Happy New Year to all of you. Thank you for reading and commenting ... no man is an island, and my thoughts might never return from the black hole of my conscience if they didn't find resonance in the light of your minds.

May the years to come be so much more beautiful than all those we have left behind. To good times and good cheer.

I have to say I'm a huge fan of JK Rowling. Granted I've only read maybe 3 or 4 of the 7 books and maybe have only seen 2 movies, but she is probably one of the most genuine celebrities out there. Her story of the success, the quietude of her strength and the faith in her life leading to something (see transcript of her speech at Harvard) are compelling and show her for what she really is.... human.

I also have to say that this video, more than any other reveals how self-important and money centered Oprah, and in general the US can be. Oprah through the set of interviews goes on and on emphasizing the 'billionaire' and JKR is just polite enough to ignore it, and she must cringe at how non-representative money is of her priorities and overall life. Oprah is so keen on getting her words in that it's almost painful to watch at times (esp in parts 2,3,4, and 5 of this set). It's almost like one person in this video has an IQ of 180 and the other 90.

I just wish she'd let JKR speak ... surely people would rather listen to her, but then again narcissism does not have reins.

Come what come may
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day

- Macbeth

Fragile



Fragile (Sting Cover) | Upload Music

Lots of people thanked me for saying women are the more evolved gender on aggregate. Was there ever a doubt about that? Don't think so.

Whats the most beautiful line you've ever written?

" ...Perhaps the dream

Is dreaming us

Soaring with the seagulls"

- STING

(why do I get the feeling, it has to be Sting to say something like this .... or Pink Floyd .... or the Beatles ... or Shakespeare :) .....)

A piece of brilliant writing is as timeless as eternity herself.

What is the most beautiful line you've ever written?

Driving to work this morning, I turned up the volume. My car stereo plays all the time, but is muted as I'm on calls almost all the time that I'm driving.

As the amplifiers came to life, the first verse of that favourite song came in through the speakers. For some reason every note reached my heart, as it had never done before. I turned up the volume. It doesn't matter .... nothing does, at moments like this when you recognize that emotion embedded in the creativity that was intended when Dave Gilmour wrote that guitar solo.

Sigh .... everytime I have to turn off the setero when Coming Back to Life is playing I feel like I have stepped back into Earth from interstellar space.

Of Pens and Ink

Click on the image to read.

Chelpark Turquoise, Pelikan

I'm not particularly thrilled with Chelpark's Turquoise Blue. I bought a pot of this blue and Violet (which I like more ... see below).

The best ink available in India is hands down Parker Quink Royal Blue (see below).

The chorus is written with my other black steel Pelikan with Violet Chelpark ink. The verse is written with my Pelikan Future model pen using Quink Royal Blue.

Chelpark Violet, Quink Royal Blue

If you share this hobby, you should check out and look at the plethora of other inkmeisters linked on his page.

http://penaddict.com/

Of course, the really good inks like http://www.jherbin.com/ and

http://www.privatereserveink.com/

are not really available in Bangalore.