NEW YORK - The flip side of the coin.

New York,the latest John Abraham starrer,tats how I spent my weekend,drooling over Abs.I love those dimples and am sure a million more gals do!(sorry Bips!).Well,at first I was skeptical about the idea of a movie,with my jam packed schedules ( reason for the long intervals in my darling blog ) I really didn't want to waste the one Saturday night I was free.I assumed,I would be drowned in another hopeless Bollywood love triangle!!Love is not my speciality and love triangles make no more sense to me than those calculus laws my math teacher gave her life trying to teach me.[ I still sympathize her! ]

In spite,of my deep rooted hatred for triangles,( courtesy : the countless nights I spent mugging math theorems! ),I decided,what the heck,I am holding my seat for this one!For reasons obvious ;) . Once in theatre,I must say,I was in for a big surprise!The movie did have a triangle,but thankfully not complicated enough to revive my long forgotten emotions associated with math class torture.It was about a much more formidable and grave issue - TERRORISM.

Director,Kabir Khan has poignantly told the tale of how the lives of many innocent people changed after 9/11.Hundreds of innocent people,a particular sect especially,were detained post 9/11 ,tortured and stripped of their humanity under the pretext of investigation and interrogation,with no proof at all!!They were later released on the basis of lack of evidence,but did they get back their stripped dignity,is a question everyone associated would like to overlook.The movie was an eye-opener and served as a window to show the other side of this despicable terrorism.It showed me the profound ways in which all the different laws all over the world have in so many instances failed us with impunity,and at great cost of enormous human suffering of innocent people!

To read about the survivors of the post 9/11 carnage,as also the families of those men,detained for long years under terror laws,I can't,but cry at the stories of bleak suffering!Jail is no fun amusement park to visit,and to be there for no reason at all is appalling!I would be lying if I said,I did not hold my very own biased opinions on terrorism,though not an expert in the field. [ Thanks to the trend of vulturous journalism! ] After the movie,any terrorist attack I read/hear of,I think of the terrorist.What horrendous suffering did the poor chap undergo in his life.What pushed him over the abyss.

The fight against terrorism,both illegal and legal,[ I regard being terrorised in jails an equally horrible form of terrorism] is not someone else's agenda.It's about us and our children,we each carry a responsibility on our shoulders.Let us stop this growing violence!![ My 5 year old nephew knows more about guns than any of my colleagues for chrissake! ]Why can't we revive the Gandhian laws?

Yes,I agree,you can't change anything about this morbid scenario at one shot,but you can try,by being part of the solution,or at the very least by actively ensuring you are not part of the problem!Give up violence in every form,yup,verbal violence is equally dangerous.Polls show that most college shoot-outs happen because of constant discouragement from peers.

I'd like to quote my grandfather here,a person I have great respect and regard for.[ He is no more.] "Each of us does not like something.The important thing is to not act on that dislike.Or you will have given in to evil,and evil only reaps more evil,which is meaningless."

I conclude by saying,"The world is not incapable of humanitarian compassion and empathy,its capacity to trample human rights and to pretend nothing disconcerting happened is equally immense!''Let us be aware.Let us be the solution.For,after all,we make up the world!

For those interested,you can read,"The Guantanamo files'' by Andy Worthington.
http://www.amazon.com/Guantanamo-Files-Stories-Detainees-Americas/dp/0745326641

For not the bookish ones,you can simply just watch the movie.
Download Link: http://www.funbolo.com/bollywood/newyork_movie.htm

The Age of the Machines

Tra la la la (my ringtone)

Hello...(sleepily)

Hey Jan...check out the new sony ericsson phone gal,w995a,its got a 8.1 megapixel cam man!!or do u think i should go for nokia-E75?

Tat was my dear friend happily chirping away about her latest obsession...yeah,about 75 billion neurons(out of the 100 billion tat is there!) in her brain is permanently thinking of which cell phone she wants now!!

With the big risk of sounding superannuated (which I am not! ) I wish to share my views of the modern generation.Here goes...I look around me and see that we,modern men,have given birth to something here!Technology is no longer used for our service,not for our convenience either.Technology has become a statement!!

We are constantly wanting and getting something more advanced,something more complex and most importantly something more independent with every tick of the clock!!By independent,I mean something that is almost able to think for itself.Do you realize the magnitude of the situation?We have given birth to an evolution!We have successfully breast-fed her and are nurturing her childhood now.My guess is,it wont be long for the adolescent,rebel to walk out on us.People,we are in a Michael Crichton novel!Wake up!!Our time is running out.The end is just around the corner!From the way I see it,we are already in the end of the block,just waiting to make that turn!

Not following me?Think I'm just another cynic?I'll explain what evolution is to you.

Evolution is exponential...For example,

The first telephone was invented by Sir.Philipp Reis in the year 1860.It could cover only a distance of 100 meters.

Sir.Alexander Graham Bell developed on it and 16 yrs later in 1876,introduced the telephone which could cover a distance of 6-8 kilometers on an average!

In 1877,one year later,Sir.Thomas Alva Edison succeeded in enabling telephone calls to be made over large distances by creating stronger electrical impulses.

In 1884, the first long-distance line was laid from New York to Boston and by 1900 there were automatic telephone switchboards almost everywhere in the world.

That is,it took 16 years for the phone to be improvised from speaking just to your neighbor,to speaking to someone in the next block,while it took almost the same time for the phone users to graduate to speaking across countries!Getting our hands on a mobile phone did take a while though [ It was not until 1983 that Motorola presented the first commercial mobile telephone in the world, the "Dyna TAC 8000X". ]But after that block,there is no looking back!!Another 27 years have elapsed and now the mobile phone is not just a phone anymore!!Its amazing what a phone can do now-a-days!From photography,to cinematography,to compositions,to calculations,to anything else you can think of!It can all be done!I can speak to my brother who is insanely far off,in a completely different time zone,at the blink of an eye!!!

It is a feat!I applaud all the great men who are responsible for this!From 20 yrs of research to get me connected to the next block...it took the same 20 years to get all the above said amazing things done!!So mathematically,the speed of invention is
Xⁿ [n=2 or more,x=no. of years]

Even as you read,some brilliant scientist is busy creating something more advanced than what we already have.Once we give these machines a mind of their own [which we already have,to some extent! ] their evolution will spark off at an alarming speed and God forbid what will happen![I suggest you read Micheal Crichton's Prey,he shares my veiws on this one.]

I don't intend to start a revolution against all of the great minds nurturing this evolution,nor do I intend on persuading the human race to stop this insaneness![Homo sapiens are the most non-persuasive of all species,in my regard.]

I want to warn all the poor souls like me out there!Lets pray,hope,wish or do whatever we do just before our big " I have not studied a word " exam,that this Spielberg movie we are in,has a happy ending.

P.S : Tom Cruise,you got to be reading this!

I'M BACK![After a long hibernation;)]

Its summer,its time to pamper yourself with that gucci shades you've been dreaming off![If not now,then when:)].But here's something you should keep in mind while buying those die-for shades,rather than a picture of the MI2 Cruise.

Sunglasses for safety :


Sunglasses are a rage for the element of style they add to your look,but don't forget their primary function is to protect your eyes.Futher more,sunglasses without UV filtration might actually do more harm,since they fool your eyes into thinking its dark out,your pupils dilate and let in more of those harmful UV rays!Keep in mind the degree of darkness has no effect on protection at all.

Always check if your shades come with a label readin UV-400 or 99%UV protection.

Style quotient :


Don a frame that suits the shape of your face,your skin tone,hair colour and your personality.A shade lookin great on Jennifer Aniston might just ruin your face.Make your sunglass search personalized.





Lens :

There's a lot tat goes into your sunglass lens than just the colour!

1.Lens material :

In most sunglasses the lens are made of either of the two materials,
Glass - Ups are,its got the best optical quality and is scratch resistant.The cons,its heavy and expensive.

Polycarbonate - The ups are,it is lightweight,affordable and has good optical quality.But it is not scratch-resistant.(You can request for a scratch-resistant coating though.)

2.Lens colour :


The tint of the lens is designed to cut down on brightness and glare,to enhance terrain details and a lot of other things.When shoppin for shades,keep in my mind when you will be using your shades and choose a tint accordingly.



Gray and Brown : These are neutral shades as they distort colours the least,they also cut down on overall brightness.

Yellow/Gold/Amber provide less overall brightness.

Rose/Vermilion make the world brighter,they provide excellent low-light visibility and enhance contrast.

A word of advice : Stick to darker shades this summer as they do a better job in blocking the sun.

3.Visible light transmission (VLT) :


It is the amount of light that reaches your eyes through the lens.Measured as a %,it is affected by the colour & thickness of your lens,the material they are made of and the coatings they have on them.
All purpose sunglasses have a VLT of around 15-25%.Wear the shades you are planning on buying and make sure you can see clearly through them.


4.Optical quality :

Your glasses should be free of distortion and imperfections,lest they damage your vision.Test lenses for distortions by viewing a straight edge at arms length.You should continue to see a straight edge with your sunglasses on without any curve or distortion.

Certain special features in sunglasses :

Polarization :

Polarized sunglass lenses reduce light that is reflected from surfaces like snow or water.It reduces blinding glare and the resulting eyestrain.It's great for water sports,skiing or when you are out at the beach.

Mirrored sunglass lens :

They have a reflective coating which reduces glare by reflecting much of the light that hits the lens surface.Mirrored coatings make objects appear darker than they are,so lighter tints are often used to compensate for this.

Photochromatic glasses :

They change colour when exposed to the sun,a great option for those wearing glasses.

A word of advice to all those wearing glasses : Its best to get prescription glasses and analyse product options (clip-ons,magnetic attachments) with your ophthalmologist,rather than get your hands on those dream shades all by yourself.

Wrap-around lenses :

These provide increased protection by covering your eyes even on the sides.

Fit Tips :

* Frames should fit snugly on your nose & ears,but not pinch or rub.
*The weight of the sunglasses should be evenly distributed between u'r ears & nose.They should be light enough to avoid friction on these contact points.
*Your eyelashes should not touch the frame.

When is it most important to wear sunglasses?

*It's summer (when UV radiation is atleast 3 times than it is during winter)
*You are at the beach or near water.
*You are outside at high elevations.
*You are participating in snow sports.
*You have had eye surgery,or taking photosensitizing drugs you should wear sunglasses whenever out in the sun.

Is it necessary to shell out big time for sunglasses?

When there are lot of designer look-a-likes available in the market which are much lighter on your pocket,anyone will be tempted to buy them.I am not saying branded is the best,just check if you are getting your glasses from a trusted store,avoid the roadside stalls.Shades will never go out of fashion!!So its worth it,to shell out some bucks and invest in a good pair.

Cleaning your shades :

*Use a soft,line-free cloth to clean your lenses.
*Avoid wood-based materials,like facial tissues.They are abrasive and may scratch your lens.
*A spray-on lens cleaner or just plain water can be used,since dry lenses are more susceptible to scratching when rubbed.

Also consider buying :

1.A protective case.
2.Cleaning cloth & solution.

The Counting Begins!

Its Summertime!!

The song says it all:)

Cast my vote today and am proud of it!

Must-Knows of this election

These facts you can't afford to ignore during this election!!

1. Candidates of your consitituency :

http://www.elections.tn.gov.in/ECI/Affidavits/S22/GE/PCList.htm

2. The Polling Stations in your constituency :

http://www.elections.tn.nic.in/psmain.htm

3. Electronic voting machine :

An Electronic Voting Machine consists of two Units - a Control Unit and a Balloting Unit - joined by a five-meter cable. The Control Unit is with the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer and the Balloting Unit is placed inside the voting compartment. Instead of issuing a ballot paper, the Polling Officer in-charge of the Control Unit will press the Ballot Button. This will enable the voter to cast his vote by pressing the blue button on the Balloting Unit against the candidate and symbol of his choice.

As soon as the voter presses the `blue button' against the candidate and symbol of his choice, a tiny lamp on the left side of the symbol glows red and simultaneously a long beep sound is heard. Thus, there is both audio and visual indications for the voter to be assured that his vote has been recorded.

As soon as a particular button on the Balloting Unit is pressed, the vote is recorded for that particular candidate and the machine gets locked. Even if one presses that button further or any other button, no further vote will be recorded. This way the EVMs ensure the principle of "one man, one vote".

EVMs work on a 6-volt battery and there is absolutely no chance of any voter getting an electric shock at the time of pressing the `blue button' or at any time of handling the balloting unit. (There are rumors that people can get electrocuted using it.)

4. Other tips :

1. Be an early bird to the polling booths.That way you can escape the scorching sun and the throttling crowds :) [All polling booths work from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm ]

2. Take your voter id card and your door slip with you.

3. Take your time in the booth,remember you can press that button only once.

4. Lastly,flaunt the voter mark they make in your finger :) [Its become a fashion statement now.]

See ya then,all geared up for the big day :)

A Tribute to my Mom on MOTHERS' DAY

My mom and me,well,we do not agree on every third thing tats there to talk about.Hmmm,on second thoughts,I'll make it everything.Yeah,we don't groove to the same tunes.We are at two ends of everything.I need another world full of stuff (huge stuff) to fill in the generation gap between us.

In spite of all her shortcomings (which I have no right to brand,like the way I just did,I'm no lil miss.perfect either!!) I am proud of her and will be to my grave and even after.(I do believe in the after life.)

A small town girl,mom started off with a passion,a basic M.B.B.S degree,no money,some courage and lots of dedication.Today she has single-handedly and successfully established a hospital worth millions!The money is just the icing on her cake!She has saved numerous lives and has become a household name in my town.A role model for many kids here and the dream daughter for many a mother.She is proudly and affectionately acknowledged as their very own daughter by a lot of people here in my town.

Numerous patients come from in and around to visit her,many of them just to show their gratitude for having saved their daughter,wife,mother or just any near and dear one.Well,there's nothing great about that right?I mean its after all a doc's job to save lives.So wat's the deal!!

The deal is,my mother made herself available to her patients at all times.(By all times,I mean 24 hours 7 days a week.) Just about anybody needing help at any possible time,mom was there ready to fight it out wid Lord Shiva(the God of death.) Medical care takes a backseat in my part of the country,so we,doctors can't exactly expect our patients to have themselves diagnosed wid a condition like hemophilia and beware of trivial injuries,instead we have them charging at our doorstep covered in blood,and the chances looking very bleak obviously.SO THATS THE DEAL GUYS,its tough to be a doctor here and it is even more tough to be my mom!!

The faith in these people's eyes when they come to mom for help is something that can't be written about.(I'm not that good a writer as yet, to describe such intense emotion,if not to accuracy atleast to some level.) Faith is a rare quality we doctors see in patients nowadays.(I'm a doctor myself,I can vouch for that.) What wid so many hospitals and doctors and technologies to choose from!(Medicine has become one huge cafeteria!) In spite of it all,if you've got faithful patients,you are one hellava doc!! [I salute all docs with faithful patients reading dis.] My mom is one :)

Mom showed me that its cake walk to build castles in the air,but it takes much more to build real,strong,firm castles on the ground.

My mother has taught me the most valuable lesson of my life,without herself knowing it - DEDICATION.

To all the people out there in the world who are dedicated to their passion - Hats off to you!

p.s - do post a comment if you've got somethin nice to say about your mom :)

Party alliances in Tamil Nadu (Pre - Poll)

Elections are here!!The D-day is nearing!I'm thoroughly excited:)[Hope u are just as enthusiastic as me to cast your vote.]

Tamil Nadu has a total of 39 constituencies with an approximate of 62,405,679 voters!(oomph!) As anyone can guess,thus Tamil nadu has a very strong influence on the make up of our government at the centre.This state not only has a large number of constituencies,it has an even larger number of parties!( It sure is a plate full to me,understanding these parties!Hope I've simplified it for you.Read on.)

Tamilians are known for traditionally electing either one of the two major parties AIADMK and DMK alternatively to power.This time,DMDK led by actor turned politician Mr.Vijayakanth decided to face the battle alone.So,Tamilians have a new front now. [Though the word is,DMDK will not win many seats.But you never know till the last ball is bowled right!(After all,we live in India) everything happens here!] DMDK sure has stirred the pot here in TN,though.

Today's politics is all about alliances.Take a look at the Pre - Poll alliances in TN.

Parties with AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munettra Kazhagam) led by Miss.Jayalalitha are

1.PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi)
led by Dr.S.Ramadoss with 6 Lok Sabha seats.

2.CPI (Communist Party of India)
led by Mr.D.Pandian in TN with 3 Lok Sabha seats.

3.MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munettra Kazhagam)
led by Mr.Vaiko with 4 Lok Sabha seats.

4.CPI-M (Communist Party of India - Marxist)
with 3 Lok Sabha seats.

That leaves AIADMK with 23 Lok Sabha seats.


Parties with DMK ( Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ) led by Mr.Karunanidhi are

1.Congress
led by Mrs.Sonia Gandhi with 15 Lok Sabha seats.

2.Muslim League
led by Dr.M.H.Jawahirullah in TN with 1 Lok Sabha seat.

3.VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi)
led by Mr.Thol Thirumavalavan with 2 Lok Sabha seats.

That leaves DMK with 21 Lok Sabha seats.


As said earlier DMDK (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) led by Captian (as Mr.Vijayakanth is known here) has decided to stand alone with all the 39 Lok Sabha seats.


Parties with BJP (Bharathiya Janata dal Party) led by Mr.L.K.Advani

1.AISMK
led by the actor turned politician Mr.Sarath Kumar with 3 Lok Sabha seats.

2.NMK
led by actor turned politician Mr.Karthik with 2 Lok Sabha seats.

3.PT (Puthiya Tamilagam)
led by Dr.K.K.Krishnasamy with 1 Lok Sabha seat.

BJP is contesting for only 12 Lok Sabha seats in TN.(It does not have a strong hold in this part of the country.)

NOTE : The above said facts pertains only to Tamil Nadu.

5 EASY WAYS TO SAVE YOUR HOME

We,the fruit of the 21st century,are effortless wasters.Tats a misapplication,coz by sayin effortless,it is implied that effort has to be taken by somebody to do the same task.NO,nobody alive today is a non-waster!!

We waste mindlessly and carelessly!Can't blame us right,we get everything we want wid the snap of our finger that there is no value for anything around us anymore.Look at me!I cannot for God's sake finish everything in my plate.I have to leave it half full always by the time I finish my meal,be it even at gun point!But do I for even a micro fraction of a second feel guilty [You got to be kiddin me] ofcourse not. I leave the air conditioner switched on 24 * 7 and mind you,in a room I know very well I will not enter for the next 18 hours or so!!!And the list goes on.The sad thing is,I'm not the only black sheep around!

Oh oh!Bad news for Mother Earth!She is being brutally,savagely and inhumanely exploited by billions of us everyday,every hour and every second!HELP!!

Take a decision this EARTH DAY [I have,hope you do too ] - SAVE YOUR PLANET,save your home for your kids and grandkids.

Here are 5 easy ways to cut down on your share of torturing our Mother

1.DON'T WASTE FOOD. How simple is it to refrain from filling your plate,when you know you cannot dump all that stuff into your tummy!

Fact : Food researchers and analysts have concluded that,with the continuously declining food resources,by 2050 half of the world will be left with just one meal a day!

2.STORE RAIN WATER.This mannah from heaven has to be stored!The day is not far,when we will be left saying - "Water,water everywhere but not a drop to drink!"
Take a look at this pic!



That brings me to the next one,
3.DON'T DUMP GARBAGE EVERYWHERE.It may be as small as your chocolate wrapper but remember there are a billion wrappers out there!

4.SAVE ELECTRICITY.Switch off appliances if you know you will not be using them for over 30 minutes.Unplug your cell phone chargers,hair dryers,laptops etc,they are electricity suckers!They suck up tons of energy even when they are switched off and plugged!

5.SWITCH OFF YOUR ENGINES when you are stuck in traffic for more than 5 minutes.It saves you your cash too![That's a bonus!:) ]

Go ahead take your decision today.Try to incorporate these simple tasks in your life [ yeah,I agree it is indeed a herculean task for us born-wasters! ] But,after all we have but one Earth to live in!!Do take that extra step!

ELECTIONS

Its election season here at home and election news is rampant!!!You hear BJP this,Congress that and the like news left right and centre everyday,in fact every hour!!But where does that leave me and lots of other people like me who have no clue about Indian politics!!I don't know a word [well,I didn't know a word till before my research for this post] about Lok Sabha itself then how the hell will I ever understand what all these news channels are getting at?So wid a lil help from my dad [he's into this stuff big time!] I've decided to help the people out there like me.Go on guys dig in,it sure will help:)

INDIAN PARLIAMENT :

It is a bicameral one with two houses,the Rajya Sabha or the Upper House and the Lok Sabha or the Lower House.Any bill can become an act only after it is passed by both the houses and assented by the President.

LOK SABHA :

It is also known as the " House of the people ".Almost all of its members are directly elected by the citizens of India.It is more powerful of the two houses and can precede or overrule the Rajya Sabha (upper house) in certain matters.

COMPOSITION :

The Lok Sabha can have up to 552 members as envisaged in the constitution of India.Up to 530 members can be elected from the states,20 from the union territories and no more than 2 can be nominated by the President [from the Anglo-Indian community if the President feels its not adequately represented in the House.]

RESERVATIONS :

79 seats are reserved for the Schedule Caste community and 41 seats are being reserved for the Schedule Tribe community.

CONSTITUENCY :

Population is the basis of allocation of seats to each state.There are 543 parliamentary constituencies in India,demarcated by the delimitation committee based on the census data of the year 2001.These constituencies are drawn to make sure,that there are,as near as practicable,the same number of people in each of them.Each constituency elects one member [MP,Member of Parliament] into the Lower House.For the list of constituencies....

TERM :

The Lok Sabha has a term of 5 years,currently elections are being held for the 15th Lok Sabha as the term of the Sabha formed in 2004 expires on 1,June,2009.Although the President can dissolve Lok Sabha and call a general election before five years is up, if the government can no longer command the confidence of the Lok Sabha, and if there is no alternative government available to take over.

CONTESTANTS :

Any Indian citizen who is registered as a voter and is over 25 years of age is allowed to contest elections to the Lok Sabha.There are catches to this though,as per Section 8 (3) of R. P. Act, 1951, if a person is convicted of any offence and sentenced to an imprisonment of 2 years or more, this will be disqualification to contest elections.Even if is a person is on bail, after the conviction and his appeal is pending for disposal, he is disqualified from contesting an election as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India.

WHO CAN VOTE :

Any citizen over the age of 18 can vote in an election (before 1989 the age limit was 21). The right to vote is irrespective of caste, creed, religion or gender. Those who are deemed unsound of mind, and people convicted of certain criminal offences are not allowed to vote.

POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS :

Political parties are an established part of modern mass democracy, and the conduct of elections in India is largely dependent on the behaviour of political parties. Although many candidates for Indian elections are independent, the winning candidates for Lok Sabha elections usually stand as members of political parties, and opinion polls suggest that people tend to vote for a party rather than a particular candidate.If a political party is recognised in four or more states, it is considered as a National Party.

That was tha basic!I will come back with more stuff about the parties,their manifestos,alliances etc....HOPING TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST!!

AN ANGRY OUTBURST!!

DATE---Friday,April 03,2009

HEADLINES--- A 17 year old girl is flogged brutally in public by the Taliban.

REASON--- Alleged to be having an illicit relationship with a married man.


Well,the whole world knows about the moral policing that goes on in the Taliban,and this is definitely not the first of its kind.Then why am I furious???

I'm furious not because of the fact that the girl was punished in such a way,whatever her crime may be![Well,tats a different issue in itself.]

I'm furious because of the damned married man!Whatever happened to him?Was his punishment just as beastly?Was he even punished at all?

REALITY--- There has been no word ever of that man!He was let scot-free!He must most probably be doing one of his other mistresses right now,or then again maybe not.[I do give people the benefit of doubt.]The point I want to make is,that while the girl was so savagely beaten,the guy was let go!!!

Does it not take two to clap?Then why such different treatment for the accused?

Don't get me wrong.I want to make myself very clear by saying my anger is not directed to the Taliban nor it's men.I'm infuriated with the women of that society!!!They have brought this upon themselves.

It is those women who have succumbed and let their daughters also succumb to the bullying of those mean jerks!

There is a saying in tamil - "Every child born on this Earth is a good one,it is because of his mother that he becomes a saint or a sinner. "

Why didn't those women teach their sons to respect their mothers,sisters and daughters?What were they doing?Were they busy teaching their daughters how inferior they were to their brothers instead?

I personally don't blame men at all, for all the different ways they find to ill-treat women.But when I come across such stories , I want to whip their mothers.[ Yeah , I know that is harsh!But imagine the number of women , this one rotten guy can go around raping/abusing/disgracing during his lifetime.]

To all you mothers , to-be-mothers or going-to-be-mothers-someday reading this,for God's sake please do teach your sons to be a respectful and thereby a respectable man someday.And let also your daughters know that they are worth respecting,teach them to demand what is rightfully theirs wherever they go in life.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

Have you,as an Indian ever complained about...

1.The throttling traffic-jams.
2.Always raising prices of everything around.
3.The mountains of garbage on the roadsides.
4.The million strikes happening all around.
5.The arrogance of government officials.

Then its time you stop complaining and TAKE CHARGE!!

India is the largest democracy in the world.As almost all of us know 'A democracy is the government for the people and by the people.' Is that not so!!!But let me tell you wat is happening in India now...'This democracy is being made a government for a few devious politicians and by those devious politicians!!!'

What caused this change?Our constitution was not planned this way by Dr.Ambedkar or Mr.Nehru or our Father,Mahatma Ghandhi.Then how did this happen?What went wrong down the years?

I'll tell you.Its not the officials or the politicians,its us the so called 'educated lot' who led to this change.Its us the callous,lazy,self centered fools (I'm sorry,if you cant see what the democracy can actually do to your life and excersice it,then it fits to call you a fool!)We very well educated citizens of India either think all this political drama is for the ruffians,the poor and the uneducated,or are caught up in our high paying jobs in the multi-national companies to go out and cast our vote.

The result - Some rich fat politician pays his way into buying all of our uncast votes!!Remember the way he got rich actually is by looting all of our taxes,which rightfully belongs to us!Now this is a big joke- 'He/She uses our money,illegally steals our votes,only to come back to power and loot more of our money.'

And what do we do about it - COMPLAIN!!Is that all we can do?No,definitely no.We can VOTE! (I really do hope this strikes a cord for all Indians of voting age reading this.)

Lets take a step towards change.Lets cast our vote.Lets speak up.After all,democracy is all about you running your government!!

P.S. - A word for all Indians who don't vote in this 2009 elections "You are the ones ruining India!"Remember,this big,beautiful,free country is what it is today because of our leaders 50 years before,and it will be what it is 50 years down the line because of you!!





LETS PROVE THEM WRONG THIS TIME!!

OSCARS 2009

It's always nice to rant about the good,bad n the ugly after every party!!


GOOD MOMENTS IN THE 81st ACADEMY AWARDS:



Rahman winning the golden man was definitely an up moment.It had my mom jumping!!Got to give it to rahman..tat definitely was the best moment of the show.His acceptance speech was a lil disappointing though,he didnt go goo-goo ga-ga over India n tamil etc,etc... watch him.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcKhIykF72I





Resul Pookutty was a delightful surprise.I didnt even know he was nominated!!(Yes,I do drop of the planet occasinally!)Watch him say 'OM' at...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RVm2KXCJt8






Hugh n Beyonce put up a good show of the year's musicals...didn't know Jackson could sing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WvJa2ZxFco&feature=related





Kate Winslet finally winning her oscar!!!Her dad's whistle was a hoot...(awwww!) She did have a good speech prepared,she gave the other nominees their due too...well done Kate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Up3hL0UofY&feature=related





The SDM kids were adorable on the red carpet...All of them,absolute darlings.'Twas good to see all the innocence n excitement up there!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyuhuwOUvdI&feature=related





Thumbs up to Will Smith....the stage did get a notch hotter when he came on...(was it just Will or the action packed sequences he presented!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2hIdfJNeyY&feature=related

The idea of having five past winners introduce the nominees in the four acting categories was a stoke of genius.It brought class and comaradeship to the sometimes tacky contest,and it meant that every nominee was treated with respect and affection.

Steve Martin n Tina Fey presenting the award for the 'Best Original Screenplay' was hilarious!!Steve's 'Dont fall in love with me",their made up religion had me in splits...Steve is definitely the funniest guy around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On6NynkDTzc&feature=related

The sneak shots of Meryl Streep was a treat,(I'm a huge fan).She's one hellava woman,for those of u who haven't seen her act(if there is anyone at all!!),u simply must watch 'Devil wears Prada'.She can make being nasty to the bone a much desirable quality...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyliL72gc_g&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zicgut4gpwU&feature=PlayList&p=29AEEAE123F6DB0E&index=10 devil wears prada trailer

Penelope Cruz looked all stunning n beautiful winning the 'Best Supporting Actress' for the movie.Her spanish was a great add-on,though it was all gibberish to me!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcL7tz0mqTw&feature=related





The oscar for Smile Pinkie was a good move.A plastic surgeon today can earn BIG BUCKS,its not an easy joke instead to go around helping poor kids wid clefts...these modern-day fairy godmothers out of a cinderella tale deserve all the applause!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CamEXQ8x72c&feature=related





A much deserved award to Mr.Jerry Lewis.






The best moment of all was when the entire crew of SDM got up on stage.That was definitely a 'Time to celebrate' moment.It was good to see all of them smiling away up there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF8EhpJp1ww




WELL GROOMED!



Angelina Jolie is definitely the hottest woman on the planet!!The emerald earings n ring...nobody would've missed those out!!



Brad wasn't at his best but he did don his suit well n certainly stood up to his lady's worth.




Alicia Keys presenting the oscar for 'The best original song' n 'The best original music score' looked stunning wid her waves.



Penelope Cruz was a barbie doll!




Sean Penn winner of 'The best actor' award didn't let anyone down..But wats wid the political speech at the oscars!





Our SDM hero Dev was all young and smart.




The new bond,not exactly my hot favorite,but Mr.Bond did dress up for the oscars.





Frieda Pinto didnt disappoint any of the SDM fans!




Everything about Miss.Croft was perfect on the big night,her hair,jewllery,gown n the look!




Kate's chic n formal hair-do made me forgive her 'I'm just outta batman' outfit.




Miss.Pinto wins again for her clever hair-do and the beautiful earings she was raving about.



I frankly can't recognise the lady in the centre,but whoever she is,she's got oomph earings!



Drew Barrymore cute as always,though she,looks like she just got out of a tussle.



DISAPPOINTMENTS:



Will someone tell me why is Beyonce wearing the dining room drapery of her new home!!



Whatever happened to the cuto Adrian Brodie!



Hope someone's told mickey why he probably didnt win the oscar!


Looks like he decided half way through his dressing that he'll attend the oscars itnstead of going skiing!



Wat!!Wat did Mr.Boyle do???Guess he was too excited about all his nominations that he just couldn't get his mind on other trivial issues!!




To wrap it up,the oscars 2009 was definitely worth the watch.It was complete oscar style,the glitz and the glamour wid a few good additions.And it did strike a cord with so many Indians up there on the stage.