Freemasonry - What is it?

WHAT IS FREEMASONRY
It is a voluntary association of men. It is a system of moral conduct. It is a way of life. It is the oldest fraternal society in the world. It is religious in its character. It teaches the Golden Rule. It seeks to make good men better men. It teaches morality through symbolism. It uses secret rites and ceremonies to instruct its members. It is based on a firm belief in the Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man and the Immorality of the Soul. Its purpose is to improve humanity as a whole, each Mason being charged to walk uprightly before God and man, and by his rectitude of conduct, encouraging others to conduct themselves in a like manner. Masons are proud to proclaim that their Fraternity consists of men bound by bonds of Brotherly Love and Affection, universally applicable throughout the world.

WHAT FREEMASONRY IS NOT

It is not an insurance or benefit society. It does not solicit members. It is neither a religion nor a creed. It is not organized for profit. It dictates to no man as to his beliefs, or his religion. It seeks no advantages for its members through business or politics. It is not a secret society, as it does not conceal its existence, membership or purposes.

WHAT IS A LODGE

The word "Lodge" means both a group of masons meeting in some place and the room or building in which they meet. Masonic buildings are also called "temples" because much of the symbolism Masonry uses teach its lessons, and comes from the building of King Solomon's temple in the Holy Land.

WHAT GOES ON IN A LODGE

Meetings include the business of the Lodge, degree work and discussions of charitable projects. Teaching of Masonic symbolism and, of course, it's always good to spend time with friends who you can trust completely.

WHAT DOES MASONRY DO

The most common answer is "we take good men and make them better." Some thought must be given on how this is dome. Masonry teaches by symbolism and allegories, taught in degrees. A degree is a stage of level of membership. It is also a ceremony by which a man attains that level of membership. The ceremony is a sacred play, just like in a theatre. The theatre is the oldest known means of teaching, especially the teaching of abstract ideas. It was one of the principal means of instruction in the Middle Ages as well as in ancient Greece and Rome. Freemasonry borrows this technique of theatre to make its lessons more impressive, and to aid the candidate in forming the beginning of what it is hoped will be a long-term pattern of study and thought. Degrees, like the symbols and allegories, are designed to raise questions and help people think. Masonry believes that each man must think for himself, come to his own conclusions, and act according to his own honor and integrity. But Masonry also does charitable work such as Shrine Hospitals and the different charities of the York and Scottish Rites. But you need to also tell what happens in your Blue Lodge, how Masons try to help and care for other Masons and their families. You need to give a personal example of this.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MASON

Being a member of the Brotherhood of masons means: a) Being a part of an unbroken tradition that stretches 500 years. b) Sharing the values of a nation's founding fathers. c) Becoming a better person while helping to improve the quality of life for others. d) Forming deep and lasting friendships. e) But most of all, being a Mason means the kind of deep satisfaction that comes only from selfless giving, from doing for others without asking or expecting anything in return.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP

A person who wishes to join Masonry must be a man, sound in body and mind, who believes in a Supreme Being, is at least the minimum age required by the Grand Lodge of his state and has a good reputation.

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A MASON

When a man decides he wants to be a mason, he simply asks a Mason for a petition or application.

SUMMARY You may say that Masonry accepts good men and endeavors to improve them. You may say that Masonry teaches moral lessons derived from the Old Testament literature through the use of symbols and allegory. You may say that masonry is a philosophical society of friends and brothers which strives to teach by degrees, high standards of personal living. You may explain to your friend that we are involved in charitable endeavors, and that each of the many different organizations within the Masonic family are dedicated to some worthy cause such as heart and cancer research, college scholarships, childhood language disorders, eye and diabetes research, and many others. These organizations collectively contribute in excess of two million dollars per day.

BIBLOGRAPHY
PERIODICALS
Burgess, Ray W., P.G.M. "Masons Can Tell," Louisiana Freemason. Davis, Robert G. "Change," The Philalethes, April (1995). Herbold, Ralph A. "Secrecy," Southern California Research Lodge. Irving, Thomas T. "Shout it From the Mountain Tops," Scottish Rite Journal, Dec. (1994). Logan, H.L. "Bud". "In Agreement With Deputy Grand Master." Cal. Freemason, Summer (1995). Runice, John W. "Seeing is Believing," the Baton Rouge Scottish Trestleboard, July (1996). "Things You Should know About Masonry." Masonic Messenger, Georgia. Tresner, Jim. "What's a Mason," Scottish Rite Journal. March (1996). Wordlow, Tony F. "Let's Dispel the Myths of Secrecy," Cal. Freemason. Summer (1996). "What Are Scottish Rite Degrees?" Scottish Rite on the Move. May (1992). Grand Lodge of India Website - www.masonindia.org

UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Grand Lodge of Massachusett. "What It Means to be a Mason." Pamphlet by the Grand Lodge of Mass. Grand Lodge of Virginia. "Freemasonry – What is it?" Pamphlet by the Grand Lodge of Virginia. Livingston Lodge No. 160, Hammond, LA. "Things you Should Know About Masonry." Pamphlet by Livingston Lodge.

At war with Terror

It took a handful of terrorists and hundreds of lost lives to bring down the myth of security and complacency that we in our country had lulled ourselves into. It took 60 hours to bring down the 60 year old fascade of Indian Democracy and it's effectiveness. It took just 3 days to unmask some politicians and bring them out for what they really are. But more than all that it took an attack on our nations' collective pride to awaken us and make us raise our voices. What happened to government of the people, for the people and by the people? Was that a myth as well? Was the feudal system and Kingdoms abolished so that these uncouth, uncaring, un-educated, in most cases, politicians could rule over us? So what has changed? 540 something members of parliament, most of who have some criminal record or the other have replaced the 516 principalities which once formed India. The difference is that these principalities were lead by Kings and Courtiers who were educated and well versed with the problems of their state. Now it is very much the opposite, in more ways than one. Terrorism existed then, as it exists now, then we had the Abdalis and the Lodi's who threatened India. Now we have LeT's and Mujahideen's. True, they didn't have AK-47's, grenades or petrol bombs back then, still they didn't fight with wooden batons (as most of our constabulary still do, even when faced with an AK-47).

It's very good to talk of problems, it helps us vent our anger or give a shape to the numbness that we Indians have been feeling since 26th November, 2008. We're numb because of the nature of this attack. We're numb because how it brought India to a standstill for 3 days. We're numb because we faced the situation ourselves or our near and dear ones are affected by it. We're numb because thanks to the electronic media, this horrible carnage is being telecast right into our living rooms.

I have never lived in Mumbai, as in I am not a Mumbaikar as it were, but I have visited the fair city and I have found that it is a city that grows on you. The clean roads, the wonderful architecture, the helpful people and calm depths of the Arabian Sea, all have a wonderful effect on a visitor. Icons of Mumbai like the Victoria Terminus (CST), The Royal Yacht Club, The Bombay Gymkhana Club, The Marine Drive, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, even the Metropolitan Corporation building, which really ought to be converted into a Heritage hotel, and even hitherto unknown, but equally impressive buildings like the GPO and the Empire Royale Hotel have become a part and parcel of a Mumbaikar's existance and have become landmarks in their own right. When foreigners think of India, they think of the Taj Mahal. When India thinks of Mumbai, we think of these estimable landmarks. It is a part of the nations' psyche.

Thats where this particular terror attack has struck - at the nations psyche. It has embattled our freudian calm but it has also rekindled our thought process. Thats why people today are saying 'Enough is enough'. I wish that were true, this certainly isn't enough, there's more to come. There isn't a band-aid cure to this deep gash. In terms of economic analysis, I could say things are going to get worse before they become better. Like most Indians today, I am bitter, I feel let down, I feel insecure and I am angry. When M.K. Gandhi asked for Home Rule, the borders of our country were secure and the British were doing a damn good job protecting them. Even through the World Wars there wasn't much that put India in harm's way. Now that we've got our so-called Indpendence, we have enemies on all sides of the border infiltrating us, creating vote banks, breeding terrorists on our own soil and spreading their network throughout the country.

We have to rise up from our complacency and demand our rights from the government. It doesn't matter which government - Congress, BJP or God Forbid the third front. We have to be pro-active as citizens and demand accountability from them for all their actions. NO our job doesn't end by casting our ballot. Thats just the begining. It then becomes our duty to make our elected candidate follow up on the agenda which got him elected.

The security, intelligence and millitary solutions are not for civilians such as us to provide, but even if it be the last option, we must ensure that that last option is exercised when all other options have been exhausted. I would be a very happy man if the country would be under 1 years Millitary Rule.

In conclusion, Mumbaikars, I know you have grown to hate the terms 'resilience' and 'bounce-back'. I understand your anguish and your anger. Well lets not say those words for the moment. Lets pray for a safer, prosperous and peaceful way of life. And once we've finished praying, lets get back to our government and demand to know what they are doing to put and end this horrible way of life that we're being forced to endure.

Goodbye Dear Friend

It's a personal post this time, an outpouring of grief may sound a tad dramatic, but this is one nonetheless. Reggie, one of my Shelties passed away today. He became a part of our family 12 years and 2 months ago at the age of 12 years and 4 months. He brought us unconditional love and joy and was a loyal friend...till the very end. Mild-mannered and friendly, Reggie was an instant favourite even amongst those who didn't like pets. His affectionate nature endeared him to everyone. He didn't have a mean bone in his body and was never known to snap, let alone bite a living soul. He wasn't of a very strong constitution physically, and at the age of 6 months, broke his front left paw, still the effervescent spot of sunshine that he was, kept limping with a plaster cast attached to his leg. Despite this, Reggie went on to win 3 Local, 2 National and 1 International Dog Shows. His sober nature was always a credit to him, even at the Dog Shows. He was terrified of thunder and lightning, and in the event of either of them occurring, one would find him running at top speed to hide under my bed, or in desperate measures, behind the commode in one of the toilets.

It's strange how one, of another species, endears itself so much to us. Their loyalty, dedication and selfless love are areas where we human beings are often found lacking. This is the second dog I've lost, and I can say, each time their loss is equally painful. I treasure each day I spent with Reggie. The instant sense of mirth and upliftment one felt in his company cannot be expressed in words. And that is what makes the sense of loss deeper. So if you can hear me, Reggie my friend, I miss you and I'll never forget you.

No longer am I at your side To roam the fields together,
But,
As you light the candles tonight,
Imagine my spirit taking flight.
Say no farewell then my friend, We will meet again,
Wish me a happy journey
To the eternal hunting fields above.

'Tis the season to be jolly...

Well, it's finally here. Winter, that is, or whatever semblance of the stuff we get down here. Still, there it is. Rummy thing about this season is, it creates activity. Everyone's either throwing parties, dinners, cocktails, or just packing off and going on a toot. An enormous percentage of the general population seems to find this season just the right time to jump off the dock (read get married). Perhaps it's the fallout of the activity epidemic or a realisation that all the days of the year have suddenly run out, so why not make the best of what's left and get hitched. I must confess at this point that I have the heart of an eternal bachelor, for it is I believe the only honourable estate which allows a man to preserve his mental equilibrium. But I digress, getting back to the nip in the air (and I use the expression loosely), it has it's pros and cons, but personally speaking, I think the pros outweigh the cons. True, one can sense the devious flu-bug flapping it's microscopic wings in the air, and one is gulping down copious amounts of Vitamin C and orange juice to ward off this killjoy; however, it is also the weather which heralds the advent of Christmas. Christmas in it's varied warm hues tends to uplift ones' spirits, gives a man hope and an inclination to look forward to the nicer things in life. Christmas Trees,Carols, Plum Puddings, Mistletoe, Stuffed Turkeys, Presents and of course good old Saint Nick, are thoughts which put a smile on the stiffest of stiff upper-lips. I may not believe there's an over-weight old gent clad in red nightwear swooping down the chimney with a sackful of goodies, but I have no shame in admitting that I do believe in Santa Claus. One has never forgotten writing letters to Santa, hanging Christmas stockings and waiting eagerly all night only to run out at the crack of dawn to unwrap the boxes beneath the Christmas Tree. Whatever emerged from those packages, be it ever so humble as a mechanical ladybug (one of my all time faves), it was magical. The festivities at home, the ever-running kitchen and the warmth of guests added to that magic. That, I believe still endures and that to me is the magic of Santa Claus and Christmas.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas Lyrics

What Ho!

I know the past couple of my posts here have been a tad morbid, circumstances demanded they did. However, if I may be allowed to paraphrase, into each life some sun must shine. I'm not saying it is; I'm saying it might. I read P.G. Wodehouse when I'm down. His words have a habit of transporting one to a utopian paradise. A world which I grudgingly doubt existed even in his time, is brought to life is a lucid manner. It takes imagination, not only to write, but also to read a book. An art which sadly is slowly becoming extinct. To live in a world of Sir Watkyn Basset, Galahad Threepwood or Lord Ickenham (Uncle Fred), maybe an impossibility in today's dog eat dog world, but some still try to fashion some small nook of their lives in that manner. I certainly try, even if it is for a few hours.
The simpler things in life, believe it or not, still have the potential to give immense pleasure and satisfaction, if that's what you're looking for. So when you plan your trip for the upcoming festivities, buy a Wodehouse, retire to some tech-forsaken quiet place and enjoy the simple pleasures. Cheers!

Tsunami - Have we forgotten?

Recently, I had occasion to visit a part of Southern India (near Chennai). A beautiful sleepy village near the coast of the southern tip of the Bay of Bengal called Karikattu Kuppam. This is a village where an entire village of fishermen, whose entire lives were literally wiped out by the Tsunami, have been given temporary shelters, sanitation, means for livelihood and an elementary educational system by Freemasons who 'adopted' the entire village and true to form, are trying to provide them with much needed succour without Corporate sponsorship or Government support. I was surprised when I was met by smiling faces of the fishermen and shiny eyes of their children. For people who have had their lives violently changed, they seemed to exhibit amazing fortitude and a firm determination to piece their lives back together.

I was then taken to their original village which had been completely wiped out. When I saw rows and rows of abandoned houses which had been first in line to bear the brunt of the Tsunami, the horror of the disaster hit home. They coast ,they said was corroded by the Tsunami by over 200 yards. Not a single house in the village was intact. I met an erstwhile resident of the village who took me to show the remains of his house. Such was the tremendous force of the waves that even the iron grills of his windows were broken and bent out of shape. Even three years after the fateful day, Nagamani's eyes filled up as he recalled that day. He was playing in front of his house with his two children on his shoulders, his wife, his father and mother, his sister and his brother were inside the house just about 150 yards from the current shoreline. He pointed to the remains a coconut tree in front of his house and said the 2 waves were higher than the tree. In a matter of a few minutes all his family members, including his two children perched on his shoulders, were swept away by the gargantuan waves. He, Nagamani added with regret in his voice, was the only survivor.

I left that village a somewhat changed man. But, there is hope. A few acres of land have been acquired at a safe distance from the ocean but close enough for the fishermen to continue with their mode of livelihood and hopefully a colony shall be built for them on it.

Perhaps we may never be able to give them fair warning, we certainly cannot turn back the hands of time, but there are lessons that we could learn, from the Tsunami and from the indomitable spirit of these villagers.

One man, Two guns and 33 lives.

It's been a while since I've written here. I guess it takes comparatively complacent writers like me an event which touches the soul to jolt us out of our complacency. The events of yesterday in Virginia have shocked millions. It is not a tragedy of the magnanimity of 9/11 or the War against Terror, granted. What shocks us is the spilling of young, innocent blood. I was watching the Convocation at Virginia Tech today, and it wasn't the speeches that affected me most, it was the faces of the hundreds of students sitting on the sidelines; their morales broken, the look of utter despair and uncertainty on their faces, not to mention the ubiquitous sense of grief. An act of a deranged, depraved or perhaps disillusioned mind causing such mayhem! One man, Two guns and 33 lives. Perhaps it's time for America to rethink the hands they put these guns into.
For the students, the affected families and the faculty it is a time for introspection, and a time to start rebuilding. For what is lost cannot be regained, but what is present and what is to come may be safeguarded. So here's to all of them, God Bless & God Speed.

Ho Ho Ho!

Merry Christmas & Greetings of the season. Well, it's that time of the year again which fills one with a warm glow...or misery and despair. For some this year has been tougher than others, for some it's been easier, but we've all pulled through by the mercy of the good Lord. Have we been good this past year or have we been naughty? Indeed this year, I've noted a noticable struggle between the kindered spirits and the Scrooges of this world. So who won this round? It would be pretentious of me to hazard a guess, however, this has been a day full of small coincidences...or miracles. If they are coincidences then this round goes to the Scrooges. If they are miracles, then we've won yet another round. After all, the only difference between a coincidence and a miracle is faith.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,

Let your heart be light

Next year,

All our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
Next year all our troubles will be miles away

Once again as in olden days

Happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who were near to us

Will be near to us once more

Someday soon we all will be together

If the fates allow.

Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

Patriotism, Not Politics, Not Religion

Recently, some Muslim leaders in India refused and protested the Government's decision to make the recital of “Vande Mataram” (Hail Motherland), our National Song in schools for one day in a year. Let’s not make this a political issue, no this is beyond petty politics. This is a question of patriotism and allegiance. I fail to understand how singing the National Song of India in Indian Schools could be deemed objectionable by the Muslims who are protesting this issue. Why not? Where does their allegiance lie? In Pakistan perhaps? We're not asking them to sing Hindu Vedic Chants. A protest against the National Song is in itself objectionable and tantamounts to an insult to the nation. They want to live and work in India, they want to enjoy special privileges and sops in India, privileges which even Muslim countries wouldn't offer them, but when it comes to showing their allegiance by singing the National Song for just one day in a year, they cringe, they protest and they rebel. They fly Pakistani flags on top of their houses and mosques, they refuse government's policies, every religious occasion of theirs has to be a national holiday, they are free to use loudspeakers in their mosques, even though temples and churches are not, they are free to block main roads every Friday, even though Hindu pandals which encroach the roads are banned. They are a pampered lot in India, and unduly so. Some of them even have the nerve to ask Hindus to leave and go to Nepal; a classic example of give them a hand and they'll cut off your arm.

I am not saying this is true of every Muslim living in India. However, people who are protesting this decision do not belong in India; they should move or should be moved to the countries they owe their allegiance to.

Luck

Luck is a concept, which is becoming increasingly alien to us in the 21st century. It is a much cherished, much loved but often much loathed word. If we apply Freudian analysis to this word we may be able to understand why and how it affects us. “A little far-fetched, but that's Psychology." These are the words of John R.Hayes, a Cognitive Theory Professor. We must however, understand that there are two sides to the coin that we are about to toss on a Freudian altar. Luck is said to be ‘bad’ as well as ‘good’ i.e. to say that it may affect us positively as well as negatively.

So what is good luck? I would like to believe that good luck is nothing but the ultimate, nevertheless, unexpected fulfillment of man’s wants. I use the word ‘wants intentionally to indicate a certain characteristic of ‘good luck’. What we want is not always what we get; what we do get in the normal course of life is usually what we ‘need’. ‘Wants’ so as to say are our desires but not our necessities. Wants do not have limitations i.e. to say they often do not have their feet planted upon the ground of practicality. So when such a desire is fulfilled without much ado on the part of person, we usually accredit it to ‘good luck’. I have heard people like Elizabeth Taylor consider themselves ‘lucky’ on hindsight at the twilight of their lives. What we observe here is that good luck is invariably connected with fulfillment. One feels lucky in life if he achieves all he wants to or if he attains the love he or she has pined for or to add a whole new dimension to it, one feels lucky if his religious ambits are satisfied

Luck is like water. It takes up the shape of the vessel it lands up in. What I mean to say is that the definition of luck or ‘good luck’ varies with the point of view of those who experience it. Sir Winston Churchill was so moved by what he considered his ‘good luck’ that he exclaimed, “There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at by a failed gun.

Endurance

Bob Dylan once wrote in a song:
" How many roads must a man walk down,
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must the white dove fly,
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly
Before they are forever banned?"

Let us look at the past few months, we have been afected by wars in the Middle East, devastated by floods, bombarded by terrorists, taken on a see-saw ride by the stock markets, threatened by political indecisions and mis-decisions, enchanted by sea-water turning sweet and Gods drinking milk (again), and we've endured them all. The indomitable spirit of man has endured and triumphed. Yes we've even redressed a bit of it's injustice to the Universe by kicking out poor Pluto (the erstwhile planet, not the cartoon character) from our solar system. Cosmic justice? Maybe.
But how long till the situation eases for us? If you go by Nostradamus, the Holy Bible (Book of Revelations), Kalki Avtaar (Srimad Bhagvata), it won't. Infact it will get a bit worse everyday. That is unless we pull ourselves back together or in Nat King Cole's words "Straighten Up and fly right". Especially the politicians who seem to guide the destinies of nations, should be made to realise what they're there for, not to enrich their lives or net worths, but to serve the nations for a change. not to stay in power for the sake of it, but to do what is right for the country. Not to think about what others would say or do, and defend our country.
Is that really possible, or is it just utopia?

"The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
The answer is blowing in the wind."

A bit of the poet in me

Night, wilt thou be my friend?

Amidst thy ominous veil,

Which hides the face of light-

Wilt thou sit beside me,

And hold the hands of time?

I wish you to hear upon,

The beats that pound my heart.

Tales of gentle laughter,

Of moments that were scarred.

Silence, wilt thou be my friend?

Your overbearing presence,

Breathes upon my shoulders.

I hear, I feel your touch

Steely, cold, sombre.

You have been faithful,

In hours of utter despair,

On balmy fishing noons-

Or moments of blissful prayer.

Time, wilt thou be my friend?

You who befriend none,

You bear mute testimony –

Through ages to tears and smiles.

And you think your job is done?

Time – like scales of justice,

Blindfolded you travel on.

In the endless path you follow,

Don’t you need a companion?

Lord, wilt Thou be my friend?

When the world walks out,

Oh! So ruthlessly –

I find Your hand on my head,

Consoling, embracing me.

I know not Thy great plan,

I know not the ways of Thee.

In distress, in confusion I lie,

Come deliver me!

I know not how to appease You,

Through prayers, Vedic chants.

A bit of peace, love and fire-

My heart pines (for), it wants.

-Ambarish Singh Roy
-07/10/2000
(Copyrights Reserved)

Da Vinci Code Movie - A few more abberations

Here are a few more plots that were 'constructed' for the movie and were nowhere in the book, I think these did the overall plot some harm: 1. Fache tells Collet that he was contacted by Aringarosa (a Bishop of his order - Fache is apparently Opus Dei in the movie) and told that Langdon told Aringarosa in confession that he planned to kill the curator of the Louvre and Fache was trying to catch him without implicating the Bishop who didn't keep the confession a secret. 2. Aringarosa and the Catholic church were in cahoots about the whole thing, they knew what the 'grail' contained and wanted it destroyed so no DNA testing could be done. They convened a secret council to do this and were not disassociating from Opus Dei. Aringarosa was NOT working with Fache to try and stop Silas they knew that Silas had killed people and were OK with it. 3. The Curator was not Sophie's real grandfather, just the grand master of the Priory who was prepping her to be in the order. They weren't speaking because when she was little he screamed at her (the scene shows him rushing in and wiping everything on a desk onto the floor while screaming at her while she cowers) and told her to never ask about her family and then sent her to boarding school - after which she saw the ritual. The poor direction robbed this scene of it's essence. 4. When they get to Rosslyn Chapel, they very easily find a secret sub-chamber that contains all the documents of the Priory and the 'grail' just no body - it has been moved. The members of the Priory show up, she meets her grandma - no brother, and they all hang out. Oh and not to forget, the ridiculous bit about Sophie trying her luck at walking on water, it was ridiculous and made light of the entire enormity of the plot.

The Da Vinci Code Saga

I went to see the movie, yeah even though I had read the book. I must say I regret buying the book. The plot was interesting, the claims scandalous and the symbolism emphatic, but the style of writing was cheesy. I personally preferred 'Angels & Demons' by Dan Brown, it was a very well constructed thriller. Da Vinci code, could hardly match it's page-turning quality, in-fact I felt it was written by someone who has lost the zeal for writing.
The movie however, was a whole new affair. I went to see the movie only and only because of Tom Hanks. The movie, I found, improvised on the book a good deal, in some cases changing certain portions of the plot [Ref: The drawing room scene where Sophie is supposed to hide the cryptex, The scene where the Priory of Sion members come to meet Sophie, The scene about Sophie recalling her grandfather performing the rituals, the rituals were more elaborately depicted in the book, The scene where the Teacher kills the butler etc. etc.]. But I think these alterations, for the most part did not rob the movie of it's charm but could have added more mystique to the plot. Tom Hanks, acted his part, yes I hated his hair-style, and I'd have to say this wasn't one of Hank's greatest acting jobs, though to be fair to him, he could only do what the script allowed, and Dan Brown certainly needs to give Robert Langdon a persona-rehash.
All in all, I'd say watch it before you criticize the movie. Was it worth the money spent on a ticket? I wouldn't know - I got two complimentary ones. Here's an idea - how about an Angels & Demons movie?

P.S. Ron Howard could have done a heck of a better job by getting a better Sophie, what was he thinking?

Holiday

Just got back from a short trip. Glad to be back. The place we went to is a hill-station, so expectations were high (I being a sucker for Hills and any place that is cold). But I must admit I hadn't bargained for the constant rains which stalked us for all the 5 days we were there. Needless to say, the sight-seeing was at a minimum and the photographs though beautiful, a tad depressing due to the absence of the sun.
Shillong is a very beautiful town and I would say one of the cleanest hill-stations in India. The people are renowned for their hospitality and rightly so. The drive from the airport was a three hour long affair, though after the first hour I didn't mind because we started climbing uphill, and it got comfortably cold and scenic. We didn't avail the car on the way back, we opted for a 20 minute helicopter ride, which provided breathtaking views of both Meghalaya and Assam.
Another significant thrill was a boat ride we took on Ward's Lake. I was a tad nervous about the condition of the apparently worn out boat, but it put us back on shore dry.
Well thats all at the moment, Arrivedecci

Bad Mojo

Hey folks! Long time no see. Well I've been kinda tied up with nose to the grind and all that. Well the bad news is Winter has bid adieu here, the good news is Spring is here. Wonder why they would name a season after a metallic hydraulic device. Yeah....i'm on to you...you're applying Frued right there. You're saying Romance + Attraction = SPRING!. Wash your mind out with soap! Well spring here doesnt last too long, it puts in a week-long guest appearance (if we're lucky) and then there's the almost 7 months of summer punctuated by a month or two of soggy Monsoons.
I've been upto no good in the past few months. My old laptop, a Toshiba Tecra went bust. I miscalculated the warranty.....thought it had run out and bought a new Compaq laptop. Then I realised that I should have the Toshiba repaired and use it. So I send it to the service centre where they announce I still have a year worth of warranty left! Whoopsie! While they were going at the Toshiba, I was happy with my Compaq....till after a few weeks the brand new laptop started overheating and shutting down without warning (which it still is). Well, now i'm stuck with the Compaq, and my Toshiba ain't back from the repairs yet. I call it bad mojo, guess Bill Gates would call it Nerd Luck!
I also bought a new car. Nothing fancy, a Suzuki sedan. Since I bought it 5 months back, it's been scratched in 3 places and I've changed 6 chauffers. Why? Bad Mojo. Seems chauffers loved to drive my old cars....Landmaster, Ambassador, Contessa, Ford much better, because they would stick around for years. But give them a state of the art, cutting edge, hi-tech piece of automotive wonder (yeah i know i'm exaggerating), and they turn tail. Nerves I guess.
Well thats dosage enough for the time-being methinks......hoping to read your comments on this. Thank you for your comments on my previous posts....except one guy/gal who posted the contents of a website as a comment....to that person I say ....Get a life dude/dudette!

Self

Yep that's me.

Bertie Ponders....some more

Well well well, aren't we the sneaky one? I'm talking about the confounded weather we're having down here. Started off end of last year. Winter just wouldn't show up. Even Christmas was warm. Then it did show up for like 30 days in January, two days of spring, and boom summer was here. Yep, scorching, sweaty, sticky summer. It's the peak of summers now at 40 Degrees Celsius (there's talk of it going to 45!). We are expecting Monsoon to arrive in the first week of June (yep even thats delayed this year).
Don't you just HATE summer? Your skin burns, you're constantly drenched in sweat, if you stay out too long you get a heat stroke, you don't feel like eating anything. Yeah, thats what summer did to me this year; for the past 5 days I haven't been able to eat meat. Those who know me well will tell you my daily diet contains 90% meat content. No disrespect meant to other food groups, but I simply cannot accept grass or leaves or flowers or roots as FOOD. Thats the way I am. If i have to ever order vegeterian food from a Take-Away, I consider that a terrible waste of money.
Yeah I see a lot of Freudian analysis going on in your minds right now. The only credit I am willing to give my dear departed inspiration Sigmund, is that I have this terribly nice friend, if you saw him you wouldn't believe it, but he's a vegeterian, or as he says a 'vegan'. His discreet and subdued hints at the goodness of vegetables might have something to do with it.
Anyway, I'm sure if I type beyond this, you're all going to stop reading, so i'll conclude, Betty thanx a lot, seems you're the only one who read my last blog. Cheers!

Bertie Ponders

This is my first blog. For the life of me I never thought I would ever be doing something called 'blog'. But here we are, in open cyberspace, trying to open our hearts and minds to all who care to visit this page and look. Is this the ultimate form of extrovertism? A deperate cry of a child for attention? A loners' moan? Or is it a way to make our thoughts known to anybody and everybody? I know I sound cynical, maybe even negative. But thats the way I feel about it. isn't that what this is all about?

Till next time, or the time I think of an actual topic....aurevoir.

Bertie