There are a lot of Blogs I follow. Though not daily, I do visit them and read up all the interesting entries out there. Blogs that talked about a lot of social issues, politics, or just random thoughts. Recently though, many of these interesting people have been pulling the plug off their Blogs. Some gave personal reasons and others just were tired of it. Makes me wonder if this whole blogging concept is also just a fad -- a passing fad. Though there are numerous new ones being created every day, I wonder if a Blog can retain the interest of it's creator.

You know me Blog, I don't keep in touch with you all that regularly. I mean look at the weeks and weeks that I let go by, before I come back to say something to you! So we're really not talking about Blogs like yourself. We are talking about Blogs that share a very healthy relationship with their creators :) Some of these Blogs used to have more than one entries a day! It seemed like many formed a good network reading each others posts and pitching in their thoughts. It was fun!

I sure will miss many of those guys! Many of them were just great! They had a clarity of thought that I can never imagine having. Wonder if they found some other means of expressing themselves? So long fellas....

You think fate is an ardent fan of the Beatles Blog? Me thinks so! For it has followed the "Hello Goodbye" theme most religiously forever! I say yes -- you say no? What's the deal with that? I mean can't we both be adults and amicably resolve issues? There should be something we see eye-to-eye on -- don't you think? How is it that you always HAVE to be right and me wrong? Here's some Beatles words that might get my point across...

Not just this Blog. It's been the case with love too. I find myself falling head over heels in love with someone and there fate is sincerely following Beatles, singing "Hey you’ve got to hide your love away"!!! Fair? I don't think so!

Can't someone please ask fate to just........ "Let it be... Whisper words of wisdom... Let it be"

So, guess it is true that if you get enough rest your body will wake up early hah? Sleep, my dear Blog, is probably the best thing that can happen to any creature! Though I didn't sleep early last night, I did get sound sleep. I dreamt of hugging mom tightly and guess that was relaxing enough :) 6:30 and my body refused my pleads to stay in bed. All it takes is 15-20 mins ahead of my normal wake up time and I make it in plenty time here. Even after a half hour phone call, wait at the luggage check-in line, and my coffee round, I made it in early! Now that feels good!

Take 1 -- HBO is now airing a show on Celibacy as a part of their series, America Undercover. I happened to catch it this week while flipping through channels on a sleepless night. A lot of what I learnt through that episode -- though not a surprise -- left me appalled. The sexual abuse of priests all over the world is no news anymore but the fact that this had been known by the Roman Catholic Church for ever now, is something rather disturbing. It is not just the abuse, but the fact that so many of those who walk that path falter is. So many cases of clergymen using women to "relieve" themselves kind of makes you wonder about many things! The show went on to talk about so many priests who fathered many a children while "getting it out of their system". None of them really took responsibility for any of those children.

Take 2 -- A radio show, this afternoon, was talking about rock stars. These people are put up on a pedestal by the millions of fanatics all over the world. They live in a world of their own -- in an eternal high from the fame, power, alcohol, drugs, and anything else one can name. They travel all over the world with women literally throwing themselves on them. They have hundreds of sexual encounters in their life time. "Stress relief" they call it. They need to get it out of their system too you see? And so there are more children fathered by people not willing to take ownership.

Is it just me, Blog, or do you also fail to see the difference between the two acts? The only differences I can see is that  a) the rock star goes along his business with a superior-than-thou attitude while the priest carries on with a holier-than-thou pretense!  and b) one is overtly publicizing his misdeeds while the other covertly is covering up his acts.  I don't think I blame either and yet they're both at fault.  Both are held at such high esteem that they can justify every act of theirs to themselves.  Both, my friend, are harmful to the society!

What exactly is the purpose behind Cheney's wife coming out and vouching for her husband's erratic loss of temper? Was it really asked for? It didn't matter squat to me. Now I wouldn't go and make a speech if my husband used the f-word at his work place, right Blog? Then why does she have to say anything? Clinton goes and sleeps with other women and Hilary is expected to vouch for his "goodness". Laura has to speak for every crazy thing Bush does. I mean I can understand if Barbara Bush came out and apologized for Junior's mistakes :) Yeah a mom didn't do her job too well! But a wife!!! I just don't get it.

Either ways, should America really judge Cheney for saying that? Or should they pardon him because Lynne says "he's such a good person"? Honestly... who really buys the crap that Cheney really doesn't swear as often but only does so when he is "pushed to extremes"? It doesn't automatically make you a bad person, Mr. Cheney, because you swear nor does it make you next to God just because you use the sweetest of words! It's the deeds that count!

You know what really irks me Blog? The hypocritic society that we all live in. What percentage of people really refrain from using the f word -- either in its entirety or all "fudged" up? Of course, we want to save our children from such expression of feelings. So yes, we will not use that language around our kids. But hey! let's go to McDonald's and have no problem throwing in that word a million times. Our kids are not around right? Who cares about others' kids? Works absolutely great!

Its not just the people around kids -- TV, radio, movies, and of course, the Internet! Nothing is really hidden from children anymore. It is really sad how soon the innocence in a child dies these days. They are being exposed to so much so soon.

Yet another time I digressed from my original thought Blog :) But who cares for my two cents anyway? It's only you!

I had to raise my voice against this blatant discrimination right? Not that I have been injusticed (is that even a word?) but the sheer partiality that I just witnessed leaves me appalled! So I figured I should share it with the rest of my world... which is just me! What happened you ask Blog? Well, after a long day I arrive at my hotel and check in. What do I see? There is some huge convention in town and so they're booked! Fine... I have no problem as long as I get a bed to sleep and a nice warm shower when I wake up :) That's not asking for too much now -- is it?

I was given an option between a smoking room and a room with special accessibility for the handicapped. I had stayed in a couple of those rooms in other hotels and I tell you, they're different. The shower especially is a little weird. Weird but manageable and so I chose that room. I go in and find this shower a LOT more different than the ones I was imagining. This can't be real I say to myself. I stay with this chain more than I am at home and this is what I get? Me was very disappointed Blog.

Any other day, I would suck it up and deal with it. But no sir... not this new me! I wasn't ready to settle for this. So I picked up the phone to bare my heart out :) The lady who checked me in started giving me the same spiel about nothing available. And then viola! She happens to pull up my profile and realizes I am the queen herself! It was amazing the way she started apologizing for this mix up and boom! Out of nowhere she pulls out a corner room with the best views and within 10 minutes I am in this amazing room. She calls back apologizing again to the point where I started feeling miserable! She throws in tons of bonus points and a complimentary breakfast :)

While I should not be complaining about this royal treatment, I think I feel pinched and needed to get it off my chest! So, my dear Blog, faithfully I come and tell you this story.

We are all dealt a hand in this game called life. Some get a good hand and some don't. During the course of the game, we draw new cards and have a choice of either using that to improve your hand or throw it away. These are the times when opportunity knocks on your door. Sometimes we see how it fits into our hand and welcome it and sometimes, when we're caught unawares, we let it slip. A prudent player takes his time to evaluate every card he draws and makes his hand as good as he can. He doesn't sit waiting till the end of the game for a certain card to show up. He, instead, tries to change as the game proceeds. Some players drop their hand in utter despair of never being able to make anything with what they've been dealt. Others sit with a beautiful hand dealt to them just awaiting one card... a life.

I've decided to keep the hand that was dealt to me and play this game. I know I drew a card that seemed to promise a win but somehow it didn't seem to fit easily into the hand. It required some changes which would only be a gamble at this point. And so, after long contemplation, I let it go. Now would this decision prove to be an expensive mistake? Was this the opportunity knocking on my door? Or was this just a random card to just disrupt a good hand? Who's to tell? But now that I know what I passed, I can rearrange my cards if need be.

I really should tell you about this happy chirpy lady at the coffee shop Blog! She has a way with her customers that sure makes 'em smile in the mornings! Be it the way she greets them or addresses their orders or makes lively conversation, everything is just so upbeat :) A classic wake up act! Is that the perfect person to be at a coffee shop where all the sleepy heads walk in every morning? Well, that sure adds a kick to my coffee :) So, my dear Blog, wouldn't you be kind enough to join me to thank all the spirit boosters of the world and oh! God bless the person who invented coffee :) What would this world do without it?

Who really defines the manliness rules anyway? I was listening to a talk show on the radio this morning and they were listing the top things a man does not like to hear from his woman. Well the list wasn't all that bad but then one of the anchors on the show had to add his two cents. He, apparently, doesn't like to hear the words "can you give me a ride to the Bed and Bath store"! It's okay for him to feel so, but by generalizing it to the whole male populous, he sure must have made a few men all too conscious about themselves. It's morons like these with a loud mouth that obviously lay the rules! And trust me Blog, there are enough of them out there that makes it seem all too macho for men to go to the Home Depots or Sears but all too sissy to find themselves in Home Decor places! Me thinks anyone with an eye for beauty can and should exercise their interests without having to wonder about their sexuality or sexual preferences!

Tell me something else Blog... from the beginning of time, the role of a woman included cooking, making a home, and bearing children, right? Then how is it that, while majority of the chefs I know are undoubtedly men, Home Decor became a Martha Stewart zone? The Emerils and Wolf Gang Pucks of the world are held in high esteem but the same respect does not extend to Chris Lowell! Well, Lowell might not be the most appropriate choice here but that's beyond the point :) Point remains that a guy showing a li'l more interest in making his house look good does not make him any less of a man... and the same holds true for a woman too! And each should be able to showcase their talents and interests without these silly inhibitions. You can very well disagree with me, dear Blog, but I believe men are rather superficial when it comes to displaying their true self! Deep down many of them probably have a softer side but seldom does that come to light thanks to these insane notions the world holds!

So here I am... sitting alone in a hotel room wondering where life is taking me. The thunders outside don't make it any better. The sound of the rain drops hitting against my door feels like the skies are also crying their heart out today. There is such sadness in the rain tonight. Well it's not really the rain but the strange emptiness I feel within.

Sitting in that plane, surrounded by silence... thousands of feet above ground, somehow makes one feel quite detached to the world they left behind right? Today's flight was one such for me... it just wrapped me in complete loneliness. The near crash landing didn't help it any either! Not that I feared death but the thought that someone so dear to me would have absolutely no way to know of my death made me realize the utter helpless situation we are in. Everyone in my life would have some access to information about me but for that one person who probably cares the most for me. Miles away in a different part of the globe you'd not even know what you got robbed of :(

It's times like these, Blog, that I feel like throwing everything I am fighting for and just run to that true feeling that I've abandoned. But I know, come tomorrow... my heart will come to terms with my mind and it will let me see the merit of my stance in life. As for tonight... I know I will fall apart.

So far away... would be so fine to see your face at my door and it doesn't help to know you're so far away....

We are both prisoners of our own device....