A tough choice

Recently, a friend had to choose knocking her career into shape over having a baby. Needless to say, it was a very tough decision, not to mention the guilt and pain associated with it. When she told me about her decision to terminate her pregnancy, my first reaction was shock, but then I realised that it must have been quite a difficult decision to make. After all, she has worked hard to get where she is, and made enough comprises to accommodate marriage and a husband, and she needs more time before she is ready to have a baby. While some people might question the ethics, morals, and everything else of an abortion, at the end of the day, it is the woman's choice, something she'll have to live with, and not anybody else's concern. Its all well to express outrage and shock over 'killing a new life', 'couldn't you have been more careful' and all that jazz, but one should not presume that it was easy for the woman to do what she did.

Just one of those days

Ever had one of those day when nothing is apparently wrong, the boss is not yelling at you, your parents are proud of you, your friends are all around, and yet there is this nagging feeling that you aren't as happy as you should be, something does feel right? Then you tell yourself that you're just being absurd and things are really hunky dory, but that feeling wont go away.

God bless Tim Foreman

While record companies are trying to prevent fans from "ripping" off their CDs through Digital Rights Management (DRM), some musicians are actually telling their fans how to beat the system. "It is heartbreaking to see our blood, sweat and tears over the past two years blurred by the confusion and frustration surrounding new technology." said Tim Foreman of Switchfoot, who actually posted a link to CDEX, a software that disables DRM protection. Good to know that atleast a few musicians are worried about their fans.

Don't read trash!

The sight of someone reading Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist never fails to make me wince! Paulo Coelho is supposedly "one of the most widely read, influential authors" today. I consider The Alchemist to be one of the most trashy books I've read. Pop philosophy makes good bestsellers, but what about gullible kids (and adults!) who get carried away by such absurdity? I do what I can by telling people I know not to read authors like Coelho and Richard Bach. So, if you are reading this blog, let me tell you this - If you want to read something good, read Dostoyevsky or Sartre instead. Or if you want something newer, try Ishiguro. But stay away from books like The Alchemist!

Poor Kate!

Let me make this clear - I am not trying to justify Kate Moss' use of drugs and or anybody else's for that matter. Drug abuse is bad and it should be discouraged. What I do want to protest is the attitude of the fashion industry which has suddenly taken the high ground, sacking Kate from ad campaigns. Drug abuse by celebrities in no news and the fashion industry is no stranger to coke snorting models. Kate has been the brand ambassador for many of these companies for a long time now. I am sure everybody knew that she snorted coke, but now that it is out in the open, everybody wants to disassociate themselves as fast as they can.

Way to go, Jobs

Steve Jobs has refused to raise prices at the iTunes store, stating that record labels are getting a little greedy. No news this. Record companies have been looting music lovers for ages now. IMO, prices could be even lower and the music honchos would still make truckloads of money. Music online should be free, and artists should perform live if they want to make money!

Down with Mush!

If the Mukhtar Mai incident was shocking, Pak dictator Musharraf remarks about rape and riches are even more so. Is this a reflection of what many men seem to think - that women enjoy rape, if a woman gets raped, she probably deserved it and all such crap? Men may protest that it isn’t the case, but the fact remains that deep down inside men fail to realise the horror and trauma that is rape. What kind of justice orders a woman to be gang raped? Or sentences a woman to life long torture by asking the rapist to marry her? Humankind will have to set right a lot of insanity before it can claim to be civilised.

What have we become?

Reading an old friend's web page brought back memories of how we used to be back when we were young and thought we could change the world. Of times spent discussing Morrison and Dostoyevsky, quarrelling over Ayn Rand, reading Eliot in the temple's courtyard, walking down the streets in the hot midday sun... Of times when minds met to ignite thoughts that exploded into vague experiments with the self. Why must everything pass?

The champion

I was in school when I celebrated Andre Agassi's win against Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon. Years later, I rejoiced as I saw him struggle against much younger and swifter players to reach the US open final. Federer might have won the championship, but Agassi most certainly won hearts all over again.

Today

Oh, the indignity of travel in these local trains!

Rainy days and Mondays

Its been raining heavily since Friday, and the roads are flooded and the trains are slow. Reached office minimally dry and grossly late. But that is in no way comparable to the plight of the poor man near the station, shivering in the rain and trying to huddle under a miserably wet piece of cloth that passed for a blanket. Sometimes I wonder if the only way to live life is to be blind to all misery except your own. Not that most of us (self included) aren't, but sometimes it just hits you deep down in the gut and makes you feel so guilty to be as privileged as you are.

The iPod nano

Just when you thought that things couldn't get any better, Apple launched the iPod nano.

Katrina and the killers

The local media was quick to point out how effectively the US was handling Katrina and how badly the local authorities handled the Mumbai cloudburst. Now, with rape and looting in New Orleans and thousands dead, mum's the word. I am not saying that Vilasrao should puff his chest up and say he's done a better job, but the fact remains that Mumbaikars did not have to go through the nightmare that is New Orleans. And thank Heavens for that.

Back to Nariman Point

Changed jobs, and am back to my favourite part of the city. Makes up for the increase in commuting time. And unlike my previous jobs, there are no butterflies in my stomach today.

Watched "Iqbal" on Sunday. Saccharine sweet, but worth a watch. Shreyas Talpade is amazing. Hate cricket, but loved the movie.

Up and down, round and round

After 3 blissful days with friends at Pune, getting back to work, putting in papers, getting your way with people - phew! Too much for a poor little soul like me. When will the weekend arrive?