Are you sure?

These days I get more calls from banks/clubs/resorts/mutual funds than I get from my acquaintances. I wonder if there is a sign there. May be I will stop leaving my name at all these fancy lucky dips and feedback forms. Most of these phone calls, I politely say no to and then disconnect. However, sometimes curiosity gets the better of me and I start probing. 

Something similar happened the other day. I got a call from a resort in Goa and the lady on the other side asked me if I remembered that resort. I told her with so many resorts coming up everyday, its difficult to remember yours. She sounded disappointed. I think she would have hung up that minute had it not been for the "call-of-duty". She dutifully started asking me the regular questions after dangling the carrot that your name has come out in a lucky draw. If these resorts had their way, most of the population would win this "lucky-draw"! 

Coming back to her questions, the best moment in the conversation came after she had gone through the customary name (yeah they call you and ask you your name,imagine!), address, marital status etc. Then she asked me my age. I said 28. After a moment of silence (where she wondered why did I waste my time on this fool), she said this lucky draw is valid for people above 32. I said Oh!I think i missed the opportunity of my life. She then asked me a question which many people have asked me before but in different contexts. "Sir are you sure you are 28 and not 32?" 

So here I was being questioned on my age once again. Aray do people have a problem if I am young? Do I need to be 32 just because I need to look old in a business meeting or just because I have to win a 'lucky draw' of some resort! I protest. I am 28. And I am sure.

From bad to strange

Call it the effect of my blog (too optimistic I know) or better sense, Deccan Chronicle has a different set of designs on the hoardings now. If you haven't read my older post, they had a hardly-clad lady with newsprint on her body all over the town. 

However, they now have some strange messaging on the billboards. I really want to find out who their advertising agency is! Wish they came up with something better.

One newspaper that I want to try out for a few days is The New Indian Express. May be I would, in the next few days. Till then, I shall stick to the semi tabloid – TOI. 

Vicious circle

The first time that I had come across the words 'Vicious Circle' was when I had read the Ogden Nash poem in my 8th or 9th standard. This is how it goes...

"And this, O Fate, is I think the most vicious circle that thou ever sentest,
That Man has to go continually to the dentist to keep his teeth in good condition
when the chief reason he wants his teeth in good condition
is so that he won’t have to go to the dentist."

Several years later, the best place that I think this word fits is in the politics of politics. I will explain what I mean with the example of the state which I stay in - Karnataka. Half a decade back, Bangalore was seen as the fastest growing IT city in the country. People were talking about it as the next big metro and the place to be in if you want to make it big. 

However, in the last five years, the state has been in the news for mostly wrong reasons. The infrastructure has crumbled, there have been fancier taxes introduced, crime has increased and overall the city and the state have lost the initial sheen. The primary reason for this I feel is the state government. 

The state was already going downhill when HD Kumaraswamy took over as the CM. However, he and his ministers just accelerated the whole process. They had a clear agenda, fleece the state with whatever money it has made and get out. Illegal contracts were signed, big deals were struck, dubious companies were given out contracts and in the process the state of the state and the city were completely ignored. Put together every problem in any of the state across the country and you will witness the unison of all of them in Karnataka. So how is it a vicious circle you may ask. This is how. 

Politics these days is one of the best professions to be in. It offers instant riches (if you win the elections that is). However, like most businesses it demands initial investment also. So you have the parties pumping several thousand crores, the seasoned politicians putting in several hundred crores and the new ones putting in a couple of crores (that figure has started sounding alarmingly small!!). Where does this money go? In canvassing, buying illicit liquor/gifts, transporting man power and muscle power, offering huge bribes and so on. So this is about investment, where is the income I hear you ask!

The income is when you have won the election. Then you have the state at your mercy. You slowly start taking the money out of the system. Every deal gets you the share, every big project sanctioned fills up the coffer. Development of the state as promised takes a back seat, development of the personal fund account becomes priority. We ask why do you do this? You say, can't help it, we invested so much, somewhere we have to make the money, right. 

Imagine the money floating around when you have 50 crores and a ministerial berth being offered to some independent MLA so that he can give the required numbers to make it to the state government. Imagine the state of affairs when the election commission has to declare dry day a day before the voting, hoping the parties don't promise liquor and get bogus votes! 

This is not just happening here. Its what happening everywhere. The politicians are thinking of innovative things to sell and make money. And I fear, the day is not far when they will run out of things to sell. Only to then sell even the houses that we stay in! Ya ok, that was too cynical. But believe me, its coming. 

The vicious circe of going back to the dentist could be stopped. May be by being careful about your dentures. But the vicious circle of politics, I am afraid my friend, will probably never stop. Unless there is another Gandhi sitting out there! 

A Masterwork and then a disaster

The only time that I have written a movie review was when I had watched Sarkaar. I was so much in love with the movie that after I watched it, I straight went to a review site and wrote how much I loved the movie and that RGV has finally arrived. 

I went to watch Sarkaar Raj with similar expectations. More so after a friend had watched a special screening a few days back and told me that this movie will RGV come back to his class. However, I was terribly disappointed. Its just old whine in a new 'family' bottle. Hackneyed plot, same extreme close-ups, now-irritating dim lighting and strange unfit dialogues. These don't make a film. In fact, there were times when I felt so bored, I was looking around if someone was walking out. Don't we all wait for someone else to walk out before we can also run to the exit! The reason why I am telling you this is because in case you haven't yet watched SR yet, think about your decision to watch it. And if you already have, let me know if you agree with what I felt. 

Speed thrills

I have always admired the way most women drive. Whatever they drive, its as if they are being chased by a scum. So its usually full throttle. If its a two wheeler, the sight to watch is how their legs come down as soon as they hit the brakes. Obviously, the only time they are in full control of their vehicle is when they are belting the accelerator. 

I have usually not had too many experiences when I have sat behind or sat beside a lady driver. However, yesterday was a case study in itself. And all that I have come to believe over the years has come true. I was sitting beside a very good friend of mine with my father in the back seat. Its important that I mention that my father is one of those old-timers who has been driving from the days when the speedometer probably did not have numbers beyond 90. So his safe speed on a highway is 70 and within the city... well lets just leave it at that. 

Coming back, so with my dad sitting behind even I don't drive beyond 80-90. And here we were with the lady driving us towards the International Airport with the roads recently tarred, going full throttle. Completely oblivious to the heart beat of my dad which was probably much faster than the car speed. Throughout the way, the car was driven in 4th gear. Believe me, at one point when I mentioned to her that you must shift to the 5th gear, she said she did not have one. These days I guess even Muruti 800 comes with a 5th gear. I said I think you do. She looked at the gear, saw 5th written there and said, oh yes, I do. And do I need to mention what my dad went through while she was looking down trying to figure if there is actually a 5th gear. So much so for women driving. 

 The point that I am trying to make here is, Speed Thrills. But lady drivers, they just Kill. Hence Proved.