitely wanna check out that might cause me to rant and rave 'bout it include the following, and you'll hear from me if sucks or totally rocks my socks.

-Ringer (C'mon who can say no to SMG big return to prime-time tele? I know I can't say no to Buffy I mean SMG :P)
-Grimm
-Once Upon a Time

Alright folks, so that's a wrap, I just wanted to make my big bang return to my verbal outflow centre. I hope things are going well with all of ya'll and until next time take care and have yourselves a bloody brilliant time.

Theology + Fiction = Theoction + Ficeology...a potent concoction?

Special Potions available and brewed only at Hogwarts School of Theology...

'Huh?!' is that your first reaction? Don't worry, you aren't the only one scratching your head there and trying to figure out what one has to do with the other…I did too, when I first wrote the subject line for this post. Alright so now that we have established the fact that theology has nothing to do with the wizarding world of Harry Potter, can someone please explain what the hell the point is of even putting the two topics together? It's not as if Harry woke up one fine day in the middle of the school year and decided to become Catholic or Protestant or Hari the Hindu or Haroun the Muslim or Harmanveer the Sikh...and so on and so forth with all the other faiths out there…so then, what could one possibly consider to be scandalous or controversial from a theological point of view?

Bleeding torch burning, flailing, wielding morons with no sense of appreciation for something so rich, diverse and all encompassing in it's own way. You must have fallen off of, if not, created off of the shitty side of the G-man's disposition. Forget me saying the Dark side of the moon, at least more civilized things came out of there, namely the residents of Cybertron. Anyway, there is nothing more annoying than dragging something, which might I emphasize, has nothing to do with a whole buncha things, through unnecessary mud. And what's worse? When you actually have more dimwits, who actually jump on this bandwagon like a bunch of sniveling, grunting cavemen/cavewomen.

Religion, at least from what I can understand and what I’ve learned, seeks it’s place in reality so as to try and show people that it all makes sense and that everything is connected. Fiction, on the other hand, seeks to liberate people from the confines of rules and regulations and all other things that we’re bound by and sometimes pulled down by. It’s the key to letting our imaginations grow and to appreciate all that we would not have thought of had someone not conjured something so simple yet profound with their magical use of words. So what's got my neurons in a knot? Well how about the unnecessary need for people to drag religion and fiction all together into one dicey, spicy, unnecessary mess? See, my Newsfeed keeps getting inundated with excerpts from scripture, the Quran/Qur’an to be more precise...and you know what, that's cool an all ya know if it helps give meaning and a reflective perspective to Ramadan to those of you seeking it...but honestly, don't be a git and say ridiculous things like, 'Oh you know something is messed up with the world when people spend money and make movies like Harry Potter a blockbuster while there are people in Somalia dying without food or water.' I'm sorry pal but there's nothing wrong with the world and in case you haven't noticed the world's been this same exact, self absorbed way for a very, very long time.

Although I must admit, I'm glad you have some sort of empathy/sympathy coursing through your veins...shows you're still human or at least have a bit of your humanity intact. But here's my question to you, what have you done/contributed towards providing relief or helping out with the drought situation in Somalia lately? Don't sit there and bitch about something that everyday average Joes' and Janes' enjoy partaking in. If you don't wanna be one of them then that's your choice, but please, don't go around making obnoxious statements. If anything maybe you might wanna take a look at the global headlines as well...instead of making all this hullaballoo about how Somalia isn't getting any relief or aid because it's an Islamic nation (IMHO this is definitely the most preposterous thing I've heard so far)...why don't you stop slandering and bringing to light such unfounded statements, and instead, take a nice good long look at the headlines of the papers of the neighboring Islamic states. There was this other post that popped up on my Newsfeed that was an excerpt from I assume, a leading daily in the U.A.E that went on to highlight how approximately 500 tonnes of food (how much freaking food is that?!) finds it's way to trash cans and dumped out. The source of the food dump? Well how do Iftaar buffets organized by hotels sound for a start? (for those who don't know what Iftaar is...it's the time when the fast for the day during Ramadan is broken...for more detailed info hit up Google...I hear reading is good fer ya) People gotta pay quite a bit to be able to sample and enjoy the finest cuisines being dished out at  those buffets. Well obviously, after long hours of not eating or drinking anything it's no wonder that a lot of the food cannot be consumed. Your body sorta kinda comes up with a way to handle that sorta thing. So what ends up happening? Hey here's an idea....Hmmm if patrons aren't eating let's chuck that food out cuz hey who else could possibly use it right? Talk about double standards...the city of Dubai besides being known as a tourist's paradise *cough bullshit*, how about melanoma/skin cancer paradise instead? It's definitely the world's biggest farce. Underneath all that glamour you see, remains hidden the stark, naked truth. Anyway my rants about Dubai and that good for nothing place are definitely for another post and not for this one anyway. None the less, you would think that these people would have had the common decency to get this food out to people who can barely afford even one meal during the day...these people would be those at the labour camps who, toil day in and out in ruthless and merciless conditions so as to put up those glass towers in that City of Glass. Yeah those people...don't you think they deserve a bit of the G-man's mercy? And isn't it especially part of the season to give to the needy?

Alright let's forget that and go back to the Somalia issue...so if the rest of the world is being all racist and communalist (no not Communist, the 2 words bear absolutely no resemblance to each other ) about getting relief there then what the hell are the sister and brother nations that are not communalist doing about it? Oh yeah I know they're wasting if not squandering all that potentially relief worthy stuff away. Seriously people think before you start posting your gaffs online...there is nothing more obnoxious and revolting than bringing your obnoxious selves to light. It makes the rest of humanity especially those who still thankfully think, act, represent and carry themselves with grace and dignity hang their heads in shame.

Oh and one other thing, as I've mentioned in a previous post. If you wanna go around raising awareness and doing humanitarian work do it out of the goodness of your heart not out of any religious agenda and don't bring religion into the equation. Yeah don't worry the G-man or whatever other higher power it is you believe in or don't is watching. You don't need to keep a physical tab on it ya know? It kills the whole doing it out of the goodness of your heart notion....it makes what you do seem something that's more of an obligation than a choice.

On that note I bring this post to an end. I figure for some of y'all it's the holy month of Ramadan so Ramadan Kareem to y'all and I hope it's a good and reflective one. For the rest of y'all well I hope things are going well in general and that life has been treating you decently...and well if it hasn't, then there ain't no point in keeping your chin up unless you yourself are convinced that that's what you should be doing. Take a little time off and think things through and you will definitely be surprised by what you find, and believe me life revels in doling out surprises.

How To Save a Life

Hey people, welcome to another episode of verbal rantage, the perfect place you wanna be in when you have too much built up in your head and the only way to get it out is via the gift of words. Yes it's a non-refundable gift, them gift of words are....none the less, I hope the week has treated you all well. If anything, Happy Harry Potter Day!!! and for those of you alien to the concept of the boy wizard...well Happy Friday to you.

So let's get to the point shall we? Besides loving 'The Fray' 's music....Right, well I was watching the tube yesterday and while going through the guide to see what was on the regular programming list I came across something on the one channel that had NOTHING to do with, thankfully, home improvement, or fashion tips or whatever the hell goes on the tele during the day. Man I'm telling you these darn shows ruin morning tele watching goodness, instead I wind up watching Hannah Montanna and Wizards of Waverly Place and Disney goodness lol. So, I came across this program on the guide, running on one of the channels that said it was an insight into Leprosy. I got all excited 'cuz you know there's this huge stigma 'bout what leprosy is and it's not something commonly seen around the Northern quadrant, except maybe in some very select cases/situations. I couldn't resist the educational experience and tuned in to watch what I thought was a brief documentary or you know of those health show things that is all out to enrich the human learning experience. I switch out to it and I think I was met with quite a fair bit of disappointment....it was like one of those infomercials that was basically asking you to sponsor if not call up and join and donate money on a monthly basis to make sure people get the treatment. I have no beef with the whole collect money to make medical supplies more available to those who are not in a situation to do so. What I dislike majorly and severely is the need to have religious attachments/affiliations to said charitable causes. Seriously, what the hell does religion have to do with saving lives? Then the program went on to show personal life stories of victims of leprosy from Nepal and India (to name a few places, they wouldn't name the rest) and they tossed in shots of people representing pretty much all the age demographics. And the dude doing the whole infomercial thing was all,

"Please call now and please help make a difference. While were talking about X's life story many more people have been diagnosed with leprosy. Every minute 3 people are diagnosed with leprosy. Please call, send money for a good cause so we can stop this disease from ruining more lives."

This was followed by a 'True story' incident thing, where the guy goes on to explain oh next we'll show you a segment 'bout the life of X. Listen to her story and see how she was treated like if not worse than animals by everyone, especially those closest to her heart when the more devastating aspects of this disease ruined her life. This was followed by panning into pretty much filthy surroundings that one would expect a '3rd world' nation if not a developing nation to have. This only adds to the ignorance of the common man living oceans and continents away from said 'Developing nations.' So next thing you know people have the 'Oh this shit only happens in Slumdog Millionaire places, we're good and have nothing to worry about' mentality creep in. On a more personal note...I hated that movie, it was plain garbage, I've seen better Hindi movie adaptations of the concept them lads from the UK were trying to adapt and bring to the big screen. Anyway ranting about that movie is something for another post.

Going back to what I was saying...I think it's necessary that people get a general idea of what leprosy is and know the more debilitating effects of leprosy but stop treating it like something that happens only in some ass backwards place...because it can happen anywhere. I mean it's a freaking bacteria that kickstarts the process, and those bacterial buggers are more resilient than bleeding roaches, they have the possibility and flexibility to mutate and evolve into more hybrid forms...forms that may turn out to be resistant to any form of therapy that's out there in the market today. Honestly...quit playing the ignorance card...I understand the need to set up charitable organizations that enable if not help the needy/poor/destitute from gaining access to medical supplies, but stop tagging religion into something that it has nothing to do with.

Religion is not the poster child for one's humanity and one's compassion. If anything, it guides and highlights that through tales/myths and verses from passages of scripture...regardless of the book you follow. It is not religion that defines humanity but humanity that defines religion. It is because of what we think and feel, that, we interpret faith the way we wish to. Religion is a funny thing, it's malleable yet when asked questions about it we seem to have such concrete answers. Anyway...Humanity isn't all that dead and gone yet ya know? Just appealing to one's compassionate side makes a helluva difference...people should honestly believe in it and try it sometimes, instead of being ignorant ponces who don't use that brain in their heads to think before they act or speak and have that whole foot in mouth syndrome going.

All of that being said though...you gotta give credit where it's due as well. It's a good thing that there's people out there who cares enough 'bout their fellow citizens that they actually try and spread awareness 'bout diseases that most people are lucky enough not to encounter in their lives. I'm big on the awareness spreading and the campaigning that goes into awareness spreading, I'm just not big on the need for religion to do so. Religion gets in the way too often these days for pretty much anything and everything and most of the times it's in the news these days, it's all for the wrong reason. Whatever happened to the messages of peace and love? Are they just a myth? Or just something the hippies were hip and happy with back in the day?

Well that's a wrap for now...and so here's me peacing out...Until next time, hope all is well with you guys and have yourselves an awesome weekend.

Centennial

Well centennial does call for a celebration now don't it? Who knew I'd hit the 100 mark? Okay fine so this is the 101st post but I hadn't realized it was until I was fiddling around with a few other things that needed to be fiddled around with. I was going through this 'lets change how this blog looks' phase and as you can clearly see....not much happened there. None the less...What started out as a way for me to infuse some sorta humor quotient into my rather uneventful if not sun dried tomato life has definitely grown into my canvas heck playdough for my bouts of verbal carnage....well not without it's share of victims of course especially those of y'all who take the time out to tune in. None the less I wanted to give a huge shout out of thanks and then some to you unshakeable and rather unbreakable soldiers who have marched on through these treacherous trenches of posts. Your grit, courage, stalwarty-ness (I just wanted to use the word...so dear language and grammar Nazis go with the flow if humor and easygoing-ness and cease and desist from throwing objects both real and virtual, thank you) and enthusiasm is definitely worthy if medals if honor and then some.

What can I say about getting yo this point and where it all goes from here? Firstly let me just say this is the first time I've actually hit the 100 mark with anything...okay fine that's not true if you include TV shoes that have reached the 100th episode mark, and word limits...other than that no I don't really recall any other century-tastic things I've done so far. I'm not one for promises and schnazz of the sort but hey a long as life has fun hurling (yeah life skipped the tossing part with me and promoted me to Hurlsville) curveballs and yorkers worthy of Malinga...be certain that I definitely will have a thing or 2 to say about it. So once again thanks for sticking around for those of you who have been arm twisted into reading as well as those of you who fall under the category of brave volunteers....you're all shining beacons emphasizing the importance of literacy :P....and from my part here's to another 50 posts before the next bunch of thank you's pour out.

Well definitely look forward to updates because, with me, one thing is for sure...there always will be something or the other that will be updated...besides my brain i.e....apparently those weren't part of the guarantee, warranty when the prototype was first issued. There are quite a few things I'm looking forward to this summer but hey I can't list 'em all in one go can I? I mean where's the fun in that?! Baby steps people...baby steps, one good small thing at a time! One thing I definitely am looking forward to, though it's somewhere towards the end of August is, the release of the Angel & Faith series by Dark Horse Comics. Two very interesting and awesome characters from the B-verse who were played by equally amazing actors might I add. I always thought that if Angel had gone on for a few more seasons would Faith eventually become a part of the 'Fang gang'? Personally I think she would've been a better fit with the L.A gang than with the Scoobies. Man I definitely would have loved to see the TV show equivalent but hey you make do with what you have and get right? At least there's a comic book coming out with them headlining it...I think it's gonna be an awesome series especially taking into consideration the premise of the series. Buffy season 9 is also something I'm definitely looking forward to but come August 31st I would really love having a copy of the A&F series in my hand...if possible if not just gonna have to wait until I get back. Wheeeee here's to growing libraries and collections!!!!!

A'ite people that's it from me for now. Have yourselves an awesome weekend and here's until next time. Stick around...you never know what just might catch your fancy and attention.