Recently i have developed a crush for Hindi movies. No not because they are splendid, not because they are well directed, not because they are well executed or acted or choreographed... none.. they are just visually scrumptious, oozing with clarity. I have never seen another set of language movies made in India that are this visually palatable. I just dont mean the Yash Chopra/Karan Johar big name headliner, even the second tier guys seem to present a visually catchy treat.
Delhi 6 had that and more. The visuals were great, at some points well beyond great. I am absolutely certain that when you come away from this movie, you will feel that at certain points u were with the characters as much as watching them. Abhishek Bachan has done a decent job, i really dig his coolers it suits his 2 day old stubble pretty much to a T and am sure the ladies will like that. The movie really doesnt have a heroine, Sonam kapoor is the closest to it, she has done an ok job overall. She has handled the juggling of a middle class girl trying to become an Indian idol quite ok. There's some cool acting by Rishi Kapoor, Waheeda Rahman, Deepak Dobriyal and Vijay Raaz as the inspector -- a true tribute to him is the fact that i overheard couple of guys swearing at his like he was a real cop -- the others filled in and were ok.
Overall, the movie is a devent entertainer. It has its highs and lows. The first half seems to be the director's favorite as more effort seems to have been distilled in it than the second half. The story hinges on a grandson (AB as Roshan ) taking his ailing grannie (Waheeda) back to India after his parents -- who had eloped and married -- had settled in US. If it seems a little dramatic that an american born kid will just leave his life, pack up and take his granny to her village.. well it is Indian cinema after all, so hang with them there. The movie goes on to depict the typical challenges and funny incidents that Roshan faces in the dirtbowl Delhi 6.
The movie's first half beats the second half hands down because the movie goes from funny, smart and at hilarious in the first half to preaching, sterotypical and down right wierd in the second half. The story follows Roshan's various encounters and smartly uses the 'kala bhandar' the now infamous 'Monkey man' spoof from yesteryear delhi lore. The Kala Bhandar (Monkey man) seems to run amok among the residents and due to circumstances that are purely manufactured Roshan ends up the center of everyone's irk and ire.
My problem with this movie is its sterotyping the unity or lack therof between Muslims and Hindus. A locality that seems to be in harmony with some Muslims even praying to Lord Hanuman seems to unravel like a pack of cards with the arrival of a Hindu swami. The typical idea of Hindus inciting political speeches and talks of uprooting Mosques and replacing them with temples is a clear dig at what has happened in the past, but so is the portrayed typical response from the Muslim community. From being calm and composed to depicting them as losing control and inciting violence, setting Hindu trees on fire and taking up arsonry and weapons and shooting Roshan, its all a little typical portrayal of the Hindu-Muslim dynamic. Look i am not here to judge what went on, i went to a movie to have some light hearted fun and for a movie that started with beautiful incidents and little pockets of suavity to one that preaches how people should live.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but the story that went on in the second half is not a derivative of what happened in the first half. One of the reasons the whole message doesnt seem to be relayed well is that the whole issue was sterotyped from the inciting that apparently is done by one religion to the violent resoponse associated with the other. I think for this movie, we could have not used that, for this movie we could have been taken somewhere else, a place where there was a little fun and may be a lot more sense. For that alone i recommend you stay home and wait for the CDs or online links to arrive in thier mailboxes. My rating would be D+
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The Economy Bandaid - lets stimulate
The world was abuzz, the messiah had spoken, the savior has arrived, your problems will be transformed into nuisances and your nuisances will melt when this savior aggrandizes the house that the Americans built. Well, I am not crazy, err.. not yet anyway.. but that’s how I translated all the post-Obama electoral victory news coverage. I feel very sorry for him, lets scan what is about to confront the new US president in the coming days… a couple of wars going nowhere, an enemy dispersed, strong and diverse, an economy that’s in the maddest of all tailspins, a health care system that reeks with stale ideals, an education system that’s been downgraded, a housing market that’s looking like a mazy abyss than a green pasture with an azure embellishment and a disgruntled group of denizens desperate for some good news and ready to be waken from the nightmare of endless negative missives in the name of news reports.
Welcome President Obama, no pressure there… we re considerate…. once you are done fixing everything that everyone has drawn up in their list, you can cure melanoma, achieve the drug for immortality without aging and find a world where everyone sits on their fanny and makes a million bucks a day.
I think among the million bytes of digits that scanned the globe as the US election run-up ratcheted one question stuck that was asked by a reported struck a chord in me … “ Senators Obama and McCain, do you for even a minute think, do I want to win and inherit this mess” .. Ofcourse they said the right answers but the kind of mess they are inheriting is unfathomable, really historical and deadly in its cocktail of complication and consequences.
The most famous rallying cry “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country” galvanized then Americans, Obama is no stranger to catch phrases, he apparently is an eloquent talker, but walking the walk and talking the talk are two different things. The economy rightfully has taken center stage and is sucking all the resources into working in this issue, but there are 100 other ones that are as scary as the economy, not the least of which is the security threats.
How do you not feel obligated to help the President Obama in every single way, he is trying to patch and fix on the go one of the most epic financial collapses a once-a-lifetime – hopefully – event for us. Now, this issue is not isolated to US or even Europe, the way every economy in the globe is structured we are mostly a house of cards, every single failure has a cascade effect, be it a bank going kaput or a insurance company going broke or a car manufacture going insolvent. Sometime I do feel angry, I mean a few thousand ineligible borrowers have rocked everyone’s boat and we are all swimming or trying to anyway upstream. Its time to hold hands and help each other out. The stimulus package will be a nightmare – any final version that gets approved – because of the burden its going to impose on coming generations, but there is no choice.
The mark of a true fighter is when his wound is exposed and his salt is down, are we gonna stand up and do something about this or not. I like every other Joe Smith, do want certain assurances of how these gargantuan bailout money is being spent. I need assurances, checks, double-checks, reports, status, insight and every damn nickel accounted for. But, lets also get smart. Lets not eat out if we don’t have to, lets not buy every single ipod that comes on the market, lets save some money and spend smartly. Don’t switch off your AC or heater but do switch off your TV. Take the public transport, donate to charity than going on a ski trip. Keep your resumes current, stay sharp and focused. Watch your leaders, whether what they say is what they do, watch yourself and your family and finally realize.
It didn’t take one bad decision to lead us to this rut, it took a series of hidden debacles to get here, it took turning a blind eye when a sore spot is spotted, so there is no silver bullet. No one decision can create the 2 plus million jobs last year or the ones that are gonna be lost this year. But we each can have a personal motto, spend wisely, be prepared and do your part to stimulate the economy. Every one wants to be part of the party but not everyone likes to clean up the dishes, you may not have wrecked every thing but lets be part of a solution. Support President Obama in his trials, his hits and misses, we need call him out if he proposes something unworkable. But lets also be reasonable, the man is under the spot like no other for the reason he inhibited something, not procreated, so lets cut him some slack and remain hopeful and work hard.
Welcome President Obama, no pressure there… we re considerate…. once you are done fixing everything that everyone has drawn up in their list, you can cure melanoma, achieve the drug for immortality without aging and find a world where everyone sits on their fanny and makes a million bucks a day.
I think among the million bytes of digits that scanned the globe as the US election run-up ratcheted one question stuck that was asked by a reported struck a chord in me … “ Senators Obama and McCain, do you for even a minute think, do I want to win and inherit this mess” .. Ofcourse they said the right answers but the kind of mess they are inheriting is unfathomable, really historical and deadly in its cocktail of complication and consequences.
The most famous rallying cry “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country” galvanized then Americans, Obama is no stranger to catch phrases, he apparently is an eloquent talker, but walking the walk and talking the talk are two different things. The economy rightfully has taken center stage and is sucking all the resources into working in this issue, but there are 100 other ones that are as scary as the economy, not the least of which is the security threats.
How do you not feel obligated to help the President Obama in every single way, he is trying to patch and fix on the go one of the most epic financial collapses a once-a-lifetime – hopefully – event for us. Now, this issue is not isolated to US or even Europe, the way every economy in the globe is structured we are mostly a house of cards, every single failure has a cascade effect, be it a bank going kaput or a insurance company going broke or a car manufacture going insolvent. Sometime I do feel angry, I mean a few thousand ineligible borrowers have rocked everyone’s boat and we are all swimming or trying to anyway upstream. Its time to hold hands and help each other out. The stimulus package will be a nightmare – any final version that gets approved – because of the burden its going to impose on coming generations, but there is no choice.
The mark of a true fighter is when his wound is exposed and his salt is down, are we gonna stand up and do something about this or not. I like every other Joe Smith, do want certain assurances of how these gargantuan bailout money is being spent. I need assurances, checks, double-checks, reports, status, insight and every damn nickel accounted for. But, lets also get smart. Lets not eat out if we don’t have to, lets not buy every single ipod that comes on the market, lets save some money and spend smartly. Don’t switch off your AC or heater but do switch off your TV. Take the public transport, donate to charity than going on a ski trip. Keep your resumes current, stay sharp and focused. Watch your leaders, whether what they say is what they do, watch yourself and your family and finally realize.
It didn’t take one bad decision to lead us to this rut, it took a series of hidden debacles to get here, it took turning a blind eye when a sore spot is spotted, so there is no silver bullet. No one decision can create the 2 plus million jobs last year or the ones that are gonna be lost this year. But we each can have a personal motto, spend wisely, be prepared and do your part to stimulate the economy. Every one wants to be part of the party but not everyone likes to clean up the dishes, you may not have wrecked every thing but lets be part of a solution. Support President Obama in his trials, his hits and misses, we need call him out if he proposes something unworkable. But lets also be reasonable, the man is under the spot like no other for the reason he inhibited something, not procreated, so lets cut him some slack and remain hopeful and work hard.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The accent.. big deal
"Its a big deal... if they dont get what you say... you are really not saying anything... if you dont talk American accent.. you are not one among them..." one of my buddies chimed in as part of an avalanche of rigmarole that i was inundated with when i let a few people know that i was traveling to the land of dreams. I even imbibed a few of their insightful ideas, ideals and definitions of what it is that i need to survive in a land where i cant claim to be a citizen. We have all gone through this one, when traveling to a different country -- well, my fellow Indians will acknowledge it happens to them when they cross state borders in the Indian countryside -- we are inundated with a bunch of outdated concerns that ends up unsettling us.
One of the things that we are always in a race with is where does our accent stack up compared to the land that we are traveling to. People are psyched about accent and for good reason, they are worried what would happen if they mispronounce something... it might be something subtle, it might be something common but what are the repurcussions of the adressed not understanding us.
This becomes more of a frightful scenario if we are going to a different country for some extended periods of time to work, there we are forced into a situation where we are obligated to both understand the foreigners and make them understand what we are spouting. Each has its own variety and severity of difficulty in its execution. I think the biggest flaw that anyone can commit -- and this from experience -- is that we try to speak a non-native language like its one, we try to think its just our back of the hand and we can flip it on whenever we suppose and it will work just fine.
Unforntunately we often find out that its not the case, in most cases we are even humbled a bit by how our most basic pronounciations are incongruent and even grating to someone who has never listened to our vocals before. With a bit of humiliation and a stomach full of humble pie we try to ape them.. we in lieu of a'pe try aa'pp'e .. in lieu hel'loo' try whazz'upp'... like oil and water, like black and white somethings just arent meant to mix. We are what we are and whoever we maybe... an American cant speak like a Srilankan, an Indian cant speak like a French.. we all have our own styles and sometime styles align but they never are parallel....
I found that the perfect equilibrium after quite a few humble pies, i realized a) i cant talk like a man who was born there talks and b) it would be better if i talk slowly so people have a chance.
Most people never realise that they have an accent, its like snoring.. almost everyone does it but they cant know it, the accent is very similar. Its not a shame to have an accent, but if we do a few things right we can all be communicate better. Ultimately its the content not the style, but a little effort to be presentable is required and really its alright to have an accent. We would be robotic without it. Imagine for a moment what would a world sound like when everyone talks the same wavelength, my i can think of quite a few professions that will be thrown to the attic... be proud of what you are... and accent should be the least of your concerns.
One of the things that we are always in a race with is where does our accent stack up compared to the land that we are traveling to. People are psyched about accent and for good reason, they are worried what would happen if they mispronounce something... it might be something subtle, it might be something common but what are the repurcussions of the adressed not understanding us.
This becomes more of a frightful scenario if we are going to a different country for some extended periods of time to work, there we are forced into a situation where we are obligated to both understand the foreigners and make them understand what we are spouting. Each has its own variety and severity of difficulty in its execution. I think the biggest flaw that anyone can commit -- and this from experience -- is that we try to speak a non-native language like its one, we try to think its just our back of the hand and we can flip it on whenever we suppose and it will work just fine.
Unforntunately we often find out that its not the case, in most cases we are even humbled a bit by how our most basic pronounciations are incongruent and even grating to someone who has never listened to our vocals before. With a bit of humiliation and a stomach full of humble pie we try to ape them.. we in lieu of a'pe try aa'pp'e .. in lieu hel'loo' try whazz'upp'... like oil and water, like black and white somethings just arent meant to mix. We are what we are and whoever we maybe... an American cant speak like a Srilankan, an Indian cant speak like a French.. we all have our own styles and sometime styles align but they never are parallel....
I found that the perfect equilibrium after quite a few humble pies, i realized a) i cant talk like a man who was born there talks and b) it would be better if i talk slowly so people have a chance.
Most people never realise that they have an accent, its like snoring.. almost everyone does it but they cant know it, the accent is very similar. Its not a shame to have an accent, but if we do a few things right we can all be communicate better. Ultimately its the content not the style, but a little effort to be presentable is required and really its alright to have an accent. We would be robotic without it. Imagine for a moment what would a world sound like when everyone talks the same wavelength, my i can think of quite a few professions that will be thrown to the attic... be proud of what you are... and accent should be the least of your concerns.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Zooming out of Gloom... hopefully
When 2008 was about to roll in, the numerology department was working overtime... the significance of the total 2+0+0+8 had them in a dizzy... its a great year or so they said... 12 months later... don't we all think 2008 as one of the most dramatic, impact-ful, draining, eye-opening, gut-wrenching times of most living beings' lifetime.. from the economy that was in a tailspin and the violence that wouldn't stop around the world and the melting glaciers and the deficit in most countries' budget and the increase in hunger deaths and the loss of jobs and the rise in crimes and the .... too many bad headlines...
10 years from now - when, hopefully we are out of this crisis - we will recall 2008 as the year that had too many bad headlines, the year that doomed many a savings account, the year where we started saving on fast food, electricity, gas and anything that can be saved... History will equate 2008 with 1931 the most comparable and deadly ogre of a cousin.... the great depression... History will by then have all things we did wrong in 19 titles on newsstands, of what we should learn, what we missed and how to avoid... and someone will make money on it too...
Human race... we are funny... we commit the mistake , we avoid the reactions, we sidestep the repercussions until it hits us in the face, we smart from it because we have no other choice, some try and stand up, like water off a duck's back we march on and commit the next series of blunders...
2008 was not all that bad... in fact 2008 was the ugly bill for all the sins of 2001 to 2007, the sins also called as failed policies, missed warning signs and general lack of concern for the future... 2008 was the ugly product of all that was wrong in the previous years... 2008 was needed, it was important the human race gets hit on the face with reality.... its a splash of cold water...
No one needs a million dollar home, no one needs a 4 bedroom home, no one needs 3 cars, no one needs 2 cellphones... but almost everyone wants them all and thats how we ended up with 2008... if we only keep paying the interest on a loan the primary never disappears, if we only look 2 days ahead in our life, the deadlines in the next week never shows up early, if we remain short sighted with a head bigger than the stomach we all only deserve 2008...
No one knows which one policy will take us out of this rut and deliver us to the next one... we are all as excited as can be... for what did we get from 2008 that we cant let go off ... other than a pile of bills, a rack of empty headache bottles, a few broken glasses that bore the brunt of our anger as the stock indexes went for a swim-dive.... its a fallacy to expect one policy to be the silver bullet a series of policies are necessary ..
As individuals we need to step up and distinguish our needs from our wants... in times like these we don't need what we want... we should want what we need... the more we realize the difference and cater to our needs... the better we are all off...
Can 2009 be as bad as 2008, well who knows... but every individual can command what happens with them, as more individuals get smart... with a concerted effort to keep ourselves better prepared we will sail through it... and we can even live to describe it to the next generation... of how we learnt WANT, NEED, GREED, PURPOSE and PERSPECTIVE from the year 2008.... Happy New Year
10 years from now - when, hopefully we are out of this crisis - we will recall 2008 as the year that had too many bad headlines, the year that doomed many a savings account, the year where we started saving on fast food, electricity, gas and anything that can be saved... History will equate 2008 with 1931 the most comparable and deadly ogre of a cousin.... the great depression... History will by then have all things we did wrong in 19 titles on newsstands, of what we should learn, what we missed and how to avoid... and someone will make money on it too...
Human race... we are funny... we commit the mistake , we avoid the reactions, we sidestep the repercussions until it hits us in the face, we smart from it because we have no other choice, some try and stand up, like water off a duck's back we march on and commit the next series of blunders...
2008 was not all that bad... in fact 2008 was the ugly bill for all the sins of 2001 to 2007, the sins also called as failed policies, missed warning signs and general lack of concern for the future... 2008 was the ugly product of all that was wrong in the previous years... 2008 was needed, it was important the human race gets hit on the face with reality.... its a splash of cold water...
No one needs a million dollar home, no one needs a 4 bedroom home, no one needs 3 cars, no one needs 2 cellphones... but almost everyone wants them all and thats how we ended up with 2008... if we only keep paying the interest on a loan the primary never disappears, if we only look 2 days ahead in our life, the deadlines in the next week never shows up early, if we remain short sighted with a head bigger than the stomach we all only deserve 2008...
No one knows which one policy will take us out of this rut and deliver us to the next one... we are all as excited as can be... for what did we get from 2008 that we cant let go off ... other than a pile of bills, a rack of empty headache bottles, a few broken glasses that bore the brunt of our anger as the stock indexes went for a swim-dive.... its a fallacy to expect one policy to be the silver bullet a series of policies are necessary ..
As individuals we need to step up and distinguish our needs from our wants... in times like these we don't need what we want... we should want what we need... the more we realize the difference and cater to our needs... the better we are all off...
Can 2009 be as bad as 2008, well who knows... but every individual can command what happens with them, as more individuals get smart... with a concerted effort to keep ourselves better prepared we will sail through it... and we can even live to describe it to the next generation... of how we learnt WANT, NEED, GREED, PURPOSE and PERSPECTIVE from the year 2008.... Happy New Year
Friday, November 14, 2008
Recession Fears: Is an information overflow feeding panic
Each day... each hour... each minute... we are updated with information... Information that fritters through various sources... next door neighbour, your milkman, the TV man and ofcourse the internet..
We seem to learn about a spoilt milk packet in China before we seem to know what ails our restroom shower. We seem to know that Zimbabwe has a million percentage inflation before we even can recollect the number of distant cousins in our spouse's family...
Point is we are being fed with millions of pixels, every minute... we have become obese with information.... some of us see 'breaking news' in flashing red in our sleep... we seemed to be informed tha Obama is still searching for a dog, we seem to be informed that Sarah Palin bought 150k worth of clothes when we cant recollect the last time we bought a pair of trousers for our parents....
This plethora of useless information is an admissable snack if we are receiving positive news.. but whats the effect of this information orgy when it brings negative news. I mean, we seem to learn about another bank collapse every hour.
I wonder how was the great depression of the 1930s era... what kind of information was available, how frequently did they get them... what exactly did the then President convey to the denizens... were they better off.. when they didnt know it... for instance do the company's workers concentrate better if they arent declared as dead men walking... was it better for the psyche when u werent deluged with job loss information...
take for instance the Lehman brothers.. they were in "talks to sell to a Korean Company" on day 1... by day 3-4 the talks went cold... day 4.0000001 it was on the internet.... day 4.0000002 there were 18 internet experts downgrading the stock to junk status... day 4.5 customers start withdrawing money... day 5 bank files for bankruptcy.... i have never seen or even remotely heard prior to that an instance of an 100 plus year old institution crumbling hopelessly and basically vanishing from the scene...
i, for one, felt.. the speed of the information... the sources.. many of them off the record and illegal leaks.. were too many and it ultimately lead a mad spree to withdraw their money from the bank and it just crumbled... a similar thing happened in Washington Mutual bank... a similar thing happened in Germany... in UK... the point is.. maybe these companies had a chance if they just had a little more breathing room.. maybe if the information had been cold for 1 more day.. some other financier pours money into Lehman... maybe? we will never know.. because there is no stopping.. there is no pausing... there is one constant... the refresh button.. millions of articles each minute... about why we should buy this.. why we should sell that.. why we should stand pat...
I am not for a minute suggesting that customers or onlookers should not "know" stuff... but maybe they should not be "fed" to death with information... i just get the feeling we are at a point were things are happening at a such a fast pace we can neither pause nor take a deep breath.... its driven us to the point were we have become addicted to our "refresh" button on the browser... its feeding panic.. i just wish we had a little bit of scaled back information... maybe we will even relax a little bit.... maybe thats a good thing...
We seem to learn about a spoilt milk packet in China before we seem to know what ails our restroom shower. We seem to know that Zimbabwe has a million percentage inflation before we even can recollect the number of distant cousins in our spouse's family...
Point is we are being fed with millions of pixels, every minute... we have become obese with information.... some of us see 'breaking news' in flashing red in our sleep... we seemed to be informed tha Obama is still searching for a dog, we seem to be informed that Sarah Palin bought 150k worth of clothes when we cant recollect the last time we bought a pair of trousers for our parents....
This plethora of useless information is an admissable snack if we are receiving positive news.. but whats the effect of this information orgy when it brings negative news. I mean, we seem to learn about another bank collapse every hour.
I wonder how was the great depression of the 1930s era... what kind of information was available, how frequently did they get them... what exactly did the then President convey to the denizens... were they better off.. when they didnt know it... for instance do the company's workers concentrate better if they arent declared as dead men walking... was it better for the psyche when u werent deluged with job loss information...
take for instance the Lehman brothers.. they were in "talks to sell to a Korean Company" on day 1... by day 3-4 the talks went cold... day 4.0000001 it was on the internet.... day 4.0000002 there were 18 internet experts downgrading the stock to junk status... day 4.5 customers start withdrawing money... day 5 bank files for bankruptcy.... i have never seen or even remotely heard prior to that an instance of an 100 plus year old institution crumbling hopelessly and basically vanishing from the scene...
i, for one, felt.. the speed of the information... the sources.. many of them off the record and illegal leaks.. were too many and it ultimately lead a mad spree to withdraw their money from the bank and it just crumbled... a similar thing happened in Washington Mutual bank... a similar thing happened in Germany... in UK... the point is.. maybe these companies had a chance if they just had a little more breathing room.. maybe if the information had been cold for 1 more day.. some other financier pours money into Lehman... maybe? we will never know.. because there is no stopping.. there is no pausing... there is one constant... the refresh button.. millions of articles each minute... about why we should buy this.. why we should sell that.. why we should stand pat...
I am not for a minute suggesting that customers or onlookers should not "know" stuff... but maybe they should not be "fed" to death with information... i just get the feeling we are at a point were things are happening at a such a fast pace we can neither pause nor take a deep breath.... its driven us to the point were we have become addicted to our "refresh" button on the browser... its feeding panic.. i just wish we had a little bit of scaled back information... maybe we will even relax a little bit.... maybe thats a good thing...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Obama Nation
Nov 4 was a red letter day. Simple. Sweet. Refreshing. I think for the first time in a million years the voting denizens and the onlooking political voyeurs look forward with hope and trepedity the oncoming change. Never before has the world stopped in awe and wondered aloud what one nation is teaching the others... change the eventual constant can happen anywhere. Can change be instant, is change the begining or the end. Is Change a destination or a pitstop.. is change a game-changer or is it a curveball/googly.
Change is what we want it to be. In an economy that seems to crack a little bit more each day, that seems to enjoy its own masochist orgy.. change is welcome. The only caveat is that we hope this change is for the better.
Minorities everywhere believe one thing, they are disadvantaged and cant win. Well a minority candidate won. The one shocking thing this is that it took so long even in the US of A. Is the American vote a reflection of the desire for unity or a vote for policy. I would love to believe that the vote for President-elect Barack Obama is a vote for mere unity. I would really love to. But, I believe its a convenient by-product. It's his policy that garnered the votes and thats the best part. We dont want a winner because we have sympathy for his melanin content, that would be cruel. I bet none of us want to win a victory thats conceded to us due to lack of competition or sympathy. Thankfully Obama won it, he wasnt given the presidency, McCain didnt concede it or lose it, Obama won it .
Obama won because he appeared articulate, knowledgable, coached, simple and mostly because he came across as someone who gets it. Oh the constant blaming of the Oil companies and the multi-millionaires didnt hurt.
Lets get one thing straight, he is not one of us. He was one among us who didnt deserve to be just another number in the population. He claims to be one among us, he just happens to be from among us.. now he is really in his league. Democracy or not.. Joe the plumber or Pat the soccer-mom cant get more than 15 minutes of fame.
It shows the guts of the American denizens to vote for a man who was recluse until one fine spring day a couple of years back when he provided the response to President Bush's budget. Obama represents a chance not a change. It will become a change if something really does change. Until then he is an opportunity, he is the dawn, let dusk come before we declare something changed during daylight.
Obama couldnt walk into a more complex chaos, its more pungent than a Pei-Wei exhaust, its as numbing as losing large toe. This economic climate is complex. We got out of one rut with some bandaid in the name of homeloans to an even more complex canyon. The thing that we cant afford to do is espouse another old wine of a policy, more often than not these policies of the past are sour milk.
I couldnt tell you how this is going to end up, i cannot fathom a chance that this will resolve in months. It doesnt matter who supported Obama or not, it doesnt matter who voted for him or not, it doesnt matter whether you like him or not, it doesnt matter if you think he can or not, it matters you provide him the chance. It matters you remain confidant in the choice of the majority, it matters you trust democracy and its fruits, it matters you contribute from the benches, it matters you provide him your voice of support, it matters you trust we stand to gain from this. Some people may not like him because of his skin, but lets find out whether we should rather shun him based on his results.
I am ready to follow the steps of the President-elect in the hope that he uses this chance to bring in change. Change didnt stop on the day he got elected, change just got born the day he got elected, change can die a quick death if he is not ready or is incompeteant... but lets wait, lets wait to see what he does with the chance. In the meantime make solid decisions for your life, your bank accounts and community. Think, Act, Work Hard and we will all thrive.
Lets hope Obama does that too, for we all need that change from up-top.
Change is what we want it to be. In an economy that seems to crack a little bit more each day, that seems to enjoy its own masochist orgy.. change is welcome. The only caveat is that we hope this change is for the better.
Minorities everywhere believe one thing, they are disadvantaged and cant win. Well a minority candidate won. The one shocking thing this is that it took so long even in the US of A. Is the American vote a reflection of the desire for unity or a vote for policy. I would love to believe that the vote for President-elect Barack Obama is a vote for mere unity. I would really love to. But, I believe its a convenient by-product. It's his policy that garnered the votes and thats the best part. We dont want a winner because we have sympathy for his melanin content, that would be cruel. I bet none of us want to win a victory thats conceded to us due to lack of competition or sympathy. Thankfully Obama won it, he wasnt given the presidency, McCain didnt concede it or lose it, Obama won it .
Obama won because he appeared articulate, knowledgable, coached, simple and mostly because he came across as someone who gets it. Oh the constant blaming of the Oil companies and the multi-millionaires didnt hurt.
Lets get one thing straight, he is not one of us. He was one among us who didnt deserve to be just another number in the population. He claims to be one among us, he just happens to be from among us.. now he is really in his league. Democracy or not.. Joe the plumber or Pat the soccer-mom cant get more than 15 minutes of fame.
It shows the guts of the American denizens to vote for a man who was recluse until one fine spring day a couple of years back when he provided the response to President Bush's budget. Obama represents a chance not a change. It will become a change if something really does change. Until then he is an opportunity, he is the dawn, let dusk come before we declare something changed during daylight.
Obama couldnt walk into a more complex chaos, its more pungent than a Pei-Wei exhaust, its as numbing as losing large toe. This economic climate is complex. We got out of one rut with some bandaid in the name of homeloans to an even more complex canyon. The thing that we cant afford to do is espouse another old wine of a policy, more often than not these policies of the past are sour milk.
I couldnt tell you how this is going to end up, i cannot fathom a chance that this will resolve in months. It doesnt matter who supported Obama or not, it doesnt matter who voted for him or not, it doesnt matter whether you like him or not, it doesnt matter if you think he can or not, it matters you provide him the chance. It matters you remain confidant in the choice of the majority, it matters you trust democracy and its fruits, it matters you contribute from the benches, it matters you provide him your voice of support, it matters you trust we stand to gain from this. Some people may not like him because of his skin, but lets find out whether we should rather shun him based on his results.
I am ready to follow the steps of the President-elect in the hope that he uses this chance to bring in change. Change didnt stop on the day he got elected, change just got born the day he got elected, change can die a quick death if he is not ready or is incompeteant... but lets wait, lets wait to see what he does with the chance. In the meantime make solid decisions for your life, your bank accounts and community. Think, Act, Work Hard and we will all thrive.
Lets hope Obama does that too, for we all need that change from up-top.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Teacher Ms Thomas, thank you, oh beautiful one!!
Yo.. I still remember the first hint of adolescent insanity, us.. the students of grade(class) TEN were longing for the next class. It was after all the Physics class; it was currently after all the Math class.
The difference ?? – You ask – is monumental, it’s the difference between spinach and caramel, headache pill and ice cream. It was Ms Princy Thomas and Mr Xavier.
At age 16 would you rather have a beautiful – even Angel-like- one Ms Thomas teach you or Mr Xavier?? Well, is it even close?? Well was it even a contest. Sorry Mr Xavier we are guys after all.
TTRRRRRIIINNNG TTRRRIINNGG..
God damn Yes.. Holy golden goose Yes.. My mother India Yes.. It was the long awaited bell.. The BELL…. The heavens have heard us, the GODS have heard us, there is good on this earth, there is a SUPERPOWER after all, it hears us afterall!! There is justice afterall, there is good in life afterall, there is an Angel after all..
Life is good, GOD is great, I love spinach and I like homework, I like authority and I love to sleep by 10 pm, I wont play and I will study.. YES.. vows taken, rewards EARNED, here it comes…
Out goes Mr. Xavier and in comes Ms Thomas.
Now, if we at 16 and 17 were smart enough to know we were doing a not-so-recommended routine.. I Believe our Ms Thomas knew it.. I mean, how could have she not known.
She is like the perfect class TEN teacher.. Good enough to teach you Physics and well, great enough to keep knocking you in your dreams..
“How can you.. how on earth can you, are u out of your mind”.. a few pseudo-good kids would scream once in a while in your ears.. but hey, what’s rain off the back of a pitbull.. NOTHING right.. yeah who cares..??
I mean memories… are fresh.. from the time of romancing our best prospect in our class to getting your brains beat figuring the spellings of TAMIL language words.. it was a fun ride.. to put it mildly..
How I have changed.. how we have changed.. how life has changed.. how Ms Thomas has changed..
Ms Thomas was an alluring figure because of her bright face and delicious disposition, she knew what we craved for.. she knew it was immaturity, she worked us.. she is not the stereotype PLAYBOY story girl-teacher we read about. She was, a teacher, she knew that.
She also would get the best out of us, the rewards would include a 5 minute talk after class with her, how can you NOT WORK hard when you have that reward??
Coz, I did, I worked my rear off, I worked and I got rewarded, it was adolescence and she played it and she played it in away that would benefit us.
In times like the 2006 when we see reports and stories of how teachers elope or down right get privy with students, I just remember Ms Thomas.
Coz she played us too, we were adolescents too but we both were better off for it.
Thanks Ms Thomas, u r a special one.
The difference ?? – You ask – is monumental, it’s the difference between spinach and caramel, headache pill and ice cream. It was Ms Princy Thomas and Mr Xavier.
At age 16 would you rather have a beautiful – even Angel-like- one Ms Thomas teach you or Mr Xavier?? Well, is it even close?? Well was it even a contest. Sorry Mr Xavier we are guys after all.
TTRRRRRIIINNNG TTRRRIINNGG..
God damn Yes.. Holy golden goose Yes.. My mother India Yes.. It was the long awaited bell.. The BELL…. The heavens have heard us, the GODS have heard us, there is good on this earth, there is a SUPERPOWER after all, it hears us afterall!! There is justice afterall, there is good in life afterall, there is an Angel after all..
Life is good, GOD is great, I love spinach and I like homework, I like authority and I love to sleep by 10 pm, I wont play and I will study.. YES.. vows taken, rewards EARNED, here it comes…
Out goes Mr. Xavier and in comes Ms Thomas.
Now, if we at 16 and 17 were smart enough to know we were doing a not-so-recommended routine.. I Believe our Ms Thomas knew it.. I mean, how could have she not known.
She is like the perfect class TEN teacher.. Good enough to teach you Physics and well, great enough to keep knocking you in your dreams..
“How can you.. how on earth can you, are u out of your mind”.. a few pseudo-good kids would scream once in a while in your ears.. but hey, what’s rain off the back of a pitbull.. NOTHING right.. yeah who cares..??
I mean memories… are fresh.. from the time of romancing our best prospect in our class to getting your brains beat figuring the spellings of TAMIL language words.. it was a fun ride.. to put it mildly..
How I have changed.. how we have changed.. how life has changed.. how Ms Thomas has changed..
Ms Thomas was an alluring figure because of her bright face and delicious disposition, she knew what we craved for.. she knew it was immaturity, she worked us.. she is not the stereotype PLAYBOY story girl-teacher we read about. She was, a teacher, she knew that.
She also would get the best out of us, the rewards would include a 5 minute talk after class with her, how can you NOT WORK hard when you have that reward??
Coz, I did, I worked my rear off, I worked and I got rewarded, it was adolescence and she played it and she played it in away that would benefit us.
In times like the 2006 when we see reports and stories of how teachers elope or down right get privy with students, I just remember Ms Thomas.
Coz she played us too, we were adolescents too but we both were better off for it.
Thanks Ms Thomas, u r a special one.
Friday, July 21, 2006
24/7 Customer Service: A friday RUINED
Yo… Friday morning. Literally whistling and bench-warming through the work day, I get an email.. it read “ XXXCredit Card Update”
It sounded bogus from the subject itself, I looked in, it said there was an issue with my account and I need to reset the details. I put the mouse on the “supposed card link”.. it was redirecting to Me to “a German based website”.. the last time I got anywhere close to Germany was when I watched the World Cup finals..
So, I think .. I assumed fairly right when I had zero chance to get a german based card or for all of a sudden for this company to move its HeadQuarters and all business links to germany..
Some thing smelled fishy.. it was Friday after all, and I decided to call my actual card company- the single most stupidest thing I have committed all year since yesterday –
The following is a raw transcript of one of the best exchanges I had with the customer service center..
Me : “ XXXCard support.. look I got an email today, giving Me bogus info and asking Me to update my records. I think I suspect this email. But, still I want to know if you were aware of any such emails circulated or if this email was indeed sent by your company”
BPO Girl : “ yes Sir, we can do that to you”
Me : “do what”
BPO Girl : verify Sir..”
Me: “Ok”
Girl : “ Sir, I understand ur tension and ur predicament, in this time of pain I can help u with a 30 day pgm, that monitors all traffic from tomorrow for ZERO penny”
Me : “ I know about that pgm, I am not interested in it, tell me about this email”
Girl : its ZERO penny sir, ZERO penny, its no cost.
Me : "look.. i am not calling u to sign up.. i need to know if my account is alrite"
Girl : "sir.. u can sign up on 30 day trial"
Me : "look ma'm i know about ur wonderful program, i have seen it before, but just tell me if u guys sent me this email or not"
Girl : " thats why sir we have this pgm.. it will monitor from now"
Me : " what about that email.. today morning"
Girl : "this 30 day will help u'
Me : "thank you.. u were of lot of help.. brilliant"
Girl : "sir.. we have other pgms.."
Me : "u have lots of programs.. i just need information.. not programs for future”
Girl : "i understand Sir.. u r concerned"
Me : " i am very much concerned.. and u r not gettting Me my info"
Girl : " sir for that this program'
Me : " enuf with the pgm"
Me : " can u tell Me if this email is legit"
Girl : "sir.. we can help u monitor everyday"
Me : " i am notorious for not unsubscribing after 30 days and u charge Me
Girl : “dont wry sir.. if u remember and call us in 30 days.. its free"
Me : " i think i just said.. i forget those things"
Girl : "sir, its a good pgm"
Me : "indeed it is.. an excellent one.. and thats y i dont want it" "thank u so much.. for a wonderful assistance"
Girl : "sir if u want we have another pgm.. we see ur account has low balance transfer" "u can transfer to us"
Me : “ i have good cards" "everyone has good rates" "i am comfortable with what i have now" "i dont need anything else"
Girl : "sir.. this is a 2% transfer"
Me : "yes madam.. it is.. i got that", "i did not call u to sign into any of these"
Girl : "sir try 30 days"
Me : " i will call u later"
Girl : "sir u already called" "y do u want to wait on the line”
Me : "i donno.. i dont feel like signing up today"
Girl : "sir u spent 5 mins.. 2 more mins for 2 pgms"
Me : '"sounds very impressive" "and i appreciate ur help.. i will call u"
Girl : " u can call Me anytime "
Me : “ I meant I will call citibank"
Girl : “ yes Sir”
Me : "thanks"
Girl : "any thing else"
Me :"no u were wonderful and of great help" "appreciate it a lot"
Girl : "welcome sir" "if u need any other assistance or help u can goto our website or call our 24 hr assistance"
Me : " yes sounds perfect" "thanks BYE"
Me : clunk. Phone disconnected
this is not a fiction or imaginative wonder, it is a real life "you got served"..
It sounded bogus from the subject itself, I looked in, it said there was an issue with my account and I need to reset the details. I put the mouse on the “supposed card link”.. it was redirecting to Me to “a German based website”.. the last time I got anywhere close to Germany was when I watched the World Cup finals..
So, I think .. I assumed fairly right when I had zero chance to get a german based card or for all of a sudden for this company to move its HeadQuarters and all business links to germany..
Some thing smelled fishy.. it was Friday after all, and I decided to call my actual card company- the single most stupidest thing I have committed all year since yesterday –
The following is a raw transcript of one of the best exchanges I had with the customer service center..
Me : “ XXXCard support.. look I got an email today, giving Me bogus info and asking Me to update my records. I think I suspect this email. But, still I want to know if you were aware of any such emails circulated or if this email was indeed sent by your company”
BPO Girl : “ yes Sir, we can do that to you”
Me : “do what”
BPO Girl : verify Sir..”
Me: “Ok”
Girl : “ Sir, I understand ur tension and ur predicament, in this time of pain I can help u with a 30 day pgm, that monitors all traffic from tomorrow for ZERO penny”
Me : “ I know about that pgm, I am not interested in it, tell me about this email”
Girl : its ZERO penny sir, ZERO penny, its no cost.
Me : "look.. i am not calling u to sign up.. i need to know if my account is alrite"
Girl : "sir.. u can sign up on 30 day trial"
Me : "look ma'm i know about ur wonderful program, i have seen it before, but just tell me if u guys sent me this email or not"
Girl : " thats why sir we have this pgm.. it will monitor from now"
Me : " what about that email.. today morning"
Girl : "this 30 day will help u'
Me : "thank you.. u were of lot of help.. brilliant"
Girl : "sir.. we have other pgms.."
Me : "u have lots of programs.. i just need information.. not programs for future”
Girl : "i understand Sir.. u r concerned"
Me : " i am very much concerned.. and u r not gettting Me my info"
Girl : " sir for that this program'
Me : " enuf with the pgm"
Me : " can u tell Me if this email is legit"
Girl : "sir.. we can help u monitor everyday"
Me : " i am notorious for not unsubscribing after 30 days and u charge Me
Girl : “dont wry sir.. if u remember and call us in 30 days.. its free"
Me : " i think i just said.. i forget those things"
Girl : "sir, its a good pgm"
Me : "indeed it is.. an excellent one.. and thats y i dont want it" "thank u so much.. for a wonderful assistance"
Girl : "sir if u want we have another pgm.. we see ur account has low balance transfer" "u can transfer to us"
Me : “ i have good cards" "everyone has good rates" "i am comfortable with what i have now" "i dont need anything else"
Girl : "sir.. this is a 2% transfer"
Me : "yes madam.. it is.. i got that", "i did not call u to sign into any of these"
Girl : "sir try 30 days"
Me : " i will call u later"
Girl : "sir u already called" "y do u want to wait on the line”
Me : "i donno.. i dont feel like signing up today"
Girl : "sir u spent 5 mins.. 2 more mins for 2 pgms"
Me : '"sounds very impressive" "and i appreciate ur help.. i will call u"
Girl : " u can call Me anytime "
Me : “ I meant I will call citibank"
Girl : “ yes Sir”
Me : "thanks"
Girl : "any thing else"
Me :"no u were wonderful and of great help" "appreciate it a lot"
Girl : "welcome sir" "if u need any other assistance or help u can goto our website or call our 24 hr assistance"
Me : " yes sounds perfect" "thanks BYE"
Me : clunk. Phone disconnected
this is not a fiction or imaginative wonder, it is a real life "you got served"..
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
High Maintenance, Low-efficiency item: Girl Friend or U
Yo.. I was thinking about getting a car. U know.. the four-wheeled wonder which drains your purse like a cat devouring milk. The surprising thing about this is we are AWARE of what this vehicle does to us financially and yet we are all too happy to get it and get drained.
Well say even if we cop the expense and get one, its very high maintenance.. it needs fuel and loads off it (psst.. I do think if someone had the brains to invent a viable non-oil based vehicle to ride, we wont even have all the dependency on the middle east, that’s a different story altogether). Bottom-line is this baby eats you up and you don’t even realize, I do realize though.. we extract some utility out of it.
My mind wandered (yeah tell me what’s new), I started thinking about other high maintenance items in life. Well, the obvious answer is your girlfriend. Man, they drain the purse and time and energy.
The last one really zaps you, coz when ur energy is outta the window that’s when the pea-brains start working in ur cerebrals under those lousy hair-style
and u assume ur speaking out loud..but not really.. “goddamn woman.. not only are my legs and arms killin me.. I missed my ballgame for ur sake and the past 5 hours running around the mall for your one pair of ear-rings and ur 3 cotton candies and 2 teddy bears .. but u never even opened the purse.. well I guess u did.. U did put the old ear-rings in there..”
Well, honest to God.. if a guy hasn’t been thru that he is blessed and living in mars.. But I hate to drool on the obvious.. so I let my mind wander a bit more.. as I wondered I realized the human body..
Man is there a more painful .. creaky.. cranky.. disobeying unit or body of work other than the flesh and mass that we tuck under our dress.. err NO..
U getup u need to brush (sometimes I wish I get my senses after I brush.. without brushing our mouth smells like it was down by the local garage all nite).. then the obvious downloading.. and then bath.. (I do know a lotta guys love to skip it.. ).. well if u r in living college hostels.. chances are u add more pile of dirt by being in those bathrooms than skipping it.. (see.. now ya know why hostel-ites love to skip bath..)
U get out of the shower…. ur stomach gives u a call.. u fill it up with milk n bread and the day starts rolling.. u travel and ur mind thinks ur stomach is hungry.. so u get the most unhealthy bag of chips available and dump it in ur mouth.. and u need NO incentive to open the mouth when ur dumping tasty-unhealthy food.. only healthy or medicinal foods are rejected by ur mouth..
The day rolls by its noon.. ur stomach calls up again( sometimes even clocks fail to work.. not ur tummy).. u fill it up with either hotel-made high transfat low energy.. sleep inducing outside food or high-colestrol.. loadsa oil.. loadsa sleep inducing home-made food..
Well the choice is ours.. and often we make the worst available.. then we roll over and get some snacks.. and that cant be real healthy.. then we get home.. and all the buncha junk we ate have all been processed and form an extra centimeter around our mid-section now.. Sometimes we guys look bigger than pregnant women..
And the funny thing is we know!! we know it’s only a fleeting thing and once we download it.. we will have the abs of every women’s delite!! funny that is a worse non-starter than anything we can cook up..
Well all this when ur body is supposedly running well.. imagine when ur creaky or cranky or down right sick.. it needs lodsa medicines, loadsa rest and loads a caring.. Of course there are those pharmacies.. which love to service ya.. err read plunder ur money.. when u are unhealthy..
I realized.. all my complaints abt my girlfriend is mute.. the worst nightmare I can conjure is taking care of my body all by myself.. I go.. "Honey.. my sweetie.. are u sure u are done shopping.. why don’t we hit the other mall and find u a pair of slip-ons and couple a more teddy bears and cotton candies.." She "Sweetie are u alrite??".. I "I better be .. coz I don wanna service my body…"
Well say even if we cop the expense and get one, its very high maintenance.. it needs fuel and loads off it (psst.. I do think if someone had the brains to invent a viable non-oil based vehicle to ride, we wont even have all the dependency on the middle east, that’s a different story altogether). Bottom-line is this baby eats you up and you don’t even realize, I do realize though.. we extract some utility out of it.
My mind wandered (yeah tell me what’s new), I started thinking about other high maintenance items in life. Well, the obvious answer is your girlfriend. Man, they drain the purse and time and energy.
The last one really zaps you, coz when ur energy is outta the window that’s when the pea-brains start working in ur cerebrals under those lousy hair-style
and u assume ur speaking out loud..but not really.. “goddamn woman.. not only are my legs and arms killin me.. I missed my ballgame for ur sake and the past 5 hours running around the mall for your one pair of ear-rings and ur 3 cotton candies and 2 teddy bears .. but u never even opened the purse.. well I guess u did.. U did put the old ear-rings in there..”
Well, honest to God.. if a guy hasn’t been thru that he is blessed and living in mars.. But I hate to drool on the obvious.. so I let my mind wander a bit more.. as I wondered I realized the human body..
Man is there a more painful .. creaky.. cranky.. disobeying unit or body of work other than the flesh and mass that we tuck under our dress.. err NO..
U getup u need to brush (sometimes I wish I get my senses after I brush.. without brushing our mouth smells like it was down by the local garage all nite).. then the obvious downloading.. and then bath.. (I do know a lotta guys love to skip it.. ).. well if u r in living college hostels.. chances are u add more pile of dirt by being in those bathrooms than skipping it.. (see.. now ya know why hostel-ites love to skip bath..)
U get out of the shower…. ur stomach gives u a call.. u fill it up with milk n bread and the day starts rolling.. u travel and ur mind thinks ur stomach is hungry.. so u get the most unhealthy bag of chips available and dump it in ur mouth.. and u need NO incentive to open the mouth when ur dumping tasty-unhealthy food.. only healthy or medicinal foods are rejected by ur mouth..
The day rolls by its noon.. ur stomach calls up again( sometimes even clocks fail to work.. not ur tummy).. u fill it up with either hotel-made high transfat low energy.. sleep inducing outside food or high-colestrol.. loadsa oil.. loadsa sleep inducing home-made food..
Well the choice is ours.. and often we make the worst available.. then we roll over and get some snacks.. and that cant be real healthy.. then we get home.. and all the buncha junk we ate have all been processed and form an extra centimeter around our mid-section now.. Sometimes we guys look bigger than pregnant women..
And the funny thing is we know!! we know it’s only a fleeting thing and once we download it.. we will have the abs of every women’s delite!! funny that is a worse non-starter than anything we can cook up..
Well all this when ur body is supposedly running well.. imagine when ur creaky or cranky or down right sick.. it needs lodsa medicines, loadsa rest and loads a caring.. Of course there are those pharmacies.. which love to service ya.. err read plunder ur money.. when u are unhealthy..
I realized.. all my complaints abt my girlfriend is mute.. the worst nightmare I can conjure is taking care of my body all by myself.. I go.. "Honey.. my sweetie.. are u sure u are done shopping.. why don’t we hit the other mall and find u a pair of slip-ons and couple a more teddy bears and cotton candies.." She "Sweetie are u alrite??".. I "I better be .. coz I don wanna service my body…"
Monday, June 12, 2006
Marriage: Puts the scare in me
It’s been a few years since I have been away from home. I stay alone now, living in single-rooms or in small rooms as paying guest. Being single has hell lot of advantages, starting from having no one to question you to setting your own timetable for your to-dos to deciding what to spend your time, money and effort on. Not to mention, the million girls I get to ogle at when I step outta my house.
I mean this is life at its very best, no questions!! Just go where life takes you and have fun. I can choose when to talk with my friends and when to switch off my TV to what exactly I watch on TV. I don’t need a partner or a spouse or a soul mate. I got myself and myself will take care of thee.
Well, of course at times when I do look at couples they do stir me up a bit, I scold myself “what the hell are u doing u moron, go get a partner”! Then, I drink some cool-aid.. “Really?? You really think that’s a good idea”.. Well, these are super interesting debates that my conscience goes through and that alone told me its time to look out and find a suitable partner.
So, jokingly I start a topic with my mom on my weekly calls to my parents. My mom “u know?? Ur cousin she’s having her baby next week, your uncle n aunt are gonnab grandparents”. What an opening for me! “mom, what’s the age difference between you and uncle”.. Mom “ couple” .. “Mom, u mean, you are as old as him, yet you are years away from being a grand parent?” Mom “ ha-ha, nice try I think you got time”.
Well, I was still zoomed in on this whole idea, “ there’s a time for everything and it is now”. What if my mom says “later!! buddy”, I thought maybe I should start the mental process you know, what exact qualities will make me comfortable to choose them(?) as my partner and soul-mate for life.
I am a fanatic as far as current affairs and equally fanatic about sports. Now, most guys can claim that, I think it’s a “guy’s syndrome”. Well, I do spend the better part of the daylight in front of my computer and do stuffs that are not always productive, so I think I am ripe to be updated from where the next sports tourney is happening to what Tony Blair said to Sky news.
Well, those at-least are common among people not guys alone, but I do take more pro-western or pro-american stands. From singing “God Bless America” to understanding the civics of the American fabric I think I have modeled myself into a pro-west individual. Naturally, I am interested in areas that concern the everyday American. When I scan through the list that I find intriguing, it includes the issues of abortion, gay marriage and immigration.
I tend to like people who assimilate with the surrounding, I firmly believe I do and I completely expect the same from my other half. What is a tricky area though is the issue of Gay Marriage, it does seem funny why a straight guy would consider the area of homosexuals an intriguing concept, well, I don’t like discrimination and abhor discrimination of any form – based on sex, color or sexuality – I cant stand people who discriminate others.
Among my fellow Indian folks who come here, the one thing I find exasperating and even down right filthy.. is their disdain for African-American race. Indian immigrants stamp these people as notorious, bad criminals. I have lot more black friends than Caucasian and I love them for what they are. This looks silly, but I find this among many Indians, they just don’t respect the black people. I hate that.
Then comes my sports fetish, I just can’t miss games or not watch captivating events, I mean I love baseball for the way the game is. I for some reason love baseball more than cricket. I have always been a soccer fanatic, so my interests are varied and deep, I expect this interest in my partner, as that would really give us a comfort level.
Then the concept of religion, I think I myself have a very complex attitude towards religion. I view religion as more of a guide, a set of rules so to speak to suggest and cultivate good thoughts and actions. Nothing more. I don’t think I get too fanatical about religion, but I am proud of my heritage and when someone attacks my base I get riled.
So I paused, I am a religion-loving conservative that doesn’t always go to temples or believe GOD is a person and I also support homosexuals and believe they have the right to marriage. I am captivated by sports as much as by women and love to ogle. Well, honestly I donn’o how guys stop ogling once they are married. That alone is an achievement.
I do find the level of interest I have for some areas in life -- that others consider mundane or unimportant – to be a lot important to me. As much as I am an Indian I am also an American and I have habits and actions that are a healthy cocktail that I love drinking and being me everytime.
I hardly imagine I can be as rigid with some of these aspects I think I always will be, if in fact I have any thoughts of being in a married life. I guess - my mom was right - I have lot of time. I guess, there is a reason guys are single at my age and continue to be until tour parents decide “its time”. Playfully or not I am not going to ask my mom and dad that question again, for what is a simple concept “marriage” involves complex issues that am not yet willing to explore.
Right now, I think maybe never. Viva la single life.
I mean this is life at its very best, no questions!! Just go where life takes you and have fun. I can choose when to talk with my friends and when to switch off my TV to what exactly I watch on TV. I don’t need a partner or a spouse or a soul mate. I got myself and myself will take care of thee.
Well, of course at times when I do look at couples they do stir me up a bit, I scold myself “what the hell are u doing u moron, go get a partner”! Then, I drink some cool-aid.. “Really?? You really think that’s a good idea”.. Well, these are super interesting debates that my conscience goes through and that alone told me its time to look out and find a suitable partner.
So, jokingly I start a topic with my mom on my weekly calls to my parents. My mom “u know?? Ur cousin she’s having her baby next week, your uncle n aunt are gonnab grandparents”. What an opening for me! “mom, what’s the age difference between you and uncle”.. Mom “ couple” .. “Mom, u mean, you are as old as him, yet you are years away from being a grand parent?” Mom “ ha-ha, nice try I think you got time”.
Well, I was still zoomed in on this whole idea, “ there’s a time for everything and it is now”. What if my mom says “later!! buddy”, I thought maybe I should start the mental process you know, what exact qualities will make me comfortable to choose them(?) as my partner and soul-mate for life.
I am a fanatic as far as current affairs and equally fanatic about sports. Now, most guys can claim that, I think it’s a “guy’s syndrome”. Well, I do spend the better part of the daylight in front of my computer and do stuffs that are not always productive, so I think I am ripe to be updated from where the next sports tourney is happening to what Tony Blair said to Sky news.
Well, those at-least are common among people not guys alone, but I do take more pro-western or pro-american stands. From singing “God Bless America” to understanding the civics of the American fabric I think I have modeled myself into a pro-west individual. Naturally, I am interested in areas that concern the everyday American. When I scan through the list that I find intriguing, it includes the issues of abortion, gay marriage and immigration.
I tend to like people who assimilate with the surrounding, I firmly believe I do and I completely expect the same from my other half. What is a tricky area though is the issue of Gay Marriage, it does seem funny why a straight guy would consider the area of homosexuals an intriguing concept, well, I don’t like discrimination and abhor discrimination of any form – based on sex, color or sexuality – I cant stand people who discriminate others.
Among my fellow Indian folks who come here, the one thing I find exasperating and even down right filthy.. is their disdain for African-American race. Indian immigrants stamp these people as notorious, bad criminals. I have lot more black friends than Caucasian and I love them for what they are. This looks silly, but I find this among many Indians, they just don’t respect the black people. I hate that.
Then comes my sports fetish, I just can’t miss games or not watch captivating events, I mean I love baseball for the way the game is. I for some reason love baseball more than cricket. I have always been a soccer fanatic, so my interests are varied and deep, I expect this interest in my partner, as that would really give us a comfort level.
Then the concept of religion, I think I myself have a very complex attitude towards religion. I view religion as more of a guide, a set of rules so to speak to suggest and cultivate good thoughts and actions. Nothing more. I don’t think I get too fanatical about religion, but I am proud of my heritage and when someone attacks my base I get riled.
So I paused, I am a religion-loving conservative that doesn’t always go to temples or believe GOD is a person and I also support homosexuals and believe they have the right to marriage. I am captivated by sports as much as by women and love to ogle. Well, honestly I donn’o how guys stop ogling once they are married. That alone is an achievement.
I do find the level of interest I have for some areas in life -- that others consider mundane or unimportant – to be a lot important to me. As much as I am an Indian I am also an American and I have habits and actions that are a healthy cocktail that I love drinking and being me everytime.
I hardly imagine I can be as rigid with some of these aspects I think I always will be, if in fact I have any thoughts of being in a married life. I guess - my mom was right - I have lot of time. I guess, there is a reason guys are single at my age and continue to be until tour parents decide “its time”. Playfully or not I am not going to ask my mom and dad that question again, for what is a simple concept “marriage” involves complex issues that am not yet willing to explore.
Right now, I think maybe never. Viva la single life.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Indian Parents, American Kids
Yo.. never cease to admire the slippery slope that some Indian parents find themselves in.. when they handle American born kids. At the heart of the problem.. a couple of misunderstandings, one each on the kids and parents part.
But, i am tempted to ignore the kids's misdoings only because they are young. I am more intrigued by the parents's misguided views, that baffles kids (and quasis alike).
Bottom line, parents have to not only acknowledge but understand that kids born here are more American than Indian. This fact needs to be understood, its plain and simple. I simply dont understand the whining parents go "look at my kid.. does not follow indian culture, is not patriotic about India.. blah blah"... It is perfectly right to be annoyed if kids brought up in India are like that, but kids brought up in America??.. Thats a dandy.. they dont have American passports for nothing, US is their country and West-Life is their culture.
I am not saying, we should let them run loose and be a nutjob smoking weed out of a hose, but at the same time we cannot and should not expect them to feel too intrigued by APJ Kalam (as much as we love and respect him).
Its a fine line, we cannot force Indian culture on them (that itself is a turn off for an American Kid), we should make them glean and inculcate the good of ours with the best of America's. Sometimes recognising the fact can be the difference between a great home atmosphere and ranchy one, particularly in the "metling pot" that foreign Desis find themselves in.
Recognise.. Realise.. Live.. Let Live..
But, i am tempted to ignore the kids's misdoings only because they are young. I am more intrigued by the parents's misguided views, that baffles kids (and quasis alike).
Bottom line, parents have to not only acknowledge but understand that kids born here are more American than Indian. This fact needs to be understood, its plain and simple. I simply dont understand the whining parents go "look at my kid.. does not follow indian culture, is not patriotic about India.. blah blah"... It is perfectly right to be annoyed if kids brought up in India are like that, but kids brought up in America??.. Thats a dandy.. they dont have American passports for nothing, US is their country and West-Life is their culture.
I am not saying, we should let them run loose and be a nutjob smoking weed out of a hose, but at the same time we cannot and should not expect them to feel too intrigued by APJ Kalam (as much as we love and respect him).
Its a fine line, we cannot force Indian culture on them (that itself is a turn off for an American Kid), we should make them glean and inculcate the good of ours with the best of America's. Sometimes recognising the fact can be the difference between a great home atmosphere and ranchy one, particularly in the "metling pot" that foreign Desis find themselves in.
Recognise.. Realise.. Live.. Let Live..
Friday, April 07, 2006
Bed Bugs: Irritating and Expensive
Yo.. have u ever been afraid of a pint-sized creature, which looks like the cockroaches great grand fetus, yeah... me neither.. until one day my world (and my room) took an upside down change.. Damn.. i never like the word change when used in these kind of contexts.
Rewind.. a few months.. sleeping n dreaming about Beyonce Knowles and Preity Zinta when bam something bit me.. i curse hell.. i curse the object.. i go back to sleep.. bam another bite.. and another.. with eyes closed i hit the spot of the bite with my hand. the room started smelling.. i was irritated.. switched on the light and moved away from my comforter and looked at my leg, B-L-O-O-D.. darn.. damn.. god-atrocious my freakin blood..
i was lookin all over what the bonkers was on.. i had to look no further than 2 inches from the spot were my O positives were strewn, a pint-sized roach-like B-U-G.. i made the sound like an afro brother D-A-A-A-M-M-N.. what the heck was that.. i went back to sleep..
once in a while this happened.. and i was too happy to prove my manliness in crushing these 1mm thugs that were drinkin my blood like we drink coconut water.. but soon they were all over... like ants .. worse than ants.. like the invading Muslim Moguls.. they were all over the place..
i was freakin shocked man.. like a brother.. man.. i aint got no clue.. what the heck i am to do.. thts when my cousin drops a bomb.. these things spread faster than spilled coffee.. now my confidence that i can control these wasps-blood-sucking mini-giants was long gone..
freak.. i got scared.. what the F bomb.. if my landlord sees this and he throws me outta the house?? Jesus Colomme.. am not gonna let that happen.. so i got creative.. with the help of a mysterious powder from my office cleaning lady, so i applied them all around the door.. the one good thing (??) was these suckers never left my room.. so i was mildly happy more so because my landlord has gotta kid whos 2 years old.. i didnt want him to go through any of this crap..
but i lost the battle.. they spread man.. they freakin spread.. like all over the place.. they got to.... my boxes.. my freaking laptop motherboard.. my clothes.. my books.. they were everywhere man.. like us.. like humans.. its like my room was their freakin earth and they like humans took control of it and almost made me extinct there..
well.. the first bug freakin dared out of my room.. and my landlady saw it.. kabaaam and i was freakin hosed.. to their credit, they helped me fix this issue.. they along with me thought this freakin thing can be controlled.. alas.. even Buddha would lose his patience with them.. the bed bugs are vicious man.. like some bad alien creatures..
it was like a freakin bad episode man.. i couldnt sleep.. i could not lie down in one location for more than one hour they like form a mole hill by you and start sending worker bugs from their bunker.. it was like watching their own TROY.. crazy.. and i could not switch off the light.. freakin things have some super special antenna which on the lack of light "unleash hell" quoting Gladiator... it was my own Armageddon as far as staying in that room..
well.. finally we had to something and we got the freakin room fumigated and its goona take 2 to 3 days for me to reoccupy my own room, because its wet.. it smells like crap and u faint like a lottery winner once you enter the room..
atleast, we hope the room is cleaner and minus those invaders from Hell.. u wont believe me i have cursed them like we all curse our next door neighbour.. its that bad of an experience.. and oh by the way i have got trophies.. i mean marks from their sucking all over my body.. freakin all over like i had a bout of omophagous fetish over myself..
it was that bad.. but its almost over.. fumigation done.. hopefully i can go back n catch the hours n hours of sleep these mini-monsters took off me.. man.. but they wont go that easy wud they.. they hit a max fine on my puny purse before they were all escorted out of my little den..
Rewind.. a few months.. sleeping n dreaming about Beyonce Knowles and Preity Zinta when bam something bit me.. i curse hell.. i curse the object.. i go back to sleep.. bam another bite.. and another.. with eyes closed i hit the spot of the bite with my hand. the room started smelling.. i was irritated.. switched on the light and moved away from my comforter and looked at my leg, B-L-O-O-D.. darn.. damn.. god-atrocious my freakin blood..
i was lookin all over what the bonkers was on.. i had to look no further than 2 inches from the spot were my O positives were strewn, a pint-sized roach-like B-U-G.. i made the sound like an afro brother D-A-A-A-M-M-N.. what the heck was that.. i went back to sleep..
once in a while this happened.. and i was too happy to prove my manliness in crushing these 1mm thugs that were drinkin my blood like we drink coconut water.. but soon they were all over... like ants .. worse than ants.. like the invading Muslim Moguls.. they were all over the place..
i was freakin shocked man.. like a brother.. man.. i aint got no clue.. what the heck i am to do.. thts when my cousin drops a bomb.. these things spread faster than spilled coffee.. now my confidence that i can control these wasps-blood-sucking mini-giants was long gone..
freak.. i got scared.. what the F bomb.. if my landlord sees this and he throws me outta the house?? Jesus Colomme.. am not gonna let that happen.. so i got creative.. with the help of a mysterious powder from my office cleaning lady, so i applied them all around the door.. the one good thing (??) was these suckers never left my room.. so i was mildly happy more so because my landlord has gotta kid whos 2 years old.. i didnt want him to go through any of this crap..
but i lost the battle.. they spread man.. they freakin spread.. like all over the place.. they got to.... my boxes.. my freaking laptop motherboard.. my clothes.. my books.. they were everywhere man.. like us.. like humans.. its like my room was their freakin earth and they like humans took control of it and almost made me extinct there..
well.. the first bug freakin dared out of my room.. and my landlady saw it.. kabaaam and i was freakin hosed.. to their credit, they helped me fix this issue.. they along with me thought this freakin thing can be controlled.. alas.. even Buddha would lose his patience with them.. the bed bugs are vicious man.. like some bad alien creatures..
it was like a freakin bad episode man.. i couldnt sleep.. i could not lie down in one location for more than one hour they like form a mole hill by you and start sending worker bugs from their bunker.. it was like watching their own TROY.. crazy.. and i could not switch off the light.. freakin things have some super special antenna which on the lack of light "unleash hell" quoting Gladiator... it was my own Armageddon as far as staying in that room..
well.. finally we had to something and we got the freakin room fumigated and its goona take 2 to 3 days for me to reoccupy my own room, because its wet.. it smells like crap and u faint like a lottery winner once you enter the room..
atleast, we hope the room is cleaner and minus those invaders from Hell.. u wont believe me i have cursed them like we all curse our next door neighbour.. its that bad of an experience.. and oh by the way i have got trophies.. i mean marks from their sucking all over my body.. freakin all over like i had a bout of omophagous fetish over myself..
it was that bad.. but its almost over.. fumigation done.. hopefully i can go back n catch the hours n hours of sleep these mini-monsters took off me.. man.. but they wont go that easy wud they.. they hit a max fine on my puny purse before they were all escorted out of my little den..
Monday, March 27, 2006
Sports Lesson: Destiny Defined
Yo.. i ridicule myself and try to address my soul often times.. the subject is the fetish i have for Sports and the orgy of time i spend analysing pre..during..post game situations and matches. I think millions of guys would attest to this syndrome, the quasi-athlete as we like to believe we are, the ones who hit that ball over the fence or scores a bunch of field goals or throws 8 Touch downs.
Believe me, there is nothing more than a good night sleep laced with some dreams about how you won the championship for your club or country and how New York Times or ESPN screams you just overtook Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson for on-field immortals. I mean without battling an eye, guys would sign up to a dream with them scoring the winning goal than them scoring a different kind with Beyonce Knowles or Jen Anniston.
There is something about sports that makes men go senseless.. go angry.. become inconsolable and lose thyself in the mania. Its precisely a feeling, that transports you to Utopia.. to 3rd base.. sports is more than life.. believe me, i have read about men taking lives for these sports.
I always thought i spend way too much time on these things, but often i learn something from them.. where else can you have a practical display of what it takes to win?.. Hardwork.. Team Work.. Sacrifice.. Blood.. Spine and Salt. Thats why men love sports, it typifies what they understand life to be, a spirited battle of wits.. nuts and bolts with a cohesive team that faces pressure and outperforms thy expectations.
Once in a while, you learn some invaluable nuggets.. some gems.. heres one i learned when one coach was asked.. "your team was not supposed to win, how did you motivate them?"
the answer:
destiny is not chance.. its choice
destiny is not what you are given in life.. its what you take out of life
destiny is not luck.. it is hardwork..
destiny is not for also rans.. it is for those who ran hard
now.. if those statements are not truer abt life (not only sports) i donno what else is.. believe me, instead of the fetish in lining up to therapists and temples if we listen to these men who motivate people to work hard, you will not only learn about life and what moves people but also start implementing it..
Sports teaches one more than a game, it teaches one thy life and makes them learn about thyself!!
Believe me, there is nothing more than a good night sleep laced with some dreams about how you won the championship for your club or country and how New York Times or ESPN screams you just overtook Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson for on-field immortals. I mean without battling an eye, guys would sign up to a dream with them scoring the winning goal than them scoring a different kind with Beyonce Knowles or Jen Anniston.
There is something about sports that makes men go senseless.. go angry.. become inconsolable and lose thyself in the mania. Its precisely a feeling, that transports you to Utopia.. to 3rd base.. sports is more than life.. believe me, i have read about men taking lives for these sports.
I always thought i spend way too much time on these things, but often i learn something from them.. where else can you have a practical display of what it takes to win?.. Hardwork.. Team Work.. Sacrifice.. Blood.. Spine and Salt. Thats why men love sports, it typifies what they understand life to be, a spirited battle of wits.. nuts and bolts with a cohesive team that faces pressure and outperforms thy expectations.
Once in a while, you learn some invaluable nuggets.. some gems.. heres one i learned when one coach was asked.. "your team was not supposed to win, how did you motivate them?"
the answer:
destiny is not chance.. its choice
destiny is not what you are given in life.. its what you take out of life
destiny is not luck.. it is hardwork..
destiny is not for also rans.. it is for those who ran hard
now.. if those statements are not truer abt life (not only sports) i donno what else is.. believe me, instead of the fetish in lining up to therapists and temples if we listen to these men who motivate people to work hard, you will not only learn about life and what moves people but also start implementing it..
Sports teaches one more than a game, it teaches one thy life and makes them learn about thyself!!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
The Domino Effect: Nick the Nuclear deal
Yo.. looks like President Bush has his plates full trying to convince the Congress about the importance of the Nuke Deal.. its impossible to not be biased when we get such a sweet heart deal from America.
Ofcourse America needs our help (and from the deal they give us, we are obliged to do so) but i tried to look at the nuclear deal from all views:
As an Indian: Well, Christmas (or Diwali for Hindus) came early as they say. Not only has our program been (well, sort of) legitimized (and India's non-participation in letter or spirit of NPT overlooked) but US is also going to provide solid support to our civilian needs. The giant elephant in the room, India's energy needs, will be addressed by this effort. With the growing imports in jobs and the increasing needs of our countrymen, we need every assistance we can get.
As An American: You can understand why Bush wants to do it, it (presumably) creates a new ally that can be relied upon, and in the (inevitable) event of US aligning on a different aisle from China, India is a wonderful geographical partner. But, a big one, China is not your average farmer (to cut the golden-egg laying goose, US). China has too much money to lose if it gets into a match with US and all those Chinese goods, well for a change they have to be sit in the factory.
Also, Indian energy consumption has alarmed every one, average Americans do not even know how much reserves India has. A potential fight for a depleting Mid-East oil is a bore. So, if US can help India reduce its energy requirement rate, that helps the US. The trade-off though is to bite the bullet and swallow a bitter medicine and that is America will help a country which dissed NPT and not only got away from it but also gets rewarded.
But, the bigger picture though is the potential friendship that can help in the next century when a realignment of allies happen. A democracy willing ally with the second largest populace cant hurt too bad. So, US gets back little to nothing but a "maybe" future ally. (An awful lot to give up though!!)
The Average Country: Well, these countries are caught in a hard place, they do not want anything to do with arms race or nuclear weapons, but still why is US rewarding the very country that is supposed to be punsihed under NPT? Does this mean we have to do something to prepare ourselves? Practically speaking, some of these countries are geographically liable in a global race!!
Axis of Evil: Aah, the rogue states, the told-you-so countries. This deal is the perfect example of how America favors certain countries. If India can flout NPT and get rewarded why cant we do the same, theres always China to reward us?
The Scoop: Boy, what a pickle, i just hope the US Congress blocks this.. I know it will hurt my country, but i do not want India to be rewarded for 2 decades and in the third decade the "axis of evils" start a war that ensnarles everyone with the premise that Indo-US deal broke all meaning for NPT. I just can see how much this is a fodder for the terrorist Islamists who will whip up a frenzy because a muslim country (Pakistan) was snubbed in favor of India. This has disaster written all over it, for the sake of the world and the potential arms race, lets hope they either tweak or drop this deal. As a citizen of mother earth, i just think thats the safe and secure option for all countries.
Besides, Indians are smart enough to develop these technologies themselves, it may take a few decades but it can be done. The cost of this deal is more than money, its billions of lives at stake.. Let PEACE rule.
Ofcourse America needs our help (and from the deal they give us, we are obliged to do so) but i tried to look at the nuclear deal from all views:
As an Indian: Well, Christmas (or Diwali for Hindus) came early as they say. Not only has our program been (well, sort of) legitimized (and India's non-participation in letter or spirit of NPT overlooked) but US is also going to provide solid support to our civilian needs. The giant elephant in the room, India's energy needs, will be addressed by this effort. With the growing imports in jobs and the increasing needs of our countrymen, we need every assistance we can get.
As An American: You can understand why Bush wants to do it, it (presumably) creates a new ally that can be relied upon, and in the (inevitable) event of US aligning on a different aisle from China, India is a wonderful geographical partner. But, a big one, China is not your average farmer (to cut the golden-egg laying goose, US). China has too much money to lose if it gets into a match with US and all those Chinese goods, well for a change they have to be sit in the factory.
Also, Indian energy consumption has alarmed every one, average Americans do not even know how much reserves India has. A potential fight for a depleting Mid-East oil is a bore. So, if US can help India reduce its energy requirement rate, that helps the US. The trade-off though is to bite the bullet and swallow a bitter medicine and that is America will help a country which dissed NPT and not only got away from it but also gets rewarded.
But, the bigger picture though is the potential friendship that can help in the next century when a realignment of allies happen. A democracy willing ally with the second largest populace cant hurt too bad. So, US gets back little to nothing but a "maybe" future ally. (An awful lot to give up though!!)
The Average Country: Well, these countries are caught in a hard place, they do not want anything to do with arms race or nuclear weapons, but still why is US rewarding the very country that is supposed to be punsihed under NPT? Does this mean we have to do something to prepare ourselves? Practically speaking, some of these countries are geographically liable in a global race!!
Axis of Evil: Aah, the rogue states, the told-you-so countries. This deal is the perfect example of how America favors certain countries. If India can flout NPT and get rewarded why cant we do the same, theres always China to reward us?
The Scoop: Boy, what a pickle, i just hope the US Congress blocks this.. I know it will hurt my country, but i do not want India to be rewarded for 2 decades and in the third decade the "axis of evils" start a war that ensnarles everyone with the premise that Indo-US deal broke all meaning for NPT. I just can see how much this is a fodder for the terrorist Islamists who will whip up a frenzy because a muslim country (Pakistan) was snubbed in favor of India. This has disaster written all over it, for the sake of the world and the potential arms race, lets hope they either tweak or drop this deal. As a citizen of mother earth, i just think thats the safe and secure option for all countries.
Besides, Indians are smart enough to develop these technologies themselves, it may take a few decades but it can be done. The cost of this deal is more than money, its billions of lives at stake.. Let PEACE rule.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The Exception: Indian Nuke Policy
Yo.. nothing makes me more happy than a rosy relationship between India and US. Both countries are good examples of successful democracies and are prominent role players. India has gotten to a late start in mending frosty relationships with western countries, and the cold war dynamics of earlier decades and India's love affair with Russia were bumps in the road.
President Clinton broke the ice after a frosty time following the 98' Nuclear bomb tests in Pokhran,India. Clinton, the darling of millions of Indians, both during and after his presidency, is a man much appreciated and loved -- deified --in India. Particularly, his charity work in India and other third world countries are legendary. I still recollect the Clinton craze in the early part of this decade when Bollywood cine-stars started naming their condos the "White House".
A lot has to do with the westernization of India, you find people listening to rap and hip-hop in posh cities and trying to be as American as possible. Yes, India does have an American love affair. This love affair was borne from the yearning, the younger generation has for quality life and the gap between dream and reality -- corruption and poverty and illetracy -- in India (although thanks to BPO, the urban population are getting their corns now).
Naturally when various New-Polls found President Bush as an amicable man, this was more a reflcetion of what Indians feel about America. Oggling America is now of the past, mating and dating is the new theme. The sense of confidence, bashfully and quite reflective, of Indians -- aided by -- the orgy of jobs that American firms tend to throw at hopeful graduates facilitates this unlikely romance between US and India.
Well, it is a love-affair, for only in love affairs do we make exceptions, do we ease or even lose - if worthy -- our views and perceptions and our "donts" in favor of a romantic partner or so America hopes. Love-affairs can be blissful and poisonous, can be heaven and hell -- potential partners, have to agree to disagree and hopefuly not disagree to agree.
Ironically, its the "disagree to agree" affair that China and US had that made US ditch China for a India. India, wisely, went to the beauty parlor -- manufactured nukes -- and built herself into a beauty -- with bombs -- and looked attractive enough for the US to develop a crush for India -- or so we think.
This crush -- or the necessity to show the ex (China) -- has made US bend its rules, even dance around and pardon India for conducting the nuclear tests. Even though the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty urges budding nation not get carried away with nuclear fission and fusion, thats exactly what India did. Like other disobedient countries India faced a "slap on the wrist" sanctions and that was rescinded by President Bush, whi had a grand idea.
With Bush calling signals, US started dating India. And now that the date is beyond "share our door-key" relationship, US bends some more to accomodate an increasingly spoiled blonde -- India.
There are two scenarios where lovers give and take, in plutonic love like the Brits have with US and the Radical Islamists have with terrorism or the mutual prom time love, where each partner gets air-time for making waves with an unlikely receptor -- a la Jenn Anniston and Brad Pitt.
From a truly selfish point, this is a sweet-heart deal for India, it gets to break the Non-Proliferation treaty, it gets to develop and test Nukes in secrecy and not get referred to International Atomic Agency and it also gets the trade embargo rescinded and finally -- for some whipped cream on your starbucks chocolate coolatta -- India gets the "knowledge" for civil usage of nuclear technology and alternate fuel.
The NPT - for starters - is what the political community calls a "carrot and stick" approach. You obey international laws you get help, you disobey international laws your funds get cut and trades stopped. A simple effective treatment that has prevented or delayed many rogue nations -- looking at you Axis of Evils -- from getting the wrong technology for the wrong use.
Now, NPT, is not only a simple law, its a fundamental agreement, something that was looked upon with respect for its effectiveness. The US for its own purpose -- of getting a balancing power to China -- is amenable to break this law as an exception.
Wow.. thats sweet if i look at it as an Indian, but makes me fear if for one fleeting minute i look at it as a citizen of the world. Now whats going to prevent some other rogue nation from pointing India as an example who broke the treaty and benefitted from it too?
The plan to avoid Nuclear explosive material from getting to the wrong person will be compromised by this ridiculous sweet heart deal that Condoleeza Rice and George Bush are polishing. What is to say India -- once attaining the high cliff of counter-Chinese ally -- will favor US always, whats to say India is not vulnerable to its brittle anti-US Communist and Left parties.
President Bush with his "one grand" plan is landing ths US in "one major pickle".
President Clinton broke the ice after a frosty time following the 98' Nuclear bomb tests in Pokhran,India. Clinton, the darling of millions of Indians, both during and after his presidency, is a man much appreciated and loved -- deified --in India. Particularly, his charity work in India and other third world countries are legendary. I still recollect the Clinton craze in the early part of this decade when Bollywood cine-stars started naming their condos the "White House".
A lot has to do with the westernization of India, you find people listening to rap and hip-hop in posh cities and trying to be as American as possible. Yes, India does have an American love affair. This love affair was borne from the yearning, the younger generation has for quality life and the gap between dream and reality -- corruption and poverty and illetracy -- in India (although thanks to BPO, the urban population are getting their corns now).
Naturally when various New-Polls found President Bush as an amicable man, this was more a reflcetion of what Indians feel about America. Oggling America is now of the past, mating and dating is the new theme. The sense of confidence, bashfully and quite reflective, of Indians -- aided by -- the orgy of jobs that American firms tend to throw at hopeful graduates facilitates this unlikely romance between US and India.
Well, it is a love-affair, for only in love affairs do we make exceptions, do we ease or even lose - if worthy -- our views and perceptions and our "donts" in favor of a romantic partner or so America hopes. Love-affairs can be blissful and poisonous, can be heaven and hell -- potential partners, have to agree to disagree and hopefuly not disagree to agree.
Ironically, its the "disagree to agree" affair that China and US had that made US ditch China for a India. India, wisely, went to the beauty parlor -- manufactured nukes -- and built herself into a beauty -- with bombs -- and looked attractive enough for the US to develop a crush for India -- or so we think.
This crush -- or the necessity to show the ex (China) -- has made US bend its rules, even dance around and pardon India for conducting the nuclear tests. Even though the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty urges budding nation not get carried away with nuclear fission and fusion, thats exactly what India did. Like other disobedient countries India faced a "slap on the wrist" sanctions and that was rescinded by President Bush, whi had a grand idea.
With Bush calling signals, US started dating India. And now that the date is beyond "share our door-key" relationship, US bends some more to accomodate an increasingly spoiled blonde -- India.
There are two scenarios where lovers give and take, in plutonic love like the Brits have with US and the Radical Islamists have with terrorism or the mutual prom time love, where each partner gets air-time for making waves with an unlikely receptor -- a la Jenn Anniston and Brad Pitt.
From a truly selfish point, this is a sweet-heart deal for India, it gets to break the Non-Proliferation treaty, it gets to develop and test Nukes in secrecy and not get referred to International Atomic Agency and it also gets the trade embargo rescinded and finally -- for some whipped cream on your starbucks chocolate coolatta -- India gets the "knowledge" for civil usage of nuclear technology and alternate fuel.
The NPT - for starters - is what the political community calls a "carrot and stick" approach. You obey international laws you get help, you disobey international laws your funds get cut and trades stopped. A simple effective treatment that has prevented or delayed many rogue nations -- looking at you Axis of Evils -- from getting the wrong technology for the wrong use.
Now, NPT, is not only a simple law, its a fundamental agreement, something that was looked upon with respect for its effectiveness. The US for its own purpose -- of getting a balancing power to China -- is amenable to break this law as an exception.
Wow.. thats sweet if i look at it as an Indian, but makes me fear if for one fleeting minute i look at it as a citizen of the world. Now whats going to prevent some other rogue nation from pointing India as an example who broke the treaty and benefitted from it too?
The plan to avoid Nuclear explosive material from getting to the wrong person will be compromised by this ridiculous sweet heart deal that Condoleeza Rice and George Bush are polishing. What is to say India -- once attaining the high cliff of counter-Chinese ally -- will favor US always, whats to say India is not vulnerable to its brittle anti-US Communist and Left parties.
President Bush with his "one grand" plan is landing ths US in "one major pickle".
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Inspiring Writer : Dan Froomkin
Yo... every one writes and every one wants to be heard.. and ofcourse they always make sense -atleast to themselves -- and they convey the feel of the reading populace-- apparently-- perfectly.
Some like few writers cause they write what the readers like to read, some writers know the color of glasses their audience wear and tone to that taste. In today's world of "me" and "my" and "I" many dont even consider what the opposing view is.
But once in a while we get to see some real gem writers who are sincere and honest, one such guy who writes some super cool stuff is Dan Froomkin. Dan is a contributing columnist for the Harvard University puppet Niemanwatchdog. Dan also contributes to one of the most interesting columns i read everyday on WashingtonPost, the White House Briefings, a very interesting and informative column that gives you a take on everyday happenings.
Writers like Dan are pearls and rare ones too. In this world of writing "bumper sticker" headlines and empty columns, Dan stands apart!!
Some like few writers cause they write what the readers like to read, some writers know the color of glasses their audience wear and tone to that taste. In today's world of "me" and "my" and "I" many dont even consider what the opposing view is.
But once in a while we get to see some real gem writers who are sincere and honest, one such guy who writes some super cool stuff is Dan Froomkin. Dan is a contributing columnist for the Harvard University puppet Niemanwatchdog. Dan also contributes to one of the most interesting columns i read everyday on WashingtonPost, the White House Briefings, a very interesting and informative column that gives you a take on everyday happenings.
Writers like Dan are pearls and rare ones too. In this world of writing "bumper sticker" headlines and empty columns, Dan stands apart!!
Monday, February 20, 2006
Danish Delight: Inclusiveness the theme of cartoons
Yo.. things are going smooth, no fresh news that really draws your attention, no not even Mr Cheney's hunting mishap... man was i relieved to see Mr Wittington (the victim of the accident) stand up and walk and talk. Now we can forget this unwanted episode and move on with some real issues that are staring this nation.
On the world front, i read an excellent column by Flemming Rose of Jyllands-Posten. Rose, the editor who commissioned the cartoons for their Danish daily, gives his REASONS for publishing those cartoons.
When i read that Washington Post column, it made sense to me, but unfortunately he may be preaching to the choi`r. The real audience who need to read his article are in the middle east, clueless what they are upto and why they are the pawns they are.
Radical Islam has no place in this world, just like Adolf Hitler had none in the earlier generation. The main reason we see these riots and kidnappings and their spin-offs are all branched from the lack of perspective that some of the middle-east governments and its citizens exhibit.
Underlining the fact that this rowdy cowards have no clue about whats going on is the fact that, the US interests and embassies getting burnt and attacked. This reeks stupidity and underscores the desperation of Muslim mullahs from the mid-east. Last i checked, these cartoons were printed in Denmark which is in Europe not North America. How this became a mid-east vs US issue is beyond me or any straight thinking induvidual.
Added to this is the forgotten fact that these cartoons were published in September 05. Why on earth this explodes in Feb 06 -- even if tempted to give credit to the fact they have a late fuse -- is not readily comprehensible. At the center of all are a pair of Imam's -- who got Danish citizenship.. but why?? -- who traveled to Mid-east and spread the cartoon.
Now, here is the discomforting fact, they have one of their own who goes about distributing -- whats technically deemed unfunny -- cartoons. And i do subscribe to the school of thought they distributed far more offenseive caricatures than that were published on the daily.
If Jyllands-Posten and its editors are under such heckling and attacks, so should the Imam's who spread the hatred.
The editor argues very well, his real intent and that was to bring to light the fact that Muslims -- the conservatives -- are bring included in the society and the society preaches the concept of maturity to handle criticism.
The funniest part of it all is the fact that those cartoons are more thought provoking than hate inducing, i have seen far more offensive material hurled against Jesus Christ and Christianity and Hinduism than what these cartoons do.
I could not believe my eyes when i was watching a news report that showed Iranian youth signing up to hurt America. Again, why exactly this is a US problem boggles me. I am certain about one thing, the religion of peace as some paint it, is far from it, that religion if anything is the factory that produces some filthy induviduals who care not for other souls and humans.
The craziest thing of all, not even a tenth of this rioting mid-easterners may have seen these cartoons, maybe if they do, they will reflect and think what all the fuss was about.. or maybe not, after all they do prefer caves than beaches and enslaving women than recognize them and corrupt the youth than let them mature.. may be the light at the end of the tunnel is too bright for them, may be like a scared beast they start running away from the light..
On the world front, i read an excellent column by Flemming Rose of Jyllands-Posten. Rose, the editor who commissioned the cartoons for their Danish daily, gives his REASONS for publishing those cartoons.
When i read that Washington Post column, it made sense to me, but unfortunately he may be preaching to the choi`r. The real audience who need to read his article are in the middle east, clueless what they are upto and why they are the pawns they are.
Radical Islam has no place in this world, just like Adolf Hitler had none in the earlier generation. The main reason we see these riots and kidnappings and their spin-offs are all branched from the lack of perspective that some of the middle-east governments and its citizens exhibit.
Underlining the fact that this rowdy cowards have no clue about whats going on is the fact that, the US interests and embassies getting burnt and attacked. This reeks stupidity and underscores the desperation of Muslim mullahs from the mid-east. Last i checked, these cartoons were printed in Denmark which is in Europe not North America. How this became a mid-east vs US issue is beyond me or any straight thinking induvidual.
Added to this is the forgotten fact that these cartoons were published in September 05. Why on earth this explodes in Feb 06 -- even if tempted to give credit to the fact they have a late fuse -- is not readily comprehensible. At the center of all are a pair of Imam's -- who got Danish citizenship.. but why?? -- who traveled to Mid-east and spread the cartoon.
Now, here is the discomforting fact, they have one of their own who goes about distributing -- whats technically deemed unfunny -- cartoons. And i do subscribe to the school of thought they distributed far more offenseive caricatures than that were published on the daily.
If Jyllands-Posten and its editors are under such heckling and attacks, so should the Imam's who spread the hatred.
The editor argues very well, his real intent and that was to bring to light the fact that Muslims -- the conservatives -- are bring included in the society and the society preaches the concept of maturity to handle criticism.
The funniest part of it all is the fact that those cartoons are more thought provoking than hate inducing, i have seen far more offensive material hurled against Jesus Christ and Christianity and Hinduism than what these cartoons do.
I could not believe my eyes when i was watching a news report that showed Iranian youth signing up to hurt America. Again, why exactly this is a US problem boggles me. I am certain about one thing, the religion of peace as some paint it, is far from it, that religion if anything is the factory that produces some filthy induviduals who care not for other souls and humans.
The craziest thing of all, not even a tenth of this rioting mid-easterners may have seen these cartoons, maybe if they do, they will reflect and think what all the fuss was about.. or maybe not, after all they do prefer caves than beaches and enslaving women than recognize them and corrupt the youth than let them mature.. may be the light at the end of the tunnel is too bright for them, may be like a scared beast they start running away from the light..
Friday, February 03, 2006
Hypocrites : Radical Islamists
Ok.. here i am watching a nice evening News Broadcast from BBC.. everything is the same.. Prince Harry wore a pink suit today and England Soccer coach getting duped by a fake sheikh..
Same ol England i thought.. when they got serious..
Anchor.." and now we are taking u to Denmark where the radical Muslims are reacting to Danish newspapers"..
hmm.. i thought.. do these gusy NOT fight anybody? or do these guys NOT have a problem with anybody..
apparently... some Newspapers published a photo of a holy GOD.. [ who till date no one has sighted by the way ] and apparently the radical Islamists don like it [ coz they really donno how he shud look ] and they were burning Danish flags...
got me laffing my ass off.. are these guys for real?
if they wanna hide in their wacko caves and wear tight robes and pink suits and cover their leaking egg-rolls on their noses with black veils.. am all for it u minions...
but u have no foot hole in an other nation.. where by the way democracy is followed and people can express their rights and feelings..
and then came the funniest bit.. a local IMAM.. [ now if this guy is so religious why did he flee Palestine in the first place? ]
he says " i WANT the Danish country to declare NEW laws.. u cannot insult us... u can have ur freedom but we wont tolerate this"
either he drinks waste-oil or leaks thru his nose.. heres some news Mr whatever..
U r in a different country.. they are not in ur fundamentalist country.. u FLEED ur country for greed and money and u begged "immigration" and became a "citizen" of denmark and now u want to turn around and cry foul?
the Americans are right.. Europeans are fools... they shud have never let the radicals into thier country.. Look at what France went thru bcos of another set of wackos?
Heres news to u Mr Imam.. u cannot be a hypocrite... u demand that we change Eurpoean and American rules for u freakin wackos to be accomodated..
[so that u can practice driving planes into buildings] on the same note will u demand ur COUNTRY to change laws so Iran n Iraq and oil-for-corruption regimes will accomodate Americans and Europeans... allow Gay marriage and allow our way of life in ur country?
answer that and take ur egg-roll nose to right where u came from.. Insa-allah
Same ol England i thought.. when they got serious..
Anchor.." and now we are taking u to Denmark where the radical Muslims are reacting to Danish newspapers"..
hmm.. i thought.. do these gusy NOT fight anybody? or do these guys NOT have a problem with anybody..
apparently... some Newspapers published a photo of a holy GOD.. [ who till date no one has sighted by the way ] and apparently the radical Islamists don like it [ coz they really donno how he shud look ] and they were burning Danish flags...
got me laffing my ass off.. are these guys for real?
if they wanna hide in their wacko caves and wear tight robes and pink suits and cover their leaking egg-rolls on their noses with black veils.. am all for it u minions...
but u have no foot hole in an other nation.. where by the way democracy is followed and people can express their rights and feelings..
and then came the funniest bit.. a local IMAM.. [ now if this guy is so religious why did he flee Palestine in the first place? ]
he says " i WANT the Danish country to declare NEW laws.. u cannot insult us... u can have ur freedom but we wont tolerate this"
either he drinks waste-oil or leaks thru his nose.. heres some news Mr whatever..
U r in a different country.. they are not in ur fundamentalist country.. u FLEED ur country for greed and money and u begged "immigration" and became a "citizen" of denmark and now u want to turn around and cry foul?
the Americans are right.. Europeans are fools... they shud have never let the radicals into thier country.. Look at what France went thru bcos of another set of wackos?
Heres news to u Mr Imam.. u cannot be a hypocrite... u demand that we change Eurpoean and American rules for u freakin wackos to be accomodated..
[so that u can practice driving planes into buildings] on the same note will u demand ur COUNTRY to change laws so Iran n Iraq and oil-for-corruption regimes will accomodate Americans and Europeans... allow Gay marriage and allow our way of life in ur country?
answer that and take ur egg-roll nose to right where u came from.. Insa-allah
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