Of Random Ravings and Rantings

Racism Redux

2007-02-23T13:35:00.000+05:30

Let me continue my previous thread on racism. You would be very wrong if you thought that the dirty “R” word only relates to color of skin or caste, or stems from xenophobia. Maybe you should crawl out from the cozy rock you have been hiding under.

Recently, there was the Cauvery verdict. Triumph of reason over irrationality, if you ask me. To me, for once, our justices system came through and offered some succor to water-starved Tamilnadu. As a protest to this “partiality”, Karnataka closes down and you could actually feel the wave of anger. While scouring through some news sites and forums I subscribe to, I was shocked to read the comments of “educated common man.” They started with asking Tamils in the state to return back to Tamilnadu and then blossomed in to the full-on show of hate for “other immigrants!” They blamed “immigrants” for all of Bangalore’s problems – from traffic to state of morality. Some bright spark wrote “If these immigrants stop flooding Bangalore, Karnataka will be back to its wonderful state of yore.”

Similarly, we read about poor laborers from Bihar being targeted everywhere - from Assam to Maharashtra. The “great” Bal Thackrey blames all the ills of Mumbai on the Biharis and wants them all thrown out of Mumbai. Some poor bread-winners-for-their-families Biharis are actually killed while the “great” Thackrey is frothing at the mouth. The Assam extremists actually send a big number of these poor and helpless Biharis back home in body bags. Hitler would have been proud!

No, I’m not getting in the history/civics/geography or politics of who’s right and who’s wrong. As a casual observer, all I see is that an Indian is being prosecuted in India. If we feel like this about fellow Indians, can we blame if a Brit/Canadian/American/Saudi/ doesn’t want us in their country?

Is it racism when a rich, gorgeous, educated movie star is bullied by not-so-educated natives in a contrived situation, but a poor man who goes to another state of his own country so that his family can subsist on the lowest of wages is treated as unwanted trash?

If I could make hypocrisy a sin, I would add it as the eighth member of the list of other deadly seven.

Beside making good money working at home, away from the corporate dirt, I want to live to see the day when any Indian will be able to go anywhere in their own country and not treated unwanted. I have a dream.

Storm in a Fish Bowl

2007-01-29T11:47:00.000+05:30

Yeah, I’m referring to the Shilpa Shetty episode. One hell of a way to start the year! She earns tons of moolah, has become a household name in Britain, and most importantly, has achieved what no Indian other than Mahatma Gandhi could – being discussed in the British parliament! Good going Shilpa!

I find it a storm in the teacup. Or fish bowl, if you will, which is what Big Brother/Big Boss is about. Useless and over-hyped.

I’m not amazed at the existence of racism, no Sir! A lot of us are hard-core racists. It’s just that we’ve discovered over the time what’s politically correct to say and what is not. What I’m amazed at is the response of the Brits to this entire episode. Not the media, but the people. I’ve been reading the comments of the aam-aadmi on various sites and I have to say that I see remarkable maturity over the issue. It is good to see that lot of them are whites, not just of Asian community.

Makes me wonder if we’d act mature enough if we were subjected to soul searching on something that did not show India in an unflattering light. Take my profession – technical writing – for instance. Each time someone dares point that most of our writing is not yet on par, we bristle, raise our voices, start defending. Last year, Reader’s Digest named a city in India rude and we wrote and spoke reams screaming “foul” and “how rude!” Hell, during Shilpagate, in retaliation to the Jade Goody’s rude comments, India Tourism board (or some such organization) published a page-long press release in all prominent Brit newspapers trying to prove how healing India is and how wonderful. I’m gagging.

I see two separate issues here. Racism and India.

Let me start with racism. I find it funny that we cry racism in Shilpa’s case. My experience says we are no virgins in this matter. Reminds me of an incident that has stuck forever in my mind for all the wrong reasons. In the university, we had friends of varied nationalities – Latin American, English, Dutch, Sri Lankan, Arab, African. You name it. The foreign community being not too big, every body knew everybody. But, I remember an “esteemed” Indian senior who refused to invite Africans to his party because they were black! Back home, there’s casteism and there’s regionalism (Madrasi, Bong, what not). Heck, we discriminate on the basis of sex! Oh, and not to forget, how tolerant are we to gays and transvestites? It’s time we take a hard look at ourselves.

Now, let me talk about India, the second issue, as I see it. Mera Bharat mahan. How long are we going to hang on to the coat-tails of past glory? When an outsider comes to India, the first thing they notice is the cleanliness. Or rather, the lack of it. I’m told the surroundings of world-known Taj Mahal are nothing to write home about. And we tout it as the major tourist attraction! We show it as the face of India. How fitting! This brings to me another incident when we needed to travel by train to Pune. Unfortunately, we ended up with a Brit couple and a Danish couple on their way to Goa from Agra. The two couples got talking to each other and after holding back for a long time (probably because of politeness), they started comparing notes about their travel. The Danish girl was disgusted with the lack of hygiene and was desperate to go home. Her companion kept repeating that they were conned in to coming to India after the lucrative ads they saw back home. The Brit couple was in no better shape. They had their fingers crossed that Goa would be a bit better. We wanted to disappear.

And I’m sure that Brit couple or the Danes for that matter, even if they are not racists, will in a way agree with Goody’s comments about the state of cleanliness and they’d make fun of the chest-thumping we do. So, all I’m strongly advocating is the need to see above the patriotic jingoism and learn to extract the truth that comes from criticism rather than going hyper-patriotic.

Disclaimer: I’m not anti-India. In fact, I love it maybe more than you do. The difference is that I'm not blind to its faults.

Of Corporate Stepford Wives

2007-01-23T10:39:00.000+05:30

If you’ve read this book by Ira Levin, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If not, then I recommend it. If you are not a book buff, try the movie. It’s good too.

For the uninitiated, Stepford is this rich community (or town) where the wives are beautiful, submissive, and live to please their husbands. Everybody, especially the men, is impossibly happy and the wives giggle and squeal of joy all the time. Everything is rosy and all’s right with the world. Only, there is a sinister undertone to it all and in time you realize that the women are more like drones than real characters. They never lose temper or control and there’s not a single bad-hair day. Then arrives this newcomer who doesn’t agree with this perfect way of life. They smile when she shows her irritatation. They forgive her “tantrums” when she asks too many questions. And of course, she is called what she is, a troublemaker. No, I’ll not bore you with details or give away the plot, in case you’d want to read it.

When I was watching the movie, I was struck by the parallelism between the Stepford way of life and the corporate way of life. In both you are expected to act in a particular way. Pleasant, happy, always smiling (giggling, if you want) eager to please. Always putting the “larger picture” (whatever that means) before personal good. Never ever giving in to your emotions. Drone way of life, innit?

Any time someone in the “fold” departs from this templatised behavior, we feel hurt, try to understand what basic flaw in the person drives them to behave thus. Over the time, we try to beat the “aggression” out of the person. If we succeed, we pat ourselves on the back for the success of the Herculean task and welcome the sinner back in to the fold with victorious magnanimity. If we don’t, well, then the person obviously doesn’t fit. Duh! And so, is of no use. It doesn’t matter if this bloody aggressor gets the work done, theirs as well as yours. There’s more to work, than work. Obviously.

Why is it that what is sinister in fiction is so readily (even greedily) acceptable in real life?

Suffer the Children…..

2007-01-18T15:47:00.000+05:30

Says the Bible. And we humans try our best to make them until they meet the maker.

Somebody, when they learned that I lean towards the psycho-thriller genre, commented that the “West” is depraved. So many psychopaths and sociopaths out there. So many necrophiles, cannibals, pedophiles! Look at the documented instances. They are a huge number. We don’t have Jack the Rippers or Ted Bundys. Nor any Sons of Sam. We are a “mild” civilization!

So they said.

But, since when do we equate absence of proof as the absence of evil? Just because our police force is a bunch of illiterate imbecile jackasses, we can thump our chests and claim moral superiority?

The Nithari killings should be an eye opener. And they keep discovering an odd skull now and then. 30 and counting.

The worst kind of criminals are the ones who harm children. In any way. Anyone who harms a small defenseless kid is a monster. According to the evidence and confessions, the children suffered horribly and are gone. I cringe and suffer when I hear or read about it. But the image that persists in my mind is of desolate parents showing a pic of their little one asking if someone knows whether their kid was among the discovered. I wonder if they’ll get a closure sometime. I truly and sincerely hope they do.

And I’m sure the two killers are reveling in the “fame”.

I’m not sure about God, heaven, or hell. But, if it were true, I sometimes wonder if there’s a special hell for the tormentors of the kids.

This ugly incident has brought a spate of child-related crimes to light. And worse, the situation of poor kids. We beat them, we starve them, we overwork them for pittance, we use them for perverse gratification. A society is judged by the way it treats its children. And we don’t measure up.

I wish I were smart enough to have a solution. I don’t. And until I do, I’ll write useless articles like this and feel absolved.

Of Israel

2006-09-11T16:16:00.000+05:30

Okay. I’m back to life. I haven’t written for a while because I have had my nose to the grind and more importantly, because I haven’t wanted to. And I noticed that the world worked fine despite the lack of commentary from me. And now, I’d like to take back the charge, please! *Evil grin*

Pretty late to write about it, now that the dust has settled and the cowardly Hezbollah have crept back to holes where they crawled from; but what the heck!

I am a huge fan and a supporter of Israel. They are a country who grew farms and miracles out of poisonous marshes, founded cities in deserts solely on courage and innovation, who were despised all over the world; who were prosecuted world-wide for being different; who lived in terror for more than a millennium and finally decided enough was enough. This small bunch of brave-hearts dared to form a country, faced the dirty might of biased English at the height of their power, fought their first war of freedom against the British-backed Arab world when they were outnumbered in ammunition as well as manpower. They’ve lived to tell the tale of facing moneyed joint Arab forces more than eight times. And every single time they’ve emerged victorious.

Oh yes, they are awesome and to me are a symbol that everything is out there if you have the guts.

The detractors will cry that they are US-backed. But for once, America gets my vote. I know US doesn’t do it for the love of humanity, but for political reasons; but I’m not counting!

I abhor the fact that civilians, who had nothing to do with it, were hurt in the recent Israeli retaliation. My sympathies, as always, for the Lebnoni families who lost their loved ones and those who lost their homes. I’d have loved to see Israel come up with an “answer” where they tackled Hezbollah, without hurting the civilians. I’d also love to see Hezbollah grow a spine and come out and fight in open. The same old story of coulda, woulda, shoulda…

But, in all honesty, Israel did drive the fact securely in thick heads that they were serious about anyone (kidnapping and) hurting their soldiers (people).

When I see the constant spate of violence in Kashmir and see the innocent suffer because of a lost cause; when I see the cowardly terrorist attacks in the country; I wonder if it is time for India to take a strong stance, a la Israel? When I read about Indian POWs in Pakistani jails for more than 30 years, I feel doubly proud of Israel.

The first thing an outsider notices in India is the lack of discipline. Everywhere. Maybe if all of us had to serve compulsorily in armed forces for two years, as they do in Israel, maybe the country would be in a bit better shape? Maybe, if the pre-requisite for even being able to serve in armed forces would be a certain level of education, maybe we’d a little more proud lot?

A lot of maybes. But, I’m a dreamer. What do you guys think can help India actually shine?

Of Poetry

2006-07-20T16:27:00.000+05:30

This post is thanks to a stimulating and a very enjoyable conversation I had yesterday. As they say:

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.” -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

When I was growing up, I wasn’t big on poetry. It’s a cultivated taste for me. Until I read this excerpt from John Donne as Hemmingway’s opener in “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. I fell in love with it. In entirety it’s a morbid piece about death, but as standalone lines, they are, to me, the most beautiful lines that came my way. Here they go, and I’m safe in quoting them without the fear of being sued…

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Another piece I love from the man is:

GO and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.

Note: If you read the alternative lines of “Go and catch a falling star”, they make perfect sense too. In fact, I like them better that way.

Ah. Did I say, I love Gulzaar’s poetry too. For me, he represents the best of Hindustani.

Who are your favorite poets?

Of Closed Minds

2006-07-14T16:10:00.000+05:30

Today, I was reading an article about the “Mika – Rakhi Sawant Controversy” in one of the magazines in the office pantry, The article actually was about kissing in (urban) India and showed the shot where Mika was found pressing his case a bit too strongly on Rakhi’s lips. Rakhi (or rather, her back) was shown dressed in a backless red number.

As we all know, it was played out as a major controversy and hooha by the media.

A colleague walked in while I was reading this article and wanted to see what I was reading. I showed her. Her next comment shocked me, although I should have known better. She said that Rakhi Sawant deserved the forced kissing, given the kind of clothes she wears.

I was disgusted because the comment came from this seemingly “new-age woman”, who is independent, literate, and probably celebrates her emancipation on the Women’s day. I’m not known for masking my feelings or stiff upper lip. So, it was no mean feat that I went back to the article repeating to myself that she had a right to her opinions, as I have to mine.

But, that got me thinking. We are literate, surely. But are we educated enough?

7/11 – Mumbai

2006-07-12T12:39:00.000+05:30

Any act of terrorism, big or small, is the most despicable crime against innocent people. It is planned and carried out by invertebrate-spineless-sad-excuses-of-human-beings, who do not have the courage to fight for a cause “in the open”, whatever that “cause” is. So, they choose to sit in the safety of their homes and bring about untold misery and destruction to people who have nothing to do with their “cause”.

My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones in yesterday’s tragedy. May they have the courage to get through this stupid unnecessary tragedy. May all your loved ones be safe.

Thanks to a poster in the mailing list I subscribe to, here’s a link that you could use to contact people you are desperately trying to get in touch with:

http://mumbaihelp.jot.com/WikiHome/PhoneNumbersToBeContacted

Education, Wot?

2006-06-08T14:06:00.000+05:30

I hear about IITs and IIMs and their graduates conquering the world. Although, the specimens of this illustrious breed I have worked with so far have failed to impress me. But, that’s my opinion entirely. Anyway, this post is not about them. This post is about an uneducated person.

Lately, we’ve been busy with the apartment and have been dealing with all sorts and that reminded of this forgotten phenomenon.

Back in 1998, when we were renovating our house in Delhi, we needed a contractor. We all were working and we needed a builder who could get the quality work done with minimum fuss and follow-ups.

It was a Sunday noon and the entire family was lazing. Insistent doorbell that you couldn’t ignore. So, I went to shoo away the person. On the door was standing this guy asking for Dad. He talked gruffly and wouldn’t look at me. Now, that always gets my hackles up. So I was curt to the extent of rudeness. I fetched Dad and left in a huff. At dinner time Ma’ told us that they had found the builder to do the renovation. And it turns out this annoying man was the person. I didn’t like the idea, but he had agreed to do the work within our budget and that was a big plus.

The work started. When you told your ideas to him, he would listen without speaking until you were done talking and then he’ll talk haltingly. But whatever little he talked, it always made sense. He always would enhance the idea, would always suggest an economical and better way of doing something and most importantly, was punctual. His planning was foolproof. If he promised that he’d finish something on a given date, he’d deliver it at least one day before it! IIMs, eh?

He slowly grew up on us. It was evident that he was not a literate man; he could barely sign his name, but this man had taught himself basic math. He could calculate stuff and could never be taken for a fool.

Over the time, in bits and pieces we learnt that he had come to Delhi from Rajasthan eight years ago as a penniless laborer, who had started by earning a few bucks for back-breaking work of an entire day. He was already married and had a kid to support. He had started by carrying bricks, but he paid attention and learned. Within a year he was made the foreman of the building. But, he never stopped learning. And when he gained enough confidence, he started taking up small contracts on his own. There, he learned to deal with different people and manage his workers. For this, he taught himself math, I think from his son’s books. Learned to sign because it was needed for bank operations. It was fun to see him read. Slowly and painstakingly. But when he did, you felt proud, as if you had achieved something.

When you grow from grass-root levels, you either become arrogant or really humble. Our man was latter. He treated his workers fair and square and tried to educate them a bit. He helped them and took care of them. And most importantly, he took pride in his work.

After our house was done, he moved on to other challenges and gradually we lost touch. And I’m sure, wherever he is, he must be doing exceedingly well.

He had his faults. His daughter did not go beyond school and was married off by the age of 17/18. When asked, he told us that it was enough for her, but his son was educated properly. Male chauvinism, but you gotta pick your battles. All this notwithstanding, we were lucky to know him. He taught us that you can make best of whatever you’ve got. Whenever I think of him, I feel inspired.

A life well lived, huh?

A Piece of Eternity?

2006-06-05T14:27:00.000+05:30

I’ve been married a bit over three years, now. I recommend it. Highly. As the saying goes, you cannot blame everything that goes wrong on the government. You should have someone always available to blame the rest on.

And I’m already digressing from the intent of this post.

People, read as nosy "friends" and even nosier relatives, wonder why we don’t have kids yet. What about the impending biological clock ticking away? What about carrying the family name? And then starts the emotional arm-twisting. What about the joys of having a baby? What about raising a good human being? What about a part of you surviving forever? It happens on the phone, on mails, face to face. During vacations; more so when there's a new birth in the family (tree). Hey! Deaths are not spared either. ARGH!

I have just one answer to all of them. I’m not scared of extinction.

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that this post and I have nothing against people having or planning to have little critters. Go ahead, have your stab at eternity.

Till Death Do Us Apart

2006-05-30T17:05:00.000+05:30

Yesterday marked an end of era for me.

I’ve known (I’ll call him) Sunny for a long time. More than 15 years now. He was our stone of Gibraltar when my brother and I were frightened freshers at RU. The country was new, the place was unknown, and we were fresh out of home for the first time.

Sunny bhaiyya (We added the “bhaiyya” out of love and immense respect we had for him) took us under his wings and cared for us and generally took it up on him to act as our guardian. Then, one day, he introduced us to (I’ll call her) Eva. The love of his life. The quiet firang who understood Hindi. You had to be blind to miss the love between Sunny and Eva. It was not a showy love, but strong nevertheless. And then one day after dating for ages, they got married.

Luckily, Eva took to me and my brother as well as Sunny bhaiyya. Wonderful were the times and vacations that we spent at their place. Their place was our home far away from home. Then their son arrived on the scene and we had a brand new toy. And then arrived their daughter to add to the fun. The kids taught us quite a few lessons in patience, love, and cuteness. That was the time I started loving kids.

Often, I used to wish that if ever I got married, I’d be half as lucky to have a partner like him or be a partner like her.

And then we finished our studies and returned back home to start a life for ourselves. We all got busy, but we kept in touch. But, apparently not in touch enough. When you think you are close to someone, you kind of develop a sixth sense for them. For the past two years, I'd had that nagging feeling that something was not right. There were signs that I missed or probably chose not to see. He stopped responding to my mails. I couldn’t catch them together on the phone. Both were mutually exclusive. The pics I would get of theirs did not have them together. Them with the kids, yes. Together, no.

Yesterday, after a long long time, he came online and confirmed that they’ve been separated for the past three years. He went through a very bad time, and I’d like to think so did she (though she never mentioned a word in the numerous mails I get from her.) He assured me that kids are doing fine and that everything is OK, but I'm sure that it took him a long time to come to terms with his loss. Wish I'd been there to lend a shoulder like the times when he was there for us.

All day yesterday all I could think of was why them? Not them! Is nothing sacred anymore?

Some More Random Notes

2006-05-10T10:40:00.000+05:30

Finally, after the hooha, we have touched the home base. We are proud owners of a house and a 20-year mortgage. Good enough. I call the house the “Money Pit” for obvious reasons. TG prefers “Wit’s End”.

I feel sorry for Kaavya Vishwanathan. Of course, she has lifted passages from more than one authors and books and she is guilty. But, what makes me feel sorry for her is that she is so young. Not to forget the glee and malice shown by media and people in general that she got caught. I could never understand the fun people take from someone else’s downfall…

Hey, there have been allegations against Alex Haley’s mangnum opus, “Roots”. It seems Martin Luther King helped himself liberally with information from someone’s work in his (PhD) thesis. And there have been more.

I’m not saying she was right in doing what she did, but now that she has been thoroughly discredited, let her be. I hope she picks up the pieces and makes the best of her life.

With the movie version of Da Vinci Code being released, Opus Dei, the organization to which Silas, the albino monk belongs to, is in limelight. Check this link for some interesting read on Opus Dei.

Times of India achieved its rag status quite some time back. (I only buy it for the daily crossword, which is easy enough for me to solve. Feel good factor and all ;-)).

Spelling errors have been a persistent part of this rag for a while, even in the headlines articles. (Wonder what the newspaper editors earn their salary for.) Have you also come across instances when they refer you to a page to finish a story they started and you don’t find the rest of the promised article there or elsewhere? I’ve even come across instances when an article I came across months ago on the Internet was quoted verbatim, with no acknowledgement to the original writer or site? Even if they paid the site(s) in question for the article(s), wasn’t the citation required?

So, I found it hilarious when they were publishing Kaavya Vishwanathan story with obvious relish. Hello pot! Kettle here!

Tom Cruise is planning to sell his daughter's pictures to the magazine that bids the biggest amount. Poor guy. Must be in the need of the money.

What beats me is that why would anyone want to pay a huge amount (that could probably feed an entire African nation for a year) for a wrinkly baby?

We live in a funny world, huh?

Seen the latest 7-Up ad? They are advertising the shape of the bottle more than the product. Hmmm. Have they already given up on their product?

Judas Priest

2006-04-11T11:47:00.000+05:30

So, Judas was not the villain he has been made to be for the past 1800 years. So suggests the recently discovered and deciphered Gospel of Judas.

As per the gospel, Judas was the most trusted friend of Jesus and was asked by him to be "betrayed". Jesus also warned him that for this request, Judas will be hated forever. Despite knowing this, Judas agreed to do the deed.

It seems that there have been more than 30 gospels out there, but the “great” church only made four official and others were deemed heretical. The four that suited the story church wanted told. Most of the copies of the other gospels were confiscated and burnt. (There also seems to be a Gospel of Mary (of Magdalene) if you are interested). And by doing that they condemned Judas Iscariot to hatred for eternity.

You’ll never see anyone called Judas. Mark, Matthew, John, Luke; but never Judas. He was used by the Christians as a stereotype of Jews: selfish, cunning, money-minded, and most importantly, as betrayers. So many centuries of genocide has been put squarely on his shoulders. By blaming Jews, so much blame has been put on him. If you believe the church, he is the reason for all the ills in this world.

I'm neither a Christian, nor a believer. So, why am I writing this. Because, I believe in justice and that truth should be told. Always. And as a colleague mentioned sometime back, I seem to have something going for the underdog.

One thing, I’m really at sea with. It was the Romans who killed Jesus. The cross was their invention. It was them who prosecuted the early Christians and made them go through unbelievable suffering and torture for the fun and entertainment value of it, to enthrall blood-hungry masses in arenas. So, why have been the Jews blamed? Do I start hating Christians because Hitler was one?

I’m not mean and power-hungry enough to be able to understand it. I hope, I never am able to understand it.

But, if what the gospel presents is the truth, then Judas, you were a very strong man. The strongest. But, was it worth it?

Is Friendship Possible in Office Environment?

2006-03-20T17:01:00.000+05:30

This is a question that has been on my mind for a while now.

We spend most of our lives in office. This is especially true for us Hindustanis. We usually have very little life outside of office. And mostly, even if we go out on weekends, it’s with our “friends” from the office. We visit their parties, marriages, and go clubbing, pubbing, and outing with them. Out side of the office, when we meet, we again talk of the “events” at office. The usual office gossip.

But, is it “friendship”, really? Or is that our interests or views match and so we tend to herd with “our kind”? Does this friendship stand the test of time? Will these friends be there, when your interests collide? Suppose, it was your hide versus their hide on the line. Will they come through as a friend? Will they stand by you or you stand by them when the need be? If your interests clashed at office and you were at loggerheads, will any one of you be “great” enough to forgive and forget?

Of Bullshit Filters

2006-03-20T16:38:00.000+05:30

There are some people who make your skin crawl by the smallest communication, no matter how many wires are there between you and them.

Blessed are those who have the power to ignore, to forget…

For a happy life, what I highly recommend are bullshit filters. Very useful things these! Scott Adams might have oame up with the term, but TG is loaded with them. When will I acquire (even) one?

Of Cultism

2006-03-20T15:05:00.000+05:30

While reading the Dilbert blog, I came across the following observation. I agree with this so completely that I had to repeat it here.

I believe that all people favor what they think is in their best interest and then rationalize it with absurd philosophical arguments. Or worse, they join a “team” and agree with whatever the leader tells them.

To add to this profound piece of truth, I believe that this is where we see the birth of slogans, vision statements, counter‑slogans to defend a philosophy (or a leader) and such time-waste, but feel-good nonsense.

Do you subscribe to cultism?

Apocalypse Now?

2006-02-22T17:00:00.000+05:30

Yeah, the title is pretty dramatic. But, in the past three days, two bits of news caught my eye. Both the incidents remind me that we are rapidly regressing to a police state all over the world, not to forget the cartoon controversy.

Google has come up the hard and innovative way to become one of the most admired organizations in the world. They are young, motivated, and smart. They’ve withstood the takeover attempts from Yahoo! and have not submitted to the muscle power of Microsoft. And in the corporate world, they are the best place to work, I’m told.

So, why am I miffed at Google? Because they gave in to the Chinese government and have blocked anything to do with “Dalai Lama” in the search results of their search engine for the Chinese subnet.

No, I don’t have a particular affinity for Dalai Lama. He’s a smart man and knows how to sell the idea of Tibet. My grouse is about the freedom of expression. It’s about the loss of it.

Et tu Google?

A British journalist was sentenced three years prison term in Austria because he insisted that holocaust never happened and there were no concentration camps [in Austria]. So, Auschwitz never happened. He was slated for 10 years, but at the end of trial he changed his stance and agreed that these things did happen.

As shameful as the episode of holocaust is in the human history, I still don’t think that the man deserved a jail term. It’s like dealing with a problem the same way Nazis did. What’s the difference?

Whose Religion Is It Anyway?

2006-02-20T16:20:00.000+05:30

You can exorcize the devil, but how do you get rid of God?

I’m disgusted by the spate of violence that a few cartoons have started. It’s a monkey-say-monkey-do scene out there. One Arab country started the protest and now everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon. And every new country that takes up the protest wants to prove itself “more dedicated” than the previous. And so, the violence-graph progresses proportionately upwards.

“It is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it.”
-- G.K. Chesterton

I’ve had this quote in my quote collection for a while. And every time I read something about this cartoon-rage episode, I’m inevitably reminded of it.

But, come to think of it, what other religion does take itself lightly? None! I’ve read about Hindus going in to a tizzy because some god was depicted on a T-shirt/bag/blah. The Sikhs are protesting because they want to carry “Kripan”, an avatar of dagger, in a school classroom in distant France. Christians, well, they still hate Jews after 2000 years because wasn’t it the Jews who killed Jesus? As if Jesus weren’t a Jew himself! The new pope, who calls himself Benedict with a number, wants all Harry Potter books banned and burnt because they are about magic and hence anti-Catholic and anti-Christ. One Harry Potter book will teach a child more about honesty, courage, and tolerance than all the so-called religious literature, Mr. Pope.

Religion is just a very convenient tool in the hands of weak. Who wouldn’t want to be an agnostic or even an atheist?

“All religions are the same: religion is basically guilt, with different holidays.”
-- Cathy Ladman

Then, why are we fighting/killing/committing the worst crimes against humanity in the name religion?

Of Random Notes

2006-02-14T16:19:00.000+05:30

Every time I hear “Fur Elise”, it captures me with its simplicity, beauty, and yet profoundness. The tune has been beaten to death commercially and there are many many wonderful symphonies, tunes, and musical works out there, but this small piece still makes me stand and listen.

If ever I build a house, I want it on the lines of “Fur Elise”. Does that make sense to you?

A former colleague used to mock a mailing list most people in my profession (in India) subscribe to. He called it a place for absolute morons and losers. In his own words, he was absolutely “ashamed” to be the part of the community of dimwits. (And before you start banging my head on the wall defending him or prosecuting him, please note that it’s his point of view I’ve put across. Not mine.)

Sometime back, he had to leave the organization. And now, when I see him active on the same list, answering practically every question on the list with patience and saintliness, it makes me wonder.

Do we need validation? If so, from who? From ourselves? Or is it the case of "how the mighty have fallen"?

You must have heard of the phrase ”a murder of crows”. TG, my “champion” husband has come up with a new phrase. “A gaggle of women”. I loved it and thought it should be shared.

I’m used to his short, to-the-point descriptions and parodies. Another of his gems worth knowing – “Bangalore: A village on steroids”.

Don’t throw that shoe at me, Madhoo! I'm just the messenger, here. *Evil grin*

What would you want written on your epitaph?

No no. I’m not being morose. Just curious. Epitaphs for me (the stress is on “for me”. I’m not responsible for your opinions *Eviler grin* ) represent the underlying principle on the lines of which we live.

So, no matter what age I die, I’d want mine to say “The Good Die Young”.

What about you?

Listen Without Prejudice

2006-01-12T17:10:00.000+05:30

For those who are George Michael fans, this will be a very familiar title. But, no this post is not about raving about this work of art. This post has been long in coming and is about listening (really listening) to people and then digesting the stuff you heard or learnt.

Most of us have this vulgar habit of listening to someone talking about a third person and forming opinions about this third person without even knowing anything about them. In doing this, we forsake the use of our brains and blindly accept the second person’s opinions, which might be tainted with numerous factors, right or wrong! And the subsequent interactions with this person, if any, are doomed right from the beginning. Who knows, we might have killed a relationship even before giving it a chance.

A popular belief is that if 10 people say something about a person, it might be true. Maybe in 70% cases, but not always. Sometimes, all the 10 people might be wrong.

So, no matter what you hear about a person from another person, do not form an opinion until you have interacted with them yourself.

Best Wishes

2005-12-30T14:30:00.000+05:30

Another year soon to be a part of the past.....

Personally, for me this was a year big on learning. I lost two loved ones and it taught me to let go of what I think is most precious. I faced a lot of lies and it taught me to stand my ground, no matter what and not become like them. A lot of my work was acknowledged and it taught me to work harder. A lot of my work and contributions went unacknowledged and it taught me that I have to do what needs to be done, whether I get any credit or not.

Am I looking forward to the next year? At the moment, the answer is no. I’m not. I still don’t want to believe that my Ma’ would not be with us this time. But, I hope you are. May all your dreams -- the ones that you’ve dreamt and the ones that you yet haven’t so far – may come true. May you have a year that you’ll remember always, for all the good reasons.

Have Cell Phone, Will Shout

2005-12-29T10:57:00.000+05:30

People screaming in to their cell phones is one of my pet peeves. You don’t want others to know what you are planning for lunch/dinner, what you wife/friend/girlfriend/boyfriend/mama/dad said to you day before/yesterday/today, why did you fight with A/B/C, or what you are planning for Christmas/New Year/ Holidays/Vacation.

It truly gets my goat when you are forced to listen to a self-important (mostly, one-sided) conversation in a public place. And, what does it take for you to keep a cell phone off in a meeting, movie hall, or even a conference?!

How much starved for attention can you be? Or is it that you never heard of something called p-o-l-i-t-e m-a-n-n-e-r-s?

Another one of my pet peeves is when in a group, two (or more) people start talking in a language that is not understood by others.

As Stephanie Tanner from Full House would say, “How rude!”

Of Success, Religion, and Madhu

2005-12-28T11:25:00.000+05:30

I found this recently. The minute I read it, I thought of Madhu, and so it is dedicated to her. This also happens to be my definition of religion….

Success

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

Why Are We in Such a Hurry?

2005-12-27T13:01:00.000+05:30

With the spate of reality shows on TV, it is hardly possible to ignore them. One of them is Indian Idol, the country cousin of American Idol. Personally, I prefer the acid of American idol. Compared to it, Indian Idol is a somewhat sweetish and watered down version.

In these shows, you’ll see a lot of people, mostly hugely untalented, having a go at the chance of fame and riches. And when they lose, they cry and you feel sad for them. So did I, until TG asked me why would I do that? According to him these are people who want fame and all that jazz, but only without really working for it. In short, they are just looking for the shortest shortcut to success (too many “shorts”, eh?). So, I’m wasting a lot of my resources by feeling bad for them.

How right! As usual, he makes a lot of sense.

But, that also got me thinking. Why are we in such a hurry to succeed?

At office, when I see the politicking, the ass licking, and the sycophancy, I wonder why do we want to be promoted in a hurry? All the people that I’ve respected personally and professionally are the brilliant ones that have grown the hard way; have taken the longer route. Not because struggle is glamorous, but because when a person grows despite all odds, the person in 99.9% cases is the one who’ll be universally respected, looked up to, will have solutions to problems. This would be a person who knows his stuff, can stand for his ideas, is the leader. (Remember my earlier post about Professor Dumbledore?)

I long for the times when promotions were deserved. A Francisco is a Francisco because he grew from the grass root level. He worked 20 hard and long years to be where he is today. The TG I love, respect, and admire wouldn’t be what he is today if he ever tried to grow up in a hurry.

When people grow in a hurry, in their hearts of hearts they usually cannot justify it. After all, there is something called conscious in us, no matter how hard we suppress it. So, we make ourselves believe we are the best and the smartest around and proclaim ourselves to be “geniuses”. (Brings an erstwhile colleague to mind.) We surround ourselves with people who hang on to every word we say. We develop very fragile egos and not-so-fragile insecurity. We start believing that people are jealous of us and our eclat. We do things we believe will not be caught. Or in worst cases, we think we are so great that we will not be caught. And the saddest thing is we support such other “characters” and help them grow. Sycophancy begets sycophancy and politicking begets more of its kind.

Close your eyes, think back through your career and jot down all the good (real-leader-quality) supervisors you ever came across. I can bet my life on it that you wouldn’t be able to go beyond one finger. If you do, you are either the luckiest person ever (and why I cant make myself believe that?) or time for some soul-searching!

Some Everyday Myths Shattered

2005-12-27T11:13:00.000+05:30

This piece has nothing to do with lies. Read on if you know the difference between lies and myths.

We all come across all sorts of myths everyday. When we wanted to buy a microwave as a gift to someone, a newly acquired relative proclaimed prolonged death at the top of her voice. About how many things have you heard that have been claimed to be harmful, but scientific evidence proclaims otherwise. So, I decided to compile a list of so-called-facts that I have discovered to be myths over the time.

Here goes my contribution to society:

Microwaves are not safe for cooking. They are. Read up on this subject before you let anyone sway you away from microwaves.
Eating late can result in weight gain. I used to force the dinner down mine and TG’s hatch by 7 PM, max. But, once I read that this is just an urban myth, I’m a bit relaxed with the dinner timing now.
All Sharks are man-eaters. Absolutely wrong! Most of the Sharks are harmless to human beings. It’s only certain species that attack humans! (Too less, says I.)
Coca Cola is bad for teeth. Nah, not all! A tooth left in a glass of Coca Cola will not dissolve.
Swallowing a chewing gum can [jam your innards/ may take seven years to be completely digested/…] Relax! If you swallowed a gum, you are not going to die of jammed innards, or indigestion, or something else. Your body is a powerful machine and it will be able to process the culprit the same way it does cake! Praise the Lord! Or evolution, should I say?
You get rich hair growth if you shave your head once. Wrong! Neither hair nor nails behave that way. It’s growth or lack is all coded in your DNA.
Do not go swimming one hour after eating or you’ll drown. Now this one’s my favourite because it is one of TG’s more-favoured warnings. Nah, I’m not going to drown, pal. You ain’t getting rid of me so easy. *Evil Grin*
You should not eat Bananas when you’ve got cold. Poor Bananas! How did they end up with this allegation. It’s perfectly safe to splurge on Bananas, even if you’ve got a nasty case of cold.
Do not take a bath in the night. Huh?

These are but some that I can think of, off the cuff. If you’ve got a contribution, leave a comment and watch this list grow. If you want to know more, search the ‘Net. I’m sure there will be many sites to shatter a few more myths we’ve been brought up with.