YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND!!

INTRODUCTION

eBay has organized a contest in association with Indiblogger. The topic is 'The Future of Shopping’. Here is my humble entry for the same. Hope you like my idea.

THE STORY

YEAR: 2030

PLACE: Republic of Unified Earth (R.U.E)

Elbert Ainstein had arrived home with a big package. His children, Susie and Tom, gathered around him expectantly. Ainstein worked in the R&D department of EBay Corps. It was his practice to show his latest inventions to the children. His father, Nssac Iewton served as the main critic.

“What is this, dad?”

“This, my dear, is the Magic Lamp. Its going to revolutionize the way we shop.”

“Magic Lamp? Like in Aladdin?”

“Yes, Tom. That’s exactly what this is. Let me show it to you.”Ainstein unwrapped the package and took out two items: a headband in the shape of a monkey’s tail and a beautiful carpet.

“What is this? You call it the Magic Lamp and you show them the Magic Carpet!”

“Dad, you are a genius. In fact this is the Magic Carpet, and this little headband is called Abu’s Tail.” He placed the headband on Susie’s head and said, “Make a wish, my dear.”

Susie thought for a moment. Suddenly a blue genie erupted out of nowhere and said, ”Your wish is my command.”

 It then disappeared into thin air, leaving everyone in the room dumbstruck. A few moments of silence ensued. It was Iewton who broke the silence.

“So much for your revolutionary product. I liked the theatrics. But when it comes to delivering the goods, the old method, which I invented, is far more superior.”

“Dad, I didn’t even get to tell my wish.”, said a teary eyed Susie.

“Hey, don’t write of my product. Have you checked the Magic Carpet?”

All eyes now fell on the Magic Carpet. Once again everyone was left dumbstruck. There on the centre of the carpet was a pink Barbie doll.

“Hmmh! An old magician’s trick. You kept a toy to please the kids!”

“Did I, Susie? What was it that you wished for?”

“A Barbie doll! The same color. The same model! But how?”

“You see children, the Magic Lamp has three parts: Abu,Genie and Magic Carpet. Abu is the input. It is the device that monitors your brain and senses your desires. In short it takes the orders. Genie is the graphic interface. It checks whether your product is available in the market and informs you of the alternatives. Magic Carpet is the teleportation device. It teleports the product from the supply units to your home for instant delivery.”

“Cool!”

“Son, aren’t you forgetting something?” asked Iewton.

“What?” asked a puzzled Ainstein.

“The money. Who makes the payment?”

“When you buy the Magic Lamp, you have to make a SJ account. Your bill gets debited from the account.”

“SJ?” asked Tom.

“Shehzade Jasmine.”  said Ainstein with a grin.

“Son, but if this gadgets finds its way to a child you will be bankrupt overnight.

“No dad. You forgot that the Magic Lamp doesn’t belong to Abu. It belongs to Aladdin. Susie has already made a dozen wishes once she saw the Barbie doll. But you do not see any of them on the carpet because Aladdin makes the final decision. Genie always checks with Aladdin before he carries out the order.”

“Who is Aladdin?”

“Aladdin is the owner. In this case I am Aladdin.”

“Dad, help!!”

The children had already begun the fight for the Magic Lamp.

“So what’s your opinion dad?”

“My opinion is the same as before!” said Iewton.

“You mean, you didn’t like it?”

“No. I like it.”

“Then?”

“I always believed that The Magic Lamp was a timeless classic.”

***

FINAL NOTE

With advancement in technology shopping will no longer be a hard task. Here I would like to give a brief description about how technology can make the above story a reality.

ABU : Its a headband which monitors the brain. Our brain emits ECG signals when we think. With advancement in technology, a time will come when these signals can be analysed and read.

GENIE : Genie is an OS. Every apparatus requires it. As for the theatrics, a hologram will suffice.

MAGIC CARPET : This is the delivery system. It depends on teleportation. The basic idea is dismantling of a product into molecular components and its reassembling at the receiver. Something like digital data transmission. Instead of bits,we will be sending atoms.

MERITS
1)Helps in selection
2)Custom product
3)No waiting period
4)Instant delivery
5)Efficient and quick

To get the latest online shopping experience, check out bit.ly/eBayCheck_Extention

HOLY CROSS

“Langdon was always surprised how few Christians who gazed upon “the crucifix” realized their symbol’s violent history was reflected in its very name: ”cross” and “crucifix” came from the Latin verb cruciare to torture.”

When we read an engaging thriller like The Da Vinci Code, we would find ourselves in agreement with the protagonist. But when we analyze the statement for its own merit, we will find the inaccuracies glaring at us.

To be frank, we don’t need to be a Christian or a Latin scholar to know of the cross’ violent past. To this day, the meaning of the word ‘cross’ is trial or affliction(as per Oxford Dictionary). Often enough we use the word to refer to a heavy burden.

So are Christians oblivious to the meaning of the cross? Or has the ‘sinister’ Church brainwashed them? Do Christians not realize that their most prominent symbol is actually a device of torture?

It would be ridiculous to ask such foolish questions. After all, Christ was not being pampered on the Cross. He was being crucified. How could Christians forget that crucifix is a torture device when the Son of God, whom they so devoutly worship, was tortured on it? Then why is the Cross a sacred symbol? How did it become the symbol of Christianity?

The Cross is the most important symbol of Christianity because it represents everything that Christians believe in. Does this mean Christians believe in violence and torture? Not at all. Then what does the Holy Cross stand for?

Before we answer that, let us take a closer look at the Holy Cross. Basically there are two types of Holy Cross.  The first one has got the crucified form of Christ on it while the second doesn’t. Both have different meanings and represent two key moments of Christianity.

The first one stands for the Great Sacrifice. It is the symbol of God’s never ending love for mankind. It tells the story of how the Son was sacrificed to condone the sins of man. The second one stands for the Rise. It symbolizes the Glory of God. It tells the story of how on the third day our Lord resurrected and conquered death.

But if you think these are the messages that the Holy Cross conveys, then you are wrong. The greatest message of the Cross is the one proclaimed by Dan Brown(whether knowingly or unknowingly) in The Da Vinci Code.

Before Christ, the crucifix was a Symbol of Shame. It was a device of torture and violence. The cross was a burden, hated by all. Yet In The Year Of Our Lord, it acquired a new meaning. By the sacrifice of our Lord, it became the Symbol of Hope. What once symbolized Death, now symbolized Eternal Life.

The message of the Cross is the message of Christ. It is never too late. Repent your sins with all your heart and your loving Father in Heaven shall forgive them. Return to the house of thy father. He has great things in store for us.   

NEXT POST: HOLY MASS

Is Holy Communion merely an 'act of God eating'?

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