tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-269631992024-03-14T01:06:48.701+05:30Ramblings of a Dysfunctional MindKishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-68997105288819955392013-01-12T23:13:00.000+05:302013-01-14T19:21:32.712+05:30Zen and the Art of Avoiding Rape<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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From time immemorial mankind has been wrongly depicting Blondes as those in the bottom of the IQ pyramid. Little did they know that it was in fact the Indian women that occupied this stature. This was recently revealed to the world in a series of events that highlighted the issue. If you are an Indian or a world citizen you would have realized the number of Rape/Gang Rape/ Molestation and (or) Murder cases being reported on an hourly basis in India. It’s really hard to understand why these women voluntarily get raped. Any learned or enlightened person (read Politicians, Bureaucrats, Demi Gods ) will tell you that avoiding rape is as simple as breathing. It is inculcated in their genes. They are only reluctant or lazy or stupid enough to not use this trait of theirs. Just like how some people don’t prefer to use their brains before opening their big-fat-mouths.<br />
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There is a huge trust deficit between the Aam Admi and the Sarkar in this country and its high time we learn to trust our leaders. After all it is us that elected these leaders through a democratic process. And if they weren’t learned or intelligent enough, would they have become the leaders they now are? Now, agreed that what happened to the Delhi rape victim… ok let me correct that – Gang rape victim – was wrong, but how can you blame the rapists for this? It was totally the fault of the victim. And this was corroborated by none other than Asaram Bapu – a man in direct contact with God (to quote a dialogue from OMG). And no, it was not an arrow shot in the dark by the Saint, but rather the result of a careful and scientific interpretation of the cosmic forces. He has simply and ever-so-effortlessly proved this hypothesis by stating that you cannot clap with a single hand. To the not-so-bright earthlings, I would like to explain that, the Bapu is saying without two willing parties in picture there cannot be a rape. And this case the so-called-victim was a willing party for two reasons – 1. She did not use her God-given skills of begging the rapists to stop and 2. She did not memorize and recite the Gayathri Mantra. Now how stupid can she be?<br />
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You don’t have to be a Baba or a God-Agent to know the evil cosmic forces at work. Even Chattisgarh MP Nanki Ram Kanwar will tell you that if your stars are not in perfect alignment you could get raped. So why didn’t the victim not re-align the planets before she left home? I guess she was just lazy. Or maybe she was in a hurry. That explains why she left her overcoat at home. To the uninformed, let me enlighten you that a ctting-edge scientific study conducted by the Puducherry Government had come to the conclusion that wearing overcoats prevents rapes. To work on this project they had even invited actor Jakie Chan, who starred in the movie "The Tuxedo", to provide scientific inputs to this project. Not only did she forget the overcoat, she got herself into a double whammy by carrying her cellphone. Now in case you didn’t know Cell phones and skirts are primary reasons for getting raped according to wise old men of Haryana Khaps. So there you go, she didn’t stand a chance. It was bound to happen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwTqWq4Ru5ldOuplpFEV9wneN09kaaV4Kliq7AvCzzXKVcP5GsRPrFkIQrZhsVjD_Pzdx7AaY_UKAAP40gcJswZtEQUdzGBKcLq22yJTcr_EQCoDQKk_-BGesiJaX_QIeoMwFeg/s1600/shout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwTqWq4Ru5ldOuplpFEV9wneN09kaaV4Kliq7AvCzzXKVcP5GsRPrFkIQrZhsVjD_Pzdx7AaY_UKAAP40gcJswZtEQUdzGBKcLq22yJTcr_EQCoDQKk_-BGesiJaX_QIeoMwFeg/s400/shout.jpg" width="400" /></a>And if all that wasn’t enough, she boarded a bus with a male who was not her kin at around 10 PM (which is midnight as per Botsa Satyanarayna’s watch) which was occupied and driven by Biharis! I guess this is where Lawyers like to say the phrase “The Defense Rests”. Come to think of it… how can a woman travel with a man who is not her kin late at night? Something must be immorally wrong with this woman. When was the last time you heard a thing like that? SP MP Abu Azmi was right. It was bound to happen. And in the words of BJP MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya, “Women who breach their moral limits deserve punishment”. In India, Muslims and Hindus are always at loggerheads. But despite all the bad blood, both sections stand up issues that are right and progressive. We are united against all menace that endangers the fabric of our society. Take for instance the statement from VHP, which blames the “western culture” for rapes in the country. On the other hand the Jamat-e-Islami has blamed the live-in relations (a Western culture) for rapes. Isn’t it quite obvious that when a man and woman live under the same roof rapes are bound to happen? God save us Indians from this Western Culture. But at least the Hindu and Muslim ideologists are on the same page.Calamities surely bring even enemies together as is evident in the case of Sheila Dixshit and Raj Thackery unilaterally claiming that the rapists were migrants from Bihar. Raj has forever been trying to expose the evil nature of migrant - in their own country, mind you - Biharis. So before boarding the bus couldn’t the girl check if they were from Bihar? Had the rapists known that the girl wasn’t a migrant Bihari herself then the victim could have saved herself from rape and murder.<br />
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It is not just Hindus and Muslims or Bihari-bashers that are coming together in such desperate times, but even two arch rivals in WB – the Left Front and the farther-than-far-Left TMC. It has come from none other than the TMC leadership that that rapes happen when men and women speak/work freely with each other. Didi who has been a victim of the Park Street Rape case (her govt is falsely being implicated in the case) has been desperately trying to clear the air about it stating that victim (as mentioned by media) is a prostitute and hence cannot be raped. Unfortunately for her, no one is buying the idea that the victim is a Prostitute. Main opposition party CPI-M leader Anisur Rehman understands her predicament of being the victim and is ready to pay her compensation/fees. Last I heard, modalities are being worked out. This is the power of Indian leaders. When the whole country is falling apart, the leaders unite with each cutting across party lines and save each other’s back. If at all its citizens can learn a thing or two from them. <br />
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As if the “alleged” gang rape was not enough to vex the Government with such irrelevant issues people mostly women come out on streets in large numbers. Blocking the streets is a major inconvenience to our leaders, but that’s a fact the citizens of this country don’t realize. By blocking all the streets in around the places where our leaders reside we are denying them their fundamental right of zipping around in the bullet-proof cars visiting corporate houses and opposition party leaders sealing deals that develop the nation. And in a rare show of controlled arrogance one MP dared to give back to the citizen to where it hurts most. And it comes from a place none other than the Rastrapathi Bhavan (to give it a tone of legitimacy). Abhijith Mukherjee exposed the face of the revolt on the streets that being dented and painted. He opened our eyes to the fact that good looking women wearing mascara and makeup where hitting the streets with daughters in tow. Which right-minded woman in this country can dare to come out on the streets shouting slogans against the government wearing make-up and not looking like students (as was the norm)? <br />
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Being a politician or leader in this country is like a double-edged sword. You get hurt for not speaking and you get even more hurt if you talk. You know who we are talking about here. Our poor and able PM always draws flak for not speaking much and on the other hand when his ministers (and those in the opposition) speak they always get misinterpreted by the media. Whatever words are spoken by any leader, they are first run through the Misinterpretation Machine by the media, to take their words out of context and mislead the nation. The real reason for this is that the Aam Admi and the media of this country always fail to understand the pearls of wisdom spoken by our leaders. We always tend to misinterpret it in a way that gives us a sadistic pleasure to fault our leaders!This must stop and the victims need to stop blaming the leaders for every crime they are responsible for. They must adhere to the Rule Book to be safe in this great country! <br />
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Mera Neta Mahaan! Teek Hai!<br />
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PS: One last advice to all women to void Rape: Migrate to Bharat!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image Courtesy: <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Delhi-gangrape-violence-at-Raisina-Hills-PM-appeals-for-calm-assures-safety-to-women/Article1-979832.aspx" target="_blank">Hindustan Times</a></span> </div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-16535151232587646332012-09-17T12:39:00.001+05:302012-11-24T21:45:48.312+05:30101 Things To Do Before I Kick The Bucket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We all have our bucket list before we actually kick the bucket. I have too and after a lot of consideration and few cuttings, choppings and editings, here's my list of 101 things to do before I die. The list is in no particular order. The only order is in the chronology of the items that crept into my head. The ones that are struck are obviously the ones that I've already accomplished. Also, all the items in my bucket-list are not so fetched (except a few), just so that I can hope to complete the list.</div>
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1. <strike>Visit a foreign country</strike></div>
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2. Trip to Andamans</div>
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3. Learn Archery</div>
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4. Month-long Backpacking trip in India</div>
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5. Meet Rahul Dravid in flesh and blood.</div>
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6. Go on a cruise</div>
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7. Play Paint Ball</div>
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8. Get recognition for my blog</div>
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9. Get a LASIK surgery done</div>
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10. Experience Thrisoor Pooram</div>
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11. Witness Kumbh Mela</div>
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12. Take part in Jagannath Yatra</div>
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13. Skydiving<br />
14. Get my face smashed in a Tomatino Festival in Spain</div>
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15. Run for my life in San Fermin festival in Spain</div>
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16. See Jallikatu in Tamil Nadu</div>
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17. Tame a bull in Ongole Bull Taming</div>
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18. Attend a Rock Concert of one of my favourite bands<br />
19. Bungee Jumping</div>
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20. Snorkelling</div>
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21. <strike>Parasailing </strike><a href="http://mudnigga.blogspot.com/2010/02/benaulim-beach-goa.html" target="_blank">Accomplished in Benaulim, Goa</a></div>
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22. <strike>See a Snake Boat Race in Kerala</strike> <a href="http://mudnigga.blogspot.com/2010/09/aranmula-boat-race-chengannur.html" target="_blank">Accomplished Aranmula Snake Boat Race</a></div>
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23. <strike>Attend a Kambala event</strike> <a href="http://mudnigga.blogspot.com/2012/03/kambala-at-jappina-mogaru-mangalore.html" target="_blank">Witnessed a Kambala in Jappina Mogaru, Mangalore</a><br />
24. Himalayan Trek</div>
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25. See the Great Coral Reef</div>
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26. <strike>Wine tasting</strike> <a href="http://mudnigga.blogspot.com/2012/09/heritage-wine-tour-chennapatna.html" target="_blank">Visited the Heritage Winery in Chennapatna</a></div>
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27. Strawberry picking</div>
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28. Skiing in the Alps</div>
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29. <strike>Learn Swimming</strike></div>
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30. Bullet riding in Ladakh</div>
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31. Lakswadeep stay</div>
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32. Visit at least 10 countires in EU</div>
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33. Stand on top of the world's tallest building</div>
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34. 500+ km biking trip one way</div>
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35. See the world's tallest waterfall</div>
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36. Niagra Falls from US and Canada</div>
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37. See an active Volcano</div>
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38. Go on a Desert Safari</div>
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39. Help a blind man see again</div>
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40. Sponsor an underprevillaged child</div>
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41. Watch F1 racing</div>
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42. Attend an NFL/NBA match</div>
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43. Learn horse-riding</div>
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44. Take up shooting as a hobby</div>
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45. Gift a Platinum ring to my wife</div>
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46. Drive in the Autobahn</div>
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47. Drive a H2</div>
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48. Earn a salary 20 times more than my first salary before I retire</div>
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49. To stay a night in a tropical rain forest</div>
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50. <strike>Ride in a helicopter</strike></div>
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51. Watch all movies in IMDB's all-time-best-250 list.</div>
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52. File an RTI application</div>
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53. Learn Pottery</div>
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54. Gambling in Las Vegas</div>
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55. Go on a House boat in Kerala</div>
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56. Stay in a Tree House</div>
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57. Get drenched in Cherapunjee in the monsoons</div>
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58. Go cycling up a hill</div>
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59. Ride a Harley Davidson</div>
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60. Live in at least five different countries</div>
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61. Get snowed!</div>
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62. <strike>See Taj Mahal</strike></div>
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63. Stay in a palace.</div>
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64. Be my daughter's best friend</div>
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65. Go fishing</div>
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66. 1000 posts in my travel blog</div>
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67. Get high on Marijuana</div>
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68. Visit Maldives</div>
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69. Watch a cricket WC Final</div>
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70. Go on a trip on impulse, totally unplanned.</div>
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71. Stomping Grapes</div>
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72. <strike>See Mardi Gras</strike></div>
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73. See Rio Festival</div>
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74. Beer drinking in Oktober Fest in Germany</div>
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75. See a Soccer WC Game</div>
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76. Visit every State and UT in India</div>
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77. See the Grand Canyon</div>
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78. Eat a Michelin Star Chef's Signature dish</div>
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79. <strike>Donate Blood</strike></div>
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80. Have a personal Library with atleast 100 non-pirated books</div>
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81. Sleep in a hammok in an exotic beach</div>
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82. Get a Tatoo</div>
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83. Have Bhang</div>
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84. Party in a night club in Europe till 3AM</div>
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85. Watch a Grand Slam match in Centre Court</div>
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86. Pyramids of Egypt</div>
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87. Wine-tasting in Napa Valley</div>
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88. Castle hopping in Scotland</div>
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89. Host a barbeque party for friends</div>
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90. Ride on the Amazon River</div>
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91. Run (and complete) a marathon</div>
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92. Gondola ride in Venice</div>
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93. See the Japanese Gardens and Temples in Japan</div>
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94. Long drive in the US West Coast</div>
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95. Go Zorbing<br />
96. See a Theyyam performance</div>
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97. Witness an Indian Airforce Air Show</div>
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98. Visit Bhutan</div>
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99. White water Rafting</div>
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100. Re-marry my wife</div>
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101. Complete the list<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image Courtesy: </span><a href="http://katierunsthis.com/category/race-bucket-list/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Here</span></a></div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-58393889875483737222012-08-23T14:00:00.000+05:302012-08-23T14:52:34.160+05:30Oh My God!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAC5V78WV_wfp2MsWe3aXkRWCXr6K1Dh_Agy_6F8gEJp_BcYPXb15rfw6WKZsZRRDLxpR8hyphenhyphen1rFSMg0tNIPn4coVhxx9NrQ71iBIN49mkbeuhlm0ilk11c8jYBp9WEN4ygDFkjw/s1600/276785_14475565358_648228071_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAC5V78WV_wfp2MsWe3aXkRWCXr6K1Dh_Agy_6F8gEJp_BcYPXb15rfw6WKZsZRRDLxpR8hyphenhyphen1rFSMg0tNIPn4coVhxx9NrQ71iBIN49mkbeuhlm0ilk11c8jYBp9WEN4ygDFkjw/s320/276785_14475565358_648228071_n.jpg" width="240" yda="true" /></a>So who's getting on my nerves these days - The Almighty God of Cricket Himself. Now, before you load your double barrel gun and point it to my chest, let me assure you that I have the highest regard for Him and His cricketing skills. But nowadays I find Him an overkill. </div>
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Accepting the Rajya Sabha post (from the most corrupt Govt in the history of the country not withstanding) was pulling the last straw for me. His acceptance of the RS Seat meant he is neither serious about his cricketing career nor is he serious about state of the nation. And that he was adopting a lazy approach towards the two.</div>
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He's 40 and he's not helping Team India's cause in the transition process. By picking and choosing tournaments in which he'd like to play he's not providing a steady combination for the national team. Everytime he makes a comback to the team, there's a lot of cutting and chopping of players not to mention a merry-go-round of the batting order. SRT who himself never bats at any other position than No1 and No4 (in ODI and Tests) should know better that nobody likes to give-up their favourite batting slot.</div>
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So the unfortunate victim happens to be a certain Gautam who has to come one-down or a Raina relegated to No7. Add to that, fringe players like Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane remain to be fringe players. One fine day they will be asked to step into the shoes of SRT and perform. And we know very well what happens in such an eventuality.</div>
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Surely a batsman of Sachin's calibre has earned the right to hang up his boots on his own accord, but doesnt he know that the interest of the team comes first? In how many countless post match interviews has he not said that the interests of the team comes first? Where has all that liberal-thinking gone when its time to put them into pratice? With 3 years to go for the next World Cup where India must defend her crown, we still do not have an established world-beating side. Its no secret that we won the last WC mostly because we played it in our background. Had the same team gone to West Indies or Australia or England we would have come a cropper.</div>
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Plus no matter how many times he insists that he doesn't play for the records, we all know theres no bigger lie than that. Otherwise why would the GOD of cricket take one whole year to get to his 100th 100? Moreover it was not like he had hit a bad patch - which happens to every cricketer. All through the year Sachin was in good form and its the prospoect of reaching that milestone that has veered him off track. Rewind back a few years to that Multan test when stand-in captain RD in the itnerests of the team declared the Indian Innings leaving Sachin stranded at 194. If Sachin really didn't care for records why would he have left the field with a dissapointed and stunned look on his face?<br />
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Surely Sachin has a bigger repertoire of shots and truck full of cricketing shots. But he lacks the killer instinct and leadership skills of Sourav Ganguly. He has the firepower and the muscle to bulldoze any opponent. But he doesn't have the mental toughness and steely resolve of Rahul Dravid. He has a child-like enthusiasm that keeps him going but he doesn't have the maturity as displayed by Laxman in hanging up his boots.</div>
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It is true that Sachin has won many matches for India and helped build India as a super power in the world of cricket. On numerous occasions he has pulled India through out of dire straits or atleast brought the team agonizingly close to respectability. And no, I don't agree to the notion that whenever Sachin scores, India looses. Thats just a case of sour grapes who can't digest a loss. His records speaks for itself. No passing comment can obliterate the good work he has done for his country.<br />
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Sachin has been a great force in Indian and world cricket. He is the reason why there are so many admirers of the great game. He's the reason why so many toddlers have picked up a bat and are currently playing along with or against him. He's the reason why there's a short supply of quality bowlers in the world. He's the reason why bowlers get nightmares and and captains evolve strategies. He's the reason why most batsmen prefer to talk back with their bats rather than with their mouths. He's the reason why stadiums are sold-out. Need I stress any more why every move of Sachin is closely watched, monitored and critiqued? Why everything Sachin does or does not, makes news? He has achieved everything that has to be achieved (except going past Lara's 400). Now its time for him to fade into the sunset of his cricketing career with reputation intact, rather than making special appearances in series' that catches his fancy.</div>
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Kohli's comment in retrospect has assumed greater significance now.</div>
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<em>PS: And for God's sake wassup with the new hairstyle Sachin?</em><br />
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<em>Picture Courtesy: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sachintendulkaropus" target="_blank">sachintendulkaropus</a>, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984949_1985228,00.html" target="_blank">Time</a>, <a href="http://mesushantsingh.blogspot.com/2012/03/letter-to-sachin-tendulkar-virat-kohli.html" target="_blank">mesushantsingh</a></em></div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-60888327896607286282012-08-03T12:58:00.000+05:302012-08-03T12:58:23.690+05:30Rahul Dravid - Lord of Sweat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The biggest misconception of ardent cricket lovers across the globe is that Rahul Dravid always lived in the shadow of the Great Sachin Tendulkar and how he never got his share of recognition. The greatness of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jammy</i> lies in the fact that he never wanted the adulation and fanfare of a Rockstar. He craved for neither attention nor shock value. He never wanted to be the talk of the town. He never wanted women to scream his name in their sleep. Every day he would get up from bed, do his bit for the country and quietly retire to his private life - which mostly included bonding with his family. He's also one of those few world cricketers who despite being the No.2 run-getter in Tests (before Ponting overhauled him) had to constantly prove his worth as a reliable one-day batsman. But despite scoring over 10,000 runs with an average of 40 in this format, he fell out of favour with the selectors in place of players whose only contribution to the team were a quick pair of legs. And as if that insult wasn't harsh enough, recalling him after 2 years of forced-ODI-retirement (and thereby automatic non-T20I-consideration) in a tough English series (apart from being forced to make a T20I debut) was outright preposterous. While most cricketers in the twilight of their cricketing careers concentrate on only one aspect of the game (or retire from one format of cricket), RD doubled-up as a wicket-keeper to accommodate an extra batsman in the team. In the best interests of the team, he has batted in positions 1 to 8 without grumbling. Through all this insult and manhandling, RD has maintained his humility and dignity throughout. And that speaks volumes of his character. Never once has he spoken ill of anyone or anything - not even against Greg Chappel who has now become India's sworn cricketing enemy. With RD, I finally understood the meaning of a corporate world saying “if you are indispensable, you cannot be promoted”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Statistically speaking, RD is the only batsman to feature in the only two 300+ partnerships in ODI cricket. And for those who say RD doesn’t know how to hit a six, there’s the occasion of him hitting three consecutive sixes in his only T20I match. He is also the second fastest Indian half-centurion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">RD in my opinion is the complete package when it comes to the making a cricketer. If Cricket is a gentleman's game, then yes, RD is a shining example of it. Not only does he have a truck load of cricketing shots, but his intellectual acumen is equally worth mentioning. The Bradman Oration is only one example of his verbosity. The innocent insinuations of projecting to the world that Indian players are not the bullies - on and off the field - indicates his command of Her Majesty’s native tongue. The fact that the Aussies chose RD to be first non-Aussie to speak at this prestigious event shows the kind of respect he commands across the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">If Saurav commanded the area across the pitch on the off-side opposite to God, then RD was the beginning and end of the No3 position in Tests. If Sachin was/is God of perfect strokeplay, RD was all about being dead-set defensive. If Sehwag oozes flamboyance, then RD was the re-incarnation of patience. If Laxman was all about class, RD was the master of technique. If Yuvraj was all about aggression and arrogance, RD was humility-personified. If Beaven was the finisher then RD was the carrier. If Ponting was… well... Ponting, then RD re-invented himself in every new role and slot. If Jayasurya was the Destructor, then RD was the singles-sneaker. The list goes on…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The only blemish one can think of, in an otherwise flawless and illustrious career was the 2004 ball-tampering episode where he was apparently seen rubbing a candy on the ball. Whether he was actually guilty of the charge and if so, what prompted him to do it, will remain a mystery - unless he plans to reveal it in a tell-all tale that is now in vogue with retired cricketers these days. But knowing Rahul, he will take that mystery to his grave. The other haunting question that will never be revealed is just how and why did he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">declare</i> that 2004 Indian innings against Pakistan, leaving Sachin stranded and (dumbfounded) at 194.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One word to describe RD - "Sweat"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">So while the world mourns the retirement of RD, I will rather celebrate. I will celebrate because RD taught us so many lessons in Dedication, Patience, Resilience, Perseverance, Stubbornness, Adaptability and above all Humility and Dignity. He has served his time for his country and he has retired gracefully without being a burden and also paving the way for fresh talent to fill up those huge boots... metaphorically of course. It is now time for him to lead a relaxed life with his family albeit with some tense moments while watching rookie Test cricketers play with the long handle and an impatient mindset. As for me I’m just proud that I grew up in the era of Rahul Sharad Dravid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">PS: While this blog is a tribute to RD, it should not be automatically construed as a Sachin-bashing blog. That will come in a later posting :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture Courtesy: </span><a href="http://newsfirst.lk/english-news/Sports/index.php?view=news_more&id=7011" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NewsFirst</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span><a href="http://cricketnext.in.com/live/news/watchread-dravids-bradman-oration/62281-13.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">CricketNext</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span><a href="http://centreright.in/2012/03/they-dont-make-men-like-this-anymore/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">CentreRight</span></a></span></div>
</div>Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-56363622225401734222012-08-02T18:46:00.000+05:302012-08-02T18:46:05.654+05:30A Tale of Two Grandmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3dQYZskXctzrJ5xVIhS5-Ra8drseVxTGO6dCRpUfEVs5y-Jq-LPH6HA_2Cbx44GL0XKT3R-QGD-p3rl_Z0K8sn6Jf8_kxP4TJYaZSEnCJK4WQqS_pbs3f8E0V3RaN_ka-K1Jig/s1600/Death%2520(RfaT).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3dQYZskXctzrJ5xVIhS5-Ra8drseVxTGO6dCRpUfEVs5y-Jq-LPH6HA_2Cbx44GL0XKT3R-QGD-p3rl_Z0K8sn6Jf8_kxP4TJYaZSEnCJK4WQqS_pbs3f8E0V3RaN_ka-K1Jig/s320/Death%2520(RfaT).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In a matter of one week my wife and I lost our respective Grandmas. The two of them were so different in their mannerisms and yet in the last few months of their life they were so similar. It only makes me wonder how Death is the most common denominator among us humans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With my wife’s grandma - who was healthy as a horse - we imagined her to live a 100 years. But she took her final breath at 89 and bid farewell to the world. My own Grandma on the other hand who was frail as a Lilly plant went to live 6 months shy of a century.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My wife’s Granny earned the nickname of “Modern Ammumma” from the kids in the household for her (for lack of a better word) uniqueness. She was extremely “at-home” with gobbling Pizzas, Noodles and Ice creams. She would even have the occasional peg of whiskey with my co-brother! On the other hand my own Granny preferred the local delicacies like “muruku”, “mixture”, “avalose unda”, “banana chips” and other South-Indian Condiments. This despite the fact that she had lost all her tooth ages ago. She would just put them in her mouth for a very long time till it becomes soggy and soft enough to munch with her gums and swallow it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">While one Granny was a cleanliness freak who took bath on her own every day, bathing was optional for the other. While one never cared about her great grand kids, the other’s best friends were her great grand kids. But despite these differences, there were few common traits between the two. Both loved to receive gifts (“set mundu” and/or money) from their respective offsprings. And both of them treasured their “abharna petti”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Both their lives were cut-short by a devastating fall that rendered them bed-ridden till their last breath. The inability to walk around increased their frustration. This led to them having delusions and certain hallucinations. Senility crept-in. They started to become a little violent and stubborn. Bed sores were a frequent occurrence, for not getting up from the bed. Screaming their lungs out was as common as having a meal. Personal Hygiene was thrown out of the window. Then slowly the food intake reduced. They refused to take any solid food. The last couple of weeks they took only “kanji vallam” or oats or juices. They were both a picture of wrinkled flesh and bones in their final days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And then the inevitable happened. It was my wife’s granny that departed first. That day she had trouble breathing. She was taking quick breaths. Her daughter who diligently took care of her all these years knew the end was near. She put her in the car and drove to the hospital, but it was all over before they could reach the hospital. And then a week later, my granny, in the dead of the night started having breathing trouble and a few minutes later it was all over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Two great souls who lived to see 3 generations of offsprings departed to a better world. A place free of the shenanigans of this cruel world. I know I will miss them, but I won’t - and didn’t - shed a tear for them, for I know they are in a happier place and I’m not jealous of their happiness. They have lived their time in this world and now it’s time to meet their maker. It was not an abrupt goodbye but merely the end of a long vacation in a place called Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture Courtesy: <a href="http://despair.com/">Despair.com</a></span></div>Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-64143011658348362972012-07-20T17:27:00.003+05:302012-07-20T17:27:38.074+05:30The Gangs of Guwahati<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over the last week or so the media has gone into a frenzy... what’s new about that you might ask. The Guwahati Molestation case is prime time news for all News Channels alike. No channel has missed the opportunity to beam this "prime-time entertainment" to its viewers. And why would they, for the sex-starved men and the justice-seeking women lap it up with equal vigour. Even the inquisitive children sneak a peek when their elders aren't watching over them. After all we live in a country where we haven’t yet heard of Parental-Control packages in TV viewership. And with nobody to watch over the all-powerful-media, no eyebrows are raised when they beam such disturbing images.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since much as already been said and written about the moral stature of the men of Guwahati (and across India in general), I will not beat the horse to death any more. Instead, in the midst of all this a lot of questions keep cropping in my head, that begs for an answer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is a 17 year old doing in a bar?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did the bar not check the age of patrons before admitting them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why were they served drinks without checking their age?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What prompted this outrage from the crowd?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What was the "part-time" reporter doing there with a camera at the precise moment?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did the molesters not attack the reporter when they knew he was filming them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did the police take 40 minutes to reach the spot which was just a kilometer away?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did the channel air the footage so shamelessly?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did the NCW which is supposed to guard the victim, reveal her identity?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why the main accused is still not apprehended?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where is the Human Rights Violation group when you need them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did the police initially dismiss it as a stray incident? How many incidents do they need to make it a relevant issue?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why has the bar not been shut down for allowing minors into their premises?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why no action was taken on the police for arriving late at the crime scene?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although a gang of only 30 members were involved in the actual crime, there are many gangs that were involved in the larger picture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>The Bar Gang</strong> - that allowed underage teens to get drunk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>The Police Gang</strong> - that arrived late and still doing a shoddy work of catching the culprits</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>The Media Gang</strong> - that beamed the images so shamelessly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>The By-Stander Gang</strong> - that could have stopped the rogue Gang</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>The NCW Gang</strong> - that released the identity of the girl</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>The Politician Gang</strong> - that plays the blame game and tries to derive maximum mileage from the incident</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now that the story is approaching its sell-by date the question on my mind is "Will the Gangs of Guwahati ever be punished?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture Courtesy: </span><a href="http://tntmagazine.in/news/crime-against-women-in-mizoram/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">TNT Magazine</span></a></span></div>
</div>Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-27019135545982086562012-07-17T14:22:00.003+05:302012-07-17T14:29:48.859+05:30The Perils of Seeking Thrill<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoKG2YfY13FD9rtg_86wFI7pr7q20ekkWfR5_yAqhN1eehRj3DMQjQ_WCLdm2HOJyWnL2TIAERQpsnZeQRLWERXtjAjLMkLgWvzi_Elft5136bkeHk5nvZdQBTnbCW2opZj8H0Q/s1600/elephant-attack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijoKG2YfY13FD9rtg_86wFI7pr7q20ekkWfR5_yAqhN1eehRj3DMQjQ_WCLdm2HOJyWnL2TIAERQpsnZeQRLWERXtjAjLMkLgWvzi_Elft5136bkeHk5nvZdQBTnbCW2opZj8H0Q/s320/elephant-attack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is a new breed of anti-social elements in the society. They are young, upwardly mobile and utterly stupid. They call themselves trekkers, nature lovers, amateur photographers and wildlife conservationists. But they could not have had a bigger misconception of the adjectives they go by, for a trekker does not venture into the forests without a compass, nor would a nature lover consume alcohol in nature's lap, nor would an amateur photographer instigate the wild animals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Time and again we forget the fact that nature can be far more devastating and brutal than it can be beautiful or breathtaking. How many times have we not heard about a fun trip gone horribly wrong? In almost all these cases it was totally avoidable, if at all the parties involved applied a little bit of common sense. Satellite television brought shows like <em>Crocodile Hunters</em> and <em>Man Vs Wild</em> into our drawing rooms, but unfortunately it could not develop our common sense. Or maybe we are just too stubborn. Our mind filters stuff we want to watch or inculcate. We admire the landscape and the adventure but disregard the risks and the survival techniques.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkGqP1I1tvgCeRuW9oTm-sZtdOMCTwtmxSujOxF3Rltp39KhAicsM7yRBuwc3Kb7e5CCvNkpeLt7qkTUbnxRaO_wEcAaOurZWcs-bjcommyr9D4tfPlCLnag99wjtgmwtJHNOTA/s1600/safari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkGqP1I1tvgCeRuW9oTm-sZtdOMCTwtmxSujOxF3Rltp39KhAicsM7yRBuwc3Kb7e5CCvNkpeLt7qkTUbnxRaO_wEcAaOurZWcs-bjcommyr9D4tfPlCLnag99wjtgmwtJHNOTA/s320/safari.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It has been observed that a lot of such mishaps happen because of lack of knowledge of the places we visit. It is very important that we know what to expect. A lot of blogs and Wikis give an accurate account of the risks involved apart from giving complete info of the area replete with pictures. Swimming in unknown territories is always a big no-no. You may be a good swimmer, but there's little you can do when caught in a whirlpool. There are also instances of flash floods sweeping away people who tried to be adventurous with the rough waters. It’s very important to respect nature's fury and be overly cautious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instances of youngsters going trekking in highly vegetated jungles without a compass and absolutely no idea about the terrain are foolishness of the highest order. And in all likelihood this foolishness switches up one notch higher with the intake of alcohol. Alcohol intake should be strictly avoided in tourist places - more so in the jungles - because inevitably the bottles are strewn around causing harm to all living beings treading that path. Alcoholism combined with smoking is the worst form of tourism menace in this country. There have been instances of forest fires caused by cigarette butts wiping out hectares of vegetation and along with it, its wild life.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u-H-5-JcBM_AiNHQItyxo5W4kVvTiSVECdTFFOtc1SLCu1Abda7baJYId59yGw0cBARea3uu0-d_VqutD3nD_GDwel9hxDsPXY098xTtBTdn4RhMSW1BISALrmXnsOlM5hyphenhyphen4SA/s1600/in_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u-H-5-JcBM_AiNHQItyxo5W4kVvTiSVECdTFFOtc1SLCu1Abda7baJYId59yGw0cBARea3uu0-d_VqutD3nD_GDwel9hxDsPXY098xTtBTdn4RhMSW1BISALrmXnsOlM5hyphenhyphen4SA/s320/in_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wildlife photography seems to be the new in-thing with these tourists. To get a good shot, amateur wildlife photographers get too close for comfort to elephants and other wild animals. The result is panic settling among the creatures and they start running helter-skelter. The unfortunate outcome of this melee is loss of human lives. We need to understand that elephants are other wild animals are untamed. They are not as affable as domesticated animals shown in Hollywood animation movies. And while we are in their territory it is only natural that we respect their privacy by not interfering in their activities. There is also a lot of misconception among wildlife photographers that wildlife photography equals wildlife conservation. Clicking pictures of wildlife by annoying them can in no way be termed Conservation. The same applies to wild life tourism. Staying in Jungle Lodges does not automatically make you a nature lover or wildlife conservationist. In fact the more of these wildlife tours the more aggravated are the animals. This forces them to migrate farther and farther away and inevitably they end up in a human inhabited place. Straying into human territory usually means getting killed or captured or run-over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The wildlife of this country has no chance for survival if this trend continues. We must inculcate the habit of responsible tourism in us, if we want our children to enjoy the sights that adventure that we enjoyed. As the Native Indian Tribes wisely said, <strong>"We did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrowed it from our children."</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture Courtesy: </span><a href="http://masalahrakyat.blogspot.com/2011/04/elephant-attack-mosque.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Masalah Rakyat</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span><a href="http://www.africa-business.com/features/kenya_wildlife.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Africa Business Pages,</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><a href="http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/photos/in/in.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ISDR</span></a></div>
</div>Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-86455638912740903942012-07-09T12:32:00.003+05:302012-07-09T12:32:45.355+05:30The Lovey-Dovey Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I followed my wife, albeit dragging my feet, along those annoying winding maze of aisles of the local supermarket chain that is so strategically positioned that you end up watching (or rather passing) every item on sale before you reach the billing counter. Retail Management is a whole new science designed to tap into the customer’s mind - well, with only one entry and exit and no escape routes, you really do not have a chance, do you?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32H6YWzkuOCUXMP0XHerO1Vnux1AfvngmukxqZ0GBog9CzUQhfWJdvjLLMdXWm2jvAQbLaUBs-_ZYiqENmMNU8OgCN6afyUqe73cKR4IB-WD1j4GvsXZ8Gwgvk-YL2R_dAeVXNw/s1600/supermarket%2520aisles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32H6YWzkuOCUXMP0XHerO1Vnux1AfvngmukxqZ0GBog9CzUQhfWJdvjLLMdXWm2jvAQbLaUBs-_ZYiqENmMNU8OgCN6afyUqe73cKR4IB-WD1j4GvsXZ8Gwgvk-YL2R_dAeVXNw/s320/supermarket%2520aisles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I watched my wife wade through the cutlery, toiletries, bed-and-bath and sanitary item sections before finally stopping at the cosmetic section. "Now this was going to take a while", I thought to myself. After she was done with her fairness and anti-ageing creams she moved on to the shampoo section. She looked at the products on offer and despite sporting an "I-can’t-decide" look on her face she proceeded to pick her usual anti-dandruff shampoo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"<a href="http://www.dove.in/dove-hair-aware-app.php" target="_blank">Try Dove</a>", I said, trying to sound more involved in this monthly chore of grocery shopping.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Dove? Is it good?” she enquired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Of course it's good. It's a popular and elite brand. Plus it's Dove! Duh!”, I said, sounding like a seasoned shopper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her mind tried to make sense of all the happenings. The fact that I was asking her to go with Dove sounded strange. But the prospect of trying Dove for the first time after drooling over the umpteen ads jeopardised her chances of pinpointing the cause for my newfound magnanimity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To confirm that I was not kidding she prodded me again. "You sure? Coz I'm happy with what I use right now."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"But you always complain that your hair looks dead", I volunteered, cautiously insinuating that it was her thoughts and not mine, to avoid any trouble. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that was her cue. "You are right. Although my dandruff problem looks to be slightly under control, the hair however looks... looks..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Lifeless?", I helped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Right. Lifeless", she agreed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Wait a minute... are you suggesting that my hair actually looks lifeless?" She demanded.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No baby no... I wasn't. I was... I was just helping you with the right synonym" was all I could muster in my defense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Yeah Right!!!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No seriously. I mean I can hardly find any difference", I said as a matter-of-factly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Oh so now you don’t even notice your wife's hair. Is it?" she shot back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Oh common now, you know that’s not what I meant. It’s just that... well... whatever it is baby, you just look fabulous." I said, taking refuge in singing praises of my wife. I knew that this was the "emergency fire exit" out of arguments that always worked. And it did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Awww. Thank you baby", she purred.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I love you honey".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I love you too sweetiepie". And that seals it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrZU3p1pCNENta9YDqUty5-ZYNBT8h42DccwL23vY5ZEhkDbvFxtL9QXtNEq-yHjJq0YtkdkovVfA8CL3nIs8ATcx9zx-apAsxfjMkpdElouxFsDUvVg3xIfwQNoyTF3nyuUICA/s1600/Dove-Damage-Therapy-Intense-Repair-Range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrZU3p1pCNENta9YDqUty5-ZYNBT8h42DccwL23vY5ZEhkDbvFxtL9QXtNEq-yHjJq0YtkdkovVfA8CL3nIs8ATcx9zx-apAsxfjMkpdElouxFsDUvVg3xIfwQNoyTF3nyuUICA/s320/Dove-Damage-Therapy-Intense-Repair-Range.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"So, Dove it is right?" she re-confirmed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And before I could answer, she continued, "Yes! I got to try this Damage Therapy thingy. It sounds very promising and just what I’m looking for. Moreover with Choti's imminent wedding in a month's time, I want to look my best".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You will look gor..." I began.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"And you remember the shampoo that I was using last year", she said, cutting me off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"All their tall claims of stronger and longer hair have not only come to naught but left me with loads of dandruff to deal with", she continued, without giving me a chance to travel back in time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Plus, it’s not like we can't afford it", she continued, making her case stronger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If she could read my mind, she would have heard, "JUST TAKE IT", but instead she managed to hear, "Of course baby. Why would I not buy you something that makes you happy?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She awww-ed one more time and with that she snuggled close to me, her right hand going round my back to give me half a hug and the left hand dropping two of the biggest bottles of Dove Damage Therapy into the cart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A month later I was busy tapping away on my laptop sitting on the comfortable bean bag when she came from behind and put her arms around my head and over my chest. As her hair fell over my face, I pick up the cue and tell her, "I just love the smell of your hair. It's so smooth and full of life".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Acha? Self-praising huh? You know you are the one who suggested Dove."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Hmm yes. I will grant you that. One of the best decisions you ever took", she said, her chest burgeoning with pride that her husband finally is getting the nuances of shopping, right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Now get up, you bag of bones. I'm getting late for Choti's Mehendi ceremony", she thundered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I got up and walked past the dressing table, I caught myself in the mirror. Looking into mirror and running my hand through my hair I thought about all the scheming I did over a month ago, tricking my wife into buying Dove Damage Therapy, for no self-righteous man would ever show preference/inclination in beauty products.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now sporting an evil grin, I heard myself say "and that was the end of all my hair problems."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: This is a </span><a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=58" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">contest entry for Indiblogger</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> featuring <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dove/app_127320750626819" target="_blank">Dove Damage Therapy</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image Courtesy: <a href="http://mondosavage.com/" target="_blank">Here</a> and <a href="http://beautyworth.blogspot.com/2011/01/dove-damage-therapy.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-68848029187410319662012-07-05T16:59:00.001+05:302012-07-05T16:59:49.987+05:30The Cloak of Invisible Decency<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Farcical Disclaimer: This blog contains content that might hurt your religious sentiments. So, if you one of those who get easily sentimentalized, you can stay away. Should you go ahead and read the article, you have three options in front of you - Compliment, Complaint or Compliant<sup>† </sup>:)</span></em></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtd7rs3Gixjj7b0-5HQxAUcdUgBbkkhC3x-wd8ApjLLj-RXCXUCPqh2vmScl9o7P8HgAkrGFzHwpi8CmNP5i716TQ5-YAIVNb4eSvJSZISyNLATmejbBB9Pj5uEYCgTTKQ9byrA/s1600/lord-rama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtd7rs3Gixjj7b0-5HQxAUcdUgBbkkhC3x-wd8ApjLLj-RXCXUCPqh2vmScl9o7P8HgAkrGFzHwpi8CmNP5i716TQ5-YAIVNb4eSvJSZISyNLATmejbBB9Pj5uEYCgTTKQ9byrA/s320/lord-rama.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord Rama is widely considered to be Maryada Purushottama (The Perfect Man or Lord of Self Control or Lord of Virtue) by Hindus across the globe. He is a human being par excellence and his rule was famously known as Rama Rajya for being full of peace, happiness, prosperity and justice. And yet among the 330 million Gods in Hindu mythology it is with Lord Rama that I have an issue with. The story of Lord Rama is all hunky dory till He protects Sita Devi from the clutches of Ravanna and brings her back. It's the story after that, which makes me wonder if He deserves the Maryada Purshotamma tag that has been conferred upon Him. My grouse with Lord Rama is on three counts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When He asks Sita Devi to undergo the Agni Pariksha </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When He banishes Sita Devi from Ayodhya on again doubting her chastity</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When He fails to recognize his own flesh and blood, Luva and Kusha and battles with them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><u>Agni Pariksha</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In my book Lord Rama loses the Maryada Purushottama tag the moment He asked His wife to prove her chastity. The basic premise of calling Rama a Gentleman fell flat on its nose when He doubted his wife's fidelity. No right-minded gentleman would ever doubt his wife, least of all by listening to a loose tongue. Sure there’s any argument that He listened to the people of his kingdom and wanted to put them at ease. But at what cost? By hurting the sentiments of a woman who's devotion to her husband kept the evil advances of Ravanna at bay? And what kind of a King is Lord Rama who listens to the whispering voices of the mischief-mongering people rather than the thundering voice of His own conscience? If Rama Rajya was all about peace, prosperity and justice for the people, where was justice in asking Sita Devi to undergo Agni Pariksha?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVLqaHB9-7gWhwPtmJH8jJtsojA0n0MLt0kjmS40qEvSPgrYwbT2kDRl3p1mPQchjFt_EapKGQU7yClKASuPPfD3V0uJ7zMOdEWBudxs1V28wZ5lX71_yywe5dHl-B_H7TOhIPg/s1600/Agni_pariksha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVLqaHB9-7gWhwPtmJH8jJtsojA0n0MLt0kjmS40qEvSPgrYwbT2kDRl3p1mPQchjFt_EapKGQU7yClKASuPPfD3V0uJ7zMOdEWBudxs1V28wZ5lX71_yywe5dHl-B_H7TOhIPg/s320/Agni_pariksha.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is this male chauvinist attitude that is still the root cause of all atrocities against women in this country. The women of this country have to constantly prove their loyalty and fidelity to their husbands who themselves can do as they wish with no questions asked. The modern day Ramas’ take refuge in the idea that, if Lord Rama can ask his wife to prove her chastity why not his subjects? Can’t help wonder if we are following the wrong Gods!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As if the Agni Pariksha wasn't insulting enough, comes the banishment of Sita Devi from the kingdom. And with this act His cloak of decency is all but shredded to bits. Suspecting your wife of carrying someone else's child and throwing her out of your house to let the pregnant wife fend for herself is the worst form of cruelty there is. And not surprisingly that attitude is still prevalent in Indian men thanks to God's Testimony over the matter. The women of this country have no chance. They are up against Gods and husbands!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The failure of Lord Rama in identifying His own flesh and blood is the pulling of the last straw. Now common, even a tacky 80's Bollywood movie star would have recognised his sons (lost in Kumbh Ka Mela) even after 25 years. The fact that Hanuman could recognize that Luv and Kush were the Lord’s sons and Rama missing out on the same fact defies all logic of parenthood and Godly sensibilities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There could not have been a better ending to this story than Sita Devi submitting herself to Mother Earth leaving Rama to live a life of regret. As they say, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disclaimer: Some of my understanding/knowledge/interpretation about the events may be wrong. I stand welcome to be corrected.</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">† Courtesy Srikanth Manjunath</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture Courtesy: <a href="http://www.myguru.in/Deity-Lord-Rama.htm" target="_blank">MyGuru</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Agni_pariksha.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></span></span></div>
</div>Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-9284399575347214422012-07-04T14:28:00.002+05:302012-07-04T15:10:04.194+05:30Discrimination of the Third Order<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of all the discriminations meted-out to various sections in the society, this one counts for the least publicized. It is so less talked-about that many refuse to believe it actually exists. "<strong>New Dads</strong>" often live with the stigma (at least in India) that a <strong>Dad</strong> is just the sperm-provider in the conceiving stage and latter as a food-shelter-and-clothing provider for the rest of his life. The father-child relation is not held same regard (or even close) as a Mother and child relation. Granted that a mother and child are one entity for roughly 35 weeks but in the process of glorifying the mother and child relationship the father is often ignored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For starters, in most Hindu customs the daughter-in-law is packed off to her "maike", some 7 months into her pregnancy only to return after the baby is around 3 or 4 months old. So the discrimination starts even before the child is brought into this world. In my custom the would-be-father's contribution is restricted to sperm-donation and settling the bills for the delivery. But the MCPs that (previous generation of Fathers of) the <em>Mallu </em>Clan were, it serves everyone right that they stay from all things good in life. But times are the changing. And with micro families and working women being the order of the day, most deliveries happen with the husbands by their side. I was lucky enough to be next to my wife (though not in the OT) when she delivered our bundle of joy. But again for reasons known only to the Hospital staff, the expecting father is not allowed inside the OT unlike what is practiced in other countries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether by their own will or bending over for the sake of customs and traditions, it is almost criminal to miss the first-look of your own flesh and blood. It is not a sight you see every day or every year. For all you know, you may see it only once or twice in your lifetime. But more than the frequency it's the emotional gravity that's worth cherishing for a life time. The anxious 9 months suddenly gives way to overwhelming joy and complete nothingness. If ever there was a moment when I felt my legs wobbling with excitement, it was this! I could sense my brain sending signals to the eyes to well-up but this was not the time, because if I blink, I know the baby would be whisked back into the OT to dress-up. I only had enough time to enquire about the sex of the baby and that too after an after-thought. A girl it is - just as we both secretly wanted, but never revealed, should it be a boy. Not that we would be disappointed but we just were preparing for it to be either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I get busy calling people who matter to spread the news the mother and daughter are wheeled-into our room. I quickly wash my hands and pick-up the baby before I face the next stigma - new Dads don't know how to pick a just-born. There is surprise, shock, awe and instructions pouring-in. I’m too pre-occupied to heed to any of that talk. Looking at those sleepy eyes, I could hear myself repeating in my head - You are My Baby. I was reveling in the fact that I am now a life-creator, care-giver and protector - synonyms usually only reserved to the mother. So, with all the emotions that I was feeling at that time I would like to ask would any New Dad feel comfortable missing out on such joy? If they do miss it voluntarily - God save them and if they miss it by way of customs and traditions, I’m bound to ask if we really need such customs and traditions?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgyntF-5PEgfP86FMP8AB-dQYknUcP5ekgjD0xUt1zsF1FfF4sbcQ01YQWLWp_96yfViFocCpskvmKVdm86DslIdjzoJKGibJuzBAgj3V-FEa0OBRCpwMzlsdojrmBuLgc8schQ/s1600/pacifyme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgyntF-5PEgfP86FMP8AB-dQYknUcP5ekgjD0xUt1zsF1FfF4sbcQ01YQWLWp_96yfViFocCpskvmKVdm86DslIdjzoJKGibJuzBAgj3V-FEa0OBRCpwMzlsdojrmBuLgc8schQ/s320/pacifyme.jpg" width="206" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The last trimester of the expecting mother and first quarter of child's growth is the most crucial period in my opinion. It's the ideal time to bond with his child and his wife. The mother would also prefer nobody but her doting life partner to be by her side during all the nights the baby keeps you awake. It is difficult on a lot of levels for the husband to deal with a pregnant wife in the house. Yet nobody enquires about you. The society is only bothered about the health of the expecting mother and her womb-occupier. While Maternity Leave is a must whether you work in a Government or Private organization, the government of this country does not feel the need to have a legislation that provides mandatory paternity leave to expecting fathers. The result of such a disparate law is that the New Dad end up exhausting his Personal Leaves for the year at the time of the birth and end up missing important events like the Naming Ceremony of the baby - as has happened to a close friend of mine. As for me, I cannot imagine missing even a small thing like my baby sucking her thumb for the first time, let alone missing her Naming Ceremony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My grouse here is that New Dads are often relegated to the task of being a financier or sperm-giver and never credited with the role of a life-giver and protector that they rightfully can be. It’s about time these traditions and stigma are thrown out of the window and usher the New Age Dads who not only take care of their little ones but also be the emotional handle of their better halves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Picture Curtesy: </em></span><a href="http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/caring-for-baby/five-tips-for-the-new-dad-20080625-2wjr.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Essential baby</em></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>, </em></span><a href="https://store.comedyfilmnerds.com/Pacify-Me-A-Handbook-for-the-Freaked-Out-New-Dad..html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Comedy Film Nerds</em></span></a></div>Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26963199.post-56468386850619262462012-07-03T16:39:00.002+05:302012-08-02T18:47:52.596+05:30Random Thoughts - Take 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RrJkVPmeRZg-U8ItC_aC2BVkt9CTqmi1KTZGNB06u2guIC6NOcChPdEyG5bKjAveZCqHGbUtoZ1M8qBjYmUTM9_A-rIqPpclu2jNwj9-3zoVNAfY0XVdiM-ggKGizDVX0JnY_Q/s1600/blogging_despair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RrJkVPmeRZg-U8ItC_aC2BVkt9CTqmi1KTZGNB06u2guIC6NOcChPdEyG5bKjAveZCqHGbUtoZ1M8qBjYmUTM9_A-rIqPpclu2jNwj9-3zoVNAfY0XVdiM-ggKGizDVX0JnY_Q/s320/blogging_despair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So this is my second attempt at blabbering... err... blogging indiscreetly and indiscriminately. For reasons unknown to me, I don't know when, how and most importantly why, <strong>Random Thoughts</strong> churned into <a href="http://mudnigga.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Road Bloke</a>. Being the avid reader (of blogs) that I am, I realised, <strong>Random Thoughts</strong> was probably the second most used blog title after <strong>"heyitsme<my_name>".</strong> Hence I decided to chuck <strong>Random Thoughts</strong> for <strong>"Ramblings of a Dysfunctional Mind"</strong> - which however is used by at least 2 bloggers in the same form and some 18 variations (until I quit counting) from an equal number of bloggers. Ain't I glad that the 28 minutes I spent thinking of a Blog Title yielded so few results! I feel I've attained my "intellectual-high" of the week by coming up with that title.<br />
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Now, the question rattling your mind right now is, just what the hell do I need a second blog for and what do I intend to write in that. Before I answer these questions let me assure you that I've not gone the psychic route for getting it right with my predictions. That question is really genuine and the only answer I can think of right now for the former question is that it sounds very verbose to say I write two blogs! Plus, every blogger has at least 2 or 3 blogs. So why not me? Plus it's free. Plus... ok I will stop now. To answer the latter question about what I intend to write, I believe as a intelligent reader you must have figured it out by now. Anybody who happens to be my unfortunate Facebook friend knows that I rant a lot. Let me say that again - A LOT. Well here's another way to get deluged by my rants and that too in the longer format of the game. No Escape.<br />
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There are however little things - nice things - that I would be blogging about. But just like the glorious Indian Media, 90% of the content would include negativism, sensationalism and absolute crap. So without any further ado let me set the cat among the pigeons!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture Coutesy: </span><a href="http://despair.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Despair.com</span></a></div>Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2