View from a tainted glass.

Usually I try to stay away from these topics but then getting crossed over in every nook and corner, I thought to maybe share in my views. Ever noticed that your sight is somewhat limited from a tainted glass, although the things appear all ship-n-shape but they somewhat lack their color, but we comfort for the fact that the harsh glare is geting blocked as well and we refrain seeing it in its full light.

So what am I refering about!!! The recent hype of hurling of our two actors into the judicial system and the strange reactions of some of my colleagues and friends on it. Just the other day I was having some type of dosa at our office eatout when one of them refered that how during her college years she had watched one of Salman Khan's movie almost twenty two times and maybe even wetted a few colored hankies in the process. She also remarked that no matter what the guy had done he mustn't be thrown into the jail for long, or they will surely loose a good comedian from the scene. Hmmmmph. Well you would surely guess the person sitting next to me was part of an educated lot, but then what about all the other media icon comments on his so called ignorance or one time mistake, and to let it go. Makes me recall the scene from Philadelphia although Denzel Washington doesnt like gay people himself, but he remarks that "Some of these people make me sick. But a law's been broken here. You do remember the law, don't you?", and that should be reason sound enough. If "ignorance be the excuse to every mistake, there be only mistakes". Looking at another way why is it so that juvenile crimes are metted out with softer punishments then adult ones, for a simple reason that we as adults are/ or should be responsible for our actions in every sense. And if a law was broken then ofcourse the law was meant to protect something, tomorrow we may as well question the validity of each and every law from moralistic view point after all law is nothing but an extension of our own moral well being. How far or how low we intend to extend, depends on what kind of society we are trying to create.

Our fan following for a choclate actor (if I may say so) has tainted many such views that too of our educated lot. I know a celebrity is going down, and if we hear a boo from the uneducated masse, its fine. But where has the sense gone from the more civilised janta!!

I do think these people should not be above law, certainly not; then simply give them the same punishment and throw away the key. Let one jail in the country bask in a star's company :). We talk about changing the country and the system, the effort begins and shows in these small gestures of simply recognising what's wrong and taking responsibility for the act.

And ofcourse the media always loves to get a story out, a recent article search in TOI showed related stories as

- Salman takes to sketching in prison

- Readerspeak: Isn't it time we rename Hindustan as 'Bailistan'

- In Video: Temporary relief for Salman

- Judge refuses to hear Salman's case

- 'Salman ruling has cut down blackbuck poaching'

- Salman Khan gets bail in poaching case

- In Video: Will lady luck smile on Salman today?

- Hearing on Salman's bail plea deferred till Friday

- In Video: No relief for Salman

- In Video: Hearing on Salman's bail plea today

- Salman's bail plea deferred

- In Video: No bail for Salman

- In Video: Court to hear Salman's bail plea today

- Bitter-sweet Jodhpur memories for Sallu

- Salman played guide to foreign crew

Wow, I wonder whether they cover about his bathroom habits, sleeping direction as well!!! But no matter what, the only consolataion I see is they do get everything printed like the following part "According to some media reports at the time, Khan slit the throat of the chinkara he shot and then gave it to chefs to cook at his deluxe hotel in the western desert state. The animals are protected under Indian wildlife law."

I would not question the authenticity of it all, but bottom line being; a celebrity has its perks and shirks ;), you have enough moolah and people power to turn the verdict, but then again, your whole life becomes a documentry stage and nothing is left to be unsaid or untold. They know and see all; even through a tainted glass!!!

Tring tring; hulllloooo!!

"Hello"; "Hulllooo, I am calling from ____ Bank, this is regarding personal loan"; thud; few days later "Hello, sir you have won yourself a personal loan". Hmmmmmmph.

Won myself; I wonder, when do people start winning these kinds of things, as if there are not better things on these hit list. Well the incident is a few months back when I got a call from a smilar number only this time in office and the best part is they get the first few digits and then the phone keeps ringing in serial order as if children were having attendance before the school start.

Me: Hello.
Agent: Sir, good morning, this is regarding a personal loan, can I interest you please.
Me: Yes, sure.
Agent: Sir, we are offering two lakhs ready loan at your request.
Me: Well, but I was looking for twenty lakhs.
Agent (perplexed, but bouyant in delight) Hold on sir, I will transfer it to my supervisor.
Supervisor: (With extra dip of sugar) Yes sir, so you are interested in twenty lakhs....

That was my tring for a kill and I blasted over, for one second the supervisor before saying that hello would have thought; the days quota is done and we could all go happily and catch the mid day show....

Sigh..... I completely washed it down with a soar one that tooo.

Don't you hate when you are in the middle of something and you get this pesky call selling you a loan as if it was some agarbattis of sorts. Believe me they sound as if they are actualy doing you a favour there. Now, I on this good earth wonder if a person was really interested in a loan would he/she wait for a call, or contact the bank himself. What part of logic is not simple here.

Still, banks fail to realise. They have given the quote "bring the well to the thirsty" a whole new meaning.

Finally from September fifth "do not call register" would come into force, which will allow us customers call in and get our numbers derigestered from their calling list, anybody violating, can have their numbers barred and fined, hmmmph, sounds good, but the world of telemarketing is not that simple. You can get yourself (I mean your number) to your local bank derigestered, but what about your number being sold off to other institutions. What I think the rule should have read that only those banks are allowed to call whose customer the person really is. Its these loop holes which are always exploited.

Anyhow, you wonder, what prompted me to write, two things, first a frontpage article by TOI this saturday followed by an irritating call on sunday, lasting for two minutes.

Result one blog and one complaint at my bank where the call originated.

Day well spent!!!

Heres the ticket to your peace of mind http://www.donotdisturb.in/

Curious: ZeeNews, Yahoo reporting.

(PS: Will it work... well... only time and your phone can tell)

Morality vs. Law

Well this is sure an age old debate; for some issues the line is as stark as the goal line in a football match, for some its invisible but there, ready to spark when crossed like a Lakshman Rekha. The topic came to my mind after reading the saturday TOI article which read "Look after your folks, or go to jail", the article still had the cheeky nuances of legal lingua franca with a sub heading "Children may be disinherited if parents complain of neglect". I will come at the cheeky part later on.

So; I warp up the time machine, the gauge reads +50, and here I am a seventy year old nut rumbling around my house poking, sitting and lazying around the verandah and dam-thud, one day I get to know the cute little things I nurtured up to be so big have submitted me an ultimatum to move from the premises. Ammmpph! Whats wrong with this picture; it does not happen like this, nope, it so happens that, this old man had been getting twinkers from the moment he got retired, these kids had been the little devils parading around each day and their squabbles, chides increase with each passing one and finally you get fed up and decide to pack and leave.

Scene II you have been sick like all mortals on this earth and by the time you reach fifty five your body has almost given up on you, you are bed ridden and been a liability to your kids, your own pension is sufficed in the medicine and they need to have an extra servant just to have you taken care of. Eventually your kid or his wife gets weary and cajole you (which is a much sweeter word; pushed) you to be shifted to an age old home.

So that’s how I end up in those dreary places where its not possible to befriend all, b'cause every second bed gets empty every fourth day, as they have had a calling. You pass in your left over days chirping with the birds, gawking at the sky, or wondering where did I go wrong. And one day you stop and think "maybe I ought to teach those brads a lesson in screwing up my life this way", now that I have "Parents and Senior Citizens Bill 2006". So I wake up early morning catch hold of a slimy shrink and sue my own kids. There is a small hearing and everybody lives happily after.

Daaamn, the script again slipped in those last scene ;). Most of the cases where children are neglecting their parents, the parents are themselves driven to seclusion/ alternate solution with continued haranguing/ bickering. Its their own way of seeking their peace of mind, blowing up a legal trumpet would not reconcile the differences or make a saint of a devil.

The reconciliation lies in understanding the problem; from that kids perspective who is no more a kid, sometimes as young parents people ignore their responsibility to their own parents, forgetting the circle repeats itself. But let not that be the only cause to change!

And the cheeky part I was talking about was the "Children may be disinherited if parents complain of neglect"; MAY; there is still a may hanging out, why should such a progeny be allowed to inherit anything when he shares no responsibility to his own kin.

But the bigger problem still remains, can such issues be reconciled via legal proceedings, but for the weary souls I guess this is the last refuge.

No wonder the old ones aren't celebrating yet!