Crazy lil things called opinions

Last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy to say the least. Health hiccups which I hate, doctor visits and their painful prognosis - more exercise.. What’s with Doctors and exercise, its like they have a internal bond with that word and have to say atleast a hundred times every visit (or is that just for me ??) . Though I have enjoyed reading my blogger pals post, work has been so hectic, that I start a comment only to come back to the same page a couple of hours later, with no clue what exactly I had to say.. Well after all this boohoo for me , the last weeks have been exciting in terms of news of the world, and the following are a couple of blogs which I would have posted, if I wasn’t so annoyed with my doctor and my boss.

Obama and McCain : Well, I cant add to praise from every quarter which has followed Obama and his amazing journey to being President elect. I know people in India who wept at his acceptance speech. Though I did watch his speech with a feeling that Change was indeed now a part of America’s future , I must say that McCain’s speech accepting his defeat to me , was a little more moving. A greatness of a man is in how he accepts defeat, and this man did it with grace and humility. Of course Barbie Palin, shedding tears next to him, still made me want to dress her in my Alaska Barbie clothes :) !. However I must express my concern, Obama is qualified, but to rest the responsibility of changing America and its economic recession on his shoulders alone is tantamount to putting the world on a person’s shoulder assuming he is Atlas. Every person is responsible for helping their little community to move up in these scary times.

Proportion 8 : For the non California voters, this was a proposition to simply overturn Gay and Lesbian marriages in the state and pronounce them as “unions”. It was passed , and now California law defines “marriage” as a union between only a man and a woman. Well this is my take on it. Though I don’t really understand the dynamics of homosexuality as a conservative Indian woman, I understand as a human, what this means to the people involved. It’s not just a word –“marriage”, they are rights associated with that term which have been taken away from those people like rights of automatic adoption of their partners child, rights to property and so on. The worst part is I feel is the right for two people in love to share their commitment with the world. If people are so against sexual preferences, then they should start withholding the marriage rights of child abusers and sexual predators. If those guys can do a stint in jail and come out and get married. Why cant humans who are leading fully productive lives, marry without us breathing down their necks.

Bailout story: Yes, the US government decided to bail out messed up Wall street and the banks with our money. I say our, because I’m going to be paying that tax,with the other Americans/immigrants/Visa holders who live in the US, to ensure that the mess that Greed mongers had started is actually wiped clean. I’ve seen my investments crash to quarter of their value, close colleagues lose their jobs and thousands of people face foreclosures, but now the new twist is the people who want the part of the bailout money. So we have the auto industry asking for a portion now, which will be given. My theory is that if you make cars, which actually cross the 24 Miles per gallon mark , it would make sense that people will buy it and you wouldn’t need the bailout. Now we have cities who are asking for the money to help their dwindling pension funds. I don’t mind if this money is used to bring back America from the depression its facing, because that in turn helps the other dependant markets, but if this money is just used to rescue powerful factions which are failing, without helping the market as a whole, what’s the point?.

India’s economic situation : Well the India team was buoyant with the GDP growth 9% last year. But lets be real , with recession hitting America, its not far behind in India, with GDP projected this year at 6%. But I wonder if people back home understand the significance. I have friends who call me to crib about how America has crashed the global market. But hasn’t greed flowed all the way to India. People jumping jobs every 6 months for higher salaries, real estate which sold at Rs. 18 lakh , 3years back, now selling at Rs.30 lakh . Everyone knows the market is inflated, but no one really thought about pulling in Rs.15000 on a new cell phone. I’m not blaming my friends, but we forgot I think in the whole rush of money, we forgot the basic conservative principles we were brought up with. We accepted the American philosophy of buying a home first and paying later ,not really thinking if the income level will be the same later. Well Americans have a bailout plan, if this depression hits India and the other dependant economies (which I pray it doesn’t) are they prepared? I don’t know, but I hope the Indian Parliament instead of throwing chairs and insults at each other, come up with a plan which actually doesn’t involve reservation or class, but basic common sense

"India is my country, all Indians are my brothers and sisters..." :Well that’s what I said for 12 years of my life, as a pledge in school . So what changed ? What makes Raj Thackeray throw out non Maharastrians out of the state and what makes people support it?. I don’t get it!!!. What makes a man from Bihar ,take a gun ,threaten people and be shot dead , and finally what makes a bunch of men on a train kick and thrash a man to death ?? . I can answer all those except the first one . “Fear” – fear that that young man will lose any employment opportunity ,which will help his family back in Bihar, Fear that the helpless man, from a neighboring state, will take their jobs, which they are already struggling to hold on to. Mr. Thackeray, you can utilize this fear now for your political shenanigans but I wonder when you take your dying breath, what fears you will face when you meet your maker.

Happy Birthday Mr. Nehru: Today is Children’s day (Birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru) . I loved this day in school and somehow it stuck to me through life. It was a day where children were celebrated , not because they were special or good at studies, but because they were children . I remember in school, we used to get red roses, to pin to our badges . Well not everybody, because roses were expensive, but those of us involved in setting up the whole cultural event did get those roses :) ! But, it felt good to have a day dedicated to us and better, when the nice teachers, let us get free hours. So today, the kid in me is happy, Im celebrating her and it feels good! I wish that today across the world, every child enjoys the safe haven of a home , the enjoyment of a meal and the excitement of education. How long due we have to wait for that to happen, in all this chaos, I wonder?

Bag Theory: And this particular part is for all my friends and K who think I carry the world in my bag. A college student, who was being mugged, was saved from a gunshot, when the bullet went into her bag and didn’t come out,because it was stuck in all the stuff in her bag . Well, as this finally proves my point, that big handbags are life saving, in more than one way :D!

And now after that ranting post, a few quotes which have to make you smile

When Insults had class

An exchange between John Wilkes and the Earl of Sandwich (both English
Parliamentarians of the 18th century):

–The Earl: "Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die at the gallows or
of the pox."

–Wilkes: "That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles
or your women." (thanks to Nick for the correction!)

"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." -
Winston Churchill

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading
it." - Moses Hadas

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of
it." - Mark Twain

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar
Wilde

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a
friend…. if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second… if there is one."
- Winston Churchill, in response.

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." -
Stephen Bishop

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright

Keep Smilin ppl
Anu