A Conversation with a Religious Fanatic

I happened to have this conversation with a professor who works in my University back in India. I was hoping to have a mature conversation on freedom of expression. To my surprise, I happened to experience, something, I thought I should share. The persona of hate and irrationality fuelled by Religious Dogma embodied by this cantankerous professor (to my grave surprise). I do not blame him (I do blame the environment he might have been brought up in) but I certainly am very disappointed that people continue to impede societal progress with such narrowminded convictions and more importantly such people find a place in teaching institutions, where the future of our nation is shaped. Bear with me through the whole conversation and you will definitely understand my concern and, hopefully, empathise
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A Chain of things to come

The good thing about today is its officially spring.
The good thing about spring is it is warm.
The good thing about warm is it isn't cold.
The good thing about cold is there aren't ants.
The good thing about ants is they form a line.
The good thing about a line is it is a symbol of organisation.
The good thing about organisation is it's patterns.
The good thing about patterns is their predictability.
The good thing about predictability is it is not anarchy.
The good thing about anarchy is it makes a deadly opponent.
The good thing about a deadly opponent is the presented challenge.
The good thing about a challenge is it is a test.
The good thing about a test is it has an outcome.
The good thing about an outcome is the victory.
The good thing about victory is the gratification.
The good thing about gratification is the sense of purpose.
The good thing about a sense of purpose is the ideal.
The good thing about an ideal is the direction.
The good thing about direction is the target.
The good thing about a target is it's connection to the source.
The good thing about a source is it's traceability.
The good thing about traceability is coming full circle.
The good thing about coming full circle is the big picture.
The good thing about a big picture is the organisation.
The good thing about organisation is it's pattern.
The good thing about a pattern is it's predictability.
The good thing about predictability is it makes an easy target.
The good thing about an easy target is it's vulnerability to bug spray.
The good thing about bug spray is it kills ants.
The good thing about ants is they are an organisation -predictable and thus vulnerable to bug spray.

Its spring... and the ants have taken my dessert. Its now official. Its Me versus the Ants. 

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The She that Wanted to Be - III

August 15th, 2013.

With all the pseudo-patriotic "Statuses" floating around Facebook proudly proclaiming themselves as Indians and India being the best country in the world despite it's obvious major problems including rampant corruption, rape, infanticides, sectarian politics and too much cricket, I decided to add one more to the list- Having this conversation with her impulsive self.

"Hey, Happy Independence day", I said. Very normally.

"Happy Independence day to you too! India is the best country in the world!" She exclaimed.

"Is that supposed to be patriotism?"

"Yes! I'm proud to be an Indian!"

I didn't want to quote George Bernard Shaw and George Carlin on national and ethnic pride but I decided to avoid it lest I suffer burn injuries. Instead, I decided to play along.

"Then why do you reside in the US?"

"Because US is the go-to place and the money is good!"

"Are you saying you'd give up your principles for money?" Might say a lot about her if she had said yes.

"No No! Because my job sent me there."

"Why would you leave the best country in the world because your job sends you somewhere else?"

"Because my job is important to me! That's why!"

"So you'd put your self-interest before your country. Then why would you call yourself patriotic?"

"I'M PATRIOTIC BECAUSE I THINK I AM. Now you can bugger off!" Ah the cogito.

An Indian living in the US using a British slang... Hmm.. I'm guessing she was just being polite with the word bugger.

"So it's just a feeling. You don't know why you love your country though?"

You played the bugger card too soon milady

At this point, I had already put on my shoes to ready myself when she chases me like a reaper. Her kind-hearted self decided to give up instead.

Dedicated to all the skin-deep patriots "proud" Indians. 

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