Monday, March 18, 2013

THE ELEPHANT'S JOURNEY TO PAY RESPECT, BUT HOW DID THEY KNOW?

SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE THAT IS MUCH GREATER AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.


Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller The Elephant Whisperer, bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during U.S. invasion in 2003.
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On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.

He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons and numerous elephants.
Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs.

 
Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved man-friend. A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.


Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence's passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way:
Walking slowly - for days - Making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.
So, how after Anthony’s death, did the reserve’s elephants — grazing miles away in distant parts of the park — know? “A good man died suddenly,” says Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, Ph.D., “and from miles and miles away, two herds of elephants, sensing that they had lost a beloved human friend, moved in a solemn, almost ‘funereal’ procession to make a call on the bereaved family at the deceased man’s home.” “If there ever were a time, when we can truly sense the wondrous ‘interconnectedness of all beings,’ it is when we reflect on the elephants of Thula Thula.

A man’s heart’s stops, and hundreds of elephants’ hearts are grieving.
This man’s oh-so-abundantly loving heart offered healing to these elephants, and now, they came to pay loving homage to their friend.”

 
Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over 3 years!
 
But yet they knew where they were going.
The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect that they stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything.

 
Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

What's in a name?

What's in a name? Well, it didnt really matter to Shakesphere what the name of a person. And, I dont think mindset of people has changed a lot about a name even in this era. Well, if you still do think a lot about a name you must be seriously out of work or you have retired from work and are looking for some different hobby to hook on to. Well, on a more serious note what I am coming to say is there is nothing more to a name than just a means of identification.

But, I guess a name means more than just a, well a name. At least that's what one can derive from the changing of names of so many cities across India. First it was the three metros of India - Bombay, Calcutta, Madras where renamed as Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai respectively. Now, the "christening" bug has infected the Government of Karnataka. They have decided to rename Bangalore to Bengaluru and subsequently there are plans to change the names of other major cities into some names which invokes the need of a small crash course in pronunciations.

Well modifying the famous Shakespherean question you might ask "What's in changing a name?". It wouldn't have affected us if the Chief Minister of Karnataka decided to change his son's name into something more primitive just to accomodate the kannada image into his name. Maybe, a big bash worth a few lakhs for the change of name. But, changing the name of a city involves a lot of expenditure. For one all the direction markers have to be replaced. Change the administrative records according to the new name.

Even if the financial expenses are ignored as a one time expense ( I guess the Karnataka Government coffers are overflowing with funds. Wonder why the infrastructure is still taking a beating with all this excess funds?) the image of Bangalore which is been built across decades partially depends on the name of the city as well. Bangalore has risen as the IT capital of India by the rush of multi national IT majors from across the globe. And, for all these multi nationals Bangalore still will be Bangalore except when they might look at Bengaluru in some memorandoms they might sign on. Even then they might wonder is it the name of a pre-historic mammal. Anyone who has worked on building a brand does know the brand name holds the key. The name Rolls Royce gives you the immediate feeling of royal luxury and comfort. Its the same with the brand called Bangalore. Even if it looks Bangalore has risen fast as the IT capital of India, the brand name Bangalore is still in the process of catching on worldwide. I wont say Bangalore is barely known by people. After all there is term called Bangalored. But its Bangalored not Bengalured. That is the difference a brand name can make. It can make or break a brand. Will the change of name make or break only time will say.

Let's ignore the brand name part as well. Bangalore has enough IT majors who have set up their shop in the city. Bangalore (pardon me I still find Bangalore catchy) can pull through. But, does it really matter to you or anyone what is Bangalore called. Well, the legislators might also ask the same question. If it doesnt bother you why make an issue out of it? To their kind information it doesnt really matter to me neither does it to the millions of others. They will still call Bangalore, Bangalore. But it will hurt the pockets of millions of tax payers of Karnataka who pay taxes in the hope of living a better and smoother life. I guess living a smoother and efficient life is passe. Changing the name seems to be more appealing to our legislators which is the only reason that justifies the expenditure on changing names. Or is it some superstition like most of the Bollywood filmmakers have about the names of their movies? Or is it to compete with the three metros whose names are changed (the names were pronunciable at least unlike the long Bengaluru)? After all Bangalore is no less than a metropolitan, might be termed a metro pretty soon as well. So then we are stuck with the same question. What's in a name? However, deep you try to dig into the mystery you return back clueless. As usual compromise with the decisions of the pot bellies and carry on with your mundane day to day activities, ignoring your rights to question a decision even if it is right. After all we are the world's largest democracy. Or are we really a democracy? About that issue, some other time. For now lets have some fun in free time and start helping out with some innovative names for the other cities.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Preacher's Ass

A preacher wanted to raise money for his church and on being told that there was a fortune in horse racing, decided to purchase a horse and enter it in the races.However, at the local auction, the going price for horses was so high that he ended up buying a donkey instead.He figured that since he had it, he might as well go ahead and enter it in the races. To his surprise, the donkey came in third!The next day the local paper carried this headline: PREACHER'S ASS SHOWS.The preacher was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and this time it won.The paper read: PREACHER'S ASS OUT IN FRONT. The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the preacher not to enter the donkey in another race.The paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PREACHER'S ASS. This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the preacher to get rid of the donkey.The preacher decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent. The paper headline the next day read: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.The Bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.00.The next day the headline read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.00. This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey, lead it to the plains, and let it go.Next day, the headline in the paper read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE. The Bishop was buried the next day.

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Saturday, October 21, 2006

Why Smells Like Calvin Spirit?

Why is my blog named after Calvin???? Hmmm... I had a lot of names on my mind before I settled on this name. Before I could start off with this blog, I had published one more blog. I had named it as some chronicle.... Well it was a long time back. So why am I ruminating about the name of my blog now? Well its been more than a year since I published my first post and its been alomost 5 months since I published anything on my blog. A lot of things has been happening in this last four months and blogging sure was not one of them. Today I was looking thro' all my posts and felt suddenly that I have been missing something in this last five months and I have decided to correct it. Well, I have decided to blog again, albeit in a very small and few and far between posts way, I have decided better late than never.

Well I guess I deviated a bit from the topic I started with. What was it? Yeah, why is my blog called "Smells like Calvin Spirit". As I said, I had a lot of names on my mind for my blog. I wanted it to sound a bit cranky, sound more like me. Already I had tried my hands at a blog, a very serious one at that and felt miserable when I looked back at the posts I had published in that blog. The blog looked more of a daily journal rather than what I wanted it to be. I wanted the blog to be an extension of me rather than just a daily journal of all my mundane activities. But, it was not a bad experience all together. It gave me the first taste of what blogging was and it taught me what I wanted and not wanted from my blog.

Again I guess I am deviating from my topic. But, I thought a bit of history was needed before I could give you the actual reason for picking this name for my blog. Those were the days when I was really feeling lonely and I had very few friends. All I was doing then was work from morning to evening, go back home, eat food and sleep. I also used to get a lot of Calvin mails those days and used to love reading them. Like Calvin had Hobbes as his companion, I made Calvin my companion. I used to think so much like Calvin, even though I knew he was just a fictional charecter born out of someone's imagination. He felt so real and true to me and so close to what I felt and feel even now. That's when I decided I would dedicate a blog to my companion Calvin. But, I didnt want the blog to entirely be a collection of Calvin Strips. I wanted it to contain topics which would have the free wheeling, out of the box thinking essence depicted by this tiny kid Calvin. I wanted topics with a bit of mean streak, a bit of nonsensical humor, procrastination, opinionated about anything and everything that goes on around him and everything that depicted the spirit of Calvin and made him an immortal in people's minds. Voila, what better name than Calvin Spirit. But it still didnt have that ring to it. Then the Nirvana song started playing on my head phones. Smells like teen spirit. Nothing else could take my mind away from the name of my new blog. It had to be SMELLS LIKE CALVIN SPIRIT. I didnt give a damn about what people thought about the name then neither do I give a damn now. But, looking back at all the posts I have made on this blog I dont regret about it like I did with my earlier blog. Neither does it look like a mundane daily journal. I feel I have kept the spirit of Calvin alive in me still when I look at the blog.

I may have stopped blogging for a while now. Maybe the very reason I had started this blog is no more a reason. I have lots of friends for company now. I dont feel I am lonely now. Maybe I ignored my old pal Calvin for the new ones I made. I am feeling a sort of guilt for not being able to give attention to my friend in the times of my loneliness. Does this mean I am lonely again? Nope, certainly not. But, that doesnt mean I have to look down on my blog right? So I guess I have made up my mind to make blogging a part of my life again. And who better to share my thoughts at this point of my life than my pal, my companion, Calvin who is the spirit of my blog.

I think I have bored yuo enough now. Which is not what this blog is meant for. I made this blog to entertain myself and the few people who might love to read it. I guess I have lost the faith of some people who might have been visiting my blog. I wish to repay them back in whatever small way I can. So, in true Calvin spirit, let the journey to finding Utopia begin.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

metallica- one

Into the dark side

Saturday, April 29, 2006

The Supernatural...

This case happened in a hospital's Intensive care ward where Patients always died in the same bed and on all Sunday morning at 11a.m, regardless of their medical condition.

This puzzled the doctors and some even thought that it had something to do with the supernatural. No one could solve the mystery as to why the deaths took place at 11 AM.

So a world-wide expert team was constituted and they decided to go down to the ward to investigate the cause of the incidents. So on the next Sunday morning few minutes before 11 a.m. all doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to see for themselves
what the terrible phenomenon was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses, prayer books and other holy objects to ward off evil........
Ju st when the! clock struck 11...

and then......

Santa Singh, the part-time Sunday sweeper, entered the ward and Unplugged the life support system & plugged in the vacuum cleaner