tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84041220196436083902024-02-19T19:35:02.368+04:00Confessions Of A Self Styled HypocriteConfessions, Ramblings and Banter of a Self Styled HypocriteUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-42700270706968308602013-05-15T18:22:00.001+04:002013-05-15T18:22:40.080+04:00A Comeback to Blogging !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I haven’t written anything for long and can’t justify my
silence with any set of reasons which I can come up with. I wonder whether I
have it in me to write well enough to engage serious readers, or whether what I
write is of any significance for anybody to spend a few minutes and
ponder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then how would I know what
you are thinking about, if and when you read what I write or still should I be
bothering about such trivial things when all I need is an avenue to vent out my
thoughts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fear that my decision to remain silent and not to
interfere in things that do not affect me will eventually be repented by me. I
fear I would have remained too silent for long that my silence would remain the
norm; my words would fail to coherently express my thoughts. Or worse I fear I
would remain silent for so long that I would fear to speak again. As Edmund
Burke said, All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do
nothing, not sure whether iam a good man or whether my speaking out will have
any influence on evil but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it does rings
a bell on why I should speak out. Even if what I write is gibberish or pure
nonsense, I would have something to look back to. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Life as it is a series of experiences that changes our
views, perspectives, goals and opinions over the years. I have quite opposing
views on the same things that I had opinions on over the years, and it is very
amusing to read what I have written a couple of years back and wonder why I did
so. So the mere idea of writing is to engage myself in a meaningful debate with
me. It would be interesting to see the evolution of my thoughts, how I came to
believe what I believe or how I came to detest what I detest. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Of late I have realised that life happens despite of all our
plans, all our ambitions, our hopes, our fears and eventually like all the
people who have treaded on this planet, I too would perish to become a longing
memory initially, a faded<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>recollection of some distant future generation
and eventually a number or a statistic among all the people who have existed
before me. Iam not being pessimistic about the future, the future holds all the
promises of the future irrespective of my feelings, iam just reconciling myself
with the reality of existence, the mere truth about life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have had mixed reviews about my writing skills, some
overt, some covert and some indifferent opinions on my ability to put together
words to form meaningful sentences. I like to believe the ones by people who
have faith in my skills, to believe that I can write well enough to be read.
There are moments when I long to write something and the reprieve it gives me
when I successfully write something. I think writing comes naturally to me; it
is one of the few things iam happy doing, so I have decided to write something
or the other on a daily basis (at least weekly, Cynicism taking root in the
foundation of a commitment). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will not promote what I write, as I fear, my opinion
exposes my preferences and will make me nude in the midst of hypocrites and
cowards who do what they do because they do not want to offend the majority
opinion. I fear my opinions could be antithetical to existing conventions of
morality, it could question predominant norms and values and challenge views
that we consider as true and right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
then as I have mentioned earlier, like all of you I would eventually perish, my
convictions would mellow down to echo the norms of the society, I would
eventually become an alpha hypocrite who doesn’t know what he actually
believes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I feel that I should
take shelter under the cover of anonymity, not stand up for what I stand,
observe from a distance how my views are being viewed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or more interestingly challenge and question
my own views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could be the
beginning of a arduous journey, exposing me to avenues iam not experienced
with, bringing me out of my comfort zones.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Pompous promises aside, I hope I will be able to write
something of relevance, something I will be proud of in the days to come, or at
least have fervour<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to fill up an empty
page)<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-7409266760582971422012-12-20T22:03:00.001+04:002012-12-20T22:04:26.604+04:00The problem with Facebook Activism and Arm chair Critiques !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">I
wonder where are all the Iam Anna’s are that went out to revolutionise
democracy overnight through Facebook and twitter. Anna Hazare was the closest
thing to a revolution our generation was witness to, which started out as an apolitical
movement fighting corruption, went on to demand legislation for multiple
causes, broke up to form political parties and in the end all that remained was
the unending messages we keep receiving at odd times to assemble at locations
to fight for their vested interests. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
Facebook activism is so short-lived, a new issue comes up the old one dies down
silently. You have the false feeling of having voiced your thoughts and
contributed to a cause with a few clicks and fewer words. A few weeks ago my Facebook
wall was flooded with support for Palestinian’s and criticism towards the
inhuman aggression happening in Gaza, now I wonder where it all disappeared.
Iam pretty sure the lives of Palestinians haven’t had any marked difference nor
has Israel adopted more peaceful ways, but my friend who called for
retaliation is no more interested in the cause or does not have a clue what is
happening out there anymore!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
I agree that what happened to the
young lady on the bus was gruesome, and your concerns and feelings towards it are
from the deepest of your hearts. But what I don’t understand is whether
clicking likes, sharing photos and expressing distress through Facebook posts
would help the cause. Then you would ask me, "should we stay silent to
such inhuman crimes?", "what if someone you know, or someone close to
you have to go through such a thing?"," Is it by remaining silent
that I should express my grief?” I agree, we can’t be serial activists, we can’t
fight all the injustice in the world, and we can’t express solidarity against
all that is going wrong out there. There are people who have spend a
lifetime fighting for a cause, spending time on the ground, raising
awareness, consolidating opinion, pushing for legislation, fighting causes in
courts, filing RTI's to expose wrong doings, filing Public interest litigation,
etc.- This my friend is true activism, if you are really distressed with what
happened, then start an NGO that gives support to rape victims, volunteer for
an existing NGO, if you can’t spare time donate money to such organisation that
does good deeds in your area of concern. Organise a donation drive, a charity
dinner, get together your friends and make a plan to get involved. It would be
much more gratifying then clicking away and sitting and ridiculing the society
and the system. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Facebook
is a threat to civic participation and social activism, as none of us take an
initiative or support in actual action on the field any more. We all are left
with a false sense of relief when we express our voice on a social network<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">
Facebook has become a version of spam mail we
all blocked years back, spreading conspiracies, promising to pay money for each
share, religious propaganda etc. It is much worse than spam mails; I could
block those mails easily. Yes I could block these too, but then I end up
offending a dear friend or get branded as cold hearted, anti-religious, anti-Semitic
or something even worse. I am not interested in another man’s faith, and
neither would I force anyone to understand why my god is better. These things
are meant to be personal, and should remain so in the absolute sense. It is
disturbing to see how religion is becoming a moving force in strengthening friendships
and polarising certain others. Please keep me out of random photographs of
clouds, trees etc. Arranged like names of gods, posts which demand to be
shared unless I am willing to invite wrath of god upon me, patients on hospital
beds demanding to be liked to be rewarded money from websites and companies
etc. As far as I know iam sane, iam secular, nationalistic and patriotic
to a great extent and don’t want to be certified by a social network for any of
these. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">I do
not intend to preach, but if you are seriously interested in getting involved
may be try being part of any of these organisations listed below. All you
need is Google, to search for NGO's like these and iam sure there are more out
there than what I have listed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prajwalaindia.com%2F&h=qAQGJZ8QN&s=1" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.prajwalaindia.com/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.womenwelfare.org%2Fprojects.html&h=RAQH_Kx2e&s=1" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.womenwelfare.org/projects.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rescuefoundation.net%2Fhome.html&h=fAQGWouO8&s=1" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.rescuefoundation.net/home.html</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/swabhiman.htm" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/swabhiman.htm</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stoprapenow.org%2Fngo-links%2F&h=bAQEtf18z&s=1" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.stoprapenow.org/ngo-links/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpratidhi.org%2Faboutus%2Fhomeintro.html&h=pAQEVoen_&s=1" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://pratidhi.org/aboutus/homeintro.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">tc<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-38384459600016739292011-07-17T22:23:00.002+04:002011-07-17T22:32:48.970+04:00Commercialization of Grief !<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKRG8not9AQ0pBVMeAm_6bWbOdx0ZtGdQIwL9r6kEWdpHv3C6u4HJ_kTb8nZtZO0yZT9SNpfw8HiVc9IJE6RHdpNnka3-1Dq6zjI9Ga-22sDC7_6FW7IXM9Ae9pikdLhYPMfc0hFIJmU/s1600/pain1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKRG8not9AQ0pBVMeAm_6bWbOdx0ZtGdQIwL9r6kEWdpHv3C6u4HJ_kTb8nZtZO0yZT9SNpfw8HiVc9IJE6RHdpNnka3-1Dq6zjI9Ga-22sDC7_6FW7IXM9Ae9pikdLhYPMfc0hFIJmU/s400/pain1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630390944633814530" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">It was very disheartening to hear about yet another terrorist attack in our financial capital Mumbai. The long reprieve from such attacks was short-lived atlas. The media was very fast in taking up the issue and started their usual rhetoric of assumptions, allegations, counter allegations etc. The usual cast of actors was playing their role well in the pre-set stage, grief anger and vengeance was encapsulated and sold to the masses. Scroll down text presuming to be authentic and update news played with our nerves.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">Then they started their usual interviews of the witnesses, busy policeman eager to present their version of the story etc. It doesn’t stop there they loiter around the crime scene and make investigation a cumbersome process for the police. There was a convention agreed upon between the media and the security forces after the diabolic 26/11 attacks that media will not tread into the crime scene and destroy evidence or act as mouth pieces of the terrorist by publicising and exaggerating the crime. But all these was thrown into the wind and you see earnest anchors trespassing into the crime scene. We are already at the disadvantaged position with our lack of credible information sources and out-d</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">dated machinery and the invisibility of the enemy; this over reach of the media further worsens our scope of investigation. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">Grief like any other human emotion is avery personal one. The media by exploiting it for their requirement is doing a crime against humanity. By encapsulating grief into 30 second clips they are commercializing grief and we end up as mute spectators to their tamasha. With every attack they follow the same procedure like they have a Standard operating procedure (SOP) to be followed under such circumstances. Like they have to look for gruesome bloody scenes to show in the screen, like they have to find an aggravated common man angry at the system, to show the victims of earlier attacks and reminding their loved ones about their loss. Loss of a loved one cannot be justified and replicated under any circumstances, why do they have to reminded about their loss and exposing their grief unnecessarily.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">I’m whole heartedly grieving for the death of the blast victims and the lives destroyed and injuries survived by the 100's of its victims, but are we giving an undue prominence for terrorist attacks and deaths caused by it, in the same week we have had a devastating Train accident (which is assumed to be resulted by an IED explosion) and another wedding party accident at alevel crossing which killed a score of people. The death in both these cases were substantially more and the damage more gruesome and devastating. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">Terrorist attacks are not a normal day to day event in our country unlike for our neighbour Pakistan, Like Rahul Gandhi said we have been able to thwart 99 % of the attacks but unfortunately one escapes our vigilance. You can’t tell this to someone who has lost a loved one, their loss cannot be offset with all the political gyan and intellectual analysis seen in the media. But it is true we have been able to control the menace of regular attacks to alarge extend. It was not long ago when we had regular attacks in every nook and corner of the country and resembled a war zone, listed in the red zone of no travel in the diplomatic circle. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">Our media has got a special attraction towards portraying terrorist attacks, the business of selling organised grief to the masses. We have to also agree that the masses are a big consumer for grief, look at the headlines of newspapers for last one month or news bulletins in tv you will be surprised to see the extend of bad news (packaged grief, anger and pain) present in them. It is interesting to know that there is a term to describe this feeling: </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">Schadenfreude Pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune. </span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">More people die every day dude to preventable causes, more infants are aborted, more unborn girl child are maimed every day in our country, but that doesn't sell like grief packaged as bomb attacks.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">Meanwhile our political leaders have started their usual ploy of blaming pakistan and concluding role of banned outfits in the attack. The congress alleges that since the home ministry of the state is under the control of NCP it could not act in advance (rubbish), the opposition alleging the timidity of the central government, the coalition partners expressing their helplessness. In the midst of all these capsule grievance sharing statement send by world leaders arrive regularly, like it means anything to the victims or will help in fighting this menace. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">It was interesting to see how the social medial i.e facebook and twitter reacted and constructively helped the victims and survivors. Within not time The mumbai attack was trending on twitter (though no idea how such things can trend !) and information for contacting police and helpline numbers to locate victims were being shared. And it was for the first time that a spreadsheet listing people who are willing to help, donate blood, provide transportation, provide accommodation food for the victims and stranded were being shared in the social media. Unlike their peers in the mass media, social media has matured to avoid rumor's like Kasabs birthday and aggravating the masses. lets hope that this trend continues and the social media plays a constructive role in the future also. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">I know the thought process is hay wire in this post; it’s mainly due to the anger and grief towards our indifference.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">tc</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-52228700640025167252011-07-13T10:33:00.001+04:002011-07-13T10:35:11.967+04:00There is nothing social about Social Networking anymore !<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">I have realized that if i keep writing about women empowerment and inclusive growth most of my friends will empower themselves to include me in the non-inclusive list (block list) very soon. And to be frank i am not so much in favour of these topics either. So i have decided to write something on a lighter note. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">When i got back to Facebook after the self-imposed exile of six months, i realized nothing has changed. For starters i had to run through all the friend requests i had ignored off late. Sort out my friends, add my acquaintances to the friends list, add more people because you have common friends with them. Facebook has become paranoid about increasing my friend list it keeps suggesting friends with 1/2/3//10 common friends, i came across someone with whom i had a hundred common friends yet had no clue who it is.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">All the silly game requests remains for a change all the farmers have left and new urban settlers have started popping their heads. Nothing has changed with respect to status updates and video link sharing. It’s funny to see someone sharing their anger and pain on their updates and people queuing up to Like it. I wish Facebook could include Unlike button or even an option of Disgusting which could be the only response to some posts.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">I just realised i have 450 + people on my friend list and it’s a big number when i hardly know many of them. This list includes my school mates, college mates, colleagues of earlier jobs, teachers, uncles, aunts, sisters, cousins, neighbours, people whom i have no clue about etc. It’s a big puddle of senseless relationships. And i start to think when i put up something, who all are going to read this, what will they think about me. And being the quintessential hypocrite i fear to shed the masks i wear in different occasions and venues. Iam sure my long lost schoolmate who has migrated to north America and my friendly neighbour who idles away his time will have nothing in common, they don’t get the same jokes, neither do they comprehend the same languages.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">Then there is the part where some idiotic friend with an old grudge will upload an old photograph in which i might have resembled a Precambrian primitive and start commenting about how stupid i looked then (nothing much has changed till now though) and the people i work with in front of whom i act polished and put up a fake accent catches me on the wrong foot. Iam sure iam not the only one who have had weird photos uploaded and teased about. Then there are the set of friends who pass comments and share thoughts in the local language which is as good as Greek or Latin or worse for some of my other friends, which makes me the translator in waiting. It is hard to convince my Hindi speaking friend about what my friend talks about (the salt mango tree syndrome).</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">Facebook developers have to urgently do something to segregate friends into as many possible sets to maintain the divide. Maybe something like an additional tab provision in new generation browsers that will cascade the friend list into different segments. So that my manager need not know that iam looking for ideas to give reasons to bunk office, or my family need not know about the secret road trip plan. If this continues there will be nothing social about social networking anymore.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">And add to this the problem of envying friends holidaying in exotic locales, with their inverted photographs. It’s actually annoying to see that when you are slogging your ass you see your idiotic batch mate sun bathing and idling away. Add to all this new websites soliciting your presence in their new unique network, it’s like the snobbish hero in all his new movie interviews brags about the story being different and ends upto be the same stale dish. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">In-spite of all this there is nothing as addictive or compulsive as social networking, a good friend put it up well, Facebook is like a fridge you keep opening to see if there is any new goodies. I have decided to take another exit from social networking maybe soon, but this is for sure, ill really miss all the senseless hype and action.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">tc</span></p><div><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-41415372091279007502011-06-22T21:13:00.002+04:002011-06-22T21:20:37.621+04:00Women's Reservation, An Illusion !<div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span>To all the people who were hopeful that we will have a constitutional provision to improve the position of women in our democracy, things are looking a bit gloomy for now. When the Women's reservation bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha amid trans-party cooperation, Sonia Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj and Brinda Karat coming together to get justice for womanhood, there was light at the end of the tunnel. Women have never had such dominating presence in the echelons of power with a President, Opposition Leader, the Guiding force behind the ruling party and more from the weaker sex. With maverick politicians like Mulayam Singh and Laloo Prasad out in the open protesting the bill in its original form and recommending watering down amendments, the bill looks a distant dream.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></span><span class="Apple-style-span">The history of women's reservation dates back to the Panchayati Raj Act of 1992 which provides for 33% reservation in local self governance. Then the Deva Gowda Govt in 1996 proposed women’s reservation in a similar form, which was followed by another ambitious attempt by IK Gujaral which was all stalled at its birth.<span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">The women’s reservation bill proposes to provide reservation of 33 % in the parliament, state legislature and local bodies. The reserved seats for women will be rotated in every two terms and the SC/ST reservation will mandate 33 % reservation for women within its fold. The proposal is only for a pilot period of 15 years.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Why do we need women’s reservation? The arguments for and against are various but one aspect that can be quiet compelling is our relative performance with regard to gender empowerment. You will be surprised to here that women in India is far behind their equals in Pakistan and Bangladesh and is ahead of only countries like Yemen and Saudi Arabia. We consider ourselves modern when the representation of women in the parliament, in higher education, in the corporate sector is abysmal. The number of women who die during pregnancy and girls who do not complete schooling is alarming.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">So is reservation a panacea to all the ills that the women in the country is suffering from, not likely but it could be a good start. Better representation will pave way for more sensible law making, more empowerment and more development to the country. But there are inherent flaws in the current proposal which is ambiguous in terms of reservation for women from backward classes; it will lead to proxy candidates in the form of politician’s kith and kin contesting. The proposal to rotate seats after two terms will not let to develop a relationship between the candidate and the constituency. <span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">The fate of the pilot period could be similar to the 10 year threshold kept for SC/ST reservation which continues even today.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Another alternative to the cumbersome Women’s reservation bill is to bring changes in the people representation act making it compulsory of political parties to field 33% percentage of its candidate, women to maintain the party’s registration. <span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">There has to be some amendments to the structure of the houses as the current strength of 545 members in the parliament is based on the 1971 population which is actually half of the current population. More representation will let us yield more people which will to certain extend thwart the opposition put forward by the dissidents. The opposition is mainly arising out of fear of loosing sitting seats and lack of future opportunities to contest.</span></span></div><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span>Let’s further look at the case of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region></st1:place>, </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span>they have reserved 60 seats for women in the 360-member National Assembly and 17 in the 100-member Senate with a view to empower women. According to a report, 42 percent of private member bills, 27 percent of questions and 24 percent of resolutions in parliament came from women parliamentarians. If this can happen in the socially medieval (as perceived by most of us) so what’s stopping us from taking the plunge.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Like someone said if all the countries in the world were ruled by women, we wouldn't have any war, just a bunch of countries who don't</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> speak to each other. It might lead to an end of the boisterous cacophony and all the drama prevalent in our parliament.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">tc</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-28023142834418403482011-06-16T14:27:00.000+04:002011-06-16T14:35:51.060+04:00A Crisis of Democracy<p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">"Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking. </em></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">trumpetings</span>, and farewells him with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">hootings</span>, only to welcome another ruler with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">trumpetings</span> again. </em></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strong men are yet in the cradle. </em></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation." </em></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">— Khalil <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Gibran</span></em></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Looking at the events unfolding we are either lucky to be witnesses to a revolution initiated by the civil society to rout out corruption from the society or spectators to the breakdown of established norms of democracy. Its true its high time we have to clean up our society or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">atleast</span> do damage control to what ails us. The advent of corruption in the society and amount of money stashed away is baffling, but the question is, is this how we deal with it.</p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">What is a civil society here ? A group of responsible citizens taking initiatives to guide and pressurise our democratically elected to implement regulations for effectively controlling the evils that ails our society. But who is this civil society, </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">iam</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> not doubtful about the credentials of these individual in their area of expertise, be it rural </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">upliftment</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">, policing, adjudication or yogic expressions. But what gives these people the right to talk on behalf of a billion souls, were they elected, nominated, decided by lottery or divinely assigned these duties. </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Iam</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> aware of the history of earlier </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">attempts to implement an ombudsman model </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Lokpal</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "> machinery emulating </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Scandinavian</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "> nations. How government after government presented watered down versions towards the end of their term to eyewash the society and claiming their helplessness with this regard blaming the opposition and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">parliament at large.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Iam</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> neither supportive of this government, which resembles a confluence of parties neither with a clearly cut out agenda or the ability to implement effective policies. </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">UPA</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> 1 was a different story, it was instrumental in bringing out the fabled </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">MNREGA</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">, </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">RTI</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> acts. If you look at what </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">UPA</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> 2 has done in last two years, you will be reminded more about its </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">scandalous corruption cases, </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Manmohan</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "> Sings helplessness and the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">NAC's</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> ineffectiveness in promoting the food security bill or the communal violence bill, dilly-dallying between the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">PMO</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> and Team Sonia. It was two years of rule when the judiciary has encroached into the ambit of the legislature, when judges have washed their hands of earlier allegations. </span></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">If we let the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">cicil</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> society to guide policy making tomorrow we will have to expect more colourful characters entering </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Jantar</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Mantar</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> ( The showroom of democracy ) and demanding for absurd regulations. </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Satyagraha</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> has been commercialised with </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Air-conditioned tents and packaged drinking water, desecrating the precincts of places like </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">Rajghat</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">. Where are we heading when </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">crores</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> are spend on organising protests questioning black money, these </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">peolple</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> have to answer the source and justify its spending before they are made guardians of the society. And the past history of some of them and measures like thrashing to </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">deaddict</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> from alcoholism is questionable. When a member of the so called civil society calls for capital punishment for economic offences and proposes to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">assemble armed cadre to fight corruption, we have to be alarmed. Are we heading towards anarchy ?</span></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">What if tomorrow a mullah or sadhu or the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">khap</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> , with a massive following demands for abolition western apparels and </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">english</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> speaking , what if someone demands for banning Facebook or something else, should we be pressurised to their tactics. We need responsible</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> parliamentarians, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">in-depth analysis and smart policy making to fight social evils. Lets create fool proof financial systems, identity and banking services for the billion plus, give exemplary punishments to the defaulters. Its true this is not happening, but this recourse is not its alternative.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Let the government be truly </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">reprsentaitive</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> of the majority ( not the existing 10-15 %) let there be a change in this first past the post electoral system to more inclusive methods. Lets have a provision to abstain from not selecting the presented candidates ( negative voting), tomorrow political parties will be careful in selecting candidates to put forward to you. Lets reduce taxes and charges on land transaction, give tax concessions to people to bring back the hidden money. The money pumped back will </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">create more investments and improve the infrastructure and trickle down to the masses. Let asset disclosure be mandatory and regular, filing returns be made a national exercise. Lets effectively shift </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; ">election</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "> funding into the public domain, corporate and private financing will be controlled. We do have along way to go lets not be misguided by anyone.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">tc</span> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><photo 1=""></photo></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-40627548488258669262011-06-16T13:16:00.002+04:002011-06-16T13:17:18.705+04:00New Milestone in Corruption<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Milestone is a very positive term, used when man landed on moon, when the genome code was unraveled. But when the concept of corruption is being revamped with such radical corrections, i couldn’t find a better word. We have truly emerged in all the global indicators of progress including corruption .</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The biggest scam as far as i know was the Madoff Ponzi Scheme which proved him guilty of misappropriation of 17 Billion $.If the current accusation of 1.7 Lakh Crores in lost revenue( Approx 38 Billion $) is to be believed then we would have overshoot the current record by double. This is something the Chinese would take some time to beat. We are becoming unbeatable in the infamous segment of Corruption, Population Explosion, Poverty etc.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The basic aspect of Indian Jurisprudence is to consider the accused as not guilty until proven otherwise. So we have to give the benefit of the doubt to The Telecom Minister. The Minister states that the telecom licenses for 2G and 3G has been given at a lower price to increase penetration of telecom services and make the service affordable to everyone. But the confusing aspect is on why guidelines as provided by the department of telecom were not followed. </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The crux of the issue can be summed up as follows ( Copied from NDTV, Verbatim)</p><ul style="list-style-type: square; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; "><li>2G licenses issued in the year 2008 at 2001 Prices</li><li>Telecom Minister insisted on “First come first served “ policy</li><li>9 companies were given licenses for nearly 10,800 Crore</li><li>Some firms sold partial stakes for much higher rates</li><li>CAG: Govt lost between 1.4 to 1.76 lakh crore</li><li>CAG: Raja ignored advice of Law, Finance Ministries </li></ul><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">In the nitty gritties of coalition politics it becomes very difficult to implement and adapt fool proof review mechanism. DMK which is a major ally of UPA 2 with a grand contribution of 18 MP’s, it is diffiult to displease them. The Status of the minister as a Dalit also adds to the problem, since he claims the whole issue as a dalit targeted act. And the party’s official stand which vindicates the minister from any wrong doing makes it a harder task for the Congress led coalition to act. It won’t be as easy as the way it dealt with Mr. Chavan and Kalmadi.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The coming days will unravel the complexities involved, will the minister be sacked, will there be an investigation which brings out the truth etc. The larger implication out here is not on the future of the minister’s career, but the widespread social apathy and the lackadaisical attitude existing among the people. I recently overheard a young lady calling her father a fool, as he did not take bribes. The new generation aspiring for a public sector career is considering corruption as a means to correct the public-private pay scale difference. Its like a fringe benefit that makes the job more lucrative. If you don’t have ideals in your youth, the future is looking much bleaker than ever.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Corruption has become institutionalized and a normal characteristic like hunger, fear, courage etc. I think the government can give us some reprieve by listing standard rates and charges (under the table) for all relevant activities. At least this could stop the additional charges ( over and above the current) levied by some opportunistic officers.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">So where do we go from here, deeper, slimier, dirtier or do we see an end to this, only time will tell. But one thing i can guarantee, the scams will get bigger, the people will get more indifferent and the already disturbing polarity will increase.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> tc </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Post Script</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">When i wrote this, The minister had not resigned, so when i woke up today and found him to have resigned and to be replaced by another member of DMK. Same wine in a different bottle or labeling. SO lets see what happens now. </p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-62134083795155497532011-06-16T13:14:00.000+04:002011-06-16T13:15:37.313+04:00The Messiah The Message, The Cronies and Their Conspiracy !!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The topic is too complicated to write on, but its too tempting not to write too. The whole world is talking about him, the messenger with the message, the initiator of the first world war on cyberspace. The implications of Julian Assange's leak on foreign diplomacy is still unfurling, with Russia even recommending him for a Nobel Prize hehee He is the boy who called the emperor naked and facing the consequences for it. From Extradition threats to hit squad intimidation, from being labelled as the Information Terrorist to a fatwa from the western intelligenzia.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">For a change US has to heed to the policies of China in terms of internet control, the same leaders who preached about Online liberty and how Internet should be left on its own is eating its own words. The trend is very disturbing, US forcing Amazon, Paypal, Mastercard etc to act as per its wills can give us a sample picture of the future free world. The good thing is that there is an entire army of cyber guerrillas taking revenge on the Messenger, they have already disrupted Mastercard, Swiss Govt portal etc. The modus operandi is very discreet, they even have them denoted as Anonymous, leaves no trace and leaves the victim perplexed.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The greater question in this whole episode is the future of internet freedom and the liberty of investigative journalism. How what we write, what we read and what we see can be subjected to propagandists scalpels. If things go like this very soon US and China will come into a mutual agreement to rout out the crusaders. On a lighter note the whole episode has a bond movie imitating life aspect to it. Global powers fighting for sensitive material hacked by an International spy storing it in nuclear proof bunkers, add to it a trans national chase, disgruntled bond babes filing rape cases hehe. So much like a movie with more humor added to it, calling Putin and Mededev as Batman and Robin and more hehehe</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">On the national front the Media is on a bad foot, renowned TV presenters and journalists accused of being agents of a vicious corporate lobbyist. The whole Nina Radia tape leak was a shocker, bringing to light variants of highly esteemed public figures. I read the whole episode with disbelief and a pinch of pain, because it has questioned my faith in these people. It was evident earlier too, but the level of involvement between the media corporates and the politicians in rigging cabinet posts, setting agendas for news content and tilting opinion of us the public was in a bad taste. Whatever reasons they can give on the pretext of cultivating contacts or nuisances of investigative journalism, it is unacceptable. When we listen to their version of the news we expect it to be independent, unbiased and above all not to be selling us a pre-packed junk meal.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">On the other hand a personal conversation will never have the finesse of a media statement or a planned debate, A tapped conversation of any of us can be construed in a particular tone to demean a persons image. I want to believe the same in case of Mr. Tata. i have too much respect on his integrity to doubt his intent. Hope in the nd everything turns out well.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Addendum</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">I know the post is a bit long, but couldn't control my fury and interest on these news.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">I will be disappearing from the social networking scene as the year ends. I know it is a good news for all the people suffering from the indignation of reading my posts. But let me assure you the hiatus will not be too long. Hoping to write a farewell before the month ends. Thanks to all my readers for their evaluations, criticism, comments and above all the experience of social networking</p></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-41766391643745747652011-06-16T13:06:00.005+04:002011-06-16T13:13:47.820+04:00No Resolution But some Re-solutions !!<span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Its the time of the year when we usually make up the resolutions, that we expect to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">fullfill</span> in the coming year. Its the time when we look at last years promises <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">aand</span> its shortfalls and end up expecting a better year to come I have decided to differ this year,not that i have no resolutions left , its just that this year deserves better. Not promises for time to come, not repentance for a year gone or expectations for the future.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">The arm chair reformer and social observer in me has decided to go a mile ahead. I have decided to chart out some possible solutions/recommendations for some of the problems perturbing me for sometime. I know many of you will close this page if you know what is to come, pondering about the relevance of this content. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Iam</span> not trying to be a disgruntled idealist who is venting out his frustrations on the apathy in the society. What <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Iam</span> going to share is basic things, some of which are already in practice but needs some changes. So these are inspired solutions which can be easily implemented. I cannot promise it can change a lot but it will be a good step forward.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><br /></p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 24px; font-size: medium; ">This information is already available and accessible to the general public but rarely scrutinized or published dude to the kind of muck it will expose. I had the chance to run through an annual report posted by Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Shashi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tharoor</span> for one year of his role as an MP to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Thiruvanthauram</span> ( The original diplomatic prodigy, apparently the report he wrote on Indian foreign policy for his post graduation in his early 20's was used as study material for the Indian IFS officers for last three decades, pure genius) The report was very comprehensive, every initiative taken, every penny spend in the last one year. It also had a special mention that he spend his entire allocation (a rarity). Such reports should be made mandatory, should be published debated and discussed. What gets measured gets improved. It will help us to identify our shortfalls and provide solutions. It is a simple proposition, no rocket science, just an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">RTI</span> made mandatory and evaluated.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Mandatory Annual Report for Member of Parliaments and other Houes of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">representative</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Call Back- This is system where an elected representative can be withdrawn if his performance is not up to the mark or meet minimum standards. This is being practiced in matured democracies like Switzerland (Direct Democracy). In order to avoid frivolous and vexatious initiatives, a minimum representation of 40-50 % of the electoral of the constituency should express their opinion through a referendum. This will make our representatives more accountable and responsible, rather than waste their time on unnecessary activities. The parties will yield better candidates in the future too.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Mandatory Asset Disclosure Annually </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> Since the majority of corruption is visible from the pubic sector, all citizens enlisting in government employment should disclose their assets and also all tangible assets belonging to spouses, close relative etc. This should be a compulsory procedure and and repeated every year, any windfall gains or additional incomes should be updated. A watered down version is already in practice but should be made mandatory and fool proof. The people who cheat the system are not from outer space a fool proof system can ensure transparency. I wouldn't deny the aspect of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Binami</span> transactions, but to a large extend it will become difficult to hide.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Have some more suggestions in my mind, but due to time, constraints and considering the festivities around, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">dont</span> want to bore you a lot. So till then let me bid adieu. Hope to write a sequel to it if the response is good.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">OK on a more Jovial Note, Resolutions for 2011</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">I hope run a Marathon (Yes A full Marathon)</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">I plan to read more and more and more</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Hopefully talk lesser ( silence is truly golden)</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Write more (hopefully better)</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Thats</span> too much for now </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">tc</span></p></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-23308708050365944212010-11-10T10:40:00.004+04:002010-11-10T10:45:47.772+04:00168 Hours Bygone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr8he2G3KFdP272lCitKnsec_aVSbsTk6p0My1Y-W-Mb_OiLdgD4fkJVXQWydhJriLYdYZNYik_Ali1sz2LGE69z_Al6sr3mAlt6siazgPp79znkr5Sh5_Fs8T4fDZ9aOiDsz4M0fA7Y/s1600/manmohan_obama_big.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr8he2G3KFdP272lCitKnsec_aVSbsTk6p0My1Y-W-Mb_OiLdgD4fkJVXQWydhJriLYdYZNYik_Ali1sz2LGE69z_Al6sr3mAlt6siazgPp79znkr5Sh5_Fs8T4fDZ9aOiDsz4M0fA7Y/s400/manmohan_obama_big.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537808037447255202" /></a><br /><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Yes the title is inspired by Danny Boyle's 127 hours. It was an eventful week indeed with the second most powerful mans visit ( not 1st any more as its taken by Hu Jintao Chinese President ), spate of resignations, dismissals etc.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">He came, He saw and HE definitely conquered the imagination of a nation for an entire week. The media did an exhaustive coverage beginning from the touch down to the movement he left Indian soil. It was followed with the usual bickering on Michelle's clothes, shopping basket, the food they ate, the comments they made and what not. Everybody got their share of the limelight from the school kids to the Bollywood, to the Indian Industry's Big wigs. Amir Khan was complimented on the roles he played, on how they danced to one of his popular tunes, the president was complimented on the equine beauties at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The speech given at the Parliament was a master piece in itself, he made it a point to touch all our weaknesses, we wanted to be praised and he gave it in truck loads. Gandhi, </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Ambedkar<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; ">, Tagore, Zero, Pakistan's animosity, Our aspirations for the </span></span>UNSC<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "> seat, Our ambition as a global Power. It came with the usual attempts to speak Hindi, dollops of praises for our social welfare schemes, our democracy's vibrancy. It almost felt like we have emerged over night ( from emerging), like nothing is impossible for us as a nation.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Lets keep aside all the superficial multifaceted PR stunts. What are the larger implications for India ? For this we have to see Obama as a wounded Lion, loosing legitimacy at his home ground, feeling the heat of a resurgent Dragon at its door step, need for financial stimulus, his need for job generation in the domestic market and above all the need to resurrect the fading image of America as the legitimate super power. Obama is a smart politician and a smarter statesman. He has given us so many promises but nothing as a concrete contribution to the country. A promise on support to </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">UNSC<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "> seat, which is useless with a unanimous support from the other big 4, condemning Pakistan is of no value unless they act on his words, and as he mentioned the role of an emerged power comes with more responsibility ( sounded so much like copied from spider man </span></span>heheh<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "> ).</span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">His suggestion that we have to condemn bankrupt military rules like the one in Myanmar is a double edged sword, we have cultivated Myanmar as an ally with lot of effort and investment and if we condemn them they will side with China increasing our trouble in the north east. This is when america is known for its backing to many infamous demagogic rulers like Saddam Hussain ( during his ethnic cleansing time). I do not support The junta in any way, but a more diplomatic intervention to restore democracy would be in the interest of India.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Let us not succumb to the hegemonic overtures of America and distance our geo politically strategic ally. We do need an American backing to stand up to the Dragon's might, we need them for more acceptability among our eastern peers. He came here for the money and he has got more than what he expected, billions of dollars of orders in military, aviation, power generation etc. We have got nothing but a sense of well being and bucket loads of compliments.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Tc</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Post Script</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span">UPA's initiative to sack Kalmadi and remove Ashok Chavan was a welcome effort but as the big fish Mr. A Raja ( who has apparently cost the exchequer 1.76 lakh crore !!! in lost revenue) who is equally condemned by the CAG, the supreme court and his colleagues is still in power. the action looks just like a eyewash to distract us from the reality. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-19209628746005664152010-10-27T09:53:00.004+04:002010-10-27T11:43:37.708+04:00Ramblings !!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I have lot of things in mind to write, but yet undecided about this perturbing thoughts. Should i call it ramblings of a hypocrite, concern of a citizen or still indifference to the indifference of the majority ?</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Paul the octopus is no more with us, now we don't have the psychic prowess of an amphibian to guide us in the future. He could have helped in the impending crisis in Karnataka, the upheaval in Kashmir or even on how much money was misappropriated at the CWG. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I have always felt pride about my years spent in the IT hub of India, the pleasant, beautiful Bangalore. Been proud to say that i studied in Bangalore, proud about the integrity of business leaders like Narayanmurthy and Azim Premji, always associated the state with positive things. But now off late things have been going bad in fact worse than ever. The political scenario in the state has been going from bad to worse, rivaling the hooligans in UP and Bihar. The corruption has redefined the idea of corruption. the politicians have touched a new low where you cant trust anybody. The question is does the people in Karnataka deserve such a leadership, can we leave the future of Bangalore in the hands of these so called leaders. The IT capital definitely deserves better. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Now something that disturbs me more is the looming case of sedition against Arundathi Roy. One of the most fundamental aspect to the Indian democracy is our freedom to speech and the freedom of expression. This freedom entitles an individual the right to speak his/her mind even if the notion is not palpable to the majority. Voltaire said it so rightly and this is something we have to abide by now "</span><span class="huge"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; ">I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"</span></span></div><div><span class="huge"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the majority who criticize her have not read a single word written by her. Her opinions are based on facts and figures, conclusions come from the result of lot of exposure travelling and experience. Why do people have to always go with the media version. Try to form an informed opinion based on personal observations. Don't let the idiot box guide your thoughts. </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">If you can be told what you can see and read then it follows that you can be told what to think and say !!.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The majority need not be always right, the thundering applause may not be always just it might silence the truth but not forever. We need people like A Roy forming our civil society, giving an alternative opinion or we will have to witness the arrogance of the ruling class. Unquestionable power is very dangerous too. History can give us good lessons on that. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I know just like my thoughts the post too is disoriented, just venting out my fury at the world. Reminds me of another Voltaire quote " common sense is not so common " . I will end this post with one of my favorite quote </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; ">"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." —</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; font-size: medium; "> </span><a class="authorNameRegular" title="view all quotes by Arundhati Roy" href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6134.Arundhati_Roy" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Arundhati Roy</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">tc</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-9133331728267095552010-10-05T19:48:00.002+04:002010-10-05T19:51:55.169+04:00How i Lost it, Keep Loosing it and More !!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCJD3HUcYV30LqOxpDQNroat_uvHMwjMzHZrSdXTHxDYLYzLcrD3dezIUNdW3hnm7PRF5bb37ZVskm_Qi3Ll0WSvBSU-p-18lDyZ8KmkfQaH-fpZl8cc_HUJRV51OjeT25Ju9Wd3Hl1w/s1600/j0399288.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524590016168647954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCJD3HUcYV30LqOxpDQNroat_uvHMwjMzHZrSdXTHxDYLYzLcrD3dezIUNdW3hnm7PRF5bb37ZVskm_Qi3Ll0WSvBSU-p-18lDyZ8KmkfQaH-fpZl8cc_HUJRV51OjeT25Ju9Wd3Hl1w/s400/j0399288.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p><em>I have been pondering for long on whether to write this post, will i sound preposterously arrogant, as an obsessive narcissist or worse will i sound like yet another among the endless true stories published by the billion dollar weight loss industry. Then i thought about the pros, cons, implications, impact on my so called virtual image hehehe and finally decided ,heck i dont give a damn what u think about this. A decisive factor, was a friendly advice given by a good friend, when u have the opportunity to flaunt or boast dont miss it, because they rarely do come. So no more bull shit, here it is, How i lost 20 Kg in 4 Months ?</em></p><br /><p>Disclaimer<br />Its odd to start a post with disclaimers, but then</p><br /><p>This post will not end with a hyperlink to a dummy site asking you for your credit card details to get the magic ingredient.<br />I have not engaged in any invasive surgeries or used the assistance of weight loss drugs.<br />Iam not, and i reiterate iam not, going to put up before and after photos hehe<br />I do not intend to sound arrogant or snobbish, if i do it was truly unintentional</p><br /><p>Weight loss is something close to most of us, either we are fat, we have friends who are obscenely fat, relatives, family members, iam very sure everyone of you have someone close to you who is suffering from this problem. The issue is more serious than we think, it is one of the major reasons for most of the health issues surrounding. I go to an extreme extend by believing that, there is a big conspiracy theory, involving, the fast food industry, the health care industry and the weight loss industry, its their bread, butter, butter chicken and more.</p><br /><div><br />My fascination and battle with weight loss is pretty old, for some of you who have been reading my blog, i keep mentioning it in my new year resolutions year after year. I had reached a point where my weight was my identity, my strength and my weakness. I have tried to loose it before, failed, retried, failed again. It was a vicious cirlce, a new diet, a new exercise regime, a new surrender and more weight to add on.</div><br /><div><br />I used to boast to people that see the day i really truly decide to loose this, i will loose it. Even though it was a half hearted challenge, somewhere deep inside i believed i could do it ( clique). I started by reading blogs, searching on google " how to loose weight", "couch to 5K" etc. Then came across the book 'Don't lose your mind, lose your weight' by Rujuta Diwekar ( not endorsing her), it busted a lot of myths on weight loss, gave a more rational, realistic look at it. Try reading it, could help you.</div><br /><div><br />Then just like in the movies and books one fine day i decided, Ok thats it this has to end here. Precisely first week of June 2010 ( i know i sound like Subodh in dil Chahtha hai hehehe ). I joined a gym, took a 3 month package ( have had terrible experiences with 1 Year Membership), treading the path carefully and rationally. Told my instructor about my plan, he had this sly sarcastic smile, one more bakra this month heheh.</div><br /><div><br />I have done only few things, but i have done it consistently, very religiously and put all my heart and soul into it. I started using the treadmill, and the cross trainer, starting slowly and increased the levels consistently. I have not used any other machines, no ab crunchers, no dumbbells etc. I did the stair climbing exercise ( we had a 10 step stairs, leading to the exit, did 10 reps up and down on it everyday), did the jumping exercise ( yes the one we used to do early mornings in school PT, started with 3 sets of 30 and progressed to sets of 100 ). This is it nothing more nothing less, i did this everyday 6 days a week for 4 months, yes iam 100 % sure i havent missed a day. On the treadmill and cross trainer i progressed to do a combined 6 Km per day by the third month.</div><br /><div><br />So you might be assuming, i did nothing about my obsessive eating disorders, no weight loss is complete without controlling, reshaping your diet. For all the people who know how badly food is my weakness, how some of us get up in the morning and ponder about the days dinner plan heheh. How food has become a hobby, a stress buster, a celebratory event, a get together agenda and more. Many of us have eaten what an average man eats in 2 life times, we would have eaten enough chicken to be listed as a Hitler, responsible for mass genocide among the chicken world. I have done it all, the quintessential carnivore, have eaten multiple types of meat in the same sitting, gulped it down with sugary aerated drinks, finished the deal with a hot molten chocolate and more. We have eaten as a competition challenging who'll eat more ( i remember maxing a KFC unlimited meal to the extend that the waiter was apprehensive to come towards our side) ( have been cruelly denied the umpteenth helping in the so called unlimited Buffets) </div><br /><div><br />So what did i do about it, i reshaped my attitude, outlook towards food, i changed it from gluttony to subsistence, from bloating myself to immobility to eating enough to survive. Realised the fact that even if the food is free, my body is mine heheh. Changed my attitude fro " Living to eat to Eating to live" i know it sounds absurd and unrealistic, but i realised if i go like this i will have to stop doing this some day, why not today ? For the first two months i shifted to a minimal non veg (if any only in curries, tandoori etc, no oil fried), completes abstinence from all aerated drinks, chocolates, needless snacks etc. All of a sudden i had a deep void in my life, so much more extra time hehe. I realised how a spend a good part of my day on food ( eating, thinking, planning, criticising, praising, advising, recommending and more). After the second month when i started seeing progress i allowed myself complimentary treats of occasional Pepsi, or a bar of chocolate,an ice cream etc. </div><br /><div><br />Now i eat only if i have to eat, if i see a tempting spread i remind myself " i have seen it all, i have eaten it all, whats the fun in it, i have eaten enough for couple of life times". I dont clear out the plates and dishes sympathising about wasted food ( better option order or take helpings more judiciously). If i have eaten more during lunch, i skip the dinner with just a juice, fruits or salad. If i foresee an impending showdown for dinner i eat less the other meals. Another useful tip that has helped me is drinking 2 glasses of water before and after the meal, will fill up your stomach faster, another one i haven't mastered but has a lasting impact is eating dinner before 7 try it, really helps ( will feel difficult for the first few days).</div><br /><div><br />Above all these meticulous actions, your heart and spirit plays an important role, i quote from the alchemist " If you really desire something with all your heart, the whole world will conspire with you to get it" believe this, its not a clique, its not something you should neglect. Think about it every moment, I will loose it, i will loose all this flab, this belly ( CPWD-continuous pregnancy without delivery, for guys only heheeh). Think about all the moments you have been ridiculed, been teased, been left out, been told that we dont have your size. Pick out a set of the best insults you have experienced, relish it, relive it, it helps, it is a big motivating force. Think about all those good clothes you want to fit into, how you want to flaunt the stylish leather belt hidden under your belly hehehe.</div><br /><div><br />Loosing weight is more than loosing weight, its about regaining confidence, about reshaping your image. Its about more life, more time, more of everything. I know the post is a bit too long from my usual ones, given a choice i could write a book on it. I have actually lost 22 kg ( wont mention before and after weights), lost almost 6 inches (15 cms) of my trouser size, shifted from XXL to L in shirt size.</div><br /><div><br />You dont need branded weight loss clinics or expensive drugs or invasive bariatric surgery or liposuction to loose weight. Its there in you you just have to find it, its your attitude. My journey is not over yet, it never will be too, i plan to loose another 6-7 kgs more, hope i succeed. Even if i gain back to my previous self, this will remain as a testimony to my journey to weight loss.<br />Do comment, do read, do share it with others to whom it might help, do tag and tell them how someone you know did it. ( my success has actually influenced people to start afresh in their war against the bulge). I was even planning on what i will write in a post if i succeeded,Do write to me if you need to know more.</div><br /><div><br />tc </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-56256376987918109492010-08-30T16:23:00.004+04:002010-08-30T17:16:18.482+04:00Common Wealth Games: Playing Games with Common Man's Wealth !<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqumv_RtRlGUSipnlYuBnJX60BzbmoT-9sc6eHARuuMo8HjzUcJwOOVG262eYV7jTy9QrbXxdpWlLg5TJ5dYApVLJuZ9elx9LMeaydGApFO-X6UJgjmQi9nJ8bloCk9o17QvW_tlvfnOs/s1600/alarming-level-of-corruption-in-india1jpeg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 351px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511190814894066722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqumv_RtRlGUSipnlYuBnJX60BzbmoT-9sc6eHARuuMo8HjzUcJwOOVG262eYV7jTy9QrbXxdpWlLg5TJ5dYApVLJuZ9elx9LMeaydGApFO-X6UJgjmQi9nJ8bloCk9o17QvW_tlvfnOs/s400/alarming-level-of-corruption-in-india1jpeg.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Corruption has become a part of our lives, we have started accepting it as a necessity like food and shelter. The latest scam to be unearthed is the one to deal with the upcoming common wealth games, everyone has accepted that the process was corrupt, the only argument is to ascertain the amount. Speculations vary from 40,000 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Crore</span> to 100,000 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Crore</span> + , the peculiar thing is that every new scam has the ability to out do the previous one, we forgive and forget the previous <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">hungama</span> like it was nothing compared to the latest one.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chetan</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bhagat</span> in his recent <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">column</span> in a popular newspaper aptly compared an Indian citizen to a battered wife who is expected to hide her bruises and praise her husband ( in this case the games organisers). <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Look</span> at all the recent scams, The Spectrum Scam, The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">CWG</span> Scam, The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Arunachal</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">PDS</span> Scam, The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sukna</span> Land Scam etc. the list can go on and on. We have become mute spectators to a game played with our money and where we always end up the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">loser's</span>.<br /><br />Another aspect to the whole <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">CWG</span> issue is that whether we need such a sporting extravaganza in dire times of fiscal prudence, when more than half our populace is going to the bed with an empty stomach. It is just a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">tamasha</span> organised for the Middle class by the organisers which is yet another opportunity for them to steal money. In the name of the Games a major part of the capital has been dug up and disfigured which <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">doesn't</span> looks like to be fixed any time soon.<br /><br />Lets get our priorities right why do we need such colossal events when we haven't even made an effort to develop world class athletes ( 1 or 2 medals in an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Olympics</span> from a Billion Plus cannot be considered) . Let us emulate China in this case, they had boycotted from international sporting events for decades till they developed world class athletes. And what about all our deficiencies in the development front lets get those fixed first before such circuses.<br /><br />We have started accepting corruption as a structural fault like some cheap <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Chinese</span> watch which will stop working, or a loaf of bread that will expire in few days. If money is involved corruption has to be there too. It is our mistake to expect otherwise, we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">don't</span> expect men with integrity exist or even if they do they are a paradox in the society. From the police constable on the road to the our sacrosanct judiciary, everyone is alleged of corruption.<br /><br />Even our cinema has stopped depicting straightforward heroes, the new hero is the one who is able to manipulate the system to his favour, not one who challenges it. Recently came across a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Telugu</span> Movie called " Leader" which was different from the stereotypical ones (take alook at it ).<br />So what will happen to the games, we will have to wait and watch. But a statement made by Mani SHankar Iyer could give you a hint of the things to come " India is the only country where you find an international airport is build for 9,000 Crores and you find the ceiling leaking" .<br />One thing is sure and predictable we will have bigger scams and more hullaboo, we are definitely being regularly entertained what if it is at our own cost ?</div><div></div><div>tc</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-46126860473767764302010-08-24T16:57:00.005+04:002010-08-24T17:54:38.939+04:00Do We Need the Civilian Nuclear Deal ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc5QrRMDqIWZDYi7uSeDWpzNw0x9wD7CRMUNbeSEoyqIVKkwVPQm0urL_mcvZm5Fg4mRYDF0Qu1Nv6RzdF2UZblEJogL5tHuEb_0n6g-DCJWen98Lk-eyRfxQbtdS5Kc5jeZX21jPen8/s1600/smiley-nuclear.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc5QrRMDqIWZDYi7uSeDWpzNw0x9wD7CRMUNbeSEoyqIVKkwVPQm0urL_mcvZm5Fg4mRYDF0Qu1Nv6RzdF2UZblEJogL5tHuEb_0n6g-DCJWen98Lk-eyRfxQbtdS5Kc5jeZX21jPen8/s400/smiley-nuclear.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508974019472184370" /></a><br />What is the big fuss about the civil nuclear agreement and the nuclear liability bill. Do we really need this with such a huge risk of possible nuclear accidents and shortage of nuclear fuel. The sad thing is that we badly need this deal at any cost or we will be in big trouble in 2-3 decades.<div><br /></div><div>In a country that is growing to be an economic super power, competing with world powers in technology and services, electricity is as important as water or the air we breath. Lets not forget about the burgeoning middle class and the farm sector dependent on pump wells. There re states in our country having 18-20 hours of power cut, or its easier to say 4-6 hours of availability. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Quick Facts</u></b></div><div>Current Power Generation - 165,000 MW</div><div>Current source of Energy- Thermal (coal) 70 %, Hydro- 15 % , Others - 15 %</div><div>Total Potential of Hydro - 145000 MW</div><div>Estimated life span of Coal Reserves - 30 years ( as per Geological survey)</div><div>Projected energy Requirement (2030-31) - 800,000 MW</div><div><br /></div><div>We have been able to generate only 165,000 MW in the last sixty years and that too heavily depending on the thermal power plants which is running on depleting source of fuel. At this rate we will be able to generate thermal energy only for the next three decades. So the government is telling us we need the nuclear deal but what it is not telling us is the power vacuum that we are going to experience in a few decades. </div><div><br /></div><div>In order to ensure our energy security and a shift from the undependable thermal power production we need the international technology and support in the nuclear power sector. If we start now we can have a healthy shift in our power structure by 2050 !!. That doesn't mean we have to blindly accept any clause that jeopardize our population. We do not want to experience multiple Bhopal fiasco's anymore.</div><div><br /></div><div>Clubbed with this is our inefficiency in processing and distribution, we have an abysmal 30% pilferage of power unheard of anywhere else in the world. And to add to the mess, the opportunistic politician who promises to give free power to farmers once he wins. The logical question is How can you give something free that you do not get for free. Along with the nuclear power generation what we need more is effective power distribution and a disciplined approach to power consumption. </div><div><br /></div><div>tc</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-75403405294562423632010-08-04T15:03:00.002+04:002010-08-04T15:34:07.873+04:00Pax Indica - The Resurgence of An Economic Might<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdcfKD7wR3lFjp669g9I5gGclsG9bDyxBMxFgFRI57NJ0e8T-bhe7lF5Pex84r0zmWzRIbiieDpvEMR_BzrwsbznaP1jHN-1PX30zx-FFLrwZCcW8gbrMBOl7e4eJXCEjECWurksB6ws/s1600/rupee-symbol-silver.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdcfKD7wR3lFjp669g9I5gGclsG9bDyxBMxFgFRI57NJ0e8T-bhe7lF5Pex84r0zmWzRIbiieDpvEMR_BzrwsbznaP1jHN-1PX30zx-FFLrwZCcW8gbrMBOl7e4eJXCEjECWurksB6ws/s400/rupee-symbol-silver.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501516499144340530" border="0" /></a><br />It might sound like a folk lore now when we hear about India's glorious past and in particular the economic might it commanded over the world. It is believed that in early 18th century and 17th century India accounted for nearly 35% of the world GDP much more than the substantial 16% America accounts for today. Volumes have been written about our wealth and some historical travelers compared it to the legendary eldorado.<br /><br />From our glorious past we were subjected to a sequence of incomparable exploitation. When our wealth, pride and glory was systematically eroded and fed to the colonial masters. The colonial rule acted as a sponge draining all our wealth from the Ganga and depositing on the banks of Thames. We had centuries of exploitative regimes which plundered us and left us in abject poverty. An imperial dominant fought wars and expanded colonies world over with our wealth.<br /><br />The first four decades of our independence was subjected to a controlled regime of economic socialism, when our erstwhile rulers were drawn to the glamour of pro USSR economic models of developments. We improvised by gifting the world with the five year plan model of planned controlled development. We concentrated so much on heavy industries, big dams etc. and left out vital needs like infrastructure, inclusive growth strategies eradicating poverty, unemployment etc.<br /><br />When our economy was on the verge of collapse due to trade imbalances, short lived unplanned economic endeavors, we were forced to open up our economy under the legendary stewardship of Mr. Manmohan Singh. The irony is that the socialist china had opened it's market to foreign players two decades prior to us, for them the colour of the cat was not important, only whether it catches the mouse made sense.<br /><br />the last two decades of economic independence ( i would call 1991 was our economic independence from an authoritative state control) have shown wonders in our country. Unlike the other doom mongers ridiculing all things associated with new economic policy, i would call it as a big step forward. the progress that we have made in major social indicators like poverty, literacy, IMR, MMR etc have been majorly influenced by this open up.<br /><br />The last 2 years have been the most glorious so far in our economic history. When the world economies tumbled like a house of play cards, we stood our ground and graciously grew at a remarkably robust 7 % averagely. When the economic superpowers were shocked with the onslaught of never ending economic crisis, we were comfortably advocating and implementing ground breaking welfare policies like NREGA, Right to food bill etc.<br /><br />The British are rightly justified in discontinuing the yearly economic assistance provided to us on the ground that a country embarking on ultra modern space missions and touted as the largest consumer of weaponry no longer needs assistance. I consider this as a gesture of acceptance. on rising to the global platform of economic super powers.<br /><br />To add more glory to our prominence our supremo is being respected world over for his economic acumen, his fiscal prudence and above all the grace with which he handles himself. An amusing anecdote mentions an international journalist comparing his knowledge on economics with the rest of the leaders combined at the G20 and still he would outsmart them by far. And recently when Obama mentioned that " when Manmohan sing Speaks the whole world listens" it was a moment of pride for the entire nation.<br /><br />Our mighty corporate behemoths comparable in power and size to any global giants have been on a shopping spree off late. Acquiring whatever was on sale, i would call is a case of reverse imperialism. Ironically our historical exploiter the English East India Company was recently acquired by an Indian. The popular attitude among our corporates has been, "name your price we will buy it " for some time now.<br /><br />Economic crisis can have such adverse affects that countries like Britain resorting to extreme acts of diplomatic sycophancy to improve bilateral relationships. What else would you call the recent visit of a British premier. I think we have to get used to this adulation, this constant recognition as a shrewd and prudent economic power house.<br /><br />And finally with a new global symbol to our national currency to enter the elite club of Dollar, Pound, Euro and Yen. We have given a face to our might, a voice to our hopes and an identity to the billion dreams in our nation.<br /><br />Tc<br /><br />addendum: i know it was too much in favor of the brighter side of life ignoring all that is wrong in our country, next post will be dedicated to the darker side of the story.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-34104557896468035792010-07-11T16:44:00.011+04:002010-07-13T15:45:23.133+04:00Cutting off Hands / Honour killing What is happening ?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65m9dUn5ZoLtg72RcS7FYYF1DvN0sslQaRyx7LjO3Gt0jt2fJ9oXb1zwHrYNhGYrDT6lgVUinKmQueZ6LzmDHuW89wLrz4z65hd1ZzeSkzLfzqydV4Q2MCK9HjBtsbtrd7m3qz1mt2Ww/s1600/Series_Good_evil.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492643046833066386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65m9dUn5ZoLtg72RcS7FYYF1DvN0sslQaRyx7LjO3Gt0jt2fJ9oXb1zwHrYNhGYrDT6lgVUinKmQueZ6LzmDHuW89wLrz4z65hd1ZzeSkzLfzqydV4Q2MCK9HjBtsbtrd7m3qz1mt2Ww/s400/Series_Good_evil.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Before its too late to comment, before it becomes too common to notice, and before we become too indifferent to this gruesome brutality let me voice my views. First i thought why should i even bother to comment on whats happening, but what hppens if all of us keep quiet ? what happens if no one is bothered ? EDdmund bruke the Noted statesman once said " All that is necessary for triumph of evil is for good man to do nothing " , this wouldn't sound more apt any other day. Iam not advocating my righteousness out here, iam bringing your attention to the lawlessness in the society.<br /><br />The news of the public amputation of the professors hand was a shocker, how can this be happening in our state where there is a relatively higher sense of morality than any other place in India. I agree to the fact that the protaganist out here had committed a grevious crime by hurting the sentiments of a religions pious followers, but the concerned authority had acted very appropriately and criminal investigations was proceeding against him. No justification can be given to the assailants for doing such a henious act, we have a very commendable system of jurisprudence present in our country, we do not live in a jungle, here in this modern society what prevails is principles of natural justice. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>By the acts of the sparingly few fanatics the whole community is getting condemned . The only silver lining out here is the solidarity with which the civilised community reacted by standing strongly against it. The majority still has its conscience intact.Fanaticsm or violence under the banner of any organised ideology should not be tolerated under any circumstances. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>We dont want to be talibanised or dictated on morality. Its not only the extremism down south that is disturbing. The exessive morality imposed on the name of honour is quite appalling. Whose honour are you protecting by slaughtering your loved ones and in front of whom ? The judgements of these pseudo self righteous guardians of social moral sounds quiet amusing. And the fact that there are people adhering to such archaic senseless laws and customs even today is even more surprising . </div><br /><div>Out of pure curiosity i had delved into the history of this controversy, in ancient India where discrete polygamy was widely practised and villagers went out for trade and commerce into far off villages for months together, there was a risk of cross sibling nuptials taking place. The father could be absent to stop such a disastrous thing to happen, so a law was adopted by the dominant banning intra village marriages. Another version says that it was brought out to limit the dilution of lineage and even to avoid pilferage of community wealth into outsiders hands. These circumstances are irrelevant today. </div><div></div><br /><div>We had outrageous social customs like sati and child marriage practised in India even till the begining of the last century. It was a socailly accepted practise and highly in practise in many parts, but it was not right and our policy makers had the audacity to abolish it from our society, today we are daunted by a similiar evil. Have you ever wondered why men were not forced to jumb into the pyre of his wife upon her death, because as usual the customs were evolved by the dominant oppressive patriarchy. </div><br /><div>It feels like we are deteriorating as human beings day by day, enforcing jungle justice in day to day lives. More than the cruelty of this miniscule minority, it is the acquiescence of the majority to such practices that is disturbing. How many hands will be amputated, how many innocent youth will be lynched to death before the society will wake up. Lets hope that we will not fall pray to their evil plot and live long enough to see a just and tolerant society.</div><br /><div>Tc </div><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-86658339142932091082010-06-30T16:06:00.003+04:002010-06-30T16:32:58.337+04:00Do Women Really get turned on by Axe Effect ?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE5hdB3DqL7DNVOUCR2V7WZIZtm2Z5qVUcYh9gujwhpDoW_BmsT2CA24n-h8rs_9mh6pjvFDM_9xyh_CK-4kqUNEQXTgoHSZ_JTH-IXJ5jzdRXl_TZzIMYKgTPYeWkJ_tEdaUFbOHiMk/s1600/small_der%2520axe%2520effect.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 301px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488543613012333298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE5hdB3DqL7DNVOUCR2V7WZIZtm2Z5qVUcYh9gujwhpDoW_BmsT2CA24n-h8rs_9mh6pjvFDM_9xyh_CK-4kqUNEQXTgoHSZ_JTH-IXJ5jzdRXl_TZzIMYKgTPYeWkJ_tEdaUFbOHiMk/s400/small_der%2520axe%2520effect.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Prior Script </div><br /><div>Ages have passed since i have posted something on this portal, yes iam alive and kicking, yes i still look forward to blogging and yes definitely expect your honest reviews on it.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Off late i have been bugges by all the deodrant advertisemnts portrayng women as someone who runs behind fragrance and subjected to unlimited versions of lustful beings turned out to an outright raunchy mode on being exposed to certain peculiar smells. The versions have become so monotonous and predictive that everytime a model opens a deodrant bottle to spray you can expect women coming through the roof, door, walls and god knows where else, or undressing to continous bouts of spraying. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It was quite amusing initially and actually compelling to see the pied piper version of axe effect with an entire town of women following suit to his odour. It was also ok when they came up with multiple versions but quite amusing versions and i felt the choclate boy was also interesting . But it is not ok to see every tom dick and harry emulating their concept on and on and on without making any considerablealterations to the theme and even the basic structure. Cant people come up with any original idea in this regard.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>From here we go to the original story " Do women really get tuned on by the axe effect ?" . I feel for all those millions of mislead consumers expecting to get a wink or smile from the girl sitting next to him on exposing his perfumed armpits. This is against the rationality of human conscience we are not living an utopic world where lust can be turned on with a switch. Rather studies have proven that women are attracted to pheromones given out by mans glands are attractive in nature to women. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>No iam not advocating all men to quit deodrants, it will definitely be a more difficult world to live then. But wake up to the reality dont be so gullible that any PR team can take advantage of your basic instincts. And women for a change i think you can stop protesting on all the gender discriminations and question the pathetic portrayl of women in deodrant advertisements. You can do better than running behind men like he is the last man alive. Raise your voices against being comodified to the extend of a foot massager or a sauna belt you are more than that to humanity.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I know there are people who dont agree with me on this, people who think why do you give a damn? people who think as long as they show super sexy models in skinpy clothes and women ready to flaunt their clevages on a flick of a coin whats bothering me. Whats bothering me isan entire generation growing up with false ludicrous assumbtions of reality, on turning out to be gullible idiots worsening the extend of consumerism. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Do comment your views on this , if any or else create one make a stand.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>tc</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-22340227452969643452010-03-21T21:43:00.002+04:002010-03-21T22:00:06.686+04:00I Me MyselfI look myself in a mirror<br />Unmoved careless he stands<br />He stands in the midst of all this chaos<br />Like he doesn’t give a damn<br /><br />There in the midst of maddening crowd<br />I stand, i stand lost and confused<br />The whole world is moving ahead<br />And yet i stand even without care<br /><br />The days dawn to dusk as usual<br />As usual they are again ordinary<br />Iam living a life without a change<br />It looks like any other ordinary life<br /><br />Tomorrow it’s yet another day like today<br />And when it’s over i will still be the same<br />My agony my pain will still have its pang<br />And when it’s over ill still crib about the same<br /><br />I will still hope for a better day tomorrow<br />For every mundane day that passes by me<br />I will still hope for better days and nights<br />Coz i can hope only till when it’s all the same<br /><br /> -acpUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-25557265899029403712010-02-02T21:11:00.004+04:002010-02-03T10:44:32.963+04:00Kerala Consumed 2 Billion $ of Alcohol in 2009 !!!<div>Yes it is true the people of kerala has consumed 2 Billion Dollars or more of alcohol in 2009. This is a staggering achievement by any means. We should pat ourselves in the back for arriving at such an interesting figure. The official sales by the beverages corporation ( State Supplier? organised Sector ) put the sales at 4500 crores and this does not include the major chunk of supply by the unorganised sector which includes hotels, restaurants, Bar's, the toddy shops, the arrack shops, military quota hehehe and more. if you consider these outlets it could contribute to nothing less than double the sales of the organised sector, for a comfortable analysis lets give them an equal share so the total sales can amount to 9-10,000 crores.</div><br /><div> </div>If you go in detail about the figure, the population, the demographic breakup and all the figure can be quiet revealing. Out of the 30 million population of the state more than half are women ( the only state in the country to have a favorable social indicator) so we have roughly 15 million men ( not that all women are teetotaller) and if you look at children below 15 and men above 65 ( assuming they consume less or totally abstain from it) lets assume them to be 3 million. So lets assume out of this around 5 million people are alcoholic or at least consume on social occasion. So the 2 billion worth of alcohol is consumed by 5 million people .<br /><div> </div><br />That gives us a figure of 400 $ worth of alcohol consumption i.e. per capita consumption of alcohol at 400$. This you should consider in a state with per capita income less than 300 $. This is really alarming to say the least. In terms of our ranking we stand first in the country in terms of alcohol consumption even beating the party manic Punjabis. We have clearly outdone everyone by far now.<br /><div> </div><br />Alcohol consumption has become a necessity for most of the customers like a social addiction that cannot be stalled. There is an anecdote of how a great leader was suggested by his advisory to ban smoking and drinking in his country and after great thought the leader asked him " if you can find me another activity that generates as much revenue for the state, i will immediately oblige to your wish ". SO it has become more of a necessary evil for the state to sustain its developmental activities. For some states like Punjab 1/3 of its revenue is collected from alcohol sales.<br /><br />It has become a necessity for the youth to consume, to belong to a certain group, peer pressure etc. In certain group it has become difficult to disclose you don't drink rather than the other way around. People have started assuming and taking for granted such habits in us. The social stigma that was associated to drinking earlier in conservative communities like Muslims have started shifting. We have started recognizing the fact that someone cannot be considered alcoholic if he consumes on selective social occasions.<br /><br />This has become a social epidemic to say the least ( i know some of you will be grinning now hehehe) and something has to be definitely done to contain this or we will end up like Yemen addicted to qat leaves which has lead to an idle population and a looming water crisis. We have to organize community awareness programs and do social advertising campaigns curtailing the enigma attached with alcohol consumption. <br /><br />tcUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-26113738230543698282010-01-27T09:58:00.007+04:002010-01-27T10:46:49.419+04:00How We Look Different From Our Photos !!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFkaY-1SH5FzWUm_rB2lP3TCnpgJJFndZAbj81YsyY-UP-hANpx6K1EbnL68UILGilSV1lv2Zy8pLGNbuMPud0AQaRLpwQsVAuM2jkWuZOErtyc7MHMJ1aLo6eqNHnfl-vSWe2-mUucc/s1600-h/anonymous.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFkaY-1SH5FzWUm_rB2lP3TCnpgJJFndZAbj81YsyY-UP-hANpx6K1EbnL68UILGilSV1lv2Zy8pLGNbuMPud0AQaRLpwQsVAuM2jkWuZOErtyc7MHMJ1aLo6eqNHnfl-vSWe2-mUucc/s400/anonymous.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431306500683679346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Iam sure iam not the first one notice this, many of you might have had this odd feeling too. I was inspired to do this post by seeing an original photo of Ambedkar on the latest Outlook edition. The photo looks so different from the popular representation in hoardings and paintings. In them he looks more like Mamooty (southern Super star), may be because he has made an attempt to portray him in a movie.<br /><br />This kept me thinking and i started researching on various other popular figures, the results are truly shocking a majority have been altered to form an entirely different image. Don't take my comments on face value, try looking through images 50 years before and the ones circulating now.I think this has a lot to do with the emergence of photo shop editing, beautification relevant now. Are we so conceited to hide our real faces or has the fair and lovely bug caught up on this front too.<br /><br />Iam not talking about the political figures alone here, try looking at the image you have put as profile pictures on Facebook/Orkut/ and the countless other social networking sites. This cannot be tried by people who have put Shahrukh/ Salman/ Hrithik/ John Abraham etc as display images iam pretty sure they will find no resemblances at all heheh. You will be shocked to find that the best possible images pasted will have only 50-75 % resemblance to your real self. And if it is a bad hair day the chances are even remote.<br /><br />Recently one of my cousin was asked to give his own photo from a government office because the one given by him (whitened/ spot less/ fault less) image had no resemblance to him heheheh. Most of our images specially the good ones will be at least 2-3 year old, before the additional pounds crept on, before the love handles started bulging heheh.<br /><br />Who are we trying to fool here, What are we trying to prove here ? Iam not looking at my best today but 1 1/2 year ago i was definitely good looking hehhe. Lets accept it we dont look as good as we expect we are, we are not as smart as we think are and yes the fat guy sitting opposite to you is definitely thinner than you. And the seemingly bald guy across the street has more hair than you hehehehe.Iam sure there wont be changes in photos any time soon. We are as hypocritical as we can be, if Susan Boyle can make a difference we should definitely give reality a shot. <br /><br />P.S<br />I look better than my photos, the smile is for real and extra pounds have been added virtually to give a more mature look hehheheheUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-57488004660199594982010-01-12T16:17:00.005+04:002010-01-12T16:47:52.484+04:00Why i Hate Social Networking yet bother to Annoy You !!!Here i am shifting between my home pages on face book and orkut, deciding whether the display photo looks as good as i thought it would when i first placed it there. brooding on whether this virtual social networking is getting boring by the day, the alerts that prompted me to eagerly visit these sites have started to become annoying. whats on my mind deserves to stay in my mind, not to be shouted to a bunch of friends who are as jobless as you are.<br /><br />The photo updates have started becoming typecast, its either a marriage, a recent trip or sometimes scanned images of old escapades. And the endless games which gives you high IQ ratings if it ever was true you wouldn't be sitting and blabbing on. Its as silly as it can to be to be farming virtually bothered about the non existent black sheep that has entered your non existent field. And then we have the fortune cookies and random questions which can make your day ahead more confusing than it already is.<br /><br />Take your time to browse through your friend list once in a while and look at all the guilt driven acceptances you have had to make, of people who you rarely know, of some who have common friends, some with cheesy display images. If you seriously reconsider you friend list every other year, you will have to remove a quarter of it. And in the midst of all this orkut is trying to be emulate features on facebook, suggesting people you might know just because you have common friends, your neighborhoods are across the street and evn because your birthdays might come on the same day hehehe.<br /><br />And of the endless new sites trying to get a share of you wasted time, some offering you hug, a pinch and even a slap. Friends unknowingly requesting you earnestly to join this new freebies. Describing their satisfaction and the endless freebies on offer.<br /><br />I am yet to decide whether to join Twitter, to be bothered by one more set of user name and passwords. I know its the popular thing to be tweeting now, when iam unable to keep up with blogging how can i do justice to micro blogging. Even Shashi Tharoor is in trouble tweeting , so where do we mere mortals stand a chance. I think iam technically handicapped, i cannot configure the GPRS on my phone, yet to come into terms with 3G and unable to handle basic WIFI settings. Is it virtually aceptable to accept these handicaps, will i be sidelined for more aware and able browsers. <br /><br />So as usual i have done justice to my confusion my hypocrisy. I have bothered you with my gyan, of which you would have been better if not bothered to read this. So why do i keep visiting the so called social networking sites, I Dont Have an Option !!! hehehe<br /><br />tcUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-76333317192923320382009-12-29T18:59:00.001+04:002009-12-29T19:06:05.498+04:00Of All The Things I Have Lost<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:">Of all the things that i have lost<br />Its hope that is what i miss the most<br /><br />Of all the lies i have told you<br />Its the ones about me i repent<br /><br />Of all the people i miss<br />Its you that was dearest to me<br /><br />Of all the sunrises i have missed<br />Its the ones i have slept through i regret<br /><br />Of all the opportunities i have left<br />Its the life changing ones i shouldn’t have<br /><br />May be I have <br />Lost, lied, missed and left <br /><br /></span><span style="'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:">But yet iam here</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:">And iam happy to be alive </span></p><p>tc</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-59358852948751522512009-12-12T20:13:00.001+04:002009-12-12T23:13:34.672+04:00Why God's Own Country wont be affected by Recession !!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcL5pGDWshrm2-R4fNUks7i-Z2nwwBauIoQg10535MltUaPJkVqs465aCd08L-k3ZGaI1ju0V4j6jCAZHrhRZ4TjTinnU9BEHdMVg-ROmJD3nooV_QDIFuHrZe4ceBCEqvgKZmGUuCgug/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296821009694630546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcL5pGDWshrm2-R4fNUks7i-Z2nwwBauIoQg10535MltUaPJkVqs465aCd08L-k3ZGaI1ju0V4j6jCAZHrhRZ4TjTinnU9BEHdMVg-ROmJD3nooV_QDIFuHrZe4ceBCEqvgKZmGUuCgug/s400/untitled.bmp" /></a><br /><div align="left">For those of you who are not aware of the sobriquet Gods own Country, this is the fancy name given to the south Indian State of Kerala for its mind blowing greenery and natural beauty. By demographic, social and ethical indicators this state can be compared to any of the leading European or Western nations. The state has a population of 31 million and land area of 15,000 Sq. Miles. This gives you a brief idea about our destination and chief protagonist.</div><br /><p align="left">Now coming to the more important aspect of the topic why god's own country will not be affected by recession. Now iam in a dilemma on the context of the post, should i grind the hidden economist in me and explain the phenomena with some financial indicators and situational analysis or should i try to be candy about the normal practices in the state.</p><p align="left">This is a place that works on its own terms which has evolved its own type of economy called the "Kerala Model". The state has had 80 days of harthal in the first six months of last year and generally it is a mood of lax and absence. The industry is generally dominated by agriculture, tourism and fishing in the order of importance. Then there is the most important, silent and turnover intensive segment of real estate. In the real estate market price for the property depends upon various invisible factors which doesn't justify the cost benefit ratio and value of investment.</p><p align="left">Another important characteristic and unique aspect for "Kerala model" is the number of non residents from the state (approx. 2.5 million). They are spread mainly across the oil rich sheikdoms specialising in various types of jobs from cafeteria owners to CEO's of billion dollar companies . </p><div align="left">As a whole the state receives around 240 Billion INR every year through overseas remittance . This is far more than the states expenditure during the same period. So the kerala economy does not depend on manufacturing, service sector or outsourcing. These are the main sectors which will be affected by the recession. The driving sector of the economy like agriculture will get a boost in this era when primary segments will be boosted, promoted and highly in demand. So on one side the major industry is getting an unexpected boom and inward remittance is far higher than ever thanks to the highly favourable exchange rates.</div><br /><div align="left">It is not that jobless gulf dependant malayalees are bothered about recession or job losses. When you have dinars, riyals, dollars and dirhams flowing in and basic services are highly over priced people are not bothered about any global phenomenas. An average hartalee spends only 6-8 hours of working with amble gaps and rest hours. With 5 working days and weekend ceremonies like marriages, receptions, parties etc. etc. people are a happy lot. </div><br /><div align="left">The conclusion of this wandering post is that when there is no production why will there be recession. When you already are jobless you cannot risk loosing it. The same hartalees when they become non residents are ready to work 12-15 hour shifts without breaks and holidays. So it is not the inherent characteristic of the average malayalee, it has got something to do with the environment, attitude and political system. The irony is that when the whole world is concerned with layoffs and production cuts Kerala has welcomed the new year with aharthal on the 1st of January. </div><br /><div align="center">P.S Sorry for wandering from our topic, it was unintentional, expecting comments and reviews.</div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">ANY RESEMBLANCE OF CHARACTERS OR SITUATIONS IN THE POST TO ANYONE ALIVE OR DEAD IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL. IF ANYTHING SAID OR MEANT IN THE POST HURTS ANY ONES BELIEFS OR FEELINGS IT IS PURELY UNINTENTIONAL AND APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Addendum</div><div align="center">This post has been posted on this blog on a previous date and it is being brought back taking into consideration its relevance today and my mounting lethargy which keeps me away from regular blogging.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-22474822681953972432009-11-29T20:20:00.002+04:002009-11-29T20:49:49.707+04:00RamblingsThe idea of posting in a more organised way has been impending for couple of weeks. The inspirations required for posting new articles have been a lot but the discipline to do that has been nil.<br /><br />It has been one whole year of blogging as of 15th of November, one whole year of rambling, one year of digesting all this crap. Would like to thank my co authors who have been influenced by occasional bouts of enthusiasm and confused ideas. Thanks to all the search engines who have misled browsers to this portal, all browsers who have taken the effort to spend some time on this site.<br /><br />It is almost one year since i have posted a testimony of commitments known as resolutions and again it has been an year of failed promises, lost friends, new acquaintances and a whole new perspective towards life.<br /><br /> One year since a set of hooligans had the audacity to attack our national symbols of wealth, prosperity and unity. One year of gratitude to our resilience, unity and our strength to survive, fight and stand up to all the injustice done against us. Hope no bloody new kasabs have the courage to set foot on our mother land again .<br /><br />One year of facebook, of my courage to stay away from farmville, of orkut trying to improvising competitors features. One year of staying away from twitter and all the new crazy invites that turn up and crowd my inbox. I think things will never change all the annoying people failed promises and endless dreams will remain.<br /><br />I have led one more year of confused life, have kept up my promise of being the quintessential hypocrite, of accepting all the fallacies of life. Before you people pull your hair and start screaming, let me stop.<br /><br />tcUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8404122019643608390.post-29998537248030609662009-10-30T11:18:00.006+04:002009-10-30T12:00:33.460+04:00Micro Finance for The Indifferent !<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MZ8gFrKDC2EJ8u0oJBaGZHb12TE04Z3dLg3LFzcWgQ0kRZ897eZDgMA0LXubSTytdlUNp_YgDHBx6GZxjtc5XUlzFea6uYKlwEpavdnhZsdcZWmhyphenhyphenTts6DJ70lTliTcGne5ycar7vSs/s1600-h/microfinance.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398299513006000578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 395px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MZ8gFrKDC2EJ8u0oJBaGZHb12TE04Z3dLg3LFzcWgQ0kRZ897eZDgMA0LXubSTytdlUNp_YgDHBx6GZxjtc5XUlzFea6uYKlwEpavdnhZsdcZWmhyphenhyphenTts6DJ70lTliTcGne5ycar7vSs/s400/microfinance.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Yes the economic bug has smitten me again. The last time i have written something in this genre had to do with the downfall of neo petroleum economies. And as usual the prediction has gone wrong and the oil rich kingdoms are back to their comfort zones. So why should you take me seriously with this regard ? </div><br /><div>Banking is a daily necessity like the air we breath or the food we eat. You could beg to differ and i can keep on arguing on my opinion. But the fact is that it is one think that has been influencing our actions, decisions and even our destiny. So changes in the banking system can evidently bring about changes in our lives.</div><br /><div>I have been reading the biography of the Nobel Prize winner Mr. Muhammed Yunus, and i have got an entirely new perspective towards persistence and social entrepreneurship. For the uninitiated he is the father of Micro Finance. He has showed with evident results that we can change the social structure of bonded labour and the destitute through credit. ( the book is a must read, will write a review once iam done through it)</div><br /><div>So what is Micro Finance, in a layman's word or through the eyes of the Mango People it can be defined as institutional credit of small amounts without physical collateral and collected back in small negligible installments (Daily, Weekly etc.). It is an anti thesis to conventional banking, where minute loans are detested with the argument that the proposition wont even cover the documentation cost involved, Where you have to prove that you are rich enough to not need a loan to avail the facility you need and Where the reality of the society is totally neglected to service the so called socially and economical advanced class. </div><br /><div>This is the true form of banking the society needs, to make a difference to the social structure yet remain profitable and financially viable. The process of raising a loan is a more emotional task than the cumbersome paper works. In the grameen model the proposer has to form a group of five people who act as mutual guarantees instead of the collateral model and the group ha to prove their credit worthiness step by step to ensure that the entire team is eligible for the credit. </div><br /><div>The grameen people has been instrumental in elevating poverty, social stigma, improving living conditions and even empowering its customers. Another matter of difference is that the majority of customers of the grameen model are women. This is because women are better to lend (yes) because of their credibility, social conscience and responsible nature.</div><br /><div>So what can we learn from the model the poor can be trusted than rich industrialist faking non favorable conditions for defaulting humongous amounts of money. The recovery rate is 98 % compared to some disturbing statistics provided by banks established to promote industry, agriculture and society. We need more Muhammed Yunus in the world to alleviate poverty, bring about social change. </div><br /><div><strong>Addendum</strong></div><div> </div><div>In new developments the opportunistic entrepreneurs have evolved micro finance into more commercial models manipulating the need of the people. They sell anything under the sun through the micro finance model, some are good like offering the rural folks with drip irrigation systems, solar lanterns etc. But some have gone one step ahead and disguised to form a new avatar of money lenders promoting materialistic behaviour in the unexplored rural market.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0