Thursday, May 28, 2009

A blog a day

People who blog everyday are nice people. To go to a blog knowing you wont be disappointed is nice. So, now be nice.

In relation to the blog word, does anyone know what happened to Asal Tamizh penn's blogspot? Why isnt she updating? it has been more than 6 months, you know. Indiauncut's Amit Varma had even said she should get published.

So many blogs have gone stagnant. Taking a ride on hyperbole, What happens if people simply lose interest in blogging. I haven't read anything else in few years now. Even the news I read is through the links provided by blogs. Sigh. Almost like that exaggerated movie with super-accelarated events about global warming. Then there will be save the blogging day(declared by united nations).

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Substituing sticks for legs

People weren't always like that. In all these years of their presence on earth, majority of them had arms and legs with flesh on them. I am sure there might have been an anomaly of one or two with arms and legs which were stick-thin. But that is nature in all its glory.

Something happened in the last century. Designers or tailors started designing clothes on paper. They started drawing the humans whose dresses they were designing, in the form of the straight lines. Sticks for legs, arms why even the stomach. They probably drew inspiration from the biology lab skeleton.

Now having designed the dress for a Skeleton, the clothes seemed to look their best only on the skeletons. Woman who looked like skeletons were chosen as models to maintain the beauty of the design. The general public which were enamored by the designs wanted to wear them. But alas they weren't skeleton like. So now people are slowly turning into skeleton. The dresses are pretty strangely the people themselves aren't. But the dress and skeleton combo rocks which is what is important.

Now if only the designers knew how to draw curves!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Airtel Super singer again

I know you guys must think why the hell do I make a fuss about this show. But listen to the videos when you can. All fabulous singers.

Ajeesh with a unique and mellifluous voice. He was a discovery during the earlier Unplugged round when he sang thoda thoda malaranthu enna. Ravi has been consistently good. Very well versed in carnatic(for a playback singer aspirant). Though one does wish for a little more depth in the voice. If someone had told me earlier that I will be rooting for Ranjani and Ajeesh at the finals, I would have shot them down with one look. But Ranjani has improved and how. She always had a pitch perfect voice but the confidence, the clarity that you see now is amazing. She has experimented and proved across many genres now as well.

But, I doubt if any one of the three are going to win the title. That is most probably Prasanna. He did impress me with his off the stage behavior earlier. Humble, Humbility and humbleness personified.*(in reference to Om puri's dialogue in bollywood calling). So there was some leeway for this not so good singer. But his loud proclamation about this popular support during the wildcard recall round threw me off. That doesnt matter, he is a crowd favorite and this is a reality show which means he is going to win.

During these times, I want to be part of the crowd. It is so much easier if your preferences match with the rest of the crowd. This time mine isnt. That would be the case for anyone who is musically inclined. But as some one said life isnt fair get used to it. (btw now that I am following the mantra, will forbes publish my picture next year? you know, in their billionaire list. Atleast the person who said it is there)

Unnidam mayangiren - Ajeesh (another fabulous performance here)



Then sinthathey - Ravi


Antha sivagami - Ranjani


Engirendu - Renu

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Indian elections 2009

The results of the elections are surprising. I guess I was expecting some sort BJP-coalition to come to power. It isn't that BJP excited me. But I hate congress.

The wounds of their 50 year rule. Their puppetizing of the government agencies-
1) CBI removed Quattrachi from CBI's wanted list*. This happened right before the election. looks like even the Congress wasnt sure of the comeback. When questioned Rahul said this happens all the time with all the parties!
2) The Chief election Commissioner claiming the other election commissioner had regular talks with Congress while planning the election dates.
The first time I saw the government agencies showing some sign of independence was under the non-congress rule. This isn't due to any higher moral grounds of other Political parties. I suspect it could probably be more because Congress after 50 years of misrule knows how to make puppets out of the machinery.

Then there is Congress and its populist policies. They would say Muslims should be given 10% reservation. I don't know if congress is still bent upon its reservation in Private sector. And then Sops.
Congress is Pro in employing Policies that are ineffectual in elimination of the root problem but I guess at some point they did work in voter banks(I am not sure they do any more). Instead of the reservation policies, cant we set up better schools at all these places. Cant we increase the number of Higher educational institutions? Billion people's education cant be rationed out on basis of caste and religion.

And finally the effing Dynasty. A whole family of fools. I suspect the primary motto of that family is less brain cells. We will get married to people with lesser brain cells and we will produce offsprings with lesser brain cells. One has heard of, "Andher Nagari Chaupat Raja". But why would a nation full of people with vision ask for a blind ruler?

You know why that hurts the most? Congress has truckload of capable leaders. Narasimha Rao is some one I deeply admire. It took guts to go for liberalization Policies. Even though that was the only option available to us, I dont see Rahul Gandhi having the guts to do that simpy because it wouldnt be popular. Some medicines are bitter but they have to be consumed, isnt it?

In all these new articles and columns, why doesnt any one ever think of P Chidambram as a Prime Ministerial candidate? Is he incompetent? He has proved himself as a Finance minister. And so many other Congress leaders. Capable (probably with more spine than Manmohan Thata!) and competent. Such deep-rooted acceptance of dynasty politics that is clearly not right for our country annoys me.

I fear the 50 years of misrule again.

I wish I am proved wrong. I really wish. For country's sake.For my own sake. That is the country I want to live in. That is the only Country I have a right to live in permanently as of today!

* Isnt that like removing Veerapan out of Sandalwood smuggling scam?Removing Prabhakaran from Rajiv Gandhi case.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Congress, BJP come together - Indian poltiical opportunistic front

This has been in the wish list for five years now. Its like one of those star pair you seen on-screen and you suddenly think they should be together. (I do think like that and it has worked out sometime).

Similarly, there was a moment, five years ago, when I got tired of all these marriages between all sorts of Political Parties. As far as I see there are just two combinations that haven't been tried. One, the BJP and left, but left is anathema(annoying pain) to me, so that goes down the dumpster. The other being BJP and Congress. On surface level, there might be some differences. But if you look deeper you will realize they are the same. What constitute a Party, dear readers? Party leaders and Members? Members you know are gained by Sambar rice and Biriyani. Probably by Parathas up north. In reality, nobody has actually seen them. A careful study has revealed that there is no difference between the Sambar rice handed out by congress and BJP. Party members would feel no difference.

Next being Party leaders. They keep changing parties every month anyway. Quite a few of them are actually running out of Parties to move to, honestly. Infact, this should bring them a false satisfication of being in a new Party altogether(in essence though, I cant stress this enough, all the political parties are the same almost following the Hindu philoshpy of Vasudeva Kudumbkam).

So with all these issues solved, BJP and congress should come together. Finally, we might even have a government which might have more than the absolute majority support for them. Please note that beyond that single point, this merger isnt offering any change. The left will continue to crow from outside. Manmohan Singh might even continue as the Prime Minister except that remote PM will just not be Sonia but the whole bunch of BJP and Congress MPs together.(there lies a true democracy).

Oh, you know what will be biggest advantage of such a merger? The whole slew of regional trouble-makers called Laloo Prasad Yadav, Jayalalitha, Karunanidhi will finally shut up and become mere spectators. REally readers, can there be a greater joy?

Labels: Gandhian, , have never been under the influence of any substance, the show will go on and all combination must be tried

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Independence

The North Indians never respect us, we said. They call us Kaali, ugly, Madrasis. They scream that our Autowallahs refuse to speak in Hindi without realising that Autowallah had found their own sophisticated cosmopolitan language(Naastha Thuniya). What is common anyway between the Chapathi eaters and us, We asked.

We were never ruled by the same rulers.

So with pride of Cheran, Chozhan and Pandian, we decided to seek Independence, so Tamil nadu was spun off.

Then Coimbatore and erode people complained. The Chennai people think highly of themselves. They think A R Rahman is god(!). When we get lost in the city, they give us wrong directions. They mock our slow and steady Tamil when they don't even speak Tamil.

They have all the software companies, Thirupur said. Chennai looks at us condescendingly for being scared to walk through Ranganathan street, the vecchurava veeran from Madurai said.

So Chennai was spun off.

Annanagar screamed we are way too cosmopolitan to be part of this old city. Mylapore Maamis look down on our lack of distinct culture. TNagar mocks at our new money while resting on their Old Money. So Annanagar was spun off.

And I, who was born in west mambalam and who has spent several summers in Royapettah, lived the rest of my life with the partition woes stacked away in the corner of my mind.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Susan Boyle episode

I had the same reaction as the audience in the clip when I first spotted the video at indiequill. I skipped the video, thinking it is some kind of mockfest. Within 12 hours, the video caught up with me again. I viewed it and was impressed with her just as the rest of the world. Yes, go ahead judge me for judging some one by looks. But...

Tell me this. Can these things really change? That we will always judge/misjudge based on a cover or some other equally irrelevant parameter. That beautiful people would always get more noticed in a room. Isnt something very inherent in our nature? How can we be politically correct in our thoughts? Sure, we can filter them or moral police them later but how do you stop having some kind of illogical preference before we know better so that we can make our decisions better.

Yes, the audience's initial reaction was rude. But if they hadnt booed we would have called them boring, pretentious and not being themselves. The thing is, we did recognize the voice once we heard the song and gave it more than its due. If that wasnt the case then that would be a problem.