“Mind Reader”: My entry for the Get Published contest

What if you could read someone’s thoughts?Would someone take advantage of you? Or will you use someone to your own advantage? This story is a political thriller about a seventeen year old orphan boy who has the power to read people’s thoughts. The chief minister of the state who has his eyes on becoming the next prime ministerial candidate of his party comes across the orphan boy and begins to use him to his own advantage. As the opposition party unveils scam after scam trying to pull the ruling state government down, the chief minister continues to use the boy to amass money and a powerful clout around him. As the boy realizes the potential of his powers he falls in love with the chief minister’s beautiful daughter. This story is about how they use each other to realize their dreams and aims and how the player becomes the pawn.

What Makes This Story ‘Real’

The story explores the mindset of people as the power they have corrupts them thereby using each other as mere stepping stones without realizing the value of their emotions. It also talks about the scams and how some people would go to any lengths to hold on to the powers they have.

Extract

“Come Shinde.” Umakant said as Shinde came in. Along with him was a boy. The boy stood timidly behind Shinde, as he bent low to touch Umakant’s feet.

“Who is this boy?”

“This boy is miracle, bhau!” Shinde said. He was grinning from ear to ear showing his paan stained teeth.

“Is he another one of those who claims to have seen Krishna Bhagwan in his dreams?”

“No bhau! This boy can read people’s thoughts.”

Umakant stared at Shinde and then at the boy.

“Is this some kind of a joke?” Umakant said.

“Trust me bhau.”

“Acha!” Umakant took a long look at the boy standing in front of him. “Boy! Can you tell me what Shinde is thinking?”

The boy looked at Umakant and then at Shinde. He wasn’t grinning anymore. Beads of perspiration had appeared on his bald head.

“He wants to become the CM when you have become the prime minister of the country.” The boy said.

Umakant stared at the boy for what seemed like eternity. He then looked at Shinde and burst into laughter. Shinde started laughing too. Umakant pulled the boy to himself and ruffled his hair. He motioned Shinde to leave. Umakant picked up the cell phone and dialed a number.

---

Shinde came out of the CM’s house happy with himself. He was sure that in the next election he would get a ticket. He hopped on his bike and started it. He came out of the gate and as he turned corner, a speeding SUV hit his motorbike on the rear. Shinde’s head hit the road, and the white boundary wall of the CM’s house was splattered in red.

Endnote: This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal andHarperCollins India.

My latest favorite song from the movie Whats Your Rashee ~ Jao Na

My Latest Favourite Song from Whats Your Rashee ~ Jao Na. Love the Guitar Peice.

Top 10 Songs by U2

I have compiled this list of my 10 favourite U2 songs. @crazytwism @piu_frankie @pushkarbhatt @latecomer @kyrasinging2 have helped me in compiling this list.

1. One: I think this song really represents the group. Since the beginning, U2 has been a rock band with an eye on what's going on in the world, and consistently, it's songs have been about things like freedom, peace, unity, love. Plus consider all Bono's extracurriculars. I think One best encapsulates that whole spirit of the band. And it's musically and lyrically a powerful song.

2. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: You know the version I like best? The one with the Gospel choir adding their own verses. I love the combination of styles in the song, Bono's voice and the gospel voices bringing out the spiritual elements of a song that already was infused with a spiritual quest vibe. This might be my favorite U2 song personally. (Also try: Where The Streets Have No Names, Desire)

3. Sunday Bloody Sunday: You can't think of U2 without thinking of Ireland or without thinking of politics or without thinking of anthems. This song combines all three into one of the band's first widely embraced hits. Also good for the purpose of comparing: songs by the young band and songs by the more mature, let's say, band.

4. Walk On: A lot of people took this song to heart post 9/11 when things were very dark and bleak. No wonder why, since the song's got a strong message of encouragement (and Bono openly invited Osama Bin Laden to kiss his backside at concerts...) But it's also poetic and you can't beat the guitar. All around a great song, and one in keeping with the ongoing soul searching theme U2 often deals with. So, what more do you need? (Also try: Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own)

5. Angel Of Harlem: This U2 song has a great blend of upbeat jangling guitar that brings you in from the start and lyrics that pay tribute to jazz legends like John Coltrane and the angel herself, Billie Holiday. U2's connection to African American music is a recurring element, and this song is a fantastic valentine, blending jazz and blues history with guitar-strumming rock. (Also try: Mysterious Ways, The Sweetest Thing)

6. Beautiful Day: With the release of this single on All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2 re-earned the title Best Rock Band In the World, or at least claimed they wanted to re-claim it. The lyrics of course remain smart and filled with topical references, but it also rocks as promised. (Also try: Even Better Than The Real Thing, Vertigo)

7. Pride: Here's another U2 song linked to the band's social justice interests and it's connection to Black American history with it's reference to Martin Luther King's assassination. But that content only adds to a song that's musically powerful with maybe the group's most famous opening bars. Tackling a heavy theme and also rocking, that's the classic U2 combination.

8. With Or Without You: If you're in your early to mid-thirties and American, this may be the song you most associate with U2. Aficionados who know more songs than I do will probably have other answers, but I think this song always seems unique in sound, to me, and remains their most sensual love-related songs, too. (Also try: All I Want Is You)

9. When Love Comes to Town: This U2 song features co-lead vocals with B.B. King and the combination tears it up. B.B. and Bono combine for something of a down and dirty version of what Bono and the Gospel choir did in Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Blues meets rock and they have a party. But don't miss the lyrics, eventually they refer to Jesus, too. You'll have to go a long way to find another religious song like this. (Also try: One with Mary J. Blige.)

10. Elevation: It may be a long shot to get anyone to agree with me that this song, of all the U2 songs out there, belongs in the top ten, but as far as my personal preferences go, this song with it's hard rock edge - pun intended - stands out from other recent hits. So, I add it. Rock on, Edge.

Sorry if I missed out on any of the songs.

Michael Jackson’s mystery children

Some mysteries may never to be solved. Who killed JFK? Where’s Jimmy Hoffa? What’s up with the Bermuda Triangle?

But the world inched closer yesterday to a possible answer to a mystery that has stumped some of the keenest gossip minds for more than a decade: Who fathered Michael Jackson’s children?

The online tabloid TMZ.com - which scooped the international media last week on the pop icon’s death - yesterday claimed to remove the glove of secrecy, weighing in with the stunner that Jacko did not sire his kids . . . and that the presumed mother of two of them was a surrogate.

“We’ve learned Michael Jackson was not the biological father of any of his children. And Debbie Rowe is not the biological mother of the two kids she bore for Michael. All three children were conceived in vitro,” TMZ reported, saying it was unclear who donated the sperm and eggs.

Meanwhile, Us magazine’s Web site, citing “multiple sources,” said of the two eldest, Prince Michael and Paris: “Their biological father is Arnold Klein, Jackson’s L.A.-based dermatologist and Rowe’s former boss . . . ”

Such an arrangement might resolve media speculation - based on his children’s lack of black features - that Jackson purposely had white kids through surrogates.

But Us contradicted TMZ on one point, quoting Rowe’s lawyer Marta Almli: “Particularly hurtful . . . is the most recent rumor - which is entirely false - concerning the maternity of the children. Ms. Rowe is the biological mother of the two oldest children.”

Parenthood issues could be critical if custody or Jackson’s will are challenged. Jackson’s mother, Katherine, was granted temporary control of assets and temporary custody Monday, and Rowe reportedly is not making a claim.

But yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported that a 2002 will names Jackson’s three kids and his mom as beneficiaries, but leaves out his dad, Joseph, whom Jacko claimed made his childhood hell.

TMZ also reported Prince Michael II’s surrogate mother was never told the identity of the “receiving parent” - raising the prospect she may yet emerge.

Meanwhile, TMZ reported the LAPD wants to talk to Klein about whether he gave Jackson prescription drugs. And a Jackson nutritionist said she got a frantic call from a Jackson staffer four days before he died, pleading for the powerful sedative Diprivan.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse, said, “He called and was very frantic and said, ‘Michael needs to see you right away.’ I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I could hear Michael in the background . . . ‘One side of my body is hot, it’s hot, and one side of my body is cold.’ . . . I said, ‘Tell him he needs to go the hospital. I don’t know what’s going on, but he needs to go to the hospital . . . right away.”

Top 10 best Michael Jackson songs: MJ RIP

Michael Jackson was undoubtedly the most disturbed musician of all time. He’s also the greatest R&B performer ever—both as a singer and a dancer—and a top 10 all-time artist, right next to Mozart, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin. If you’ve forgotten how talented he was in the recording studio or on stage, I encourage you to listen to Thriller, the best-selling album of all time.

With the King of Pop’s recent death, I can’t think of a better time to list his best hits. There are 20 other songs equally worthy of the honor, but in terms of what gets me moving the most, these are the top 10 Michael Jackson songs of awesome:

10. Break of Dawn. I doubt many people have listened to Jackson’s 2001 album Invincible, but there’s no excuse to miss this track. MJ croons over silky bass lines just like days of old. Cliche lyrics aside, it just might be the most groovin’ song of the decade, it’s so good. Too good, in fact.
9. Rock With You. If there’s one pre-80s song to get people on the dance floor, it’s this one. From Off the Wall, Jackson’s first mature album, he urges “Let the rhythm get into you, don’t try to fight it, there’s nothing you can do.” And he’s right. Resistance is futile, the beat is so infectious.
8. Thriller. While the killer video steals the spotlight, the song itself is a choreographer’s dream. Like most of Jackson’s songs, it’s especially difficult to avoid dancing while listening to this one. And the Vincent Price break down, requested by Michael himself, is just brain gravy.
7. One More Chance. Another lesser known favorite from his Number Ones album, One More Chance is filled with Jackson’s signatures “uhs” and “whys,” which never get old. After listening to this one, I’m convinced no one sings as punctual as MJ.
6. Black Or White. Wait! Don’t let the silly intro fool you. Black Or White is most awesome, thanks to the punchy guitar, sliding bass, and of course, Jackson’s “woo!”s of plenty.
5. I Want You Back. Recorded with the Jackson 5 in 1969, I Want You Back features the greatest pop chord progression of all time. It’s also the definitive sound of sunshine, Afros, bell bottoms, and summer love in my book. Good stuff.
4. Human Nature. I love this song. I love its lyrics. I love its ’80s contemporary sound—the kind that reminds me of riding in my mother’s 1984 station wagon, the same year in which Thriller was release. When they ask why, give them the greatest excuse of all time: “Tell ‘em that it’s human nature.”
3. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). Oh snap! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the funkiest Jackson song ever recorded. It’s upbeat, it has freaking robots singing back up vocals, and it features the only bassline Herbie Hancock was known to covet (not true, but it should be). If you don’t move your feet when hearing this, you have no soul.
2. Man In The Mirror. Most singers are lame activists. They generically demand everyone to make love not war. But Jackson cuts to the core and gets candid with this one. “I’m starting with the man in the mirror,” he sings. “I’m asking him to change his ways,” he concedes “And no message could have been any clearer: If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make the change.” Stop waiting for everyone else to change the world. Do it yourself.
1. Billie Jean. Since Jackson is so versatile, picking a single track that best embodies his style is near impossible. But if a hermit were to ask me, “Who is this Michael Jackson you speak of?” I would slide him a copy of Thriller, and play track number 6. This is ultimate Jackson. The anthem of moon walk. And easily one of the top 10 songs of all time.

Honorable mention, and an oh-so close number 11: Leave Me Alone

Long Live The King...

Delhi 6 Preview ... Free Mp3 Download.

Download Delhi 6 Mp3 Free... Click Here

After director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra wowed us with Rang De Basanti [Images] two years ago, he's back with Delhi-6, starring Abhishek Bachchan [Images] and Sonam Kapoor [Images].

The title is inspired from the pin code of an area in Delhi [Images], where the story is based. This area houses the historical Jama Masjid and Red Fort [Images].

The story sees Roshan travelling from the USA to India with his ailing grandmother. Little does he know that this quick trip will turn into the longest journey of his life. Delhi-6 is told against the backdrop of the ancient walled city of Delhi.

The film is likely to release in February.

Top 7 Lionel Richie Songs of the '80s

As a consummate pop star of the 80s, Lionel Richie famously stacked up 13 consecutive Top 10 hits, a remarkable feat indeed. However, his propensity for pop singles inevitably meant the three albums he released contained little else in terms of commercial or critical appeal, assuming, of course, that all of the hits were actually good. And that’s a hefty assumption. That’s why I’ve chosen to select just over half of Richie’s signature tunes for my best-of list. Wheat from the chaff, they say.

To Download Lionel Ritchie Mp3 Songs Free Just Click on The Name of the Song.

1. “Endless Love”This overwrought karaoke classic served as the primary catalyst for Richie’s unsurprising departure from the Commodores, after his duet with Diana Ross hit No. 1 on the pop charts in the summer of 1981 and stayed there for nine weeks. Best sung or lip-synched by the brave and self-assured with maximum facial contortions and gesticulation, the ballad boasts a memorable, gentle verse that explodes (if adult contemporary pop can do that) with a positively sublime bridge. Must stop now. Verklempt.

2. “My Love”I must confess I heard this one the other day on the radio, listened intently all the way through, and felt significantly better than I had just before during my drive home from work. OK, so maybe it wasn’t so much the song, but I choose to believe it was. Richie had a knack for taking all the darkness out of romance, and a love ballad has rarely been this effervescent and sunny before or since. At the same time, the tune never devolves into a cheesefest; it’s just a highly pleasant listen.

3. “You Are”Although Richie eliminated almost all soul/R&B aspects of his sound (what few there ever were) after he left the Commodores and embarked on his successful solo career, he manages to find a nifty groove on this song nevertheless. As usual, the singer amps things up perhaps a bit too far for the chorus, but in the verses and bridge Richie has probably never been more subtle and emotionally commanding. It’s a sumptuous and delicate performance, and I’ve always liked it, dammit. Are you satisfied?

4. “Stuck on You”Richie reveals a little eclecticism with this song, and though it’s not his only flirtation with country music, it is his best. The tune’s success also stems from its almost clinical laid-back approach to the love ballad. Once again, Richie walks a dangerously thin line by downplaying passion’s tempest in favor of a lived-in, tamed version of love. But somehow he invests the song with sufficient feeling anyway and handles his most important task effectively, to make his performance convincing.

5. “Running with the Night”While Richie the balladeer was never at his best on up-tempo numbers, this one is most definitely the lesser of three evils and far less embarrassing than either “All Night Long” or, especially, “Dancing on the Ceiling”. Luckily, on this tolerable selection, Richie refrains from attempting either a forced Latin/Caribbean vibe as he does on “All Night Long” or engage in abject silliness involving ceilings. Instead, he delivers a solid, if somewhat vanilla, mainstream pop/rock tune.

6. “Ballerina Girl”So I’ll cut through the suspense right now and confess that I’m leaving “Hello” off this lost, for the sake of my sanity if not for any remaining shreds of dignity. In the resulting void I submit this lesser-known but still somehow compelling ballad that perfectly captures Richie’s extreme romanticism, which borders on pathological here. Nonetheless, his composer’s gift for melody shines through as usual and results in a slow-dance special that epitomizes “easy listening.”

7. “Say You, Say Me”Back when his show still contained the phrase “late night” in its title, David Letterman employed this tune to great effect for a comedy bit. Richie’s music has always teetered right on the edge of unintentional comedy, but his melodic gifts cannot be stopped; they can't even be contained. As always, it’s best not to puzzle too much over the meaning of the lyrics or search for interesting layers. Even so, this latter-day Richie hit from the '80s captured something substantial about the decade.