Running Playlist

In no particular order, my current running playlist (to keep my mind on the trail and off the pain in my shin).  

Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
Emerson Lake Palmer - The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
The Doors - Strange Days
Greg Lake - Still. . . . You Turn Me On
The Eagles - One Of These Nights
Alan Parsons Project - The Tell-Tale Heart
Aerosmith - Dream On
Iron Maiden - The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner - Clips from the original 1962 movie with the Maiden score
Rush - Dreamline
Rush - YYZ
Black Sabbath - Neon Knights
Porcupine Tree - Stars Die
A-ha - Move To Memphis
Moody Blues - I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock n Roll Band) - #GraemeEdge #FTW
Yes - Changes
Anthrax - Antisocial
Metallica - Creeping Death - Live at Sofia Bulgaria. Lars Kills It!!
Metallica - Orion - Live in Korea 2006
Asia - Only Time Will Tell
Boston - Amanda
Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun - From the Live At Pompeii set
Porcupine Tree - And The Swallows Dance Above the Sun
Bob Marley - Iron Lion Zion
Camel - Never Let Go
Camel - Stationary Traveller - The muse that is Andrew Latimer
Journey - Message of Love
Infected Mushroom - Disco Mushroom
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit - Grace Slick, West Coast Scene Queen :)
Starship - Sara
Blondie - Call Me
Rush - Marathon - Every runner's song!
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird (Hipster chiquitas knock themselves out from 6:10 *winks*)
Deep Purple - Soldier Of Fortune
CSN - Wasted On The Way
Dave Matthews Band - Pantala Naga Pampa / Rapunzel
Porcupine Tree - Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape


Happy listening
S

Evenings in Mumbai

Mumbai Race Course.

Evenings.

Fragrance Of Freshly Cut Grass.

Walkers

Joggers

My Tribes Folk

Dogs

Crows

Children Playing

A Setting Sun

Horses

Jockeys

Me And My Thoughts

15km

Happiness

Dinner with Son

The wife is travelling in work. Which means I have lots of time with the son over the weekend.  Last evening we went out to the City.  Took a metro ride from Byappanahalli to MG Road and walked down to Church Street.

I indulged Atri's ask for a Captain America shield and Thor's Hammer - franchised by Marvel, of course - at The Entertainment Store, a place that sells a LOT of comic, fan fiction and other stuff from pop culture.

We then went to On The Edge for dinner.  Among my favourite open air rooftop restaurants in BLR.

About two hours of good conversation - the world as seen from a 6 year old's eyes - involving Marvel Avengers, Lego Ninjago, Roll No. 21, art at school, his troubles with some homework, how he wants to be the fastest person ever in Tennis and so forth.

Always listen to the little things that little children tell you, those things are big in their world.  It makes it easier for them to tell you the truly bigger stuff in both your worlds.

Dinner was a Mango and Papaya Salad accompanied by Chilly Lime Prawns in rice paper rolls, for me.  Atri had a Fish Benedict, served on a bed of spinach and mushroom mash.

I drank a couple of Vodka Rickeys for good measure.  Apple juice for the son.

Dessert was a NY styled Cheese Cake with Rum and Raisin Compote.

At the end of it, Atri said, "Giving you 100 marks Sumanth. No thousand. No, 59.8 thousand trillion marks and 55.  For the dinner. You let me eat how much I wanted and bought me fish and cheese cake and apple juice. Great Sumanth."

Am ecstatic.

We took the Metro back and then drove home from the station. Just passed out shortly thereafter.

An evening very valuably spent.

Runner's High

I ran this morning. For 37k. In a little over 4h20m. 

Not unlike the long runs that I have been doing these last few months. With one difference though.

As I started running post warm up, I just kept going on... and on... and on... and on.  I felt no pain in my legs, no cramps in my belly, no breathlessness in my lungs and no accelerated heart rate.

It was a throwback to about 6 years ago, when I experienced a state of physical and mental being, as beautiful as this.  The mind was empty except for one thought - to run as much as I could; the body willingly assisted.

I am  resting now.  In complete sat-chit-ananda!  Or, as my tribe know it, the Runner's High.

On the Eve of 45. . .

The best advice I have received in a long while.

"Sumanth, tomorrow is your birthday. So, don't do certain things that you do daily. Take the day off. Go for 20 rounds in our community.  We will watch Avengers cartoons after that." - Atri

Peter Goalby. . . Rediscovered

I was curating music over the weekend and was listening to some old treasures. . . Which led me to Uriah Heep again. . .

Was struck by the voice of all their vocalists - Right from David Byron (in my mind, their greatest) in the beginning to Bernie Shaw (their current).  Whilst I loved John Lawton, he pretty much lasted just 2-3 albums, I think.  His version of "Feelings" is one of my favourites.

Sunday, I discovered the voice of Peter Goalby - His rendition of "Think It Over", the b-side single from Conquest, which made it as a main track in Abominog.  I had sort of "collected" Abominog, Equator and Sonic Origami, just to tick a box and have the complete UH set.

But, when I listened to Goalby's version, I was blown away.  

Here's the link to the song on YouTube.

Totally captivating and deep.

What Feet Should Look Like

After a good run, this is what they should look like.

Happy and together.

Notes from T.D.

"It's like in this universe, we process time linearly forward. But outside of our space-time, from what would be a fourth-dimensional perspective, time wouldn't exist.

From that vantage, could we attain it? We'd see our space-time would look flattened, like a single sculpture with matter in a superposition of every place it ever occupied. Our sentience just cycling through life like carts on a track.

See, everything outside our dimension - that's eternity. Eternity looking down on us." - R Cohle.

The Druid's Prayer

I chanced upon the Druid's Prayer several years ago.  For some reason, I never did think to put it up, although I do relate to it almost daily.  

Recently in a conversation with a dear friend, I gave the TL DR version:  Druids are reverent and worship nature.  The prayer however, captures it all for me:

Grant, O Nature thy Protection
And in Protection, Strength
And in Strength, Understanding
And in Understanding, Knowledge
And in Knowledge, the Knowledge of Justice
And in the Knowledge of Justice, the Love of it
And in the Love of it, the Love of All Existence
And in the Love of All Existence, the Love of Nature and All Goodness.

Peace
S

PS:  The prayer itself is supposedly composed by the Welsh visionary, Iolo Morganwg.  I am simply posting it here.  All copyrights belong to the respective owners of this work and not to me.

Reunion

Was invited to a WhatsApp group of my classmates from School. 

Been having a good time reconnecting with old friends and renewing old acquaintances.

Of all the bonds that hold us, the ones forged in the school years are the most enduring and willingly carried.

Who was he. . .

Last night I was at the crossroads. A few people were milling around there.

I saw an old man being assisted by a young lad. The latter's features were obscured. He was helping the old man walk at the cross roads.

After a brief moment, I found myself frantically looking for the boy, but he had vanished. "Who was he?" I wondered.

The name 'velavā' echoed repeatedly. And I woke up.

Weekend pleasures

Logged into Battle dot Net after almost eight months.  And just experienced my first taste of Draenor.  Beginning to play the new expansion.

Lots of lore, new quests, running around building my garrison.

Unlike Mists, I plan to take this one slow and sweet.  No running to raid.  No hurry to level up. Just enjoying the experience.

More later.

Tennis training

The young'un has started playing tennis. And is showing some interest in the game actually.

Here is a picture of him waiting his turn at the courts.  Bad light but hey...

Reclamation

Deleted my Facebook and Twitter accounts.  Permanently.

Will be here more often with my thoughts and rants.

S

44. . . and counting

पंछी बनूँ उड़ती फिरूं मस्त गगन में
आज मैं आज़ाद हूँ दुनिया के चमन में

Happy birthday to me.

The Hindustan Times' Duplicity

So, in as many times in the last two days, my online comments on two articles in the web version of Hindustan Times have been deleted/barred from public viewing.

The first article had to do with Rajdeep Sardesai and Sagarika Ghose's exit/long leave of absence from CNN IBN (see article here).  In my comment I said that both of them had abused the privileges of the channel and used it as their "personal playground" to engage in systematic Modi bashing.  I also questioned Sagarika's article from many years ago, where she asked for a rewrite of the Hindu hymn, the purusha sukta. 

The second article had to do with Barkha Dutt's opinion that our Prime Minister, Mr. Modi's silence on issues is perplexing (see article here).  I replied to her stating that she should also expect disappointment if he does not oblige as also comments to the effect that the rules of political engagement by the current PM and his office have changed now.

My responses to both these comments was civil and I believe comply with HT's Ts & Cs as well as its privacy policy.  

I have certainly seen worse comments including personal attacks on both these articles (my opinion) that have made it past the goal post.

I find it strange that the Hindustan Times seeks freedom of speech and expression as a media house but is unwilling to extend the same courtesy to the people who visit its website and post comments.  Did their monitoring/review people feel personally threatened when I made those comments?  Or that it would spark furore and outrage? Or start an online flaming war?

Shame on you Hindustan Times. 

Sumanth

The Gruffalo Song by Julia Donaldson

Among one of Atri's favourite songs is the one about the little brown mouse and the Gruffalo.  Originally written by Julia Donaldson, the song is a masterpiece and among my favourite bed time reads for Atri. Here it is reproduced in entirety:

The Gruffalo Song:

A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
A fox saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.

"Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Come and have lunch in my underground house."

"It's terribly kind of you, Fox, but no –
I'm going to have lunch with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?"
"A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?

He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws,
And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws."

"Where are you meeting him?"
"Here, by these rocks,
And his favourite food is roasted fox."

"Roasted fox! I'm off!" Fox said.
"Goodbye, little mouse," and away he sped.

"Silly old Fox! Doesn't he know,
There's no such thing as a gruffalo?"

On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.
An owl saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.

"Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Come and have tea in my treetop house."

"It's terribly kind of you, Owl, but no –
I'm going to have tea with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?"
"A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?

He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes,
And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose."

"Where are you meeting him?"
"Here, by this stream,
And his favourite food is owl ice cream."

"Owl ice cream! Toowhit toowhoo!"
"Goodbye, little mouse," and away Owl flew.

"Silly old Owl! Doesn't he know,
There's no such thing as a gruffalo?"

On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.
A snake saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.

"Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Come for a feast in my logpile house."

"It's terribly kind of you, Snake, but no –
I'm having a feast with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?"
"A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?

His eyes are orange, his tongue is black,
He has purple prickles all over his back."

"Where are you meeting him?"
"Here, by this lake,
And his favourite food is scrambled snake."

"Scrambled snake! It's time I hid!"
"Goodbye, little mouse," and away Snake slid.

"Silly old Owl! Doesn't he know,
There's no such thing as a gruffal...?"

...OH!"

But who is this creature with terrible claws
And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws?
He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes,
And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.
His eyes are orange, his tongue is black,
He has purple prickles all over his back.

"Oh help! Oh no!
It's a gruffalo!"

"My favourite food!" the Gruffalo said.
"You'll taste good on a slice of bread!"

"Good?" said the mouse. "Don't call me good!
I'm the scariest creature in this wood.
Just walk behind me and soon you'll see,
Everyone is afraid of me."

"All right," said the Gruffalo, bursting with laughter.
"You go ahead and I'll follow after."

They walked and walked till the Gruffalo said,
"I hear a hiss in the leaves ahead."

"It's Snake," said the mouse. "Why, Snake, hello!"
Snake took one look at the Gruffalo.
"Oh crumbs!" he said, "Goodbye, little mouse!"
And off he slid to his logpile house.

"You see?" said the mouse. "I told you so."
"Amazing!" said the Gruffalo.

They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,
"I hear a hoot in the trees ahead."

"It's Owl," said the mouse. "Why, Owl, hello!"
Owl took one look at the Gruffalo.
"Oh dear!" he said, "Goodbye, little mouse!"
And off he flew to his treetop house.

"You see?" said the mouse. "I told you so."
"Astounding!" said the Gruffalo.

They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,
"I can hear feet on the path ahead."

"It's Fox," said the mouse. "Why, Fox, hello!"
Fox took one look at the Gruffalo.
"Oh help!" he said, "Goodbye, little mouse!"
And off he ran to his underground house.

"Well, Gruffalo," said the mouse. "You see?
Everyone is afraid of me!
But now my tummy's beginning to rumble.
My favourite food is – gruffalo crumble!"

"Gruffalo crumble!" the Gruffalo said,
And quick as the wind he turned and fled.

All was quiet in the deep dark wood.
The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.

Great bed time read.  I told you!

Welcome My Friends To The Show That Never Ends

Today I went to the circus with family. 

Funnily, the jury's out on who enjoyed it more. For me it was reliving my childhood. Atri was bored in 30 minutes flat. 

As always I loved the acrobats. Costumes, sequins and all!

Syedna Burhanuddin

Today I read about Syedna Mohammed  Burhanuddin's passing. Very saddened. 

Among the greatest spiritual leaders in the world. A man of goodwill, fortitude, love and peace. 

For all the good he has brought to us, may his soul find rest. 

Forgive Us Our Cynical Thoughts

There is a delightful song by a band called Rush.  It's called Emotion Detector.  The first lines of which run thus:

When we lift the covers from our feelings
We expose our insecure spots
Trust is just as rare as devotion
Forgive us our cynical thoughts

I am constantly amazed by the insecurities of the people who surround me.  It makes it difficult for ME to trust THEM, unconditionally or otherwise.

It's almost as if I measure them often and find them, well . . .  - Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin  - if you get my meaning.

Octave Mirbeau

As I start 2014, I remember Mirbeau's singular quote from the Torture Garden, a book I read over 2 decades ago:

"You're obliged to pretend respect for people and institutions you think absurd. You live attached in a cowardly fashion to moral and social conventions you despise, condemn, and know lack all foundation. It is that permanent contradiction between your ideas and desires and all the dead formalities and vain pretenses of your civilization which makes you sad, troubled and unbalanced. In that intolerable conflict you lose all joy of life and all feeling of personality, because at every moment they suppress and restrain and check the free play of your powers. That is the poisoned and mortal wound of the civilized world."

My continuing resolution for the coming year is Never More.

S

Pictures of Home

Somebody's shouting
Up at a mountain
Only my own words return
Nobody's up there
It's a deception
When will I ever learn?

I'm alone here
With emptiness, eagles and snow
Unfriendliness chilling my body
And whispering pictures of home

Wondering blindly
How can they find me
Maybe they don't even know
My body is shaking
Anticipating
The call of the black footed crow...

I'm alone here
With emptiness, eagles and snow
Unfriendliness chilling my body
And whispering pictures of home

Here in this prison
Of my own making
Year after day I have grown
Into a hero
But there's no worship
Where have they hidden my throne. 

I'm alone here
With emptiness, eagles and snow
Unfriendliness chilling my body
And whispering pictures of home. 

Just brilliant. Deep Purple Mark II folks. That's what it is. 

Homeland

Just finished the finale of Homeland S3.

Speechless and teary eyed. Evoked many strong emotions within me. The raging fire burns but finally is quenched. 

RIP Brody. 

Redemption. That is the answer we seek in life. If we attain it, we possess everything of value. 

The funny thing is . . .

. . . Irony and sarcasm are like boomerangs. If they don't hit their intended targets, they likely seek their casters 

Valmiki-an Syndrome

Most of us in India have heard of Valmiki, the sage who composed the rāmāyanā, India's enduring myth. 

I am not so concerned with the sage as I am with his life before he became one. Myth has it that he was a notorious highwayman named ratnākarā, who waylaid travellers and robbed them of their belongings after killing them. 

One day, our hero accosted a sage with intent to loot and pillage. They got talking and the sage told him that taking a life was bad with the accompanying bromide - eternity in "hell", no turns at the salvation lottery and so forth. 

The sage then asked him why he thieved to which ratnākarā replied that he had to do it to feed and take care of his family. 

The sage told him that he'd wait while asking our hero to return home and find out from the latter's family whether they would accept their share of the attendant sin from the homicides for material gain or just plain boredom (who knew?). 

Our friend went back home and had a conversation with his family - which we were led to believe comprised his parents, wife and children - on the lines of something like this executive summary:

ratnākarā: I kill and loot people to provide for you all. Will you also take a share of any sin that accompanies the act. 

Family: It is your duty to provide food for us, shelter us, take care of us and our needs. As far as partaking of any karmic or other consequences of your actions. . . . ummmm, no. 

Basically, they told him to go FUCK HIMSELF with knobs on!!

And that dear readers is the Valmiki-an Syndrome. People will freely partake of benefits when offered; never in the underlying risks and actions that made them possible.

The Revivalists

Watching the Revivalists, a southern rock band from New Orleans. The usual neighbourhood brew pub. Southern, as in more from geography and less from genre. 

Quite like the music. Reminiscent of the bands I watched play at the Waterstreet Music Hall. 

And quite a generous use of the wa-wa. 

Too many passings...

... in our family. People I grew up with, people who took care of me, people who gave me food and shelter. And much much more.

Death is only the beginning.

The void stares back at me. 

Just checking in

Been a hectic two weeks with some travel to Chennai thrown in.  I am officially exhausted. Have had almost little to no time to do the stuff I enjoy doing namely running and general goofing off.

Well, time to remedy that beginning tomorrow!

Sometimes it is good not to . . .

. . . do the math. 

Freestyle workout in the gym the other day. Basic skipping and walking. Which lasted all of two plus hours. The new and improved "skip skip walk skip skip walk fast skip skip walk faster skip skip jog skip skip jog fast skip skip jog faster skip skip skip" routine. 

The idea is to skip longer (sets of 200 reps) twice followed by 10-12 minutes on the treadmill, regardless of pace. 

Keeps the HR in a 145-150 zone and gives you a HUGE endorphin bank to squander in the remainder of the day. 

I finished the routine with tadāsanā and vrkāsanā. 

I did not keep accurate track of how much I ran or skipped but would guesstimate I finished the sequence as I had planned it. 

Carnatic Jazz

Attended a performance of carnatic prog. Prasanna, a friend from many moons ago and his carnatic jazz quartet. Music is the best. A balm to ease the worries of our daily lives. 

Finished the evening at Roma and Tony's over some excellent cognac. 

Feel quite calm after a harrowing week at work. Very relaxing. . . 

. . . And then we went home to the cries of our son missing us. Parenthood brings back reality in the most basic manner. I am reminded of the innocence of children just when I forget it. It slips like water, this living in realtime and so forth. 

Peace to all the two footed and four footed beings.  Tomorrow is another day and we will live to fight!