Monday, July 17, 2006

Signal jammed - Laugh at your own risk

How many time have we jumbled up different words? It seems funny for the onlooker, while its embarrassing for the speaker. Its a fraction of a second rotten jumble in the nervous system and you are the object of laughter. Any idea why that happens? Well, I don't exactly know. I guess the mind's too fast compared to the nerves, that transmit the signal from the former into speech, and not ready to recognize this disparity. There is a jamming of two different signals and sometimes many such signals and always they end up hilarious, especially in a tense moment with heavenly gravity. I have landed in such situations myself several times. Once I was referring to a paper by Peters to my friend in one of the meetings and ended up saying, "Paters by peepers". How funny is that?
Me and my Prof were in Pennsylvania for a conference and were talking about our school (North Carolina State University - NC State University) and Pennsylvania State University. He got really worked up and said "Pensy state university". Only thing that prevented me from rolling over with laughter was that I was in the car. There was this another incident where my uncle mixed up school and college and said coolege. I don't even know how to spell them; as most of the times these words don't exist. Then this other time, myself and several friends were in the car listening to the song, dhoom dhoom. There was confusion as to which movie this song had appeared in, boom or dhoom. My friend who was driving, wanted to get his opinion through and in the top of his voice said, "its from the dhovie..." and stopped. The silence was followed with huge laughters. I guess he mixed up movie and dhoom.
Have you or any of your friends ended in such embarrassing moments that can be shared? If so, type them up and lets have some fun.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

What do you do?

It was in May that I had been to Niagara falls with some of my buddies from B'lore. It was a fun filled trip. We had sufficient time to visit all the attraction at the falls. Both maid of the mist and cave of the winds tours were amazing. There is this casino, Casino Niagara. It was my first visit to a casino. Like everybody else, I was bought into by the act of the rhythmic water fountains, that dance to no music but to Silence (well conceived pattern). The bright colorful lights and the darkness one has to create to control the light were amazing. After your eyes, its the turn of your ears to enjoy the experience. The music, the electronic hymns from the slot machines. One can never miss them. And finally the old people at the slot machines. Some of them occupy two machines at a time and keep playing. They have these prepaid plastic cards chained wound their necks. They play with no emotions, but for the sake of playing. Its like a routine for them; they in fact use buttons and not the levers to play. Seeing them was looking at a clockwork orange (thanks to Stanly Kubrick). Seriously, is there nothing better for them to do rather than bust their money at the casino. I was completely puzzled. I asked my friend as to why they were wasting their hard earned money at this old age. He said that they keep some part of their money for gambling alone. Is this why they saved up? Its a pass-time!!!! Its recreation for them.
Then I realized that every person has a way to let out his or her frustration (pass time). Now a days I spend my pass-time in front of the comp, reading blogs, going through bbc, listening to NPR. Imagine what if I get bored by these...I might do something else. Some others go down to their back yard and shoot. While others take a long drive. There are those who read books and others who practice music. You can find a bunch of them at the gym every day. Its routine. Like my question to you...
What do you do?