A Utopian Vision

4 ways to ward off annoying unknown callers

2010-01-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

Over years, I have been victim to unknown callers who keep calling, don’t say who they want to talk to or say a name that I don’t even know, talk in regional languages and keep talking in that language eventhough I respond in English and keep asking about my name and place. And the worse thing is that first time they call you, you really try to know if this call was intended for you, then you try to tell them they dialed a wrong number, but this stuff never works for they keep calling when you are at work, at home, with friends or any place in the world. So, how do you ward off these people who are jobless, have no social life and are desperately trying to find a ‘friend’ through a series of random dialing?

Over years I’ve perfected ways to ward off such callers:

Step 1: Ignore the calls. Who cares whose calling; I’m watching Sherlock Holmes in theatre. Can’t miss a scene! Or just keep cutting the calls when you get it!

Step 2: Silence is Golden. Pick up the call and keep them on-hold every time they call!

Step 3: Music for all ears. Just keep the phone going and push it near your laptop/desktop speakers or some boring webinar you’re listening to in office.

Step 4: Realize your hidden potential. I love this step… remember, when you sometimes felt you could be a great opera singer, rock star, TV reporter or radio journalist. Practice makes you perfect, so as soon as you pick the call start with your session ‘Good Morning everyone! First let’s have a look at the headlines….’ Wow! Should I consider a career shift?

Now, we know you can’t pretend to be a rock star in office! So, choose a step that suits the environment and your mood. And here’s a secret, the success rate of step 4 is awesome. 3 Linkin Park songs and I never got a call again! Gosh, I should try my career in singing! Who knows I can give Sheryl Crow a competition in singing!!!

lines from William Blake

2009-06-02T12:39:00.001-07:00

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

you're the one I LOVE

2009-06-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

I may never get to see you as often as I Like.

I may not get to hold you in my arms all through the night.

But deep in my heart I truly know,

you're the one that I LOVE and can't NEVER let go.

.... Anonymous

You

2008-09-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

The thought of you was a dream
A life with you was a fantasy
Still thinking of you is insanity
Forgetting you will be an impossibility

2008-09-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

While thinking of me,
think of yourself.
I might be the best,
but look at yourself!!!

The day...

2008-09-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hell will break loose,
The heavens will fall,
The day I won't think of you,
will never come at all.

I dream...

2008-05-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

I dream of the bright stars
I dream of silver moon
I dream of the snow fall
I dream of sand dunes
I dream of the deep oceans
I dream of blue skies
I dream of the frothing waves
I dream of serene valleys
I dream of the huge mountains
I dream of beautiful islands
I dream of the wonderful castles
I dream of green lands
I dream of the rain
I dream of cool breeze
I dream of the universe
and the world within me.

My Morning Song...

2008-05-10T04:16:00.000-07:00

Sleeping in the room,
lost in the dreams.
Was it chirping of the birds
or blaring screams?

Oh God! It's 10
The alarm did not ring

Damn, the alarm
it never rings
But when I check it,
it always sings

Oh God! The time's running
I'm gonna be late

Morning rituals, bath,
5 missed calls!!!
My hair's a mess
The cab driver's waiting down the hall.

Why do people come on time?
Why are they never late?

Breakfast is served
I'm dressed
The cab driver's sleeping
on the car seat mattress.

Don't think 15 mins delay is too long
This is my morning song.

from The Wonder Years

2007-12-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

“Over the course of the average lifetime
you meet a lot of people. Some of them
stick with you through thick and thin.
Some weave their way through your life
and disappear forever. But once in a
while someone comes along who earns a
permanent place in your heart”

“I remember a place... a town... a house like a lot of houses... a yard like a lot of other yards... on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back... with wonder.”

“I guess sometimes the ground can shift between your feet. Sometimes your footing slips. You stumble. And sometimes you grab what's close to you and hold on as tight as you can.”

“We had the idea, 'Let's do ”

“Change is never easy. You fight to hold on. You fight to let go.”

The search continues...

2007-12-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

"All our young lives we search for someone to love. Someone who makes us complete. We choose partners & change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak & hope. All the while wondering if somewhere, somehow, there's someone perfect who might be searching for us".
from The Wonder Years

For me, the search still continues. I keep meeting people - some new, some known. An instance of time makes me like someone. Every song of love has a personal touch. But, then there is another instance that makes me feel may be he's not the perfect someone. Then, there are songs of hope. And I keep wondering if there's someone, somewhere perfect for me. The life goes on, but my search for the perfect someone still continues...

To our friendship...

2007-10-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

I know its late,
but those memories would never fade.
Four years of togetherness,
can never be lost in four months of physical distance.
The story begins,
with six students searching for new dimensions.
As no two were alike,
the relationships saw both ebbs and tides.
Young as they were,
the immature maturity ruled their decision sphere.
Still those memorable outdoors,
the talks on the beach and patrolling the IITM roads.
The restaurants we went,
with lots of pre- and post- planning for every event.
The movies we saw,
turning days into nights and nights into days.
Days will come and pass by,
but the days in the hostel wing will remain alive.
Nothing can replace this relationship,
six of us and our friendship.

2007-01-23T23:28:00.000-08:00

"When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew"
- William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet

"Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love, time is eternity."
- Henry Van Dyke

"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour.
Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity."
- Albert Einstein

"Men always want to be a woman's first love
women like to be a man's last romance."
- Oscar Wilde

"A man falls in love through his eyes, a woman through her ears."
- Woodrow Wyatt

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."
- Joseph Addison

"They have come up with a perfect understanding. He won't try to run her life, and he won't try to run his, either. "

"God save me from my friends - I can protect myself from my enemies."

The lady by the waves

2007-01-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

There she was, standing by the calm evening sea
Her long black hair describing the cool gentle breeze
In a white chiffon top and a blue silken skirt,
She was a vision of loveliness cast in the usual sunset
The hem of her skirt was chased by the frothy waves
And even her slightest movement was defining grace
Lost in the fathomless sea of her thoughts
She stared at the far horizon till the nightfall
The radiance of her smile, the spark in her eyes
Were captured by a curious eye, when she walked by
She was captured on a canvas and the vision filled with colors
Now she stood on the wall, admired by a group of onlookers
There she was standing on the wall of art gallery Vernace,
And there she remained ‘The lady by the waves’.

10 Things I Hate About You!

2007-01-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

I hate the way you talk to me,
And the way you cut your hair.
I hate the way you drive my car.
I hate it when you stare.
I hate your big dumb combat boots,
And the way you read my mind.
I hate you so much it makes me sick;
It even makes me rhyme.
I hate it, I hate the way you're always right.
I hate it when you lie.
I hate it when you make me laugh,
Even worse when you make me cry.
I hate it when you're not around,
And the fact that you didn't call.
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you.
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

The Evening...

2007-01-12T01:47:00.000-08:00

The evening was never meant for,
for you and me to spend together.
It was meant for you to spend the money,
And for me to enjoy the new winterwear collection by 'Honey'!

The Cracked Mirror !

2007-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

A cracked mirror hung low on the wall,
the big high wall of the Livingston Hall
Every person who visited the Livingston House,
was drawn towards the mirror, drawn too close
They looked into the mirror and saw their distorted face
The spell on the mirror also showed them their distorted fate
They were caught by horror when they looked into the mirror
And curious they became to know the history of the mirror
No living soul knew the history of the mirror
No theory could unveil the horror
The rumors flew
And everybody knew
There lies a house on the big Adrian hill
On this hill, the Livingston House was built
The history of the house was very much known
That of the mirror was still unknown
But everybody knew,
As the rumors flew
There lies a mirror in the Livingston Hall,
Lying low on the big high wall.

people say to me...

2007-01-06T01:47:00.000-08:00

People say to me
It's the best thing that we've parted
'cause you know i'm better alone
Don't Explain to me
How much you're Broken Hearted
I'm busy Mending my Own

Fear

2006-10-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

My life stopped,
The progress was blocked,
The time frozen,
When I let the fear in contemplation.

THE CHANGE

2006-10-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Things never change! They remain the same as they were in the past and as they are now. Standing on the edge of this cliff, I see the world as I saw it yesterday, day before and the days that passed by. The deep blue fathomless ocean that lies hundreds of feet beneath my feet never stopped trying to reach me with its engulfing waves. The deep forest, that stretched its hands behind me, never stopped trying to lure me into its endless darkness. The unbounded blue sky never stopped its trials to meet the ocean, never stopped enticing me into its limitless extents and never stopped filling my life with the light of hope. The roads into the woods, the roads down the hill never stopped casting their spell on me, to walk on them and reach a place anew. Yet here I am standing at the same old place led by the same old road. Nothing around me changed. It was I who lost myself to changes. From an innocent child seeking the moon and stars to one whom time has changed for good and for bad. And here I stand today, standing at the edge of this cliff, looking at the CHANGE.

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna...

2006-08-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

Shahrukh Khan, a football player, married to Preity Zinta, a fashion magazine editor. They have a kid too. Now Shahrukh becomes limp in a road mishap and ends up becoming a football coach at a kids school. Preity is always busy with her work and gives very less time to her family.
Result: Shahrukh is unhappy with his relationship because of his ego hassles with Preity on her success and his inabilities in life. With his erratic behaviour, he annoys Preity too.

Coming to Rani and Abhishek. Abhishek loves Rani a lot. He's a very romantic and loving husband even after 4 years of their marriage(and her inability to give birth to a child). Rani has some extraterrestrial problem with Abhishek that you never understand even after the movie ends. He is a jovial and happy person and she is an irksome female.
Result: She is unhappy for unknown reasons and cheeses him off with her rather harassing behaviour.

Rani and Shahrukh board trains at almost the same time at the same station and due to some stupid incidents become friends. Their conversation is always about their spouses....bitching about their spouses, thinking of breaking such a loveless(according to them) relation, cribbing and crying for silly or unknown reasons. Now, empty mind is devil's workshop. So, how can these two jobless, frustrated with life people spend their time when their spouses are working like trojan's in their offices...they propose and start an extra marital affair. They'll start roaming and romancing on the streets of new york like two young college sweethearts not caring about the fact that they are married. When Abhishek and Preity meet( business or formal meets), they discuss about strengthening their marital relationships (for they love their spouses a lot) and when Rani and SRK meet, it will be like a crib session

If Rani and Shahrukh, carelessly, start painting the town red, how can they escape certain curious eyes. Abhishek's father(Amitabh) and Shahrukh's mother see them romancing on the street. Amitabh gets a heart attack and before dying tells Rani -"mere bete ko chod do. tum usse pyar nahin karti. isme tumhari koi galthi nahin hai par main apne bete ko khush dekhna chahta hoon".

Now Shahrukh and Rani decide to break their extramarital relationship and confess to their spouses.
Result: Preity asks Shahrukh to leave the house and slaps him across the face. Just a slap for his two-timing, huh! Now Abhishek is a nice guy and he can't slap his wife. He breaks everything in the house and asks her to leave the house too.

In their floods of tears, Shahrukh and Rani call up each other and tell that their spouses are angry now and will forgive them as time passes on. What they don't tell is that they are driven out of their houses by their spouses.
Result: Shahrukh doesn't know that Rani is single now and Rani about Shahrukh's regained bachelor hood.

Abhishek meets Rani after 3 years to invite her to his wedding. At the marriage, Abhishek and Preity(guest at the wedding ceremony) ask Rani to go find her true love. Now this is called maturity and practicality. She meets Shahrukh and they live happily ever after.

Moral of the story: Extra marital affair works and that too without destroying any bridges!

Rani and Shahrukh will really annoy you and make you hate them in the movie. They are two sick people and if you are a Shahrukh and Rani fan, Do not watch the movie. You'll hate them, TRULY. Preity is ok. Abhishek's character is sketched well. He is the only person in the movie who has no blots on his character. On the whole there's nothing in the movie that you can watch, it has way too many cheap and annoying scenes than pleasant. Performances as expected from Shahrukh, Rani, Preity and Abhishek, are brilliant. So, here's a toast to Karan Johar's first failure(or the least sucessful film).

Eye of the Storm

2006-04-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

I've never been so sad

2006-03-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

I've never been so sad
in such a happy place.

I've never felt this empty,
yet, I'm filled with such disgrace.

I've never felt so alone
in this crowded room of friends.

I never meant to hurt you,
my heart will never mend.

I've never felt this right
about something that is wrong.

I've never told you everything,
and I've known you for so long.

I've never been this close to death,
in such a wonderful place.

I never knew what beauty was
until I saw your crying face.

I've never made the right choice
about anything in life.

I've never wanted to leave you,
yet, I've held the sharpest knife.

I've never tried to understand
the simple things in you.

I've never been so scared,
and I don't know what to do.

I never thought we'd be here,
not knowing what to say.

I've never been this speechless,
is this the price I pay?

I've never gotten over you
and I know I never will.

I've never said good-bye to you,
and I know I never will.

PS:I'm not the poet of this poem

Can u guess wat's special abt this?

2006-02-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

White and Not so white

2006-02-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

It was one of those days this week when I had no quiz in the morning.One of my Profs whose exam we had just the day before, had already corrected the papers and distributed them in the class.Then,he started writing the correct answers on the board under two headings - white and not so white,as I rummaged through the pages of my answer script searching for a source of getting extra marks.White and Not so white?!?I looked around and found that my friends were equally startled.We didn't have the oppurtunity of looking at the questions after the quiz as it was a question cum answer paper.So,now as we looked at each other's paper,with a little difficulty we could make out that if the colour of of one paper was R-255 G-255 B -255,the other's was R-255 G-251 B-252.And,indeed the options of multiple choice questions were jumbled,values of numericals changed( marginally,though) keeping the overall format the same.Smart way to prevent cheating!!!Now,this makes me wonder- What's next???
As i kept wondering,these ideas came into my mind
* Black and Dark Grey (colour of ink)
* Regular and Bold
* Normal and Abnormal (Font size)

When I enter my Dream World...

2006-02-08T00:24:00.000-08:00

As I climb into the bed to retire for the day,
I think of the events that happened today,
And the people whom I met and wished to see,
And the glances we'll exchange if we meet.
How hard i wondered things went this way and that way,
While slowly and unknowingly, I walk on another pathway.
There are people swaying in front of my eyes,
And shadows of many others just passing by.
There are voices I know and few other unknown,
Then I hear a voice which I know as my own.
The situations are real and at times artificial;
The locations fantastical and also real.
As I still slowly and unknowingly unravel my dream,
My eyes open to the world - more real and routine;
The dream is lost and the voices die out,
To face another ordinary day, from the dream I step out.
After a long and tiresome day, when I go to sleep,
I start thinking about things in a manner not so deep,
When I enter a new world, the world of dreams.....