Something unique I came across today. Disney is trying to sell me a trip to Disney World and this is how they promote it.




What a great idea!! :)

The following thoughts have been stimulated by the post, Cynic in Wonderland: Minding the Mind, by a friend. 

Dear Cynic, all your hypotheses about the slowdown in one's intellectual growth are just fine. What you have not done, is consider external elements that tend to shake up the equilibrium. Let me illustrate. A perfect example of these external elements would be children. Well, you did briefly mention, in your third hypothesis, "real life, earning one’s livelihood, responsibilities" and children, I would say, become your prime responsibility. Combine this with "earning one's livelihood" and you've got yourself a highly combustible mixture. Suddenly you see yourself sliding back down the left side of the bell curve. 
From devouring one cryptic crossword a day, suddenly you're down to five clues a month. From looking for intellectually challenging reads or New York Times bestsellers and the likes, suddenly you find yourself scanning the horizon for "Bruno learns to share" or "Pepper plays with fire" and other picture books with big letters. And, you know you've hit rock bottom when the only song you can think of to sing at the office picnic is "This old man, he played one...". 
Then when you're slowly climbing back up the curve with the children, you realise that this is not the same route you took when you were growing up. The curve looks a lot different now, a lot steeper than you remember. And you find that your children have no trouble running up it, they've already reached way above you and calling out to you from the top, mocking you, as you struggle to keep up.
So, dear Cynic, think about this, and think hard because there's no turning back, no exit, no escape route, nothing... once you've gone in through this door. 
Although, on the up side, if your inner child is still alive and kicking and wishes to stay that way, then these could end up being the best years of your life. In this case, you will find it just as exciting to plan a toddler-friendly trip to Disney World as you would a snorkeling trip to the Maldives. So the choice, dear friend, is all yours!

On Terrorists...

So, who are these guys?
Just random, young, lost souls that fall into the wrong sort of company? 
I mean, what kind of brainwashing techniques do the head honchos use on these poor souls? 
Must be something really strong and scientifically advanced... if you can be led to believe that you should kill all these innocent people to get to heaven! And if you can be led to believe that it is your God's command and that it is for Him that you must be prepared to kill others and yourself! Can't even begin to imagine the mental make-up of such people. Of the misleaders and the misled! 
What can you do to try and stop someone who is so prepared to die? 
What are they thinking? 
Do they not have even a molecule of mercy in their hearts? 
Why can't such kind of energy be channeled correctly and for good purposes? 
Or, wait, is this a good purpose for them? 
What is the end goal of these terrorists? 
To rule the world? 
Do they not see that they are a minority? 
Have they not heard all the stories where the good guys always win? 
Why do they bother? 
Why can't they live and let live? 
Or if they're so keen to die after all... then die and let live! 
Where do they get all the money from? 
Who finances their weapons and training camps? 
Whats in it for these financiers
Is it just some pocket change that they don't know what to do with? 
Or are they true believers in the spread of fear and tragedy? 
Why? Just because they have the power? 
I'm sure there are good people who are more powerful than these guys. Where are they? 
Why are they not financing some clean-up operations?
And why is everyone around me saying, "Oh well! There's nothing you can do about it!"?
I'm sure there is!
"Enough is enough... and enough is too much!" (- Popeye, I think.)

When everyone is cursing the politicos and how they don't do anything for the country ..blah blah blah, why should I keep my 20 paise to myself...


So, I think that the people governing this country are on an average, a bit too old. What kind of person does India want as a leader? Does India want a septu/octo-genarian, silver-haired person, with years of experience, but who can barely walk, or has a lullaby voice and reads his speeches as if he doesn't mean a word he says.

Wouldn't you rather have a face that is young, a face that is strong, a voice that is confident, speech that is vibrant and articulate and uplifting, a head that is always held high, a walk that is brisk and determined, a personality that exudes confidence and can represent a billion strong country all over the world? Would such a leader not give you a greater sense security?

I'm not saying that the experience of the octogenarians is not useful. It is! By all means, it is! But they should be among the advisers, they should be there backing up the ONE! That is why there is a ruling party and not a ruling person

At least the following changes need to be implemented, according to me:
  • Have a maximum age limit to hold such high offices.
  • Keep a minimum educational qualification level to stand for elections (at any level).
  • Do not allow anyone with even the smallest criminal record stand for elections for any office.
  • Abolish sycophancy - everywhere!
  • Make people aware. (yes, a very general statement)
  • A lot of young people today are afraid to join politics. Why? Rope them in.
  • Have transparency and accountability for every office in the government.
  • Punish bribers and those who accept bribes
What the general public can try to do to improve their own quality of life and not curse politicians for:
  • Keep their own surroundings clean
  • Do not accept/offer bribes
  • Understand the foreigners are not superior to us
  • Get as much education as possible
  • Do not give in to superstition
  • Do not blindly follow people who claim to have extraordinary powers
  • Keep a watch on people in your neighbourhood. Report suspicious activity
  • Let your religion be Humanity (I borrowed this thought from a friend. Thanks, A.)
  • Have a sense of responsibility for our country and its people (you're not just a drop in the ocean)
  • Do random acts of kindness...every little gesture goes a long way
Look... the main issue with India is its number of people... every single problem boils down to this. So why not try to turn this problem to our advantage?

Being a mother of two toddler boys, the past three and a half years have been a whirlwind of experiences, emotions, and activity. In today's modern India, any pregnant woman or new mother is inundated with free, often uninvited, advice from family, neighbours, friends, co-workers, the person next to you on the train, and anyone at all. I'm sure everyone means well, but it does tend to get to you after a while. I mean, you're already feeling all these new and different things and trying to deal with them, and on top of that you have to listen to all this from people. I'm not saying that one shouldn't be listening, some of this free advice does turn out to be very helpful in the end.

Things that I took note of and think are worth sharing... (yes, here I go with my free advice now... I'm one of THEM!)

  • First and most important... NEVER let your mother (or anyone else) nag you!! Obviously she is more experienced in being a mother than you are! And obviously, she's done a great job at it! But hey, you live in a different world than she did when she was a new mom. I mean, you have your maternal instincts too. Also, there have been tons of medical advances since then, so what she faced during her delivery may not be like what you go through during yours. So listen to everything that she has to say, but think about it a little before you implement it.
  • This is something that a very good friend, who also happens to be a paediatrician, told me.. She said "No matter what, enjoy your baby!" I was asking her all these questions about my new baby and why he behaved the way he did, etc. She told me that every baby is so different and that I shouldn't worry about it and make sure I enjoy every experience as far as possible. If the baby is cranky, you really will not know the reason why.. try different ways to comfort her, play it by ear, try to figure out what your baby likes best. It worked very well for me... She also told me to "sing to your baby, he will love it." I still do... I don't know if they like it, but they don't complain too much!! 
  • If you are happy, your baby will be happy. The baby can feel what you feel... so the time that you're tired, sleepy and irritated, that's the time that your baby is the crankiest! Its a rule!! Its really tough to be calm at such moments, but try.. have patience.
  • NEVER EVER ever compare your baby with someone else's. And NEVER EVER let anyone else compare your baby with someone else's. So what if some random relative's baby started to talk when she was 9 months old, or was potty trained at 7 months!! Good for her! Your baby will probably know the alphabet backward by the time he's 15 months old.. who knows! Each baby takes their own time.. and they all come around eventually. My two sons are the exact opposite of each other. Its amazing how two children, who have the same parents and are growing up in the exact same environment, can be so different. The older one was saying words like "absolutely" and "Utkarsh", articulately, when he was 18 months old. The younger one is now 18 months and he barely says a few words like "Mummy", "Daddy", "Dada", etc.
  • Take care of yourself. Make sure that you're strong enough to take care of your baby. Even if it means that you have to eat your dinner before anyone else, or eat more than anyone else.
  • Try to spend some time for yourself. Its tough, but find an hour and go shopping.. or for a drive.. or for a coffee with a friend. It sure is very refreshing. 
  • Go back to work as soon as you can. People will tell you that you must spend all your time with your baby, or that your baby needs you more than anything, or that you are very selfish to be going back to work. Ask those same people to come back to you when in less than 6 years, your child will begin to go to school for a long time of the day, and want to spend more time with their friends than with you. What will you do then? Your career would have passed you by, your children will be old enough not to be completely dependent on you.. what then? Unless, of course, you have an alternative and can take a break for x years! I do know one lady (a very lucky lady) who went back to doing a full-time job after a long break (some 9-10 years). She is a rare example.
  • The baby's father is a parent too... he has half the share of the baby, so he'd better share half the work with you. A lot of Indian daddies of today are very hands-on and involved with bringing up their babies (as they should be), but still a large number are not. Well... we know you work really hard all day, and you're tired and need rest to wake up and go back to work tomorrow, and all that... but hey... we work hard enough as well, we could do with a hand. She's as much your baby as she is mine. You'll probably end up missing all the best moments of being a parent! Its very important that daddies get used to washing the baby's bottom or feeding them. My husband will vouch for the fact that he has had some of the best experiences ever, as a completely hands-on dad. 

I could go on about this!! But in closing, all I can say is that everyone's experiences are so different, and that I've been really, really lucky all these years!

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