Clarity of Night short fiction contest

Aniket aka Micky aka Powerpuff boy had been telling me about this contest since some time. So I'll be mustering my pen/keyboard till the 13th and am hoping I can come up with something respectable, as the folks there write really stunning stories.

You can visit the contest page at Jason's blog over at http://clarityofnight.blogspot.com/2010/01/silhouette-short-fiction-contest_05.html

And yes, blog posts will be more frequent from now on ... really!!

P.S My tweets are more frequent at http://twitter.com/kartikd

A cut too fine

It's not that I particularly enjoy entering the workplace bearing battle-hardened and war-weary scars around my face resembling craters on the moon. Nor do I intend to be part of any Fight Club and turn up the next day looking like Tyler Durden. When you cut yourself while shaving, you were just zoned out thinking about something, and a nanosecond later yelp in agony. Your face turns crimson red, not because you're blushing at the stupidity of it all, but rather due to the blood gushing out like a faucet.
The next person who points them out will receive a "Do you really want to know how I got these scars?!"

Plaisir d'amour

Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment,
Chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.

The joys of love are but fleeting,
The heartache of love lasts for a lifetime.

Sea of Love

He steps ahead with trepidation,
fearful of the tempestuous sea ahead.
But as he sees her across the horizon,
the seas aren't murky anymore.
There is no need for words,
when their eyes speak volumes.
In the gloaming he watches her afterglow ,
which carries him further than he imagined.

Airport Cliches?

You know those movies which begin and end in an airport? There are times when you think you've felt and seen it all. But then you visit an airport for real and watch ...

A wheelchair bound paraplegic grandmother sending off her beloved grandson amid crying family members, one of whom is recording the moment on a Sony Handycam.
A gaggle of college students saying goodbye to one of their members who is departing for his graduate studies.
A visibly pregnant woman tearfully bidding farewell to her husband who may not be able to make it for the birth of their child.
The security guard who allows the little girl to bypass the security barriers so that she can hug all her cousins once more.

And of course when one of your own loved ones has to leave for a country an ocean away, there is but a lump in your throat. They say that distance lends fondness to the heart, and it is at the moment of parting that all those wretched cliches turn out to be for real.

Figure this out

Here are two views of a toilet roll box taken at office

Your task is to determine the possible orientation/layout of the toilet paper rolls in the box using the information given on the carton.
Here's the text, in case the pics aren't clear:

Case Count = 8 Rolls
Each Roll = 9 cm x 30000 cm

For the more calculus-savvy, calculate the thickness of the paper roll :)

For The Beatles fans

Peter Sellers is such an awesome comedian. The first video is that of Laurence Oliver doing the "Now is the winter of our discontent" soliloquy in 'Richard III'.
The second video is Peter Sellers' take on it to the lyrics of The Beatles' 'A Hard Day's night'!!