I read this in Rajesh’s blog.
In 1981, the Pope died, Prince Charles got married and Liverpool were crowned Champions of Europe.
This year (2005), the Pope died, Prince Charles got married and Liverpool were crowned Champions of Europe.!
Next time, if Charles wants to re-marry or Liverpool needs another crown, poor Pope …
That is an interesting discovery Rajesh!
PS: I was editing this post to make the link to Rajesh’s blog open in a new window. And I entered “target=_blog” with the link, instead of “target=_blank”!!! Just noticed it and fixed!
I saw the much-hyped Tamil movie “Anniyan” yesterday. It looks like the movie is collecting a good money in theatres, here in Kerala also. It is a typical masala movie, but the hero Vikram did a good job. After watching the movie and on my way back home (Babu uncle dropped me at my place), we had a little discussion about the movie. After analyzing this movie from the director Shankar, I had a few questions in my mind:
What does Shankar (Director) think, can save India? A super hero like Anniyan or Indian?
Both Indian and Anniyan were so violent characters and they did ‘justice’ through their brutal murders. So Mr. Shankar think that only a violent super hero can change India?
Both these characters have an ideology similar to Naxalism, so that means Naxalism is the only possible solution for the current problems in India?
Another similarity is that both these characters begun to save the country only after having a personal tragedy in their lives. So they cannot be compared to Naxalites who fights for the poor without any personal concerns. So we can assume that Shankar is promoting fascist ideology.
Indian was budgeted Rs. 20 crores and Anniyan is budgeted Rs. 35 crores. Was that really necessary to produce his ideology? And it makes me think that a better future for India is not the concern of the director. Because he knows a super hero sells better than anything. Because the people in India are fed up with the whole system and they are dreaming of a super hero who can save them all. And Shankar sell their dreams. Damn him! He makes crores and crores of money by selling the poor man’s dream!!
This post from Saurabh made me think about how Internet changed my life. If I had not learned computers and if I wasn’t aware of the Internet, my life would have never been the same. There were my close friends asking why I am too obsessed with the computers, I gave them an aswer which is quite simple – Computers and Internet gave me a life.
You may ask, “Finanacially?” Yes. “You mean getting a life is all related to money?” Not at all. But at least 70%, I would say. There were this cousin of Babu uncle, an old man, who once said “These days the youngsters prefer white collar jobs only”. He said this when I told him that I work as a webmaster. People can easily say things like this. They will quote Gandhi and they would say “every job has its dignity”. But how many people really respect the people who work as labourers for daily wages, masons, carpenters, goldsmiths, salesmen?
I was a goldsmith. For 4 years. I started earning Rs. 600 a month. And when I quit after four years, I was getting only Rs. 2000. I was a machine cutter of gold chains. I’ve been a pro within that time in my work. But I always knew this isn’t my field. I did not get respect by my work, I did not get money with my work. And I was very much frustrated, because I knew soon I would have to take in charge of the family expenses.
At that time, I used to read a mag called “Teens Today” (I think they dont publish this mag anymore) and they used to publish articles on Internet, Email etc. I thought that is interesting. I joined in an institute to learn how to operate computers and MS Word etc. After 3 months, I created my first web page and published it on net. It was hosted on a free server. And then with the encouragement of my friends I joined for a diploma course in Web Design and Development. After I finished the course, I quit the job of Goldsmith. Worked in a company for sometime, and then started to work on my own. And here I am now…
I have noticed the reaction of people when I used to say “I work as a Goldsmith”. They would completey ignore my presence. The same people are now contacting me for guidance for their children. “Joseph, how do you get this work from abroad?”, “Joseph, what is the best computer course for my son?”, “If he do this, would that help him to get a job like yours?” etc etc… I answer them all with a smile. Now the people recognize me as a person. And I thank the inventors of this wonderful medium called “Internet” for all this.
I just noticed the online ad of Microsoft. It looks like its about Linux. Their opensource rival. 
Man 1: Everyone has the most recent version, right?
Man 2: Your version or Rahul’s version?
Man 3: What? Rahul made changes?
Man 4: Who’s Rahul?
It was so sad for me to see him in that stage. I never have seen him in that way, but I wasn’t surprised. I was worried. I thought this situation wouldn’t occur again. How long it’s been since the last time? 2 years I think. He was violent before his parents and was kinda okay with me. I hope he recovers soon, and this time God, make it forever. Perhaps he needs to be engaged with something. A part time job, perhaps. He can then continue with his studies. I’m going to discuss this with him when he gets over with this phase.
When I was about to take the Reliance land phone connection, everyone advised do not take Reliance for they make really BIG mistakes in the billing, and it means losing our money un-necessarily. But I took their connection ignoring these comments.
Now an extra 500+ rupees added to my last month’s bill. I have complained and they said it would take 2 weeks to solve the issue. 2 weeks for a corporate company to solve out a customer’s problem!!! Being a freelancer, I never took more than 15 minutes to reply to my clients and find a perfect solution for them. Anyways, I waited to hear back from them and I got a call saying my problem is solved and I can make the payment with a 400+ reduction. I did, and yesterday, I got a call from their Mumbai office saying that they have to disconnect my out-going phone calls, since I have a huge amount to pay them. When I mentioned the dispute I had with the local Web World, they said their system is not updated with the info from their local office!!! Do we need any other example to show how un-organized and how irresponsible this company is!!! 2 weeks weren’t enough for their local office to communicate with their head office and the issue still exists in this age of communication revolution!!!
Well, thank god that there is Tata Indicom started to offer their services in our area, so if I have to pay these guys the amount they are asking for, or if they cannot get this issue solved in a week, and if they keep barring my outgoing calls, I will shift to Tata Indicom.
I remember my first romance. It wasn’t started even. It was gone even before I realized it. I was a teenager, a college drop-out in his sore (not sweet) Seventeen. I subscribed to this pen-friendship book which was published form Noida and got the address of this girl, who was 2-3 years younger than me. I could hardly understand, write or speak English at that time. There was her birth date listed in that book. The first thing I did was sending a birthday card made all by myself. Painted with watercolor. She wrote back, I replied. She gave me her phone number, I called. I spared some money from what I’ve been getting by working as a goldsmith, to make calls. She is in another district, almost on the south end. I kept calling in between and I called her when I got a chance to meet her. I had something to do in that town, so after my job, I called. She came with her friends.
She was kinda dissapointed on seeing me. An average, short guy in a normal pants and shirt and I looked almost horrible after the 8-hour long journey to that place. She asked “is that you?”, I said “Yes”. She was in her jeans and top, all black. A typical NRI child. I remember there was a friend of her, who cropped her hair and was very kind to speak to me. And her second friend was a brat, but good-looking. We met at this cafe cum bakery place. She wasn’t talking much to me, but to her friends. And then came 2 guys, so smart and stylish. One of them was a brat and other was kind (well, to me). I didn’t have anything to ask, so I asked “So you’re in ___ college, huh?”. She said “Yeah”. “And these are your classmates?”. Then the brat guy came inbetween the talk and said “__ is an all girls college man” and everybody laughed together. I didn’t understand what was funny in that. I don’t remember what else we talked upon.
Well, times have changed. She might be reading this or not. Girl, at that time I felt very bad and angry all by myself. Maybe my sense of inferiority that I was a goldsmith caught up between a group of NRI children. I felt like I caught up in an alien world. Now, I don’t feel bad about that. I’m more confident now. I’ve learned how to handle people. I know how to avoid the situations like those. My career changed, I’ve changed.
Now when I recall those days, I remeber those letters in the shape of heart and there was a card you sent me through post. It was beautiful. At least it gave me some good time in those not-so-good days. And I want to say Thank You.
http://www.abigailseymour.com
You don’t know how much I am obsessed with the background music of this website. It is a classic piece. Whoever put those hands on piano must be blessed. Take this website, minimize it and do your work (or whatever you do) on your computer. I’m doing it. Relaxing… and it’s rainining outside. How romantic it is…
It’s raining all day. From the last 3-4 days. It’s raining outside the house and inside the house. I decided not to write about the bad things that happens to me these days. Am sick of writing it. From dawn till dusk, it happens. I’m not going to write about the collapsed portion of our house in the last monsoon. I’m not going to write about my father and my mother. I’m going to write about how beautiful the rain is instead of writing about the fear that this house may collapse at anytime. Hell, if that happens. But I am going to live, I am going to fight with life and I am going to survive.
Did you happen to hear about the Tusnami festival? Last time it was on December 26th, 2004. It comes in every 50 years or so. Oh, don’t worry its not over yet. The party is still on. Since the last December. Yeah. And if you’re part of any NGO or GO, you can be a part of it. Not into anything yet? Don’t worry, just start something new and enjoy the party. The greatest thing about this festival is you don’t have to spend money, you’re gonna gain some. You’re gonna gain a hell lot of it. Maybe crores.
A public report by a NGO person shows that nearly FIFTY THOUSAND crores have come in/have been offered to Kerala state (only) through different channels. And much more is in the pipeline. All these money is channelled through various NGOs who work in the area with clear objectives. Most of them have religious agendas. and a clear division among the victims have come to the fore.
In a rough estimation, the Aarattupuzha and Alappat areas — these are the places in kerala that endured much of the suffering after the tsunami — is now experiencing the onslaught of NGOs. One agency put it as 450 NGOs are working in these areas. Another estimation is that 139 NGOs are working in this area only. These NGOs include Matha Amrithanandamayi, Sevabharathi, Various Christian organisations, non-religious organisations etc. In EKM district where less casualties have been reported, the NGOs are swarming like anything. They say the number of NGOs working here will go up to 800.
But on ground, nothing is to be seen. The victims still lurk in darkness, in distress, in dirt, in rain and in complete neglect. The first press meet attended by Oommen chandi (Chief Minister of Kerala) and the revenue minister K. M. Mani declared that the government would build a township in Alappad. The first project that got the nod in the area was the construction of two bridges and nothing solid has occured in the case of the people who still undecided on how to eke out a living. The govt is yet to see the ground realities and the NGOs are only interested in USING the funds.
The government did not clearly give a public report on what has been done, how much money came through, or what is being done. The media is not asking about that too. There are stories of descrimination against Dalit victims in the Ernakulam district. To read more about the descrimination, go through the following links:
Progressive Tsunami Help
The Hindu article
IndiaNet news info
Counter Currents
Related Links:
The Hindu article on ADB loan
Christian Post
Government Statistics
PS: Thank you Mr. R for sharing the valuable info with me.
