Let Go Obamania!

Imagine a Hollywood venture-full of action, thrill, drama, emotions and all the ingredients for a perfect flick. The world is facing an imminent danger, even the last edifice of human civilization would be wiped out and suddenly amidst all the chaos, appears the superhero, flying all by himself; his machismo dripping through his draped costume; his face half-masked. Now you know that the earth would be saved, no matter what, we are all safe!

Curtains down, scene 2- the world is endangered again-global economic turmoil- Taliban still operating in Afghanistan-Indian subcontinent on the brink of war-Israelis and Palestinians confronting on an ever larger scale-Incessant global climate change-Poverty, hunger, pandemics- and then all eyes agape at the horizon- where is our super hero?

Then from your own backyard, a bleak voice, shrilled enough to be heard, pronounces the grand entry of the superhero down the aisle with a change, there he is- Barack Obama. (In the background comes cheers, applauds and a few wipe tears of their cheeks) All lights on him, everything else jettisoned in oblivion. It is the biggest change of the century as reported in all the sections of media. The change had arrived, the world slept peacefully, and no nightmares reported anywhere.

The next scene dawns, and it appears that nothing has changed, statistics point that nothing would change in near future. Our superhero generates superfluous statements but to no avail. What is going wrong? Why our messiah of peace and justice not been able to deliver what we wanted him to accomplish? Here are the answers:

• He is not a superman; notwithstanding the capabilities and qualities chiseled out in human limitations, he is as human as anyone of us
• For the world outside USA, he is just the US president, not a prophet. His first agenda is his own nation, not some India, Pakistan, Iraq or Palestine.
• He doesn’t (cannot afford to) care about unemployment and economic downturn in any part of the world including best friend Britain before the Americans are well fed.
• His plans for troop withdrawal from Iraq (after leaving a virtual anarchy there) and a surge in Afghanistan (having already killed thousands of innocents) are no better than the earlier actions of invading these countries. These plans just favor US, none else.
• He cannot offer to give a damn to ‘climate change’ unless the Americans are at peace, America is flourishing and Americans have nothing to lose.

Now when the world acclaims, even after considering the above points that Obama is the change anyone would want in this world, I cannot conjure up a suitable answer. Never did I say that he is not competent, capable or well suited as the US president, but finally he is just the US president! Just like Reagans, Carters, Clintons and the Bushes-he is an American, he owes all he has to that nation. Now the world could obviously be better if the leader of the most powerful nation of the world is a good man, but everyone cannot depend upon him.

If Pakistani terrorists attack Indians, Obama wont help, Indo-Pak have always been fighting- If Chinese economy goes berserk, Obama wont mind, Chinese deserve this- If there are bomb blasts in Kabul or Baghdad, Obama cant help it, its their own internal security problem- If US airplanes kill innocent civilians in Pakistan, now Obama didn’t do it, any army can make a mistake- If there are millions in Africa hungry, how can Obama give all the aid, US automakers need bailout.

Its time the leaders of other nations of the world realize their own potentials, chalk out their own strategy and do the needful for the citizens of their own countries. It would be more helpful rather than gaping patiently at the Obamarama. Lets move on and engage us in our own cobwebs and let go the Obamania.

i liked this....

this one is frm "the guardian"... and i liked it a lot!

Nine types of heavy drinkers

John Carvel

London: The United Kingdom Department of Health has identified the nine personality types of heavy drinkers at risk of liver damage and other alcohol-related illnesses. Its researchers investigated the social and psychological characteristics of problem drinkers in an attempt to devise more effective public health campaigns to encourage safer use of alcohol.

....They found that people who regularly drink at least twice the daily guidelines of 35 units a week for women and 50 for men ranged from depressives drinking at home alone over extended periods to macho exhibitionists who spend evenings in the pub.

....The department said it was using social marketing techniques to tailor its propaganda to suit all the target personalities.

....A spokesman said: “This will be a tough one to crack. Research found many positive associations with alcohol among the general public — even more so among those drinking at higher-risk levels. ....For these people alcohol is embedded in their identity and lifestyle: so much so that challenging this behaviour results in high levels of defensiveness, rejection or even outright denial.”

....The nine alcohol-fuelled personality types are:

• “De-stress drinkers” use alcohol to regain control of life and calm down. They include middle-class women and men.

• “Conformist drinkers” are driven by the need to belong and seek a structure to their lives. They are typically men aged 45 to 59 in clerical or manual jobs.

• “Boredom drinkers” consume alcohol to pass the time, seeking stimulation to relieve the monotony of life. Alcohol helps them to feel comforted and secure.

• “Depressed drinkers” may be of any age, gender or socioeconomic group. They crave comfort, safety and security.

• “Re-bonding drinkers” are driven by a need to keep in touch with people who are close to them.

• “Community drinkers” are motivated by the need to belong. They are usually lower middle class men and women who drink in large friendship groups.

• “Hedonistic drinkers” crave stimulation and want to abandon control. They are often divorced people with grown-up children, who want to stand out from the crowd.

• “Macho drinkers” spend most of their spare time in pubs. They are mostly men of all ages who want to stand out from the crowd.

• “Border dependents” regard the pub as a home. They visit it during the day and the evening, on weekdays and at weekends, drinking fast and often.

....The department is planning a campaign to persuade problem drinkers to cut down. It will include self-help packs, available online and in printed form, telling drinkers how to calculate the medical risks associated with different levels of alcohol intake. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

“I don’t deserve the 6th pay commission”

These words were raking up my mind for quite sometime now, and when the PM’s electoral address to the nation on the Independence Day announced the hike in govt employees’ salaries, it was the last straw on the camel’s back. This pay-commission was sought to bring parity between the ever-rising dynamic inflation and the stagnant salaries. But being a govt employee myself I strongly feel, all inflation concerns withstanding, that I don’t need and deserve a pay hike.

I know I am just an ordinary Joe and my opinion in this regard doesn’t reflect the mood of people like me who unlike me, have given their best to the government offices all over the country. But, of course, there are hundreds of ordinary Joes in this government system.

I am one of those who come late to the office only to begin the day with the regular gossip and a cup of tea. I am one of those whose kids always use the office stationary issued to their parents. I am one of those who use the office printer for printing their own unofficial documents, which may range from a few photographs to entire books. I am one of those who love extending the lunch break to atleast two hours. I am one of those who always have someone to call from the office phone. I am one of those who cannot move a hand without the evening tea. I am one of those for whom work is not worship unless there is sparkling halo of the Goddess Lakshmi behind it. I am one of those who bring their kids to office giving all the colleagues a pinch of childhood at the workplace. I am one of those for whom the office hours are over a little less than one hour before 5 pm. I am one of those who leave computers and lights switched on at the office while use CFLs at their home. And despite all this, I am always in a hurry, without any time for helping a poor citizen who couldn’t understand the official machinery. I am one of those who brandish the parking label of their office to contravene the traffic and parking rules. I am one of those who abhor privatization and dis-investment for they consider themselves the most probable to be thrown out as under performers.

I cannot be someone from defense services for these are over and above this ordinary Joe’s conundrum. But after telling all the truth, can anyone believe that I am going to get a minimum 30% hike in my salary? I understand that the arrears I am going to get may help me pay back my vehicle loan or to get my little sister married, but do I really deserve the money for something I have never done? Can anyone even justify the current basic salary that has been bestowed upon me?

I know Shri Krishna commission can answer this; even the custodians of the democracy can answer this. They say they want to allure the best talent in the government sector and I feel the best talent now is atleast contributing in the private sector today while the government machinery will even ruin it. They say that a higher pay will act as a morale booster while I feel habits are hard to change just by providing monetary gains. If I have never been to office at right time, an extra some of money cannot cajole me into doing this.

I feel a government job gives so much to relish that a handsome salary wont make much of a difference to the already contumacious and inert government servants like me.

DIARY 2007

Again for the 20^th time, a year is changing. Of course I am 23 but for first four occasions, it was not even a change of date. Then it started off as a time after which in my school notebook, I used to miss the year part of the date for half of the January. Then when exams really started to give a nerve in standard 10^th, a new year was the year of exams, an official bugle for studying. After another two years, it was a new year for career, a new year for new direction in life. Year 2002 came with both fears and promises of a better life after school, the year of IIT dreams ad NIT blues.

For next three years, a year change was a time for fun with friends, bacchanals and making anonymous calls to 01742-238112. And 2006 started with a joy of being placed in a good company along with the last semester of engineering, something we used to refer as the last six months of real life. The six months flew past like nothing and the worst transition of life blew up the soul, for something, if not better, then at least cool. “My own money”, my own hard earned money, though it was not hard in any ways in 2006.

Then 2007 was about to start and December 2006 went by planning for the last official interaction with the alma mater. December 31, I tried to fall in love. I failed! In the night Jonathan (one of my great friends) and me couldn’t even jugad a single drop of ethanol. Jan 1 came with a little blast but it also ended up on a sad note. That time a tiny superstitious corner of my mind was afraid of the coming year. Jan 21 was on of the best days of this year at the college convocation. A defiant me at the Jan end tried again to fall in love. An adamant me failed again. I knew that it was going to be a year of not much success. But on a positive note I started earning my ‘hard earned money’ the hard way.

Feb went past unnoticed but March cracked the whip again on my back. My father got hold of my bank account statement for filing tax returns and then I was forced to realize the value of hard earned money. Even though I still doubt that value but my parents rafted me into the evil whirlpool of fixed deposits. I started saving 2000 but as one gets down the whirlpool speed increases, and so do my father’s desire to save as much as 6000. Life had become a bit tougher.

May-June gave a new hope when I thought if I ll earn more, I can have much more to spend while still putting aside my papa’s six grand. Discussion with all my near and dear ones brought an aspiration for IIM. July brought a pleasant surprise.

The next three months I spent working a bit hard to ultimately achieve my first true success. A successful failure. Earlier I had never missed anything I had my eyes on. There were disappointments but those were not true failures. In fact every time I knew that a failure can be there and I knew how to assimilate it. Probably it was the over confidence that engulfed me because of a glorious past, or because I am not capable. I asked myself the same question for the next week and finally I was happy to know that the second part of the question was not relevant.

Finally December was my month. After all that happened and un-happened, I had my lesson inscribed right on the correct part of my brain. A failure doesn’t mean that life is over, life is very generous and it gives a million chances to fail again.

And a billion to succeed. Its all what we got to see.

And a superstitious me now believe that the year of failure if going to end to give way to a new year with hope and success visible on the horizon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR