Clearing my system

'Gaali dena chahiye. Man halka hota hai,' said Sanju.

At it now.

Sabse bada rupaiya

In his latest Coke ad, Aamir Khan assures you that the drink is absolutely safe, etc.

Just tell me one thing: if the cola giants are so virgin-white, what's stoppin them from taking CSE to the court? There's something called the defamation suit, you know.

One guess: perhaps they learnt something from the McLibel trial.

The McLibel Trial is the infamous British court case between McDonald's and a former postman & a gardener from London (Helen Steel and Dave Morris). It ran for two and a half years and became the longest ever English trial. The defendants were denied legal aid and their right to a jury, so the whole trial was heard by a single Judge, Mr Justice Bell. He delivered his devastating verdict in June 1997.

But, whatever happened to the citizen Aamir?

And we still drink this shit

This news is a couple of days late, but I had to talk about it.

Coca Cola on Saturday told the Supreme Court something that the court was used to hearing only from the exectuive and legislature of the country: don't interfere.

"Coca-Cola, fighting allegations that its products contain high levels of pesticide, argued that it lay beyond the apex court’s powers to regulate soft drink contents or prescribe safety standards.

“In these circumstances, it is respectfully submitted that the interference of this hon’ble court would be entirely unwarranted and contrary to the constitutional scheme."

You figure it out

I was told recently that my blog lacked consistency. Yeah, perhaps true. But what should my blog be 'consistent' with? What should it 'focus' on? And why? Observe your chain of thoughts. Is there anything consistent about them?

There is nothing consistent within. Is that perhaps why we seek it outside?

This post is a think-aloud one. It perhaps makes as much or as little sense to you as it does to me. After writing this, I am filled with even more questions than what I began with. So, if you still wanna read, am delighted.

To come back to what I was saying, this comment (from a well-meaning fellow blogger) set me thinking about the search for consistency. Why do we seek a pattern, a code perhaps to decipher each other, or a situation? I have dealt with something similar before in my blog. The search for routine, a sameness, despite all the outerward clamour for change and 'something different'.

I think this search for consistency is mostly powered by our sense of well-being. We need to know, understand, and assess the situation we are in or the person we are dealing with to give the 'right' responses, to give us a sense of being in control, to not be 'surprised'.

Once we know, understand, and assess the situation/person, we dig in to our chest of past experiences for ready responses and if there isn't any, perhaps fashion a new one.

It's almost a need to 'orientalise', I guess. It's a basic, primal need. And I can't say I havent felt it ever. I used to need categories to put people/situations in and de-alienate them. I wanted coherence, perhaps I still do unconsciously. But consciously, at least, (I know, I know, I am making huge assumptions when I say 'consciously' and unconsciously') I have been trying to un-learn this need for quite some time now. Or, let's say, I'd like to believe that I'm un-learning it. The little life I have seen tells me that it's quite beautiful to not be in control, to leave some dimensions unknown, and also that there's much within to know, understand, and analyse, much inside that I need to familiarise myself with. Immense possibilities within...

Here's why I started this blog. It still holds true. I see variety in life and I love to be 'surprised' (or rather I realise you dont have a choice but to be surprised). I am many persons, so is my blog.

This definitely is not the end of this post. But I must thank him for some much-needed honesty :)

Of spirit and flesh

I share this chat here for your general entertainment. Any lucky Kannadiga males out there with profiles matching can contact Finny (while I run for cover).

me: this is what non-kannadigas dont understnad. bangalore can never stand for karnataka

me: there r at least 3-4 distinct regions in karnataka.

finny: okay. yes its pretty big

finny: but i have to say, i like the chillness of the kannadiga

finny: and theyre more often than not, elegant

me: hmm

finny: noble in some sense theyre not aware of

me: whats with the chill?

me: noble, yes :)

finny: i'm talking of the farmers also who walk down the city

finny: man, theyre so distinctly good looking and cool.

me: ;)

finny: ok. i'll stop there.

me: when i first came to Cal, I couldnt take my eyes off these bihari men bathing by the street tap

me: what ripplin bodies

finny: o

finny: still

me: all mostly hamals or rickshaw-pullers

finny: i prefer the spare economy of the kannadiga body

me: happily flauntin their wares

me: hmm, bihari is raunchy

finny: lean muscle and all

me: yeah, ok ok

finny: i hate raunchy

me: i love raunchy

finny: i hate raunchy

finny: i mean. whats the point?

me: i mean.. that's the whole point

me: and why not?

finny: lean muscle is spiritual and acheived

me: raunchy is the here and now

finny: it transcends

me: dust and earth

finny: the eternal

finny: immortal

me: this brings u down, most probaly with him on top

me: grin

finny: it levitates and becomes time

finny: what brings one down? the muscle

me: yes, a diff kind of mcuscle

finny: see if the spirit then he wont be wrangling with bodies anymore

finny: its like air

me: sprit be damned

finny: its is found. it is there.

me: cant survive on air

finny: the beauty of it

finny: the timelesness of it

finny: the belgaum boy

finny: (ok i dont know what that last thing is supposed to mean)

me: belgaum boys r as raunchy as bihari

finny: sorry the hubli boy

me: that too

finny: wherever the farmers ive seen are from

finny: now dont tell me they migrated from bihar

me: the shirsi boy, or bangalore boy may come close to what u say

finny: ok the sirsi boy

Will leave you there. Dare not publish the more explosive stuff...

For fear of flying

Warning: Work un-safe image ahead.

This madness will never stop

Will it?