Lemme start with a confession. I am one of those to-be-blamed Indian citizens who have never voted. Every time something or else came up. But I cnt help but study the hysteria they create. And yah, this time I do intend to cast my vote.
Of course, I am no expert but I do like to listen to those "expert analysis" on TV and occasionally in my favourite newspaper TOI (:D). These elections must be one of those where it seems there is no big issue at all over which it is being fought! Instead everyone seems to be busy fighting over hate speeches and challenging others to point less TV debates. Is there nothing else to talk abt really? No "Change" is needed in India? I wonder.
And then you have those side kicks who suddenly become the heroes merely coz of the coalition plague. Imagine Mayawati asking if she can be the CM for so many times then why not PM? Esp when shes a Dalit? I mean really, is this the qualification to become PM? That you have to a Dalit CM a couple of times and thats it? I mean who the hell is she outside UP? Phew....and if you havent noticed, just glance through her tax returns. You will know the kind of money she rakes in. Of course Taj corridor has been easily forgotten.
BJP has always been weird to my mind. I have never understood why does a Babri Masjid and a Godhra happen only with BJP? Of course you can counter argue that 1984 Sikhs riots were associated with Congress. I concede that. But the nature of 1984 wasnt communal. I wnt get into that debate but we all know that Babri and Godhra incidents were tinged with communal hatred and maybe, Godhra and Babri Masjid demolition are related events. Anyway, you cnt help but appreciate the fact that Advani was associated with Babri and Modi with Godhra. Both now the two most visible faces of BJP. If I were a Muslim, maybe I wudnt have voted for them just because of this. I mean, why in the world would I vote for a party whose clarion call is Hindutva? BJP claims to be "THE" party coz its young. OK, but you got the oldest person in the fray as a prime ministerial candidate. What about him? Laughably, they raise the question why wasnt a capable economist like Manmohan Singh not able to control inflation! Well, you got a better idea then why dnt u say it?
Then theres SP who thinks computers and English are secondary to manpower and Hindi. Interesting. Given a choice, would Amar Singh want his son to learn English or Hindi? At least I am quite clear abt what my choice would have been. Between computers and manpower? lemme just say that I am a comp science engineer.
And finally the Congress. I agree Manmohan Singh hasnt got the charisma or the personality of a PM. He is a economist, whos become PM by chance! I understand when BJP alleges that real power emanates from 10, Janapath. But if Advani wasnt the PM candidate, the same would have been true for BJP also! but anyway, it is not as of now. Congress has its own set of issues. Tytler has been given clean chit, Rahul Gandhi is still a useless speaker(Priyanka is way better than him!), they handled 26/11 stupidly, they dnt have any charismatic mass leader and frankly, I hate it when power gets concentrated in a family when we are supposed to be democratic.
All said and done, whom should I vote for? Sidhu stands from Amritsar as a candidate. We know his criminal record. I cnt recall his major achievements as sitting MP. And I dunno what the candidate in opposition is going to do! So should I vote for the lesser evil knowing fully that with my limited knowledge, I may end up voting for the bigger evil? How do I decide when no one seems to be doing anything worthwhile? Whats the real reason why so many ppl dnt cast their votes? Why is it that all retired actors, criminals, cricketers etc etc suddenly become politicians? Is it so easy? Is there a lot of easy money in it? (Mayawati apparently paid over 20Cr merely in taxes!!) But if I dnt vote, that would mean someone else(the other voters) are deciding for me. And how well informed are they? I guess theres some case for casting your vote after all.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Its been a while....
Its been a while....sang Staind. Cnt help thinking of the song as boredom drives me towards blogging again after two years. Its been two long and tough years. I managed to complete my masters(MBA) and called it a day as far as studies were concerned. As I look back, I remember very clearly when I started thinking seriously about MBA.I had worked for abt 2 years and had started to get bored. I dint know what I wanted to do in life. Honestly speaking, I dint even know how would an MBA help! But then logic dictated that its gotta help if you spend time with some smart people for 2 years and of course,you learn new stuff. So I chased CAT and GMAT. But after MBA, and given the limited choices in recessionary times, the problem has only become more profound! Yeah, I have a job. It helps that I had done my internship there. But is this why I had done the MBA? I guess only time will that.
The thing about higher studies or for that matter learning more is that it only goes a long way in making things more complicated. You know more, you think more, you debate more. All the while, odds of making the right decision remain the same even after you study or learn more. phew!
With a few days off at home before I join, I thought might as well scribble a few words here. Its always fun to look back at one's thoughts after a while :-)
The thing about higher studies or for that matter learning more is that it only goes a long way in making things more complicated. You know more, you think more, you debate more. All the while, odds of making the right decision remain the same even after you study or learn more. phew!
With a few days off at home before I join, I thought might as well scribble a few words here. Its always fun to look back at one's thoughts after a while :-)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Windows Live writer...
Ah.. well... this is my first post using Windows Live Writer. As I write along, I will be looking around the tool seeking something really useful. As of now, I can only say that despite rave reviews I am yet to see something that is really impressive about it. It has some distinctly useful features:
- Its like writing in MS word. You get your familiar tools like "spell check", "bullets" etc
- Its far easier to add tables, images and links in this tool.
OK and that's it !Are these good enough reasons to use it? I don't know. May be I should use it a little more to find more !
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
a word about origin of Dracula...
Dracula has always been a frightening idea thanks to Bram Stoker's novel.
Most authorities believe the character of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel was based upon the historical figure Vlad Tepes (pronounced tse-pesh), who intermittently ruled an area of the Balkans called Wallachia in the mid 15th century. He was also called by the names Vlad III, Vlad Dracula and Vlad the Impaler. The word Tepes stands for "impaler" and was so coined because of Vlad’s propensity to punish victims by impaling them on stakes, then displaying them publicly to frighten his enemies and to warn would-be transgressors of his strict moral code. He is credited with killing between 40,000 to 100,000 people in this fashion.
King Sigismund of Hungary, who became the Holy Roman Emperor in 1410, founded a secret fraternal order of knights called the Order of the Dragon to uphold Christianity and defend the Empire against the Ottoman Turks. Its emblem was a dragon, wings extended, hanging on a cross. Vlad III’s father (Vlad II) was admitted to the Order around 1431 because of his bravery in fighting the Turks. From 1431 onward Vlad II wore the emblem of the order and later, as ruler of Wallachia, his coinage bore the dragon symbol.
The word for dragon in Romanian is "drac" and "ul" is the definitive article. Vlad III’s father thus came to be known as "Vlad Dracul," or "Vlad the dragon." In Romanian the ending "ulea" means "the son of". Under this interpretation, Vlad III thus became Vlad Dracula, or "the son of the dragon." (The word "drac" also means "devil" in Romanian. The sobriquet thus took on a double meaning for enemies of Vlad Tepes and his father.)
Bram Stoker probably found Vlad III to be devilish enough to base his idea of vampire upon Dracula!It is certainly no coincidence that Bram Stoker chose the Balkans as the home of his famous vampire. The Balkans were still basically medieval even in Stoker’s time. They had only recently shaken off the Turkish yoke when Stoker started working on his novel and the superstitions of the Dark Ages were still prevalent.
If you want to read in detail check this link out:
http://www.donlinke.com/drakula/vlad.htm
I also recommend reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
Most authorities believe the character of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel was based upon the historical figure Vlad Tepes (pronounced tse-pesh), who intermittently ruled an area of the Balkans called Wallachia in the mid 15th century. He was also called by the names Vlad III, Vlad Dracula and Vlad the Impaler. The word Tepes stands for "impaler" and was so coined because of Vlad’s propensity to punish victims by impaling them on stakes, then displaying them publicly to frighten his enemies and to warn would-be transgressors of his strict moral code. He is credited with killing between 40,000 to 100,000 people in this fashion.
King Sigismund of Hungary, who became the Holy Roman Emperor in 1410, founded a secret fraternal order of knights called the Order of the Dragon to uphold Christianity and defend the Empire against the Ottoman Turks. Its emblem was a dragon, wings extended, hanging on a cross. Vlad III’s father (Vlad II) was admitted to the Order around 1431 because of his bravery in fighting the Turks. From 1431 onward Vlad II wore the emblem of the order and later, as ruler of Wallachia, his coinage bore the dragon symbol.
The word for dragon in Romanian is "drac" and "ul" is the definitive article. Vlad III’s father thus came to be known as "Vlad Dracul," or "Vlad the dragon." In Romanian the ending "ulea" means "the son of". Under this interpretation, Vlad III thus became Vlad Dracula, or "the son of the dragon." (The word "drac" also means "devil" in Romanian. The sobriquet thus took on a double meaning for enemies of Vlad Tepes and his father.)
Bram Stoker probably found Vlad III to be devilish enough to base his idea of vampire upon Dracula!It is certainly no coincidence that Bram Stoker chose the Balkans as the home of his famous vampire. The Balkans were still basically medieval even in Stoker’s time. They had only recently shaken off the Turkish yoke when Stoker started working on his novel and the superstitions of the Dark Ages were still prevalent.
If you want to read in detail check this link out:
http://www.donlinke.com/drakula/vlad.htm
I also recommend reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Angels n Demons and Da Vinci Code
I remember when i read Da Vinci Code in 2004, i liked it primarily coz of the information Dan Brown had packed. It was one of those few novels which blended fiction, history and facts very well. No wonder readers world over lapped it up.
There were some facts which i came across while reading Da Vinci Code and Angels n Demons:
1) Word Satan is taken from "Shaitan", a word in Arabic for the Devil.
2) In middle ages, there were Hashish smoking muslim killers. They were called Hassasins coz of Hashish. Over the years , Hassasin became assasin.
3) Many ppl, including me, are under the impression that Xmas is celebrated coz Jesus was born on that day. However,apparently Bible says He was born in March. Xmas is celebrated to mark Sun God's return. Remember days become longer after Dec 25. Theres one more funda. Pre-Christain God, Mithras -Son of God- was born on Dec 25. He was also resurrected three days after being buried in a rock tomb !! hows that for similarities? I am sure part of the focklore added to Jesus's life has come from earlier Gods.
4) Vilain used to mean villager. Church in an attempt to get rid of Pagan culture, vilified the word and now villain means .......humm... u know what.
5) In a pentacle all lines divide themselves in the Divine ratio (phi=1.618).
6) Ok , heres the one which guys will love: how did the word "horny" originate? Amon is the Egyptian God for masculine fertility. He is depicted as a man with a ram's head, having horns. Hence anyone with "horns" became associated with masculine fertility and hence the word "horny".
7) Reasons why Mona Lisa is smiling: a) She is aware that her face is androgynous b) Lisa or isis is the Egyptian goddess for fertility. Amon i have already explained. So Amon+Lisa when rearranged become "Mona Lisa". Funda is that the painting is a celebration of the the male+female union.
8) 300 years of witch hunt pursued by Church killed five million women. Phew !
9) Dan Brown says that left was traditionally associated with females and right with men. To vilify women, left became the symbol of radical thoughts. Right became "righteous" !
10) Apparently in archaic Italian, sinistra was left. Sinister comes from it. phew ! hows that for demonising women !
11) One of the reasons why friday the 13th is considered a bad omen: On Friday the 13th, Oct 1307 Pope Clement ordered massacre of Knights Templars. Most of the templars were killed on that day.
12) Jesus was king of Jews. He was a descendent of King David and King Solomon.
13) Apparently for three centuries after crucification, Christ was considered a mortal human being. It was Council of Nicaea which voted that He should be made divine. This was when Constantine was promoting Christianity.
14) Noah ( from Noah the ark ) was an albino.
15) Mary Magdalene, allegedly Jesus's wife was also royal. She was from the house of Benjamin.
Of course there are many other interesting theories. But i found these facts very interesting. All religions the world over have a widely-debated history. So is Christianity.
Coming back to the world of novels, I am sure novels in future which connect history and fiction seamlessly will do very well. umm... aint there symbols and hidden societies in Hinduism? Well, well...
There were some facts which i came across while reading Da Vinci Code and Angels n Demons:
1) Word Satan is taken from "Shaitan", a word in Arabic for the Devil.
2) In middle ages, there were Hashish smoking muslim killers. They were called Hassasins coz of Hashish. Over the years , Hassasin became assasin.
3) Many ppl, including me, are under the impression that Xmas is celebrated coz Jesus was born on that day. However,apparently Bible says He was born in March. Xmas is celebrated to mark Sun God's return. Remember days become longer after Dec 25. Theres one more funda. Pre-Christain God, Mithras -Son of God- was born on Dec 25. He was also resurrected three days after being buried in a rock tomb !! hows that for similarities? I am sure part of the focklore added to Jesus's life has come from earlier Gods.
4) Vilain used to mean villager. Church in an attempt to get rid of Pagan culture, vilified the word and now villain means .......humm... u know what.
5) In a pentacle all lines divide themselves in the Divine ratio (phi=1.618).
6) Ok , heres the one which guys will love: how did the word "horny" originate? Amon is the Egyptian God for masculine fertility. He is depicted as a man with a ram's head, having horns. Hence anyone with "horns" became associated with masculine fertility and hence the word "horny".
7) Reasons why Mona Lisa is smiling: a) She is aware that her face is androgynous b) Lisa or isis is the Egyptian goddess for fertility. Amon i have already explained. So Amon+Lisa when rearranged become "Mona Lisa". Funda is that the painting is a celebration of the the male+female union.
8) 300 years of witch hunt pursued by Church killed five million women. Phew !
9) Dan Brown says that left was traditionally associated with females and right with men. To vilify women, left became the symbol of radical thoughts. Right became "righteous" !
10) Apparently in archaic Italian, sinistra was left. Sinister comes from it. phew ! hows that for demonising women !
11) One of the reasons why friday the 13th is considered a bad omen: On Friday the 13th, Oct 1307 Pope Clement ordered massacre of Knights Templars. Most of the templars were killed on that day.
12) Jesus was king of Jews. He was a descendent of King David and King Solomon.
13) Apparently for three centuries after crucification, Christ was considered a mortal human being. It was Council of Nicaea which voted that He should be made divine. This was when Constantine was promoting Christianity.
14) Noah ( from Noah the ark ) was an albino.
15) Mary Magdalene, allegedly Jesus's wife was also royal. She was from the house of Benjamin.
Of course there are many other interesting theories. But i found these facts very interesting. All religions the world over have a widely-debated history. So is Christianity.
Coming back to the world of novels, I am sure novels in future which connect history and fiction seamlessly will do very well. umm... aint there symbols and hidden societies in Hinduism? Well, well...
Saturday, June 16, 2007
A Malhi killed Alexander the Great !!
I am a Malhi by caste.Malhis are Jatt Sikh clan from Punjab. While i have always wanted to know the roots of my ancestors, i hardly got any reliable info from anywhere ( of course, it was a laid-back attempt).
Let me post what wikipedia has to say about Malhis:
Quote:
Earlier based in the region around Sialkot (now in West Punjab, Pakistan), the Malhis were mostly rich landlords. One of the earliest Jat clans, the majority of Malhis migrated to Punjab (India) during the Partition of India in 1947. It is believed that there were twelve villages of the Malhi clan in Punjab (British India) during 1850-60. One such village is Kotli Soorat Malhi, a village in Gurdaspur district.
Extract From the book *Handbook on Sikhs, by Major A. E. Barstow, 2/11 Sikh Regiment (late 15th Ludhiana Sikhs ). Written in 1899 and later revised at the request of the Govt of India in 1928.
From a historical standpoint, the Malhi clan is most famous for its association with the death of Alexander the great. It is believed that Alexander the great died from a spear thrown by the Malhi clan as he tried to invade their fortress during his retreat from Northern India.
Unquote.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malhi
hows that? always makes me feel so humbled when i look back at the histrory of Malhis. May i prove myself worthy of the surname i carry so proudly. Amen!
Let me post what wikipedia has to say about Malhis:
Quote:
Earlier based in the region around Sialkot (now in West Punjab, Pakistan), the Malhis were mostly rich landlords. One of the earliest Jat clans, the majority of Malhis migrated to Punjab (India) during the Partition of India in 1947. It is believed that there were twelve villages of the Malhi clan in Punjab (British India) during 1850-60. One such village is Kotli Soorat Malhi, a village in Gurdaspur district.
Extract From the book *Handbook on Sikhs, by Major A. E. Barstow, 2/11 Sikh Regiment (late 15th Ludhiana Sikhs ). Written in 1899 and later revised at the request of the Govt of India in 1928.
From a historical standpoint, the Malhi clan is most famous for its association with the death of Alexander the great. It is believed that Alexander the great died from a spear thrown by the Malhi clan as he tried to invade their fortress during his retreat from Northern India.
Unquote.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malhi
hows that? always makes me feel so humbled when i look back at the histrory of Malhis. May i prove myself worthy of the surname i carry so proudly. Amen!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Gujjars and Supreme Court
Reservation is a topic which is close to my heart and you will regularly see me posting my views over it. Yes, i am against reservation which is based upon caste and i made my reasons clear in one of my earlier posts. Although i know that there is little chance of getting rid of this malaise soon, i would love to see more people coming out in the open and declaring that it benefits no one but the richer section of low-caste.
Its interesting to note that proteste began in Dausa where Sachin Pilot is the MP and he himself is a Gujjar. Now my question for all the pro-resevation ppl: does Sachin Pilot or his son/daughter deserve reservation? I think now these so called ppl fighting for social justice would like to come up with a lame duck answer. My answer :Tell me about ur vested interest.
Supreme Court has rightly taken up the issue and asked the police to explain their action to contain the stir. Thats fine but my point: Why has the Court and all the leading newspapers and statesmen of the country left out Mr Arjun Singh? Isnt he the one who instigated this issue again? Isnt he indirectly responsible for the deaths? Why is no one asking these questions?
Mr Sachin Pilot is a congress MP and hence he has more involvement with the issue (apart from the fact that he is a Gujjar). In a recent interview he says :
"Caste predominance and assertions are on the rise. It is not confined to just one set of people but exists in several communities and many sections of society, especially those who have lived on the fringes for long. The whole question of granting reservation begs a wider debate".
Source: http://www.kalingatimes.com/interviews/news_20070611_Gujjar_Meena_conflict_was_politically_motivated.htm
Aha, Mr Pilot!! Now you are saying the issue begs a wider debate!! Where exactly was your view poin when an older luminary of your party was pegging resevation as the sole saviour of downtrodden?
Sheer nonsense. There is no other way to look at these happenings. While all this drama is being played by the elected jokers of our democracy, eligible students suffer and richer kids from SC/ST/OBC make a killing in IIT/IIMs.
Its interesting to note that proteste began in Dausa where Sachin Pilot is the MP and he himself is a Gujjar. Now my question for all the pro-resevation ppl: does Sachin Pilot or his son/daughter deserve reservation? I think now these so called ppl fighting for social justice would like to come up with a lame duck answer. My answer :Tell me about ur vested interest.
Supreme Court has rightly taken up the issue and asked the police to explain their action to contain the stir. Thats fine but my point: Why has the Court and all the leading newspapers and statesmen of the country left out Mr Arjun Singh? Isnt he the one who instigated this issue again? Isnt he indirectly responsible for the deaths? Why is no one asking these questions?
Mr Sachin Pilot is a congress MP and hence he has more involvement with the issue (apart from the fact that he is a Gujjar). In a recent interview he says :
"Caste predominance and assertions are on the rise. It is not confined to just one set of people but exists in several communities and many sections of society, especially those who have lived on the fringes for long. The whole question of granting reservation begs a wider debate".
Source: http://www.kalingatimes.com/interviews/news_20070611_Gujjar_Meena_conflict_was_politically_motivated.htm
Aha, Mr Pilot!! Now you are saying the issue begs a wider debate!! Where exactly was your view poin when an older luminary of your party was pegging resevation as the sole saviour of downtrodden?
Sheer nonsense. There is no other way to look at these happenings. While all this drama is being played by the elected jokers of our democracy, eligible students suffer and richer kids from SC/ST/OBC make a killing in IIT/IIMs.
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