News sense vs nonsense!

by Suresh Nair

This is so hilarious that I just had to reproduce it here on my blog.

Last night I saw Abhishek Bachchan being swarmed by journalists who wanted to know what he planned to do on Karva Chauth. I admire the guts of those intrepid reporters who asked him that question without feeling ridiculous.
I mean, what do you go home and tell your wife or girlfriend—"Sweetheart, guess what, I grilled Abhishek Bachchan today about his plans for Karva Chauth!" As for me, I had better things to do, like asking my wife why she never observed Karva Chauth like all the women in her favourite saas bahu serials and Hindi films.
My wife says she doesn't think it's worth staying hungry for someone like me! I completely agree. Even I wouldn't do it for a nonentity like me! But I can't give in without a fight and remind her that had her mother objected to our love marriage like Chiranjeevi and then gone on national television to bless us, I would have been a celebrity—like Chiranjeevi's relatively unknown son-in-law who has suddenly become a household name! "Maybe then you'd have been forced to observe the fast for me," I pointed out.
"You will still remain insignificant in this world," snapped my wife. "In fact, even if you smoked outside the office of the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication, they wouldn't slap a legal notice on you like they did on Shah Rukh Khan! Not even those lawyers, who drag actors and actresses to court for their own publicity through PILs, will come after you even if you sang the national anthem in reverse!"
By now, I am angry that I hope my life suddenly becomes the target of a sting operation.
"That's it," I roar. "I can't take this humiliation anymore!" So I get up and start walking away. But my wife is not one to surrender that easily and she hurls a revised Gabbar Singh dialogue from 'Sholay' at me, "Jab ladka ladki se jhagda karta hai, toh ma-in-law kehti hai, ‘Bewaqoof chup ho ja nahi toh Saif ajayega’!" [he he he he he ;) ] I am a little flustered but I've to think of something quick. "No problem," I conclude.
"I just hope R R Patil bans cheerleaders from 20-20 cricket and relocates them outside the divorce court!"
And then we're quiet. Because we've run out of news headlines. This fight will have to be continued when there is enough nonsense news in our arsenal to attack each other.

The Dark Candle

by: Strickland Gillilan

A man had a little daughter-an only and much-beloved child. He lived for her ~ she was his life. So when she became ill and her illness resisted the efforts of the best obtainable physicians, he became like a man possessed, moving heaven and earth to bring about her restoration to health.

His best efforts proved unavailing and the child died. The father was totally irreconcilable. He became a bitter recluse, shutting himself away from his many friends and refusing every activity that might restore his poise and bring him back to his normal self. But one night he had a dream. He was in Heaven, and was witnessing a grand pageant of all the little child angels. They were marching in an apparently endless line past the Great White Throne. Every white-robed angelic tot carried a candle. He noticed that one child's candle was not lighted. Then he saw that the child with the dark candle was his own little girl. Rushing to her, while the pageant faltered, he seized her in his arms, caressed her tenderly, and then asked: "How is it, darling that your candle alone is unlighted? "Father, they often relight it, but your tears always put it out."

Just then he awoke from his dream. The lesson was crystal clear, and its effects were immediate. From that hour on he was not a recluse, but mingled freely and cheerfully with his former friends and associates. No longer would his little darling's candle be extinguished by his useless tears.