Saturday, December 29, 2012
Reservation? Yes to that!
Posted by Infernius at 11:07 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Triumph of Hitler
The Wall Street crash on October 29th, 1929 sent financial markets the world over into a tailspin. Germany was one of the most vulnerable, since it was dependent on foreign trade and had taken out many loans from America after its defeat in World War 1. German exports dried up after the repayments of these loans, and the well-oiled German industrial machine quickly ground to a halt. This led to the layoff of many industrial workers and the failure of banks, which ruined the living standards of most middle class Germans. Amidst political instability, uncertainty and poverty, the German population was looking for a way out. At the time, Adolf Hitler seemed their best way out.Since the failed Beer Hall Putsch movement in 1923, Hitler had matured as a statesman. By surrounding himself with a number of middle class socialites and industrialists, he was ready to build a shadow government that would soon come into power. The downtrodden people were willing to listen to him, and he offered what they needed most, encouragement. He skilfully played to the emotions of people, offering something to everybody: work to the unemployed; prosperity to failed business people; profits to industry; expansion to the Army and the tearing up of the Treaty of Versailles by refusing to pay war reparation to the Allies; social harmony and an end of class distinctions to idealistic young students; and restoration of German glory to those in despair. He promised to bring order amid chaos; a feeling of unity to all and the chance to belong. He would make Germany strong again; stamp out corruption; keep down Marxism; and deal harshly with the Jews (who he blamed for Germany’s defeat in World War 1). Hitler offered vague promises that enticed everybody. He did this without offering any concrete details on how these promises would be achieved though. However, in their present conditions, the Germans were ready to follow anybody who seemed strong enough to bring back stability, something the present government had not been able to achieve.With help from his aide, the propaganda genius Joseph Goebbels, Hitler attended thousands of meetings, plastered posters all over the countryside, organized torchlight parades and printed millions of special Nazi newspapers. He was a skilled manipulator of the masses. Along with the SA, Hitler’s band of storm troopers, he was able to project a picture of hope and a better future. His speeches, while grandiose, were quite simple. His favourite slogan was “Freedom and Bread”, the basic necessities that the German masses were finding hard to come by.While the Nazi party failed to win the 1930 elections, it did become almost overnight, the second largest party in the country. The German industrialists started offering funds to Hitler, since they believed that the Nazis were the wave of the future, and hoped that when he got to power, he would in return help them out. The German General Staff also supported Hitler, since he was ready to tear up the Treaty of Versailles, which prevented modernization and limited the German Army to 100,000 men. He was the hero that Germany deserved, and the one it needed as well. Or so it seemed.The period from 1931 and 1933 were crucial for the Nazi party, who still received stiff competition from various political figures. Some of these included the old President of Germany, Paul Von Hindenburg and Chancellor Heinrich Brüning . Both were aware of what would happen to Germany once Hitler was brought into power, and did their best to prevent this. While their work on the international scene to improve Germany’s fate was exemplary, the dismal results of their domestic policies turned the common man against them. Other politicians who were trying to take advantage of the situation included Kurt von Schleicher and Franz von Papen. Following a series of political games and backstabbing involving the afore mentioned politicians, Adolf Hitler was chosen as the Chancellor of the German nation on January 30th, 1933. The Nazi party was soon officially in power. The party was an embodiment of Hitler itself, who was, for all practical purposes, was the man who ran the country.
On the off chance that you've actually read till here without falling asleep, i'll have you know that I've only uploaded this essay only because i have a tendency of losing documents.....and Google Drive is just WAY too much effort.
Posted by Infernius at 6:05 AM 0 comments
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Wednesday Soul- a review
Posted by Infernius at 10:20 AM 0 comments
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Chicken Fried
I guess it’s just one of those things you say out loud to yourself in the middle of the night. Honestly, can you even blame me? It’s almost four o’ clock in the morning, you’ve got a test in a few hours, you’re grossly unprepared, and all you’ve got to eat is a cheese sandwich and a banana. Just when you think things can’t get worse, that particular strain of thought runs through your head. To be honest, it’s been at the back of your mind for a week. You’ve mentioned it in passing to a few friends as well. But now, more than ever, you feel the need to express it out loud to yourself, hoping it will be therapeutic. At this point, any impressionable reader would expect you to spout something profound and life-changing. In the movies at least, this is the point where the lead actor gets a brainwave. Instead however, yours goes something like this, “Fuck, I need to go to KFC”.
One tense change later, I’ll admit, it wasn’t my proudest moment of all time. Judge me all you wish, but also look at it from my point. I’d long considered going to the nearest KFC. Even the hour long to and fro journey in a smelly, overcrowded bus seemed worth it. After all, it’s KFC right?
Sometimes, everything just clicks. The Universe decides to make sure that you get everything that you desire. The stars and planets realign, your tests get cancelled, and in the end, you emerge victorious in you endeavor. Not surprisingly, this was not one of those times.This time, the universe decides that letting me fill my stomach with fried chicken would be too much fun. So, any remaining impressionable readers might ask , how did the universe manage this?
IF I were a conspiracy theorist (I won’t say yes because THEY might be reading this) , I would have to say that whoever planned this is one brilliant bastard. Let’s call said brilliant bastard *drum roll*, the MAN.
So how does the Man screw with me? It would be too simple for Him to just close down all the KFC’s. He loves screwing with people of course, but that would be too simple and even He doesn’t like playing spoilsport. No, his grand plan was set into motion over 50 years ago, when he decided to make the locals of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana start feuding. The quintessential useless struggle for dominance it was. The wheels had been set in motion, but their movement was imperceptible. In retrospect, it was a fool proof move. The struggle was kept under wraps, biding ‘it’s ‘time until some bored college student decides that he needs that chicken burger. Needless to say, that time had come.
So what’s the new situation? The buses stop running, the autos go on strike, and the price of petrol shoots up. Why is this so important? Probably because I was 15 kilometers away from the nearest KFC, and barring my two own feet, could find no viable means of transport. Sure, there were cabs, but the Man had accounted for that as well. With the distance and the rise in petrol prices, even the chicken wasn’t worth the effort. Sure, I could fine four or five other hungry bastards, pile them into a cab and make them pay. But like I said, effort. Said effort is better spent eating chicken and running away from the bill.
So what does this all boil down to?
Number 1- A cheese sandwich, a banana and a pot of coffee do not count as good pre-exam food. My stomach has already borne that sad fate.
Number 2, and this is the biggie – I NEED TO GO TO KFC!
Disclaimer-
If you’ve reached this far and happen to be an impressionable reader, feel free to leave a comment if you did not like the article. The author shall probably never get back to you. On the other hand, if you do not like KFC, let the author know ASAP. He will hunt you down and cut you into pieces. If he is really, really hungry, he will eat you, and in his best imitation of Timon exclaim, “ Tastes like chicken”
Posted by Infernius at 10:56 AM 0 comments
Monday, September 19, 2011
You Ought to Know
This post basically started forming in my head around the time when Anna was the latest craze. On a totally different note, what the hell happened to him? Or the LokPal bill? Don’t you just love how Indians seem to forget events like that so fast? (yeah, I’m part of them, move past that). But enough about the really serious, caring about the world crap. Time to get back to the hate rant.
It became popular thanks to men like Mandela, Gandhi and thousands of others. It’s probably why we’re free as well. Yeah, I’m talking about freedom of expression. And on some primal level, I respect that. The problem with the freaking Right is the part where people forget their boundaries. And I don’t just mean jackasses like you and me. I’m talking about famous people, who others just can’t get enough. Well, thanks to that lovely right to expression , I’ve taken it upon myself to point out just a few of them, and what I’d love to say to said person assuming we ever meet. Unloading a clip of bullets into them would prove my point much better, but I’m trying against all my cavemen like tendencies to be civil and use words instead.
Ekta Kapoor- one saas bahu serial was fine, two was tolerable, three was like having nails driven through you. Considering the number of TV serials she’s made and the number of years they’ve lasted, I’m surprised members of some desi TV loving spinoff of the al-Qaida hasn’t tried to assassinate her yet.
Justin Bieber- words cannot express the pain and disgust you have made me feel through the years. And the odd part is, I’ve never heard of parents complaining about you either. Aren’t parents always supposed to complain about the crap their kids listen to? ( my best guess is that they realize that a 16 year old girl can’t do much damage ) .Hendrix, Cobain and others would spew insults at you, but they’re a little busy throwing up in their graves.
Rebecca Black- Pretty much everything I just said about Bieber, but I guess that just isn’t insulting enough. For the lyrics that you wrote, I’m surprised that you had to wait till you were 13 to sing ‘Friday”. Most kids know the days of the week by the time they’re six. I’m just hoping the next time you sit on the rim of the back seat of a car, you decide to drive through a low tunnel. Just saying. Also, How’d you feel when even Bieber said he didn’t want to sing with you?
Kim Karda(something that I just can’t spell) – ok, it seems I’ve made a mistake by including her here. She’s part of my “Celebrities I adore and wish to meet and other nasty things” list. She’s just freaking awesome.
Chetan Bhagat- Obviously, being an actual engineering student, I can’t stand you. FYI: Not everyone who has pegs of neat vodka before exams screw them up. Sometimes those papers just turn out to be awesome. ( I’ve a friend who says so).. Your latest book is on sale for 20 bucks a copy (or so I’ve been told. It’s against whatever few morals I have left to go and actually find out for myself) . Toilet paper is now more expensive. Take a hint and stop writing.( pretty please with a cherry on top? )
Stephanie Meyer- the thing about miracles is that they don’t happen immediately one after the other. You should’ve waited a few more decades until Harry Potter ended before printing that Twilight crap. Sparkly vampires? Seriously? Go watch Dracula or Blade for more correct descriptions.
Arjun Singh- For those who don’t know him( basically me 5 minutes ago) , he’s the guy who decided it would be fun to fuck around with every general caste student all over India. Basically, he’s the guy who decided to implement the reservation quota. Can he be more hated?
Arindham Choudhry- I’m not sure if I spelt the surname correctly, but who gives a fuck? It’s not like he’s Kim what’s-her-name. First off, go for a haircut and contact lenses. Second, why in god’s name aren’t you advertising for a toothpaste commercial? Your teeth are so sparkly! If you do decide to keep the hair and throw in a few fangs, you could actually audition for the next Twilight movie ( I’m hoping they never make it, but who listens to me anyway? ) I haven’t written so much about the others yet, and I STILL haven’t started talking about IIPM , or as the casual reader might know it, the college that’s #1 in Global Exposure( WTF? Vijay Mallaya’s cricket team cheerleaders give me all the global exposure I need. ) . And how can I forget that you advise students to dream beyond the IIT’s and the IIM’s. I’m guessing you failed to get into either of them then? And, might I remind you, they’re still pretty much the best we’ve got.
Rakhi Sawant- Here’s what people normally need to succeed. Dedication. Brains. Hard work. Good Looks ( not necessary but apparently helps. Again, what would I know, I’m a wannabe engineer for fuck’s sake, not a model! *insert appropriate smiley here*). It doesn’t hurt to know English either. Now let’s run through the list. It’s obvious the last one doesn’t apply to you. This makes your paragraph a little disappointing since you probably can’t even read this. I’m not too sure about your Hindi either. As for hard work and brains. You do find Baba Ramdev hot. The only thing you seem dedicated towards is trying to make the average sex hungry Indian ( most people in my college) notice that you exist. Well, I guess you got that much at least. How’s that working out for you? I’m trying desperately to come up with a joke trashing Rakhi Ka Swayamvar , though I’m not able to put my finger on it. Advice anybody? How about Rakhi ka Insaf? I’m thinking something along the lines of, “ how can SHE give advice to married couples?” , though it just doesn’t show how much I can’t stand her.
And now we’re back to that awkward part where I have no idea what else to say. Seeing as I’m done insulting most of the people I want to, I guess it’s time to end it with some well meaning, clichéd bullshit.
*insert well meaning, clichéd bullshit here*
P.S- If you don’t like it. Fuck you. (Freedom of expression and all right :P )
Disclaimer- The above article does not reflect the views of the author. He was forced to write it at gun-point, by people who shall not be named. He would probably say pretty similar stuff though. After all, he really is a wannabe engineer. But feel free to share the post. The author is sure that the one who shall not be named would love it if others read this .
Posted by Infernius at 1:04 PM 0 comments
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Independence Day- The Anthem for the Underdog
August 15th. The one day of the year where my message inbox will be filled with messages from countless individuals proclaiming that India is great; every second channel will have a video of Rahman performing his rendition of Vande Mataram ; every beggar on the street will be trying to sell you a cheap paper flag; and who can forget the cribbing of some friends that the wine shops are closed on a day that seems perfect for a chilled beer.
If nothing else today is the day we pay tribute to the martyrs who managed to save our country from the shackles of slavery etc etc etc…. the same old stuff. Don’t get me wrong, most of them deserve to be remembered for what they did for us. Gandhi, Nehru, Bose, Singh and thousands of others who laid down their lives for protecting a country that mattered so much to them. But what about the others?
Who are the others you ask? It’s not surprising that you’ve no idea who I’m talking about. I’m not truly sure who they are either.
It’s been rightfully said that prevention is better than a cure. Isn’t it strange that we barely remember the ones who helped prevent a problem, but the men who cured it go down in the history of time?
26/11. The memory of the policemen who died fighting that day will not fade from our memories. Why should it really? They gave up their lives for it. But do you remember that random individual who might have prevented some major blast or attack just a month before that? Do you remember the good Samaritan who prevented the mugging and rape of a woman on the streets? Of course not! And why? Because we never manage to remember the men who prevented the danger, we only remember the individuals who proved their mettle after disaster strikes. We’re so caught up in the notion that adversity builds a man’s character, yet we so conveniently ignore the man whose character essentially helped him prevent such adversity.
This isn’t a post against patriotism or the right to freedom or any such crap. For all you know, the man who saves the lives of hundreds of people every day might just be the shabbily dressed man standing beside you on the bus. The nurse who sterilizes the hospital equipment. The street urchin who clears away all the garbage. The ticket collector who throws the screaming drunkards off the train. People who essentially save your life every day, without you having an inkling about it. True heroes. Ones who do what they do not for fame or money. No, to them it is nothing more than a daily chore perhaps. We barely know or even notice these people, even though they could be the very reason we’re still alive. So this Independence day, when we honor those who laid their lives down for us, let us also honor those who do so much for us without us even feeling their presence.
After all, they were the ones who ever mattered.
Posted by Infernius at 2:08 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Forever And For Always
It is one of the most elite clubs in the world. In all of history, no more than 47 members have had the privilege, the woe, and the angst to be a part of it. The requirements are stringent, the rewards include being remembered forever as a person who could not fight his or her demons. To be a part of this club, you need to be all of the following- a talented, famous musician, regarded by most as genius You also have to suffer from an addiction, and be 27 years of age. And you have to die.
Simply put, this is the Forever 27 club. It's members include legends like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. Factually, there is little I can tell you about their lives that a simple Wikipedia search cannot. This article isn’t about their fame, their notoriety or their mark in the field of music. From what I have gleaned from their music, I'll strive to tell you who they were.
One fact is true of all these people. They were geniuses. Each one of them had a vision, an idea to change the music industry. More often than not, they managed it. And in the end, that was their curse. They were different. It's odd that the very people who are elevated to the top of society, are never truly understood by the rest of them. These people yearned acceptance. Not in the social sense of the word. There was no event or party where they would not be recognized or even hero worshiped. They wanted true acceptance, understanding if you will, by the people who surrounded them. Their pain is all too visible. Just listen to their songs,focus on the lyrics, and you will see it as well.
Most of them came from humble beginnings, with an aim to change the world in a little way. I believe that they would have been perfectly happy without being touted as the leaders of the 'new revolutions' in music. They lived for their music, because it was all that made real sense to them. The only avenue where they could express all that worried them.
All that they were looking for was solace. As a society, we failed to give them that. So they turned to a less satisfactory substitute. One that could be found at the bottom of the whiskey bottle or the heart of the pills that they swallowed.
Kurt Cobain once said”I'm not afraid of dying. Total peace after death, becoming someone else is the best hope I've got.” This is essentially true of all the members of the Forever 27. To them, their own lives were so difficult to understand, that they yearned for one that was entirely different.
Needless to say, they did die. As odd as it may seem to rephrase a movie line- for them, peace was never an option. Even after death they are remembered . Sadly, they aren't remembered as people who strove to be normal. They are remembered as addicts who could not resist temptation in the end, and finally succumbed.
They will go down in the annals of music as people who revolutionized the world. Would it be too hard for us to remember them as people who just wanted to get along?
Love them if you want. Hate them if you wish. Ignore them if you must. But never forget them. Not the people they wished to be remembered as.
Posted by Infernius at 9:30 AM 0 comments