Crazy Kiya Re!

Talk about sheer consumerism.. the launch of the incredibly stylish iPhone happened yesterday and the amount of attention that it has created has amazed me. I have not seen many other products having such an impact on people. Apart from Harry Potter, I've never seen people in these volumes queuing up for anything. Not that I was actually there but still... it seems to be generating a lot of media hype.

As an owner of an iPod, I do know how enthusiastic people will feel about owning something like an iPod and a phone in one. It is quite a superb bit of engineering. The iPhone, like the iPod is going to be a pioneer in its field. Here's the thing... (there's always a thing!) People have tried to sell on their iPhones and even spots (in the queues) for upto $5000. To my knowledge that is a rip off.

It sure is crazy what people do to actually make money. That is one of the funnier things that I've heard. This really seems analogous to what people in Chennai did for the movie
"Sivaji". I think that all the cinema halls in Chennai were booked up for 10-15 days. Although I don't understand what the hype is all about - avid Rajni fans will tell you that they will sacrifice pretty much anything to watch his movie on the first day.

So, then all this raises a question.. are we, as humans crazy to want something so bad? Are we insane to pay astronomical sums for just a couple of days of happiness? I guess that we are. Apple has marketed iPhone pretty damn well and I don't even need to say anything about Sivaji. That movie marketed itself.

I guess I could one day pay over the odds to watch Arsenal play... so I guess we're all crazy in some way or the other!

India... Model Democracy?

I live in a democracy. Well, that's what the constitution of India says - we are a Democratic Republic and are secular. How can a constitution - an incredibly complex document actually be of any practical use? The simple answer is that it cannot. We are taught everyday that various things in theory seem to be simple and to actually put them in practice is incredibly tough.

So, when the President of our country is voted for by a bunch of parliamentarians, all of whom are politicians - it really does pose an incredibly ridiculous question. Are we a democracy? The answer is that we are a quasi or a pseudo democracy. We 'elect' our MLAs who then elect the President. We don't even elect the Prime Minister! We just vote for the various political parties and they come out with who they want as Prime Minister. I don't think many people even thought that Dr.Manmohan Singh would become PM after our last elections.

The Right to Freedom is probably the most fundamental of the Fundamental Rights. So, my question is that when India appears on the list of countries which regularly tracks website activity of its citizens - how does that give us adequate freedom to express? Many people don't even want to report crimes to the police for fear of death. Where's the freedom?

Mahatma Gandhi, I hope envisaged an India free from oppression, free from political disturbances, economically forward - well the latter most point can be partially satisfied but the former ones are the ones that cannot be. We are a country where bonded labour seems to be common. We have a Constitution and the zillion safeguards but in practice have zero.

So, when Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam - probably the most admired human being in the country was cruelly made a to be in the centre of a political tug of war - it begs the question.. where on Earth are we headed? For all the potential we seem to have - bureaucracy and red tape negate development.

I know that the business of being a democracy is probably the toughest thing on the planet - priding ourselves on being the largest democracy in the world is probably not such a good idea. It is probably the biggest misconception - it makes us look as if we're the model of democracy. The fact is that we have a massive population - that's what makes us the biggest democracy. Ironically, the politicians and politics itself makes India a mockery of a democracy.

I'm sure people who have been oppressed in various other countries would beg to differ. Then again, they've not been independent countries for over 60 years and certainly aren't the 'biggest democracy in the world'.

Judging.... I still don't get it...

I've had fairly empty thoughts till date until I stumbled upon something which I get irritated a lot. So, I'm writing about it! I'm not all that bad and English. There is this word though, which still tears me apart - because I simply cannot understand the precise meaning of it. That word is called judgement.

I think I wrote in one of my previous posts that I do judge. Yes, I will still subscribe to that. My only question is, who doesn't? I cannot find a single person who doesn't brand another person something even though they don't know him or her from Tom or Betty. Its a pathetic state of affairs primarily when I am branded as someone who judges too much.

When I have a point of view, I stick to it and defend it with all I've got even if I'm 'wrong'! How does having strong opinions or just speaking your thoughts get you into a mess? I'm the guy to answer that because more often than not, I've been termed harsh and one who is negative - just because I said something bad about certain people. The strange thing is when that person says something negative about someone else, I'm supposed to listen to that - without saying a thing. Smells like hypocrisy to me.

Everyone has an opinion about everything and everyone in the world. Just because you say it - you are branded as someone who judges which I feel is ridiculous. I do realize the difference between thinking and actually speaking and I'm similarly sure that everyone realizes the difference between transparency and being translucent.

Also, people feel that it is okay to let others judge them and not the people who know them. Yes, familiarity does breed contempt. I still don't understand though, why everyone is so afraid or tired of defending themselves in certain situations. I know it is tiring but, that's the way the world works.

The fact is that the only difference between the person who 'judges' and doesn't is that the former actually thinks aloud. In my view, there is no difference between the two people - in a way it is better to know what people think about others and various other things rather than them being quiet.

I still am not quite familiar with the whole term judging.. but hey.. I probably will never get it!

Putting Myself To The Test

Saw these tests taken in another blog and was intrigued.. here are the results....

Your Dominant Intelligence is Interpersonal Intelligence

You shine in your ability to realate to and understand others. Good at seeing others' points of view, you get how people think and feel. You have an uncanny ability to sense true feelings, intentions, and motivations. A natural born leader, you are great at teaching and mediating conflict. You would make a good counselor, salesperson, politician, or business person.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

You Are A Good Friend

You're always willing to listen Or lend a shoulder to cry on You're there through thick and thin Many people consider you their "best friend"!

What Kind of Friend Are You?

Are Air Hostesses "Worth the Weight?"

There was a point at the end of the last millennium and the beginning of this one, where a lot of people in the World would flatly reply "India" to a question. That question was, "Which country do you think has the prettiest girls?" Today, external beauty and "attributes" are viewed to be important for guys getting hitched and apparently for being an air hostesses in Indian, the domestic carrier in India.

I don't have an issue about either of those parties' views. That's their taste, their opinion. The part I cannot accept is the fact that the airline has actually cited safety reasons for not allowing "over weight" air hostesses. The even funnier thing is that a high court, chaired by a woman actually ratified this view. Talk about women's empowerment - or should I say mockery of it?

For an airline which has aircrafts whose age can be compared to most ageing things on the planet and which has the policy of having air hostesses up to the age of 58 - this is something which is completely out of colour. People argue that an increase in competition has forced their hands into such a move. The simple fact is that Indian is not good enough because of poor efficiency. Pretty airhostesses are just the icing on the cake. So, how can you put icing on a cake that doesn't even exist?

My question is that will an airline refuse tickets to an obese passenger? The answer is no. I have not once seen an obese air hostess in any airline, so why the discrimination? Instead of saying, "we need pretty, thin air hostesses who are presentable to the public" - they've taken the easy way out by citing safety reasons. That's just my personal opinion. I know many companies have regulations, but they don't go about changing the rules so radically - especially rules like these.

Air hostesses are integral to an airlines' success. Today though according to law, they aren't worth their weight. I really don't know whether this is right or wrong. The only thing I can say is that only the people who have the bottle to speak the truth will succeed. Will Indian succeed in their quest for thin air hostesses? That is the proverbial million dollar question.