Blog@GraceJunction

Doctor,

It’s been a long time since I spoke to you. I remember when I first met you during a counseling session at my college. Well, I have been greatly helped by you in getting rid of some of my addictions. Your techniques to counter them helped me to come out of it easily. My parents were really happy to hear about my de-addiction.

I wanted to invite you for my marriage, but circumstances were such that I could not. You know Reema who was my junior in college and you have been our common friend for a long time. Even now when we talk, we do remember you. Well after those good days when we met, both Reema and I took a liking for each other. We loved each others company and things just worked out. (more…)

Dear Sis,

Am writing this letter at a time in life, where I have been overwhelmed by a sudden turn of events. Somethings which I never expected in my life, things that I thought were innocent have come back to haunt me. I need help.

I know, you would say ‘I told you’ but it is now too late to dwell on those issues. I am ready to take your counsel. All my life, you were the one who guided me and I was the one who always spurned the good advice thinking you were from the old school of thought, narrow minded.

Remember, Raj who used to be my research partner. Yes, one of the many boyfriends I used to date and the one you hated the most. Well, I liked the guy for his lavish spending and deep pockets. The relationship was just a way for me to enjoy life, the added advantage that he was a good student just helped. I always knew that none of these guys would be my life partner, I knew that marriage needed somebody who was more dependable, mature and understanding. (more…)

Every other Saturday, Joshua Haedelt leaves his home in Westchester County, NY, and makes the hour-long drive to Shotsie’s tattoo studio in Haledon, NJ. There, Joshua, a 28-year-old record executive, prostrates himself on a table for three hours while tattooist Juno Vassi pricks his back thousands of times with inky needles. For the next week, Joshua is miserable, bandaged, and sore. He won’t fully heal for two weeks and then it’s back to the drawing board.

It’s the most painful trend since whalebone corsets. Tattooing, the art of the primitive and the outlaw, has been moving steadily into mainstream. No longer are tattoos for the exclusive decoration of sailors, marines, and bikers. Tattoos are leaving a permanent mark on arms, legs, chests and other body parts of a growing number of celebrities and even normal people. (more…)

” ‘VIBGYOR’- this is how you will remember the color pattern of the rainbow, OKAY??”

” Yes, ma’am” said everyone in a uniform chorus.

“Gud”- smiled she.

“Ma’am when do we find the rainbow in the sky?” asked one.

“Oh, the rainbow appears during the rainy season or during the last days of the rainy season”

Everyone’s eyes still fixed on the teacher and wondering if she was telling us the truth or was she introducing us to some imaginary fairytale thingy.

“Ma’am, can you show us the rainbow during the rainy days?” asked another one. (more…)

The Manmohan Singh government seeks a trust vote in the Lok Sabha today and the political drama in India has managed to attract widespread attention worldwide, as it will decide the fate of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. Under this bilateral pact, the United States will provide India access to civilian nuclear technology and fuel in exchange for IAEA-safeguards on India’s civilian nuclear reactors.

A lot of time and energy was spent behind the passage of the Hyde Act in 2006. The leading opposition party BJP which laid the groundwork for the deal criticized the deal and does not want the government to accept the deal without a vote in the legislature. The Left too had withdrawn its support. The nuke deal has been scripted by Manmohan Singh but the political risk is almost that of Mrs. Gandhi. The possible UPA meltdown will be a hard blow for the party to bear. The loss could be terrible and a win might have a few downsides. (more…)

While the third world countries are struggling with issues such as food shortage, unemployment, illiteracy, population control, low per capita income, inflation, communal and casteist struggles, poverty, natural calamities, insufficient resources, utilities and infrastructure, health and hygiene etc, the United States and many countries in Europe are fighting and arguing about something that most people in the world are not even able to think about -‘Gay Parenting’!

It’s such a big debate that the proponents of the Gay movement say, “The last decade has seen a sharp rise among gay people planning and forming families through adoption, foster care, donor insemination, and other reproductive technologies. The current period can therefore also be called a lesbian and gay ‘baby boom.’” (more…)

If a stranger asks for direction in most places of Gujarat, India, he is likely to encounter some strange words, especially English words. Two of these words strangely occur together-‘Round Circle’. I mean, what’s a ‘Round Circle’!? People here, usually use it to define a Round-about ahead on the road! But isn’t it a almost redundant usage of words. A circle is round and a round can be defined as a circle! However, be it right or wrong, it does serve the purpose. People won’t remain lost on the roads in Gujarat.

Now I was reminded of this odd usage when I read about the ‘Tobias’ family in the USA. For Keith and Tracy Tobias, the parents of three teenagers in La Quinta, California, turning an old workshop behind their house into a movie theater for their children was an obvious move. In fact, the couple’s reasons had to do with more than their love of fun. The Tobiases were looking for a way to keep their children at home! For parents determined to stay on top of their children’s social lives, a rec room, fitted out with a movie theater, a Ping-Pong table and a video game area, seemed an ideal solution. (more…)

Hey hello Mr. Blog Reader. I am the brain of Mr.Hyde Junior! Thinking? Wondering? Trying to figure out? Leave all that hard work to me. Relax and just listen carefully to all that I have to say and things will be clear. And yes, don’t try to make an impression. It will not help. Just plainly simply listen now, period.

I am one of the most important parts of any human being’s body but when I get a wicked heart to scheme, I become the most powerful tool of the modern man! Yes I depend on the heart for oxygen, you see!

But let me tell you what I did to Mr. Hyde Junior. His mother was devout, God loving lady. Her parents brought her up in the fear of God and she slowly became a beautiful young woman in the eyes of the Creator. All the people around adored her, Miss.Wisdom as she was always called by her parents then one day went off to study at the IIM. (more…)

I came across this story and it truly was insightful.

One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher Socrates and said, ‘Do you know what I just heard about your friend?’

‘Hold on a minute,’ Socrates replied. ‘Before telling me anything I’d like you to answer a few questions that will work as filters.’

‘Filters?’

‘That’s right,’ Socrates continued. ‘Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?’

‘No,’ the man said, ‘actually I just heard about it and…’

(more…)

On 30 June the TOI Ahmedabad on its front page flashed “Treat LIVE IN AS MARRIAGE”.

The news highlighted that the National Commission for Women has said that, a woman in a live-in relationship should be entitled to maintenance if she is deserted by the man. In far-reaching recommendations to the ministry of women and child development, the Commission has sought a change in the definition of “wife’’ — as described in section 125 of CrPC which deals with maintenance — and suggested that it include women involved in a live-in relationship.

Now what the commission desires seems right at a glance however it protects the wrong woman, the commission in making this recommendation is providing a legal status to an illicit act. Think about it!! (more…)