5 innovations I wish to see in my lifetime

    After some serious ideas to elevate a bad mood and few tricks to appear cute, I was not keen to jump into yet another matured domain. I realized it was time to explore some uncharted territory with weird ideas and novel concepts. We all are well acquainted with the word ‘innovation’. Something novel, new, useful and productive invention in our otherwise usual routine that changes the way we live- ‘Innovation’ has been our consistent companion since the historic times. 

  With each passing day, technology adds new and new innovations in our lifestyle, making it better, convenient, and modern all at once. Whether innovations and technology help us with convenience or spoil us with laziness is a different ball game altogether, but this post intends to celebrate the usefulness of innovations.

  The idea behind it is to explore some new innovations that sound cool. Some of these are already in the research stage, while some may also be in the production phase. Few are pure figments of my imagination and are open to the market. If some VC and entrepreneur wish to cash it out, I will be more than delighted. Also as few of these ideas sprout from the field of my imagination, I do not intend to enter into its feasibility and practicality. They sounded cool in the head and hence they made it to the list is all I can declare right at the start. The purpose is to draw fun through moments of funny imagination.

 Do not get into technical details as this dreamy little blogger mind may not be able to handle the seriousness.  All it knows is dreams and imagination power ideas. Hopefully someday these dreams may materialize and I shall break into a happy dance. To the innovations already in the pipeline, I am excited and hopeful to use it in my lifetime. To the ones never thought before, I can only sincerely wish that someone picks it up for evaluation.

  While you go through my cool list (hopefully you find it so too), feel free to add to it. What are some innovations that sound exciting and interesting to the consumer in you? If given a chance to turn your innovative ideas into production, which ones will you submit?

1.       Food uploader/downloader

  I do not know about you but this idea pops into my mind each time I look at fancy pictures of food on social media. When it comes to food pictures- I have tried everything. From ignoring the ones sent by family and friends to requesting them to send more and more, from sending them myself to just wishing to grab the plate, no matter how hard I try, I cannot ignore the tasty treats on screen. Thanks or no thanks, social media has changed the way we look at food. While looking at pictures does not solve any purpose, I can only hope it is possible to upload and download food from any part of the world to any other. I do not know how to possibly create one, but I know the result.

 You upload that tasty birthday cake and I will download it! Isn’t it simple? Or the other way round, happy? Imagine all those fancy dishes from restaurants that your friends upload and homemade meals from your mother and exotic dishes from your chef cousin will land right next to your computer. I hope this materializes in my lifetime so I can finally justify the like symbol after sampling the food.

P.S: The credit for this idea goes to my tech-savvy Dad who asked us to develop such an idea. Dad -if you are reading this, I cannot make it myself but I can definitely write about it and spread the word. I am sure some wealthy VC or tech-geek entrepreneur will do it for us or is already doing so in her/his lab garage right now.  

2.       Object copier

          We all have used photocopier (better recognized as Xerox) to create copies of our boring documents and precious college notes. But how about a 3 D copier for objects, items and materials. Love that dress your sister has? Put it inside the copier and have it! Want to read the book your friend has? Copy it. Create multiple copies of your favorite products and enjoy. I understand it will impact the retail industry but no harm in imagining. I am sure there will some way out like restrictions on the number of copies or courtesy charges to the original manufacturer.

3.       Space cruise

This idea is already out in the industry where some ambitious young entrepreneurs are going to take us out of our planet to space in few coming years. I will love to embark on such a cruise to the Moon/Mars/Jupiter/Saturn/ anywhere in space as long as it is round trip and at a reasonable cost! I will wait for reviews on tripadvisor before I book the tickets.

4.       Solar powered flying vehicles

Flying vehicles is another idea in the market already. Solar powered flying vehicles can take us from point A to B without consuming much time. It can also reduce traffic on roads. A coordinated mechanism of driverless vehicles on road and flying vehicles in sky will be the perfect solution to get rid of the dreaded red lines on our GPS. And power through sun will erase the problems of non-renewable fuels. 2 or 4 seat vehicles will also make us feel like birds. Traveling in huge air crafts does not give me that feeling yet.

5.       AI- personal shopper

If you are a shopping-lover and find happiness in retail therapy - skip this part completely. If you are like me who fails to find joy in shopping, no matter how hard you try - keep reading my dearest best buddies. AI or artificial intelligence powered personal shopper will check items in your house- grocery, clothes, home goods, footwear etc. etc., prepare the list, shop, bargain (why lose a chance to save), purchase and get you all the items right to you. I hear online shopping does exactly that, but I also want a process where it decides that I need something and figures out the list by itself. Call me lazy but shopping is not everyone’s cup of tea!

      Whether these turn out to be true or fail to reach us as consumer products, I had fun penning them down. After all, imagination is the first step. Who had imagined we could see someone while talking to them miles away or use a gadget to navigate us all around the town? Just as these are usual things in our life today, someday the above five will be too!

5 quick-fixes for bad mood

    To begin with, I sincerely hope you are never forced to use any of these ideas. Though I am pondering and penning and writing as always, I do not look forward to put you in a bad mood, just so that you can use these quick-fixes. Though we always dream of happy behavior without any bad moments, it may not turn out to be true. After all, we also dream of a perfect world with clear blue skies and rainbows, but need the rain too. 

  That one single moment of anger or sad mood can do more blunders than all the good done by an otherwise excellent personality.  Bad mood is similar to weed. It grows all around the field unattended and creates havoc much before you realize. If you do not curb it at the right moment, it can ruin your hour, day, month or worst yet, even an entire full year. No matter what reason or situation puts us in that said bad mood, the right thing is to eliminate the aura as soon as possible. Like a magic eraser, wipe away the situation quickly to prevent unnecessary disturbances for long.

  Though you may always exhibit a sound mind with perfect control of your actions and reactions, that one single moment of rage is enough to create troubles. One ill comment, one angry dialogue, one incorrect judgement and one negative remark may be enough for long episodes of sorrow and tears. I cannot speak on your behalf but I am guilty as charged to allow one wrong moment spoil the entire show. And even though ten minutes later, I magically transform into some beautiful heroine (no harm in imagining!), those few crucial moments of bad mood can turn me into a detested villain.

 We clearly understand all of this philosophy, yet why is it so difficult to keep bad mood at bay? Blame it on human nature or momentary mood swings, we tend to lose the precious robe of behavior at the last moment. When the stage is set and the lights are on, we are busy pampering an unnecessary royal mood. We fail to comprehend but bad mood does have a lot of power in its stride. It is powerful enough to spoil relationships, hurt our dear folks, create fights and lose bucket full of tears!

  Now I know in a sane world, my efforts should be directed towards preventing these momentary ill shows. I hear you parents, elders and all the matured people on this planet that I should not allow moments to influence my experiences. But till I gain that level of maturity, I need some quick-fix solutions. In a fast-paced world where we rely on hacks and fixes, I am tempted to list down some solutions when the ‘mood’ is bad.

 I do not endorse quick-fixes as the permanent solution. It does not mean we can let bad mood scribble something on the wall and wait for the fixes to wipe/hide/erase or paint over. It is just one of the several ways to handle the sorrow and eradicate it completely. Though we realize all that drama was for nothing, such level of maturity penetrates into our sound mind, only days after the show. Till then, the damage is done. So, what do you do? Before that one moment converts into days of sorrow, act on it quickly and come back to resolve it later with patience, belief and a sound mind. Attend to the reason that caused the havoc, but only after you can do so with logic, reasoning and maturity.

   Sharing my ideas for quick-fixes. These are tried and tested solutions, but I will always wait for your feedback. Feel free to agree, disagree, add, subtract, multiply, divide or praise as you please (why not openly wish for my two moments of fame!)

1.       Music ON, noise gone

Music is the best form of stress-buster and has an immense power to heal. Put on those earphones, play your favorite music and go for a long walk. Let the power of music guide you away from anger, sorrow and frustration. Though listening to music wherever you are is helpful too, walk a mile with the tune for guaranteed effect.

2.       The way to your heart is through the stomach

This is not one of the healthiest ideas, so please follow it with caution. Though bad mood generally causes over-eating, it works if you consume in moderation, just enough to erase the sorrow. Head to the kitchen– pick your favorite food item and let the taste get you out of the momentary misery. The quick-fix is to change the mood with something desirable, not to binge-eat and complain about the increased weight, the next day!

3.       Get hold of your ‘punching bag-listener’

This term is new, hence a little description. Punching bag-listener is like a new 3 a.m friend each time who can listen to your troubles without any judgement. It can be your mom, dad, spouse, sister, brother, friend, neighbor or colleague. Times like these demand talking it out but without any analysis. Speak to a person totally unrelated to the situation or else it will only add fuel to the fire where both parties increase the flames. Declare your intention before-hand and request the punching-bag listener to do ‘nothing else but listen’.  

4.       ‘Nature’ therapy to the rescue

Let Mother Nature handle your vows. She does a perfect job each time, after all she is a ‘mother’. Just look out of the window. Be lost in the spectacular sight of selfless clouds, sky, stars, mountains, birds. Click pictures of natural beauty on your phone wherever you go and browse through them at this much needed moment.

5.       Laugh it out

I agree laughter and bad mood are not even remotely related. When we are down with sorrow, laughter and comedy is the last thing on our mind. But that is the exact reason to introduce it into your situation right away. It will convert your tears to smiles. Watch a comedy series, movie or a funny video. Let the momentary boredom erase and distract you from anger.

Quick-fixes are quick for a reason. They take charge of the damage at the very instant, when it is needed the most. It may not be perfect or the most correct way of handling things, but it can at least prevent destruction. When anger and sorrow take over our mind, all we need is distraction and fresh air to deal with it later.

      What is your take? Constructive quick-fixes or destructive bucket full of tears, anger and choco-chip ice-cream?

P.S: Thank you for all the cute love in my last post. It made me blush cutely with affection for all you readers who mean so much to the wandering blogger in me.

6 ideas that can make you look cute, no matter what your age…

   ‘Babies are cute’. This is more like a universally known fact than a sweet observation. Be it any country on any part of the globe, little babies have the power to bring out a confirmed expression “How cute!” They deserve the birthright to be cute, lovely and naughty all at once because their innocence is still alive and kicking. And till the seriousness of teen or adulthood fails to reach them, they continue being adorable with their cute actions and lovely expressions. While I adore their cuteness and love to smile at a sweet face, I must admit it makes me a bit insecure. After all, bidding good-bye to those wonderful years is not easy and accepting the fact that you are not cute anymore is not easy too.

 When the harsh realities of life step in and we continue with our rather usual journey, it is impossible to expect praises of cuteness. As 'so-called' guidelines of life stress over how you do, what career you choose, how much you make and how many assets you gather, there is no room for your innocent looks or cute appeal. Except for few times that may be considered as attempts of flirting, we can no longer expect someone to comment on how cute we look or behave. Considered as rather odd, we are alarmed if someone does see us as one. I agree there is nothing wrong in growing up and vacating that department for our little buddies. But, can do we do some things that may make us look cute? What is the harm in engaging in some actions that can turn us into cute people, no matter what our age?

  When I say this, I do not mean praises of cuteness from our better-halves or partners. While they are supposed to appreciate us under the act of law, thanks to marriage or cupid attack, I want to talk about cuteness on a rather larger scale. It is just a fun thought to ponder if there are some things that can actually make us as sweet as the little baby next door. While I totally agree, there cannot be any sort of competition with these angelic sweethearts, it is just a fun-filled idea. After all, why should babies have all the cuteness? The answer being because they are so since birth, but let us see if we can borrow a little recognition our way. As humans we believe in finding solutions and solving challenges, so treat it as yet another puzzle if we can do something about this too.

  Do not consider any of these as fool-proof actions to be cute. Hence the title calls them ideas for a reason. If you follow it to the letter, yet fail to gather any appreciative expressions, do not blame me under any circumstances. I am just as inexperienced as you are so all the best. But you are more than welcome to try it out and share your experiences. 

  

Let us see if we can succeed in this rather hopeful attempt to be cute.

1.       Wear a smile – everytime, everywhere

I can vouch for this idea and give it a thumbs-up for working out always. No matter how young, old, smart, not-smart, silly, awkward or dumb you feel (like I do!), smiling works out in every situation. There is something sweet about smiles that make you appear cute most of the times. And it works as the best ice-breaker even amidst strangers, so smile often and move an inch closer to sweetness. And if you are to believe the scientific research about smiles and moods, they say it does radiate some glow through happy molecules. Well, science or no science, wearing a smile can make us cute, so why stop doing it? Give your stern face a break and leave aside your worries, while you smile. Problems will find your address one way or the other than why not greet it with a smile too? May be it melts away with your cuteness, you never know!

2.       Do some things out of your comfort zone

Before you discard this for making you look stupid or silly instead of cute, hear out the benefits of doing so within limits. Unless you end up dressing silly or acting weird in public, there are some chances that it may make you cute. Picture your grandparents typing on a laptop or your dad sporting a cool graphic t-shirt. Imagine your mom sending some cool emojis in your cooler lingo or your otherwise stern relatives dancing to some tunes. In each of these situations, stepping out of comfort zone to do something silly can actually make one cute. Staying within the so-called limits of our acceptable personality make us predictable boring individuals. Think of things that you don’t do usually and try it out once in a while. Wear something different, play like a kid, loosen up your adult face and just laugh/dance/jump/rejoice away from your usual.

3.       Be considerate and kind - take care of others like you do for yourself

I am sure each one of you are kind, considerate and helpful, not with an aim to be cute but as expected responsibilities of a good human being. But if such a good behavior makes you look cute, why not do it consciously every single time and increase the cuteness quotient? Holding door for others, greeting people, cooking meals for loved ones, making them laugh, listening to them no matter how tired, appreciating people for their efforts, participating in their plans and showing enthusiasm are just some of the ways to get there.

4.       Complain less, enjoy more

We don’t realize this but complaining turns into an unavoidable habit. Something, somewhere will always be wrong/incorrect/unjust and unfair. None of us have perfect lives packed in perfect gift boxes with a perfectly tied bow on top. When everyone is dealing through something undesirable, yet unavoidable, why complain and make ourselves look sad? One of the best ways to be cute is to look at life with a happier outlook. It is okay to fail, there is nothing embarrassing or shameful in making attempts for the ‘n’th time and nothing wrong in working at your own pace.  But learn to enjoy more and be light towards life, if it does not make you successful, it will at least make you cute.

5.       Laugh at yourself

Nothing is cuter than accepting yourself the way you are and laughing at everything that life gives you. When we laugh at our silliness, goof-ups and blunders, it shows our soft side. Be sensitive to the fact that we can be wrong too. Accept everything with open arms and stop pretending things are always under control. Admit your errors cutely, accept failures and bounce back again to reality.

6.       Admire simple things

Stop to observe the pattern of clouds, admire sunset, express love to your daily work, sing your favorite song as you do your usual chores and admire simple things. It does make you look cute when you submit yourself to the beauty of simplicity.

Suggest some more ideas from your end or try these out and provide a feedback. And at the end, if you still turn out to look sillier than cuter – take a deep breath, say ‘I feel cute from within’ three times and abort all further attempts from this idea list. I cannot afford negative publicity before I gain enough positive ones!

11 reasons why comedy genre rules my heart, screen and home….

…because it is funny. This one reason should be sufficient enough to describe my affection for comedy. But it is does not do justice to the enormous love in my heart. For a genre that makes life happy and moments pleasurable, comedy does a lot more than just break us into a few bouts of laughter. It is regarded as one of the most difficult forms of performing arts because it is challenging to make others laugh. Throw in some emotional dialogues or show a sad stressful picture and people can cry, but state one off-beat joke and no one laughs. Comedy genre is all about timing, meaning, situations and purpose. It is deeply rooted in the desire to spread happiness and joy within the otherwise usual moments of our routine life.

  I can regard myself as a strong advocate of the comedy genre. A die-hard fan who hunts for all things funny, I am attracted towards the magic of humor. When comedy gives us a chance to laugh, why miss the opportunity? I do not mean to disrespect other genres or label them as unnecessary. Every form of arts on screen is exceptionally brilliant and necessary for the audience. There are huge doses of efforts that go behind creating a single episode, let alone an entire series. Be it thriller or romance, satire or social drama, everything and anything is essential to create diversity on screen. But, if I ever get the impossibly possible opportunity to confer an award to the best genre, I will pick comedy with closed eyes. There is something about the possibility of just being happy that draws me towards comedy.

  While I was busy expressing my passionate love towards comedy all in the mind, an interesting thought stuck me. Why not honor its presence in my life with a dedicated blog post? These reasons arise straight from my heart as I thank comedy for everything it has done and will continue doing in the future. Thus without any doubt it rules my heart. I say screen in the title because apart from TV, the little screen on my phone is the appropriate platform too. Be it movies or television, my mind runs to the humorous pick whenever and wherever possible. My love for comedy started right since childhood. While picking a good program for the limited TV time in the evening, when my parents preferred comedy over other serious drama, I was glued to the laughter that followed. It forces one to forget the usual tensions of life for some mindless moments, no matter how short. If we cannot avoid the drama in our real plot, why pick the same on TV too? Why not dedicate some moments to humorous stories, when our own story is not so funny otherwise?

 Comedy is often regarded as a mindless genre. But if you think about the efforts behind it, it engages more mind than any other. Crafting jokes that click is the most difficult task. I detest comedy at the expense of offending others. Pure humor arises from the boldness to laugh at one’s own mistakes and blunders.

  Another major misconception about comedy points towards its silliness. It is regarded as a genre for the weak-hearted. People who refuse to accept the realities of life dive into the mindlessness of humor. It does not teach anything or is rather useless for the lack of a better word. But, I am yet to learn anything from the dark sides of thriller or so-called drama of a usual plot. If there are limited screen slots in my schedule, I rather laugh over some jokes than ponder about mind games of someone else.

  Comedy shows such as Frasier, The Office, Parks and recreation, Friends, and Hindi ones such as Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chasmah, Hum Paanch, Shriman Shrimati, and many others have pulled me into their charm, making me pen a long post in their honor.

  Having said this, I do not intend to demean any genre. Read it with a pinch of salt as I enlist my top 11 reasons with a smile. Laugh over the lighter notes and see if you can correlate. And never mind if you cannot, I welcome a diametrically opposite argument, after all we are products of our opinions!

I love comedy shows because….

1.       They show blunders of life are funny, common, usual and easy to deal with if we change the perspective. Humor arises when we accept our shortcomings and learn to loosen a bit.

2.       They force everyone to quit serious procrastination, heavy contemplation and unwanted complications. Stay happy for the moment that will compile into episodes of happiness.

3.       They make you realize laughter is the medicine to heal wounded mood. When life is full of otherwise hurdles, why not swim into the pool of laughter?

4.       The genre screams about the significance of simplicity. We make life overly complicated. And agreed, it cannot erase our troubles, but at least not add to the burden.

5.       They wipe off alien feelings in a new land and connect everyone on the same platform. Comedy succeeds in erasing home-sickness or boredom in an unknown place.

6.       They connect everyone on the universal mission of laughter. Though we may differ in our choices of favorite genres, we can be connected by comedy because everyone loves (and hopefully knows) to laugh.

7.       Comedy opens the mind to positivity. It is composed of jokes and humor that make it easier to approach things with a broader outlook.

8.       They pose as a foolproof mode of confirmed entertainment. Though some comedy shows fail horribly with poor-timed jokes and offensive content that irritate more than make you laugh, most of them do a perfect job.

9.       They remind you to stop worrying and start acting. Since problems cannot be dealt through over-thinking, they force you to be present in the moment and enjoy the show. If you miss a dialogue in some usual drama, you can still get the show, but if you miss a joke, you lose the punch!

10.   Comedy is the only thing that can make you laugh, it is capable of demanding laughter and smiles. No matter how serious your face appears most of the times, comedy can transform it within a minute.

11.   The genre tickles an otherwise serious mind. Our mind can be stern often, reminding us of everything that is wrong and unfair. Comedy has the power to take it towards simpler realities.

  As I read the post, I realize it has turned into a love letter for comedy. But that is exactly how I feel. I love you for bringing big smiles, I love you for all the episodes of laughter, I love you for making me sane in an otherwise insane world, and comforting me that life is beautiful indeed.

  A loyal fan to all shows comic, this funny soul will continue finding more and more reasons to laugh, love and smile.

What genre rules your heart? Does comedy ring a bell or is it something else- do think and share!