Life in this Age

Life in this digital age has become transformational. Friendships are dictated by an On line phenomen, Facebook wherein you narrate your life in hourly bits to those who might actually have the desire to  follow your activities. In fact I could say with confidence that today Facebook dictates our social life, at least to those of their Billion followers. Our seeming popularity, especially to the teen generation is dependent the number of " FB friends" we have. This definitely leaves out guys like me who would like to make friends for life with a select few, who would be there for us, no matter what.

Then there is this issue of blogs. It definitely does not depend on your writing skills. Rather, given the above, your networking skills. You may well be penning the "Iliad" Version 2  but it is of no value unless you have someone to read it. And today, that someone is, you guessed it, on Facebook, beside sundry other Blog sharing Websites, like Blog Adda who in my opinion are doing an Admirable job in promoting the inbuilt urge in us to communicate, verbal or otherwise. However, this does not mean your written "wisdom" has a guaranteed an audience. To achieve that, you have to trawl these Websites, searching for fellow bloggers  who share your viewpoint and establishing a connection which will ensure the future of your blogsite. A really daunting task for those like me who just just like putting pen to paper.

Has someone realised that in this Blizzard of transactions you may loose out on the "higher" purpose of life? Or are these websites more like allures of the banal lives we lead  without figuring the "higher Purpose"? Or is it that we have sunk ourselves into this time consuming life cause we the people have no clue or interest in said High purpose. Look at the Goals we have set up for ourselves.

The sequence: Good schooling, decent degree , a bit of Management and you are ready to roll. Climb the corporate ladder, wife and child in tow. The goal being Financially secure when Retirement raises ts ugly head.. In between, raise your child in your image, debatable at best, to carry on the Legacy, whatever that may signify .I could expand on this but the "9 to 5"  life is so predictable, everyone knows what to expect.

Is this what life is all about?  Holidays in the Mediterranean, Boxy Villas, chauffeurs, elite schools, clubs to retire to in moments of conflicts, Kitty parties to keep the wife happy; the list goes on and on.  Like is this really what we want to do? Spend our entire energies on that which supposedly rules life? Money.

The thing is, there is a higher purpose in life, there always has been but we spend our lives ignoring this calling. Instead we attach ourselves to those who state they have supposedly gone beyond the Veil of Maya and now state that they possess all the answers. How disastrously stupid can we get in believing them. Given that all of us possess all the answers within but spend our lives seeking beyond.

I guess what I am trying to say is that Maya, that voluptuous veil does indeed snare all of us. How else could you explain this mindless pursuit of all that is temporary in this physical world; Wealth,  Health and Life and all that it holds when the only constant is in fact our Souls and that is what we should be focusing on. Yes. money does have a place in our lives , given the Society we are in but  if not handled properly in immediately attracts that Masterfull  creation, the delusional Maya.

A Tribute to that Legend, Bruce Lee

Kung fu came to Bangalore in the mid 70's in the form of that awesome master warrior Bruce Lee. "Enter The Dragon", the Master's last offering took India by storm. The queues at Galaxy theatre had to be seen to be believed. Trust me, I was part of them, on 7 occasions. And never regretted it. He had an almost invincible aura around him, his phenomenal  skills made him a unique warrior around whom reel life unfolded. He had muscles which I did not even know existed,. You see, we belonged to the "Dumbell" generation and at the most would develop satisfying Lumps of muscles on our torsos and appendages without knowing what to do with them.

He did. His speed strength and technique were almost supernatural in nature. When he hit someone, they stayed hit. Here was a man all of us secretly longed to be. Machismo in its pure distilled form. Someone nobody dared confront. One wrong move and you were dead long before you knew it!

Our entire fighting technique in those days revolved around a sneaky kick to the Gonads. Or, to those more informed in the art of combat, a punch to the "Solar Plexus". In those days everybody knew where it existed ( just below the sternum) and one punch would render your opponent "Hors de combat"  Strangely though this particular part of the body seems to have disappeared nowadays, at least I don't hear of it any more either in gyms or the Doctor's offices. Strange. So you could understand our veneration for Shri Lee and the fierce anger that a man who could inspire us to join desi Dojo's was struck down in his prime.

Only to be replaced by Jackie Chan, a pale imitator, more into stunts than kung fu. Followed by a flood of Chinese "Shaolin" martial arts movies of little entertainment value. That is until the arrival of Jet Li, who even impressed the Wife with his lethal technique in "Lethal Weapon 4". Some achievement, given girls just arnt into Martial Arts Movies even those starring the "Master". I guess there is no Kung Fu in Venus though Mars is heavily loaded with it. 

More on Molestation of our Girls

We Indians are among the first to jump on the Bandwagon. Like a bunch of guys in Kolkata decided that they could out molest their brethren's efforts in Guwahati. But all this pales into insignificance with what our very own home grown Hindu Goons of Mangalore achieved the other day. No prizes for guessing,  famed as they are for their courage and skills in beating up girls. All in the name of Hindutva.

Which reminds me. I never did learn what this part of Hindutva actually is. As a Hindu I have read my fair share of Hindu Religious texts but nowhere have I come across this so called practise of gathering up a bunch of goons to bash up a girl simply because she is wearing a jeans & top or maybe drinking coloured stuff that could be construed as something worthy of a smack!. And some of these guys go under the moniker Shree Ram Sene.

The Ram that I am kinda devoted to did not go about beating up Mandodari. Instead he took on Ravan, a Supreme warrior king and defeated him. Personifying what in this era is termed the ultimate in "Machoness". To the point where we now believe such character could only arise from divinity.

And these guys? What exactly do you think they would do if faced with one an AK 47 wielding Kasab? Probably vanish into the night. After all where were these heroes when thier Icon Rajkumar was kidnapped by a lowly brigand called Veerapan? Making sundry noises. After all, an armed killer hardly fits their target profile, occupied as it is by members of the fairer sex.

And the response of the Government? Our Home Minister states that such action should be left to the Police. Really? What about that Mandya SP rounding up a bunch of revellers, a heroic action that led to NO convictions cause said revellers had done nothing unlawful! Except of course crossing the Decibel limit which I understand calls for a warning, not an overnight stay at the Central Jail! Is the Home Minister endorsing this approach towards revellers? In which case I guess we are screwed, both ways.

The Day the Mediterranean Dried Up.

It always astonishes me, this fascination with Aliens from Roswell to The Avengers. It's like E.T.'s have just discovered Planet Earth, or Planet Hollywood to be more precise. Come on, doesn't anyone read Geography any more? Like since this planet is a few Billion Years old, surely them Aliens would have visited before. I mean like who would have interested them more, Arnie or T Rex? Though I wonder.

Anyway, as we all know, the Mediterranean filled up some 200 Million years ago. Why? In there lies a story known to a select few. Like the Witwicky Family. Anyway the story goes something like this. Seems there was an Alien Civilisation, some Light Years away who were more advanced than us in that they had wiped out almost all their resources including the precious Oxygen that kept them going.

But by then through their advanced technology they had identified our planet as a possible source of this element and also had the tech to make the journey to Earth less Tedious. So, without much ado, they sent a probe that landed off the coast of Sicily (take that, Hollywood!) stuck an element analyser in the sea and lo and Behold, Oxygen, some other element and also lots of the stuff that made their food more palatable. Yes, you guessed it, Salt.  

So they called up their transporters ships, started pumping and, before you knew it, no more sea around Italy. Or Greece; you get what I mean. Interestingly, It was while they were departing this planet that their Fleet Commander realised the Flotilla was heating up. A physicist on board, like the Vulcan Sheldon opined that it could be because of the presence of a gas. So they sent out a probe, whose analysis of the components of said gas flashed on the Command Screen, seeing which the Commander is rumoured to have said "S..t! it would have been far easier to compress this gas and Cart it!"

Anyway, on reaching their planet they set to work splitting the ingredients of the sea water for the precious Oxygen using  Fusion theory but, being as away from a safe method for this process as us, ended up blowing  their planet away. Called Alderan if I am not mistaken. Yes, E.T.'s do goof up at times.

Well, a few million years later  I believe an earthquake happened near the mouth of the Gibraltar Straits, creating a crack through the Atlantic flowed in, creating what we now call the Mediterranean Sea. Sans sharks, who, since they don't sleep, keep track of things like the disappearance of their Med. cousins and stayed away. Hence you don't have any sharks of note like the Great White in the Med. unless you count the Mafia.  

Disclaimer:

This is an ancient tale which I happened to notice when those Winchester Boys of "Supernatural" fame were leafing through those ancient ledgers in search of ways to withstand the lure of those sneaky Mediterranean Mermaids. Hence I cannot guarantee its authenticity though it does make for a fascinating tale.

The Role of Apparel in Crimes against Women.

Switching Channels came across "The Big Fight" on NDTV. The debate I assume may have originated by the public molestation of a Teen in Guwahati. I suppose the point of this debate was whether girls should dress up more decorously to avoid attention and quite possibly molestation.

This debate was lively. One of the Panelist's, a female Social Activist from Manipur tmaintained that he fault lay with men and, unfortunately in her state, with the Army Jawans. Regarding Apparel, I would suppose girls from the Northeast have the physical structure to carry off Trendy Wear i.e. Jeans and Tops while the women invariably wore the local garb which of course were not voluminous, given the climate. Fair Enough.

And then you had this Maulvi from Kashmir getting thoroughly upset by this dress code. Little realising that given the cold climates in his hometown everybody covered up as much as they could, women included. Who, if they retained their garments on a visit to Kerala would possibly collapse in those humid conditions. Something our ancestors had figured long ago  and designed garments to suit the prevailing climate.

The debate then seemed to shift to what girls could do or not apart from the dress code. Like cellphones, go or no go areas for girls , that kind of stuff. On which this terrifying Haryanvi Martiach made her views clear. Only Local dresses, no cellphones and of course being house bound. I suppose to lend clarity to her views her Teen "Poti" was one of the panelists. Making an ass of herself in using her limited intellect to defend her Tyrant Grandmother.

And of course we had Ms Pooja Devi ostensibly to espouse "Bollywood" Ethics.  How this lady finds her way into what should be a serious debate beats me given this lady has contributed all her wisdom long back. This may sound mean but it represents my opinion only because she has the same things to say every time she turns up.

Then we had a Haryanvi Panchayati head who seemed to possess quite moderate views. Or maybe my hearing is not what it used to be. And to complete the panel there was one of those grey haired lady probably representing one of those many female empowerment agencies and a middle aged man probably fronting intelligentsia? All moderated by NDTV's Navin Chandra. Or is it Vikram? Senility creeps in unknowingly.

Well like most of the debates of this kind, views were exchanged, people were shouted down, large amounts of sanctimonious outrage were vented by today's GenX and the debate ended on "We agree to disagree".

However, the way I see it, since we are supposedly a democracy, this is nothing but a Law and Order problem. After all, through the ages, ALL human societiess have recognised the fact that there will always be Bad Guys doing bad things and the only way to stop them was to instill fear of retribution on such a scale that it would deter them from even attempting such actions. Justice, the Police, Courts and Prisons evolved from this very need.

So incidents like the Guwahati molestation simply signify the collapse of Law and order as we know it. Today, as far as the populace is concerned the Police Force does not exist. All they see is mercenary bunch of Thugs available to the Highest Buyer. In such a situation, vulnerable sections of our Society like the Poor, the Minorities, lower caste, Tribals and of course the female populace are virtually defenceless, prone to attacks from every Quarter. What happened in Guwahati will happen again and again and there is nothing anyone can do to stop this outrage. Instead, the victims will be vilified for anything from a skirt to a smile as the cause of these horrifying actions from lumpen who rule the streets. And we proudly call ourselves an ancient civilisation. Well, perhaps it was then but is definitely not now. 

Project Tiger, The latest Version.

Recently, surfing channels, I came across NDTV's Star studded (read AB) discussion on how to save our tigers. Since NDTV's top Honchos, AB and other luminaries were involved, a blurb kept popping up every few minutes indicating the money being collected in this drive, an impressive Rs 3.2 Crores to be precise which, backed up by the animal experts on display encouraged the feeling that our Tigers would surely be saved.

Well, I have my doubts. Way back in the 70's their population had dropped to such alarming levels that our Govt, I believe launched "Project Tiger" to protect these magnificent beasts. Well, though I am a layman in these matters, I would venture a guess that the number of tigers in the wild today are unfortunately the same as they were then! Which means that Project Tiger though with some initial success, failed in its long term goals. Why? 

I believe analysing the reasons of this failure should be our immediate priority and, if already done, immediate implementation would be required for us to have some hope of conservation. Some are self evident. For tigers to flourish, large tracts of forests should be kept aside, protected from poachers and the tribals of those areas should be repatriated keeping in mind fulfilment of all their needs. And of course the mining mafia, tiger tourism resorts and assorted other impactors on the tiger domains should be firmly prevented. In fact plans for expanding forest areas should be drawn up to cater to projected increase in their populations if the current attempts succeed, preferably including forest corridors to facilitate their movement cause these are territorial animals who define their space and guard it fiercely.

Can the NDTV initiative achieve all this? I think not. The forces opposing them are too well entrenched to be tackled by a bunch of do gooders no matter how visible they may be. Like the efforts to clean up Ganga, which still remains as filthy as ever despite the Crores poured in by successive Govt's.. So while I laud NDTV's efforts I believe this too will go in the same direction, gobbling up the money with no significant results on the ground.

Or you could consider a radical idea. After all, the poachers are in it for the ceaseless demands of the Chinese "Ayurvedic" industry. Seeing the numbers plummeting here the Chinese have started "Tiger breeding" Farms on a large scale for the very same purpose, or so I have been told. Why not give the money collected to those Chinese for more farms, in fact enough to eliminate the need for our tigers which would put the poachers out of business. I know this is a very coldblooded suggestion but frankly it seems the only sure way to save our tigers. Cause this Govt seems incapable of protecting the rights of us citizens, Tigers be damned.

Then again this is just a concerned layman's views on an issue that hurts, deeply.

The Afghan Endgame

10 years ago we were shown a video of a Taliban Executioner shooting a Burqa clad woman, accused of Adultery, in the back of her head. Today, after 10 years, about Half a TRILLION dollars spent by the US alone and significant Coalition troop losses we are treated to the very same video. Except it is the husband administering justice. As if that makes a difference.

This, I believe is the definition of a colossal waste of time, effort and money for which I hold Bush Jr. solely responsible. Driving the Taliban out in 2001 was the easy part. Securing the nation against those they let escape into Pakistan, by rebuilding a nation from scratch was the need of the hour. An achievable task given the tide of world opinion in the US favour, the lining up of countries to form a Coalition Force that defeated the Taliban and generous offers of Aid to rebuild the country. And what did this man do? Invade Iraq on the sole intelligence provided by some obscure Iraqi Intel official called "Curve Ball" by the CIA who today smilingly asserts he cooked up the whole story to gain asylum in the States!

What ensued in Iraq was a supremely disastrous exercise at the expense of Trillions of Dollars that got the American Forces bogged down to the point where they became sitting ducks for a freshly created Al Queda in Iraq. Combating Daily troop losses to IED's and sundry Suicide Bombers ensured that all the attention of the US veered completely away from the task at hand. Afghanistan.

And so a man of mediocre means with no leadership Qualities became the President of Afghanistan, a man whose only contribution to date was a distinctive dress style, sanctioning of corruption in all avenues from Aid to Heroin and a complete refusal to address the immediate priority. Rebuild the Nation using international largess so that the Afghans would be able to take on the Taliban who were enjoying a rebirth courtesy Pakistan which had never relinquished its stated goal. The rule of Afghanistan by a regime answerable only to them. The Taliban.

Today, the funds have dried up, the Americans are leaving and Karzai holed up in his Palace knows his time is running out. His only hope, a modern disciplined Army and Police force ready to take on the Regional Warlords and the newly revived Taliban has melted away or rather never took off given Bush's undivided attention to the mess in Iraq giving Karzai's cronies the opportunity to corner all the Aid flowing to rebuild the nation. So what we have today is a ragtag army that tries to act tough given the current American armed presence but will vanish the day the Americans leave and the Taliban step in to fill the power vacuum, eliminate Karzai and his cronies and recreate the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. A definite possibility given that they now control all the districts bordering Pakistan, proof of which is that execution video. 

On Broccoli

 This vegetable happens to be the latest additions to our high scale veggi wallas. I first heard of it in the 1960's when Dennis the Menace refused to partake despite his Mom's diatribe that they were good for the health though they tasted like crap(my words not hers). A fact endorsed by Bush the Elder American Prez even though he shared Dennis's views regarding its taste.

And now it has landed on our shores. Probably as a result of the assimilation of all things Americans by our Green Card holders. Who, on their visits may have felt nostalgic about those things available "back Home". I mean it is disgraceful that after 5000 odd years of civilisation we couldn't come up with a veggi as marvellous as this? Disgraceful. 

Still, all was not lost. The word spread. To the doctors, the dietitians, fitness gurus and of course those of us who did not want to be left behind when it came to things currently trendy.

Well, their efforts have paid off. You see this veggi all over the place. In the food Bazaars of High end Malls, high brow Veggi wallas, Hell, even your friendly neighbourhood veggi walla for whom it is a statement that "I have arrived".

Well, I haven't. Nor ever will. Maybe cause I don't have a recipe. Or, more likely, my take that Dara Singh wasnt a broccoli man. Nor were Milkha Singh, sundry Mr. India's, G.R. Viswanath or even Anna Hazare. If they could do without it, I think I can.  

On Vampires

When it comes to Vampires, I belong to the old school. Christopher Lee as Dracula. Designed to scare the crap out of us teens. Them vampires not being able to handle sunlight was a masterstroke cause it meant all the action occurred at night, the realm of the creepy crawlies. Though it always puzzled me how these guys managed to shave, given that they left no reflections in mirrors!.

Now as I watch Edward and Bella of Twilight lore making out in a sun splashed vale, I cant help wondering how far vampires have evolved. I mean guys like me wonder wouldn't Edward the Vampire's overwhelming passion literally "Ignite" in the Sun's all pervasive rays?  Isn't that why Shree C.Lee lived the nocturnal life, rather unwillingly I must say and took his revenge by biting all those around him?

How times have changed. Take the protagonists of "The Vampire Diaries". Its all about hot and happening girls with their Super Stud Vampire Boyfriends. Virility at age 834? And here our Indians are bemoaning impotence at the age of 22! These are the Gen.X vampires, know everything about School Exams considering they would probably be taking it the 101's time. Are upper class snobs(after all who would be interested in the travails of a Short order cook, fanged or otherwise) and of course partake of non human edibles. Which probably explains the evolutionary absense of Fangs. At least that is what I noticed, every time Edward smiled. On rare occasions. Cause he is the "Broody" type of Vampire. Still, a vampire with retracting or No fangs! Sacrilege! I mean what use a Vampire who drinks out of a straw! Jesus, what is the world coming to. The next thing you know, they would be running for president! After all, according to law, Anyone could run for President. Even if their birth certificate reads AD1493.

I guess what upsets me is the implied racism. After all, if Vampires could evolve, why couldn't Werewolf's?  Did we not domesticate them? The wolves I mean. So how come we don't have Were Labs? Who of course would yowl at the full moon in hunger for food, of course anything that is non human. But then I guess they have limited appeal for Hollywood. Imagine Bella getting Slobbered and then having to clean up the poop. No. Definitely not romantic. Pity.

I don't know where all this is going. But I feel betrayed. Cause if I ever mentioned Vampires were pretty scary, I'd probably get laughed out of town. I mean, come on Edward and his Doctor father? There definitely exists a generational gap.

Rajesh Khanna - The Passing of an era

Viewing the TV channels announcing the demise of Rajesh Khanna, for the first time I experienced at a personal level the emotion linked to the realisation that an era has passed. He was a large part of our teens. And it all started on a non flattering note.

In those days, with our farther in the Defence Services, shifting town on short notice was de reguire. So here we were, smack dab in the centre of Kanpur, an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone, friend or enemy. Our sole source of entertainment was Amin Sayani of Radio Ceylon promoting the music releases of up and coming movies. One of which was Aradhana. Whose songs literally stormed the charts. To the extent me and my elder brother vowed to see the movie even though it featured some average looking jerk opposite the delectable Ms Tagore.

Well the movie delivered, the picturisation of the songs certainly lived up to our expectations, Ms Tagore did very delivered in the Roop Tera Mastana song sequence (my emotions are overruling my grammar), the story line was plausible, which in those days was a complement given that we would swallow anything as long as the songs were sensational and the heroine was cute, and despite our apprehensions, our hero did his bit. With panache. So much so we labelled him affectionately "Ole Gurkha Eyes" based on his Head gear and twinkle in "Mere Sapno ki Rani".

Well, I suppose as South Indian lads living in the Hindi Heartland, in his subsequent movies our primary focus was on the Music Genius RD, Ms Tagore and that girl with divinely upturned pert nose, Mumu in short. Infact I once bunked school to see her rendering of "Duniya Mein" in Apna Desh. A worthwile exercise despite ensuing punishment. And Mr Khanna held his part in the ongoing dramas with effortless ease. In fact his "Mush" in Daag way outshone  Dev Anand's attempt in "Gambler". And his stylish duet with the gorgeous Tanuja in his "O Mere Dil ke Chain" will remain forever in my memories of the man.

I would call him more than a meteor than a Superstar cause he entered our firmament sweeping away everyone else, glowed for a brief period, and then vanished. Never to be seen again in that persona that electrified the nation. I would like to remember him like that.

Traffic Cops

A common sight on our streets are those of a bunch of Traffic Cops pulling over vehicles, usually 2 wheelers ostensibly to check whether their documents are in order. As stipulated by the MV Act, a document I have never seen nor do I wish to do so in the future. Cause it is just legalese to extort, an exercise our Rulers are adept in.

Take Registration. An exercise started when cars first hit the streets just to figure out which car belonged to who. Obviously a fee was charged for the clerical work. A one time fee.

And then there are us. An exorbitant  life time fee for a set of plates? Which work only in the State that has issued them. Cross a state line and  you need to reregister. Further proof that we are not a Single Country. After all, interlinking of State RTO records with high speed data access to the relevant police departments would do the job. A task that could be funded by ALL the fines collected by these very same traffic cops across the country. Which would be a substantial amount if the cops divulge the details of collection and what they are doing with all that moolah.

Instead, all you get is a demand for the RC. Failing which out comes the challan book. Tell me something. Are not those plates at both ends of your vehicle proof of the fact that you have in fact registered. OK the RC would identify you as a user. So if it isn't you at the wheel, then does it vindicate the cops action? I think not. Anybody could drive your vehicle so long as they have a valid DL. How does it concern the cops. Unless he is a thief. But for that there is a standard protocol. You lodge a complaint, giving all the relevant details to the Cops who, hopefully put out an alert  which, if spotted would be the ONLY justification for stopping a vehicle. Period.

  

The proposed visit of the Pakistan Cricket Team

Is it me or are there others who feel that the invite to the Pakistani Cricket team is kinda wrong? Like in disastrously wrong. Considering that the previous visit by the Pakistani Turkey shooting team to Mumbai had serious collateral damage. Something which even now makes our Blood boil in Rage. Especially since their so called "Trial" of "Non State Actors" is doing its damnedest to ensure that  the so called perps get the benefit of All doubts to help them establish their innocence. Like calling Abu Jundal an Indian and Headly an American and as such of no relevance even though they both had travelled with valid Pakistani passports.

The reality is that the ISI under the benevolence of their Army dictate events that decide policy of the country. Like their pull out from Siachin simply because they ran out of funds. After all today their country exists solely from remittances from expats and funds from benevolent nation in the "War against Terror". Which have dried up since the world now recognises Pakistan for what it is. A state that uses Terror to achieve what it perceives as "National Interest". Like the creation of the Taliban, LeT and the affiliation with the Al Quida. All of which are now virtually out of control. And are literally imploding the state. 

So the ISI/Army decides. Since it is a moment of financial crisis, scale down operations that arnt worth the money being spent. Like Kashmir. And Siachen. Only cloak it as a response to the "Aman ki Asha" kind of overtures that we have regretfully started. So, go the distance in diplomacy. Like Cricket. Hockey. Assorted fruit and nuts. Anything that would make us Indians misty eyed. And our Politico's puff in pride."See! we have achieved Peace." Which in reality is only a ruse by the ISI/Army to buy time to sort out their domestic issues that have reached critical levels. After which it will be business as usual. Jihad.

So, in my humble opinion, we should welcome a visit by the Pakistani team, with only  one condition. That they disband the ISI.  I think it is a fair deal.

Confirming

Just to confirm I have got it right

Intro

A few lines to check out how this process of Blogging works