Hell and Heaven

 Man is not too happy about where he is, usually. He wants to go somewhere, usually to Heaven. It's a different matter that he may end up in Hell in most cases, if these two institutions actually exist.

But the point is, even if they do exist, why the urge/hurry to meet the Maker? Why not be happy where you are, and make the most of a life-after all, you are not an insect, or a worm...and even they have some choices about what they want to do. 

If you want to create Heaven around you, first thing to do is to be happy yourself. This may sound paradoxical, as people think you become happy by going there. I would argue the reverse. Because if you are happy, it causes happiness around in most cases. People around you smiling makes for heaven right here, where you are.

And material circumstances may not matter too much in this thing. I have seen happy people everywhere-from vegetable vendors pushing a cart to kids playing in the dirt or diving into a lake or river or a rain puddle with abandon. Blaming something/someone for what you don't like is easily done, but does not get you anywhere. Change things if you can. If not, change yourself. Like yourself. Be happy. That's all there is to it.

Light and Shadow

The lives of most of us are comprised of the light and the dark. The dark can be accepted for what it is, and some of it can be dispelled by lightening up. But the contrast is actually something we need to understand and appreciate. If it was all goody-goody, maybe we wouldn't understand its value. Heaven must be boring, and Human Life must be the more interesting! Unless you knew about Hell, I mean.

The mind can probably be trained to do good things, like accept some things, and to face other events with fortitude- to light a light, in other words, to take things positively, as much as possible. Here's to lighting up, and lightening up. 

Dry State of Kerala-Its After-effects

This is bigger than an earthquake, and its after-shocks will be felt for decades, and not just in Kerala. I am talking of prohibition in Kerala, just announced by the state. This is a look (you know where the tongue is) at those mammoth consequences.

1. The Kerala State Beverages Corporation, the biggest money-making (or the only?) enterprise, will go ka-boom, as they eloquently say in comics.

2. The entertainment that common citizens have, of standing in long lines to buy liquor from the KSBC counters will be taken away. This is actually more fun than what happens after consuming the liquor- nothing.

3. Bootleggers will have a new territory to expand their business. How long can you survive on just one (state, not peg)? (sorry, Lays campaigners)

4. Dubai duty-free will go out of business, and that will have global repercussions.

5. Foreign (and domestic) tourists will abandon God's Own Country and go to Hell, or Satanic places where they have the freedom to drink.

6. Border areas will have a booming liquid economy. Wine tourism will grow in Tamilnadu and Karnataka.

7. Demand for toddy will go sky-high, higher than the Burz Al-Arab/ Burz Khalifa.