DesiPundit is looking for a new tagline, and is inviting suggestions. The folks are offering $50 for the one they will use. Cool money, and definitely worth a shot. The suggestions are already pouring in, and I can already see some winners there. You can add your idea as a comment to the linked post. Contest ends November 5.
Yesterday, Drexel played host to the first Democratic debate in Philadelphia in over 30 years. Which is a feat because Drexel is not the biggest, not even the second biggest, of the major universities in the city. UPenn, Temple and Villanova would have felt outwitted, outsmarted. But let’s not focus on that too much.
The debate was an interesting case in point about how desperate the other challengers in a race can get when one of them is pulling ahead and away. Instead of focusing on what they had to offer, Senators John Edwards and Barack Obama used a good portion of their air time to slam Senator (and President-in-waiting?) Hillary Clinton on her position on Iran.
I’m no psephologist, but I have seen campaign races in India wherein if a person makes himself / herself the focus of the race, he / she often emerges victorious. Lalu Prasad Yadav, for example, became almost synonymous with Bihar. So much that even today one can’t think of Bihar without thinking about Laloo. So when the Opposition went out on election campaigns, they couldn’t talk of things without referring to him, thus indirectly campaigning for him.
Narendra Modi is another example of how a person converted a controversial issue into a persona issue to win elections in Gujarat. When most pundits had written his obituary for his mis-handling of Godhra, Modi swiftly made himself the focal point of the elections. His political positioning may not be morally right, but it has kept him in the Chief Minister’s chair for the past five years.
Closer home, Jayalalithaa used the same “everyone is against me” ploy to sway public sympathy in her favour in 2001, sweeping to power when no one expected her to win.
Of course, the focal point strategy is not a surefire method of achieving success. But the rule is “If a lot of people who are competing with you are saying something against you, then you are probably doing great.” Hillary’s position is enviable because it is not just her partymen who think she is surging ahead, but people from the other camp as well. She mentioned this herself in last night’s debate:
“If you watched their (Republican) debate last week, I seemed to be the topic of great conversation and consternation. And that’s for a reason, because I have stood against George Bush and his failed policies.”
Hillary Clinton’s 30-point lead over the rest of the field might be whittled down as America readies itself for the first round of primaries. Her poor performance last night in the face of a multi-pronged attack, where only Bill Richardson came to her defense (thereby increasing his chances of securing a ticket with her) can lead to a fall. But I don’t see it making a major impact if the main feature of Obama’s agenda (and those of others too) is just to concentrate on her. In politics, where negative publicity often works better, this strategy is only going to take her closer to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Update: After watching parts of the debate once again, it is hard not to concede that John Edwards should be adjudged the victor. Though he had lesser airtime than Obama and Clinton, he seemed the most confident, and if victory were to be measured in terms of how uncomfortable one made Clinton feel, Edwards trumps Obama hands down.
The focus now shifts to Vegas, where the next round of debate will see how Clinton answers some of the questions and doubts raised by her opponents. She has two weeks to prepare for the next round of onslaught. It will be interesting to see the next round of poll numbers. I expect Edwards to move closer to Obama, and Clinton to drop a few points.
Adrianne Yamaki, a 32-year-old management consultant in New York, travels constantly and logs 80-hour work weeks. To eke out more minutes for herself, she routinely farms out the administrative chores of her life – making travel arrangements, hair appointments, restaurant reservations and buying show tickets – to a personal-assistant service, in India.
The Bangalore butler is the latest development in offshore outsourcing.
In this interesting article on Forbes.com is a compilation of America’s top 20 sedentary cities. Before reading the article, I had assumed that by sedentary, the article would mean a laid-back attitude. Rather, the data points are percentage of population that is overweight or obese, number of hours spent in front of the idiot box and percentage of population that doesn’t exercise regularly.
It’s no secret that Americans have grown accustomed to a lifestyle of convenience where cheap 700 calorie cheeseburgers are only a 10-minute drive away.
But this way of life is literally killing us.
That’s because it’s eating habits like this that contribute to our ill health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity is associated with 112,000 deaths each year in the U.S., and contributes to an increased risk of contracting chronic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
What’s also to blame? Lack of exercise and sloth.
Memphis tops the list, followed by New Orleans, Las Vegas and Detroit. Philly comes last on the 20-item list. A perusal through the statistics reveals that in all of these cities close to 60% of the population is overweight or obese, and they spend 30+ hours per week in front of the TV.
P.S.: I’m planning to analyse this data further based on social and economic statistics. However, looking at what happened to Dr. James Watson, I wonder if I will reveal the findings, if any.
The highly anticipated soundtrack of Azhagiya Thamizhmagan (ATM) was released today. Any Vijay movie raises expectations, but this is a double whammy because it is AR Rahman who is the music director. Of course, Shriya and Namitha are also around, so that’s another double whammy.
Here are my reactions after a couple of rounds of listening to the songs.
1. Ellaa pugazhum (AR Rahman): This should be the movie’s title song. It had me laughing all along when I first listened to it. Let me confess I found this absolutely funny. Honestly I/we would classify this song as “setu-veettu kalyanam” types. It has none of the elements of an intro song that will set the audience’s pulses racing. Uninspiring at best. It made me wonder, “Hey, where is Shankar Mahadevan?” He would have added pep to even a mediocre song. Even Naveen had done a super job with “Pokkiri Pongal”. This is probably one of the worst intro songs Vijay has had in recent years.
2. Ponmagal Vandhaal (Aslam, Ember Rap): The problem with remixes is that there are only two types – the very good ones, and the utterly poor ones. Sorry, this belongs to the latter variety. Skip.
Alright, enough of the negatives. The better ones are coming…
3. Nee Marilyn Monroe (Ujjaini, Benny Dayal): Now that you’ve endured almost 9 disappointing minutes, the best, most stylish song of the album jumps right out. The female humming that appears at the beginning and again between the two charanams is excellent – now that’s something Rahman-wannabes can only dream of. The song has a good rhythm to it, that makes foot-tapping irresistible. Both singers, especially Benny, have done a fantastic job. Repeat.
4. Valayapatti thavilE (Naresh Iyer, Madhumitha, Ujjaini): Oh, did I jump myself when I said the previous was the best! Okay, maybe that was the best, but this is quite good. Naresh Iyer looks like a fabulous choice for the male lead. The song is based on folk beats, but as it progresses, it transforms into a fusion of various styles, which is refreshing. The lyrics are such that the lyricist is just a couple of steps away from “algorithmic lyric writing”. Still, an enjoyable song. Repeat.
5. Kelaamal kaiyile (Sriram Parthasarathy, Saindhavi): This one is for the melody rasigars. Rahman fans would scoff when I suggest that the song has a Harris Jayaraj feel to it – the way a melodious song has a constant beat in the background. An instant favourite. I liked the lines “koondhal ennum ENi Eri muththam ida aasai undu… netri mookku udhadu endru, irangi vara padigalum undu”. Again, good choice of singers does the trick. If you want to sample just one song from this album, this is the one.
6. Maduraikku Pogathadee (Benny Dayal, Archith, Dharshana): So where was the all-out folk number? Here it is. And to begin with, it sounds like “en kitte modhaadhe, naan raajadhi raajan adaa!” But it shifts soon enough. Benny Dayal impresses again. The song would probably grow on listeners after a few iterations.
Overall, Azhagiya Tamilmagan’s soundtrack is impressive. It is better than Pokkiri, which should please Vijay’s fans. And I would rate it a few hundred times better than Sivaji. If you forgive the opening song (how many Vijay fans will?) and the remix of “Ponmagal Vandhaal”, AR Rahman has come out trumps. And to those who suggest that ARR’s recent efforts confirm the unfortunate yet unmistakeable trend that he is going down, ATM’s soundtrack should push back your pronouncements by some time.
You can listen to the songs online at Hummaa.com
Update: Just noticed that Madhushree hasn’t been given even one song. That’s great news. Else this album should have been named “Aluhiya Thamill Mahan”.
Warning: This sounds like a sermon.
I read a blog post today which said, “It is better to be happy than to be right.” Isn’t that unwise and dangerous both? It is the kind of belief that makes the world a lot worse than it should be. The kind that makes (wo)men crave for temporal, material well-being.
Happiness should derive from righteousness.
… the latest debate is about a law that will enable schools to give birth control pills to 6th graders. What the hell! They are not even in their teens! To comment about it from a moral standpoint would be foolish, because the issue is beyond all that. But will not such a law encourage kids to indulge in inappopriate behaviour? Where are the parents? What are they doing? Is babymaking their only responsibility?
A long-standing argument in America is that kids are losing interest in math and science, thus making the country lose its competitive edge internationally. Maybe the lawmakers decided this is one way to keep kids in school.
I have officially lost my nerd status… for thinking hitherto that Tabula Rasa had something to do with cooking for a lot of people during a Hindu marriage.
Please can someone explain this line?
viNmeengal kan paarkka suriyanum thOnRumO! pugazh maindhan thOnRinAnE
It appears in the song “anbenRa mazhaiyile” from the movie Minsara Kanavu. What fantastic wordplay!
The song is in praise of Christ, as sung by a group of nuns. Does the line mean that Christ’s advent was like the radiance of sunrise against the backdrop of a star-studded sky? Is the “viNmeengal” part a reference to the magi? Do let me know what you think.
A week or so ago, I received the editorial of the Thuglak magazine from a friend as an email forward. In it, the magazine lambasts the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, for his (mis-)handling of and his attitudes concerning the Sethusamudram project.
Titled “Arrogance, is your name Kalaignar?“, this was a fantastic piece and took apart clinically the DMK’s bungling on the issue. For those who can read Tamil, here it is. Here is a rough translation of the same. I have tried to remain true to the editorial’s contents as far as possible.
That the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu makes a habit out of wounding the sentiments of Hindus is known to one and all. But his remarks at the recent DMK meeting in Erode is a new chapter in his anti-Hinduism stance.
The Central Government recently informed the Supreme Court of India that it was looking into ways of executing the Sethusamudram project without disturbing the Ram Setu (the bridge that Lord Rama is known to have built on his way to Lanka). This should certainly have rubbed the Chief Minister the wrong way. This is because his primary motive seems to be not the Sethusamudram project, but the demolition of the Ram Setu. Which is why the Centre’s stance angers him. But of what use is his anger?
Already the Congress Government seems to be reeling under fear of being toppled. So even if the DMK were to threaten the Congress with a withdrawal of support, it won’t really carry so much weight. The Centre’s actions not only seem to verify its respect for Lord Rama, but has also won it three months of breathing space on the issue.
In his address in Erode, the Chief Minister spewed his rhetoric: “There are some who believe that even today people will accept baseless, supersitious, even crazy beliefs. And they play on this by invoking Rama’s name. We are now in a situation where we can act in order to dispel the darkness that might surround us for ages; and it is with that view that I present before you an action-plan. The Central Government has submitted to right-wing communal forces, and is standing in the way of the Sethusamudram project. We should object to this unequivocally.”
Is it enough just to raise voices in unison? The Central Government seems to have subscribed to the “baseless, superstitious, even crazy beliefs let loose by communal forces.” Even the Union Minister for Law has commented that “Rama is an inseparable part of India’s culture. This is not a matter open to debate. Just like the Himalayas are the Himalayas, and the Ganga is the Ganga, so Rama is Rama. One doesn’t need to prove anything in this regard.”
The Centre has, in its communication to the Supreme Court, conveyed the message that it respects the sanctity of the Ramayana, and that it respects all religions; and in this matter, the Hindu religion specifically.
So the plan to plunge the country into “darkness for ages” is supported, even sponsored, by the Central Government. Then how on earth can the DMK continue to support the Central Government? How can the DMK hug onto ministerial berths in such a Government? If, as the Chief Minister contends, the Congress is shortselling the country to traitors, how can the DMK continue to be in power in Tamil Nadu with the support of that selfsame Congress party? Is this not a greater treachery on the part of the DMK? Is not the DMK compromising the lofty principles of Periyar by indulging in such treachery?
The only way the DMK can win over these traitors and their treachery is to withdraw its support to the Central Government, and also let the Congress party withdraw its support to the State Government. Why is the Chief Minister not doing this? Is he afraid of something? What reason can one ascribe to this other than his lust and greed for power?
The Chief Minister has even gone on to call the Central Government a sly fox, a chameleon. Then what can one describe him as, when he doesn’t have the guts to oppose the actions of the Central Government? The truth is that the Chief Minister doesn’t hesitate one bit when it comes to compromising the principles of Periyar in order to remain in power, and also see the members of his family remain firmly in positions of power. But he can let loose tons of rhetoric. When it comes to verbal battles, he ranks top of the pile. But when it comes to putting it into actions, he falls far short. His inaction, or rather inability to act, is because of his power-hungry attitude that helps the members of his family stay in power.
Now that he is unable to react to the Congress, who else can his rhetoric target? Yes, there is always the easy target – the sentiments of Hindus.
His eyes blinded by anger, the Chief Minister gets into his own when it comes to verbal volleys: “Who is Ram? Which engineering college did He attend? When exactly did He construct the bridge? Is there any proof?” There are some who spew hypocrisy thinking it is intelligent talk. How different is this?
If one says that the bridge was constructed by Ram, it doesn’t mean that He collected and arranged stones and built the bridge all by Himself. We read in history that a king constructed a temple, installed sculptures and so on. We don’t question, “Did he carry stones himself? Did he sculpt them himself?” Under his orders, a group of experts would have worked on the project and brought it to fruition. But we don’t mention the name of the sculptor when talking about the temples or the statues. Rather we refer to them as the work of the king. This is how it is all over the world.
The case of the Ram Setu is similar. While the Chief Minister habitually speaks ill of the Ramayana, he also doesn’t forget to misquote from the epic from time to time.
Valmiki describes the process thus:
The king of the seas aided Ram in the construction of the bridge. He even appointed Nala to help Rama. Nala was the son of Vishwakarma (who is considered the Creator of the worlds). He had not only inherited his father’s skill, but had also his full blessings. An expert, he at once ordered Sugriva to collect all the necessary construction material. Sugriva’s army of vanarars got into action immediately. (Here, it is instructive to distinguish vanarars from monkeys, which is what everyone assumes. Valmiki’s Ramayana notes that vanarars were skilled in construction work, and even used their skill to build huge palaces.)
With their help, rocks were gathered from mountains, trees felled and all the required material was brought to the coastline. The huge rocks were pushed into the sea, and the trees were placed atop the rocks. In this fashion, the bridge was built. Some commented that it looked like a constellation of stars, while some others felt it resembled the parting of the hair in the head. Over this bridge, Rama, Surgriva and his army crossed the ocean into Lanka.
So, instead of sounding like an ignoramus, the Chief Minister should at least have asked, “Which engineering college did Nala attend?” To which our answer would have been “He learnt the skill from his father, who was an expert.” Will the selfsame Chief Minister who quips, “Where did Rama learn civil engineering?” also ask the following questions?
- Legend has it that Kannagi burnt the city of Madurai by culling her breasts and throwing it at the city. Where did she learn this technique? Did she major in Biology? Or nuclear engineering?
Will the Hon’ble Chief Minister stoop to ask such a question? WE will not. Because we understand that Kannagi’s actions attest to the power of Kannagi’s devotion to her husband
- The Chief Minister himself has written an explanation to the ancient Tamil grammar text “Tholkaappiam”. Will he condescend to ask “At which university did Tholkaappiar learn grammar? Who taught him, he who devised the rules of Tamil grammer, the principles of grammar?”
WE will not. Because we realize that in ages gone by, people lived who were of such scholarly ability that we cannot even dream to match.
- We all know that Thiruvalluvar gave us Thirukkural, one of the great achievements in world literature. Will the Chief Minister deign to question “Where did Thiruvalluvar learn the art of crafting poems? Who taught him the nuances of the Tamil language? From where did he comprehend the philosophy studded in his couplets?
WE will not. Because we realize that Thiruvalluvar was a saint, a scholar whose poetry and philosophy was God-given.
Let it be. Does anyone wonder whether the Chief Minister, who questions the existence of Lord Rama, has ever commented about the beliefs of people of other faiths?
- Does he have anything to say about the Hazrat Bal mosque in Kashmir, which is known to enshrine a hair of Prophet Mohammad? Will the Chief Minister debase himself by asking if it is really belongs / belonged to Prophet Mohammad? Will he ask for proof?
WE will not. Because we know it doesn’t become of a civilized individual to speak ill about the great men held in high esteem by people of different faiths.
- It is known that Jesus Christ died on the cross, but came back to life two days after. Will the Chief Minister dare to ask “Where did Christ conduct research on Resurrection? Or if someone brought Him back to life, where did that person learn this art? Is there a proof for all this?”
WE will not. Because we consider it a savage act to mock at prophets, saints and messengers of God, even if they belong to a religion different from that we follow. Why go such lengths? The Chief Minister himself has gone on record saying that he sports a yellow towel because the Buddha wore a dress of the same colour.
- Will the Chief Minister question this: “What proof exists that the Buddha wore a yellow dress? Where did he dye his dress yellow?”
WE will not. Because we think only fools will pass demeaning comments about great men, who are considered reincarnations of God.
The DMK supremo hastens to cite that even Pandit Nehru once said that the Ramayana is just a tale, and is not real. But how can one consider the views of Nehru, or anyone for that matter, to be the final word on this subject.
Even if one were to think that what Nehru said is like the word of God, it would serve well to know what Nehru once said about the DMK. He called the DMK “nonsense”. For this utterance of his, the DMK staged mass protests condemning Nehru. Why did they do this? The DMK which considers Nehru’s words to be be of sacrosanct nature should have shut shop that same day. After all, Nehru couldn’t be wrong, right? Why persist with what in Nehru’s own words was “nonsense”?
It needs no repetition that the Chief Minister has spoken without applying his mind. But his selective rhetoric is carefully tuned to hurt only Hindus. Because he thinks Hindus are dunderheads. Else how will he stoop to pass remarks about someone who is considered God by millions of Hindus?
The Chief Minister has acted out of the combined conceit, insolence and imperiousness that his money, power and political successes have given him. It is an irony that the power that feeds his arrogance which leads him to demean Lord Rama was given to him by people, three-fourths of whom pray to Him daily.
Will the Chief Minister categorically reject the votes of those who think Rama is God? Will he do his best not to ever solicit their votes? Why wait for him? Let us do it now. We should consider it shameful to vote for this Chief Minister or for any party that seeks to affiliate itself with him.
Do you have anything to say to someone who is very seriously considering uninstalling Windows Vista, possibly the worst ever operating system, and switching to Windows XP? Like a few words to wean me away from doing this…
If current trends continue into November 2008, the Clintons will re-enter the White House as President and “first laddie”. The Economist presents a detailed analysis of Mrs. Clinton’s political machine, her chances and what another round of Clinton-ization means to America. A good read.
This has to be the funniest. Nothing comes close.
Gabtun turns techie in “Arasangam”
I’m wondering what the “death by numbers” dialogue will sound like… “pona varusam, Indhiya-vula moththam viththa laptop ettu lachathi ezhaayiram, adhula Dellu moonu lachathi pathaayiram, Hewlett Bacardi rendu lachathi naalayirathu muppathi ettu…”
(Thanks, Eshwar, for the link. You made my day!)
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