Lyrics..

I've repeated myself often enough in my blogs to emphasize the fact that I'm fascinated by the way in which words can be twisted to mean so many different things, based on intonations, context, emphasis, speaker, audience and even the language.

Tonight, I rather feel like posting this video..with beautiful lyrics in Hindi..and of course, its a bonus that it has english subtitles...

Planning is fabulous!

I like to plan everything. Most of the time, plans don't work out. My dad's favourite quote is 'Man proposes, God disposes'. In this instance, man proposes, fiance accepts. Such a sweet proposal - so much detailing went into the planning - very nice!

I wasn't planning on blogging tonight, but after seeing this video, couldn't resist updating it..hope you like it..

Mass markets and victimization

Lisi Tesher's article in today's metro was quite interesting. She was discussing the recent large scale product recall by Mattel Inc. Her very brilliant suggestion to protect North American consumers from such defective products is to "make a conscious effort not to buy anything made in China."

Apparently, quite a few major retailers have recalled their defective products from the mass-market, and these products were all made in China. So, Lisi concludes that North American consumers i.e., you and I, should individually refrain from buying any Chinese made product. To me, that is plain stupidity. We are punishing a nation and its economy for the incompetence of a few retailers. Is it not the responsibility of the company to ensure that their product is checked for all safety standards? No matter which country the production has been outsourced to, the company who markets and sells the final product, should be the one held liable for its defective merchandise. Why should China take the blame? Is it not a case of the victim being victimized?

I remember a few years ago, when Mad Cow Disease was diagnosed in the Canadian Prairie provinces. Immediately, the border and effectively, the market for Canadian meat in USA came to a standstill. So, the Prairie provinces suffered huge financial losses. Of course, we were all up in arms about how unfair the American system was to blame all Canadian farmers for the mistake of a few. Now, that our situation is reversed, we do not hesitate to blame others.

As a follow-up to Lisi's article, the Metro also reports that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his North American politcal counterparts are planning to "block the import of unsafe
foods and products, especially toys, as they closed a summit dedicated to more integrated continental trade and security."

Ah, the irony and the idiocy! They attempt to victimize the diseased, rather than treat the cause of the disease itself...

Street children..butterflies or businesspeople?

I wonder, if we ever think about those children we see on the streets - whether it's in India, Nigeria or here in Canada. When I was growing up in India, I've seen kids barely older than me, with tattered clothing and dirty faces along the streets or begging in traffic. In Lagos, I've seen babies begging in heavy traffic or selling water in the go-slow. Even in Toronto, I've seen homeless teenagers on the streets downtown.


As a child in India, my reaction was typically to ignore them and see through them. In Lagos, I use to notice them only in passing, I was too busy with my life. Now in Toronto, I look at them and I wonder what could have brought them to such a situation. In all those scenarios, I have felt guilty about not helping them. With the huge hue and cry today's celebrities have raised about third-world children and charities, the world seems to be overflowing with NGOs and Christian missionaries hell bent on working with the poor. I've always been quite sceptical about this - maybe it comes from growing up in middle-class India, where you're taught to doubt people's motives, especially when they tell you they are trying to help you purely out of the goodness of their heart.


But today I read about an organization, the Butterflies, who were responsible for creating and supporting this, a bank run by children, streetchildren to be very specific. The bank is called Children's Development Bank, and operates only after 6pm in the night, when these children can get away from their menial day jobs as rag-pickers, utensil cleaners and other odd-end tasks. To me the best thing about this initiative was the independence and confidence, it would give these kids. I had parents, family and friends who loved me, supported me and believed in. These children probably did not have too many supporters or believers, until they came into this project. For that, I am grateful to the organization and to the initiative.

I'm sure there are many obscure groups and similar intiatives, but being ignorant about those other groups, does not necessitate or provide justification, if I ignored this wonderful initiative.


Excellent work!

Progressive, we are not...

Although I am feeling sick today, and the last thing I want to do is blog, I cannot resist these few words.

I believe in freedom, in choice, and in your individual right. However, like most citizens, I do not question society's genral norms and rules. D. J. Bourdeaux's article is a fascinating read, and brings forth some valid arguments:

These "Progressives" want America to "progress" back to a state of mind that holds that we ordinary men and women are so naturally weak in mind, body and willpower that we must be protected by heroic white knights from nefarious forces intent on destroying us. Just as feudal lords protected their serfs from being raped and pillaged by invading hordes, so, too, will the modern state protect us helpless and ignorant ordinary folk from unsafe foods, immoral drugs, blackhearted corporations, naughty words and inexpensive foreign products.

He further goes on to conclude,

Of course, when medieval superstitions, stasis and status eventually gave way to individualism, society did not collapse. It thrived as never before. Great cities were built. The profit motive led entrepreneurs to invent lifesaving medicines, more abundant food supplies, vibrant cultural products available to anyone who wished to partake in them and creature comforts undreamed of by even the wealthiest medieval monarchs.

In short, individualism -- and the freedom and free markets that it entails -- sparked and sustained progress as never before.

Today's "Progressives" seek a return to the status and static society in which the few direct and "protect" the many. That, of course, is the opposite of genuine progress.

Well written article.

Long weekend..

Typically in Canada, we have one long weekend in every month of the summer - our excuse to relax, meet with family and friends and enjoy. My family has never used any of these long weekends, except as an excuse to laze at home, and enjoy the fact that we have a 4 day work week :).

Contrastingly, this year it feels like we have used almost all those long weekends - very eventful, I think. Today mark's the end of another long weekend for us - we have one more to go before the acadmeic year sets in. This weekend, we had family visiting, went out to lunch, dinner (constantly and that's surprising for me, since I prefer to eat at home), and we even went to Niagara Falls.

Now, to out of state/country visitors, the Falls are a once-in-a-lifetime setting. For people who live in Canada, especially Ontario, it feels like our only claim to fame..sometimes. Everyone who visits us invariably wants to go see the Falls, so we have been there..quite a few times. However, we din't go to the Falls in the past two years almost, so this visit was quite refreshing..and of course, couldnt resist a few pictures. Since I was the lone photographer in my family :), here are the best shots - aaahh...frameworthy, dont you think?

The Falls on the American side:

The Canadian side of the Falls (the entire horseshoe):
The Falls - both sections together - gorgeous isn't it?
Of course, can't resist ending this with another picture of the Canadian side - look, I even managed to catch a bird mid-flight :)