What do you want for your birthday?

I’m amazed that the older people get, the less likely they are to tell you what they want as a birthday present.
I always ask someone whose day of birth is in the offing, and 30 years ago, the birthday-boy-to-be would have sure as hell told me exactly what he wanted. Nowadays, I have to contend with a bland “nothing”, and then the perfunctory, “just show up” (at the party).
Why should age dull one of the most delightful creations of humankind – gift giving?
Ask me and I will not hesitate to tell you what I want.

Me, posh

Take my advice, if you ever go for a concert make sure you’re in the VIP seats (right in front). It will always be worth it. The sound is always good there, one has easy access to toilets and the bar area. And most importantly you get the feeling that the artiste in question is performing solely for you and the 40,000 screaming cheapos behind are just gate-crashing your party.
Last night I broke this cardinal rule of mine on the insistence of friends and had to watch Coldplay along with the hoi-polli. Never again. Coldplay were brilliant, though.

An intellectual bail out, anybody?

What’s really needed in today’s world? Some original thought. A new breed of philosopher. Where are the Nietzsche, Sartres or Gandhis of the 21st century? If they are out there and I haven’t heard of them, then they are not loud enough. We need a new philosophy to challenge and inspire us.
All the brains went to Harvard and economically destroyed the world. Nowadays, those at the helm of public opinion seem more intent on twittering than on thinking.
An ideological, intellectual bail out is the need of the hour. In fact, money is the last thing we need.

Once we were found, now we are lost

Some times others say it best.
This from a beautiful mind:

I think it’s a difficult cusp for our generation.
We were brought up bonding, caring and sharing amongst neighbours and extended family. Very Amol Palekar films-like.
But we've grown up into an isolationist era. Most people are quick to aspire to the American dream, adopting the same stringent routines, lifestyles and getting isolated.
There is no chance one would feel this lost 20 years ago. Hanging out in the balcony in a banian, reading the paper and gossipping with the neighbour about the berozgaari.

I totally agree.

Quantitative easing

Quantitative easing. I love this term. It has potential. Like ‘zeitgeist’ or ‘tango on my tastebuds’, it’s a phrase that goes above and beyond the ordinary linguistic needs of everyday communication.
In its current context it’s used to describe how the US is dry humping the global economy - it means America is printing money. It’s the only country in the world that can – without devaluing its currency (or so it thinks).
So what do I have in my life that I can simply produce or create to ease my problems quantitavely, in a crisis?
I figure, only love.

A case for a different point of view

* Bruce Springsteen’s latest album makes a case for plain ‘ol rock’n’roll - devoid of experimentation, justification or self-glorification.
* Wall Street bankers make a case for self-destruction as the inevitable end to amoral evolution of a species.
* My perfectly healthy children make a case for not banning smoking in public places. (Of course, they don’t smoke, only their parents do).
* The Associate makes a case for John Grisham books now being ghostwritten by someone else.
* Tata’s Nano makes a case for… I’m not sure… It’s on the fringe of my consciousness, yes… wasteful expenditure.

Red scare

Liverpool are looking scary. I always said, until now, that after Man Utd, if I had to choose a club to back to win the league, it would be Liverpool.
I said that often because at the back of my mind I knew they were never serious contenders. They just didn’t have the squad, the bottle or the mettle to last the Premiership campaign.
Now, I might have to eat my words. Man U is choking and Liverpool is going from strength to strength.
Brace for the closest finish the Premier League has experienced since its inception. And pray.

India’s American Idol

Now we have another American Idol hopeful with Indian lineage waiting to be lapped up by an urban India still only too keen to have the West define their cultural and social achievements.
And you can’t beat winning American Idol in that category.
From what I’ve heard, Anoop Desai does have a better chance of winning than Sanjay Malakar did.
If I could somehow manage to hear Van Halen and Led Zeppelin, I could proudly declare that I have heard every great rock band that I grew up on ‘live’. Yesterday, I ticked off Deep Purple from the list.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

I believe there is now as strong a case for democracy being a seriously flawed socio-political ideology, as communism and socialism.
Can one be objective about communism’s noble ideals without in your heart believing it’s an evil ideology? The same with socialism, especially if you’ve been brought up on the thinking that democracy is the only way to exist happily. Democracy fuelled, fanned and fawned over the biggest economic disaster since 1929. So, should we ditch it? No. In the same way, we should not have thrown out communism and socialism, in totality. We need a new way forward.

This land is (not) your land

The Arabs from the Middle East have come to feel very threatened by the presence of the Indians in the Gulf. By Arabs, I mean Palestinians, Syrians, Jordanians, Iraqis, Egyptians, Lebanese, and to some extent the Turks. You see, they have much more in common with Arabs in the Gulf, religion and language, and hence, see Indians as outsiders. Especially the great swarm from the Malabar coast.
Why should fellow Arabs and Muslims share the oil wealth with Indians?
This was the feeling when the times were good. It’s only going to get more acute now in the recession.

Only human

I’ve stayed away from blogging about Manchester United because their form has been too good to describe.
Now they’ve been hammered at home by Liverpool. It takes pressure off fawning aficionados like me from having to come up with befitting soliloquies and thrusting them upon you.
Man United were reminded that they are only human. Nemanja Vidic was reminded that he too, is only human.
Frieda Pinto may need reminding as well. No, I’m not jealous as I have often been accused every time I point out that I can’t see what’s so special about her looks or acting.

Hey DJ, where's the music?

I am not a fan of electronic music. Fat Boy Slim is the closest a DJ comes to being a musician in my record. Alas, his show here had sound worse than anything I’ve ever heard at a major event, rendering the experience useless.
Last night I watched a bloke called Tiesto. What impressed me is that 5,000 people showed up to hear this music that is basically electronic sounds against varying drum rhythms and beat patterns. And seemed to enjoy it.
You either have to be on drugs, or if sober, then mentally unstable to like this music.

And that's why they call it the blues

On my last trip to Pune I heard a ‘local’ blues band. What struck me was, how pretentious and bad the music was. A blues chord progression and a harmonica section does not make you a blues band. I ran my assessments by some fellow musical hacks and one put it best: "Blues is a culture, something in your blood. You have to be born into the blues. Everybody isn't Clapton or Johnny Lang."
Indians make really good cover artistes. But guys, let’s not try going original on the blues, ok? If you do, try to be really good.

A rant

The Rating Agencies are certainly almost as guilty for the economic crisis as Pontius Pilate was of crucifying Jesus. They're now going to downgrade General Motors. Who gives a fcuk?! Somebody needs to tell the agencies and the entire US-UK-linked-and-bred financial system that there is a real world with billions of people out there who are hit by a mess they had no hand in creating.
And in the real world, nobody gives a flying copulation about the system and its incestuous rating agencies anymore.
These guys lived in a bubble that burst. They still don’t get it.

A new blood sport

The Ultimate Fighter Championship (UFC) is a league that brings together the world’s best mix martial artists (MMA) to compete. The UFC is an organisation in the making, though MMA has been around for some time now. You must be able to box, wrestle, kick-box and be a jiu-jutsu black-belt, at the very least. Fighters wear no headgear and box with gloves that leave fingers open to wrestle. It’s amazing and may soon dethrone boxing as the numero uno fight sport. Hatton versus Pacquiao may be the last really big boxing match. Boxing needs another Tyson or Ali.

Newspapers are closing down? Good!

Newspapers lost the plot the moment they stopped being the collective conscience and decided to be products.
I was with India’s largest English newspaper group when it went overboard trying to maximize profit. The Old Lady of Boribunder became the whore from Colaba.
I believe newspapers should not be for profit. To be a journalist is not a career, it’s a vocation. If you haven’t got beaten up, arrested, or at least threatened, don’t bother calling yourself a journo. Shut the papers.
Start anew. Return to the pursuit of truth and knowledge for the benefit of a better society.

Action and sex

A great author must be able to write a sex scene that leaves you turned on without being vulgar and a fight scene so real, your adrenaline is pumping.
I haven’t read them all, but in my book, Wilbur Smith is a master of the above. His African epics, among all other things, have the greatest action writing I have come across. And he is no slouch when putting his characters between the covers either.
In the same vein is Eric Van Lustbader and Louis L’amour, though there’s not much mating in the latter’s wild west. Any other suggestions?

Wisdom and stupidity

I have tried my best to stay away from obsessive posting. I see I might now have to keep tabs about going on and on about greed.

However, today words of wisdom and stupidity make headlines and deserve attention.
Bare-wreck Oh!Bummmer says: "We need access to credit.”
I say: No credit without a new fiscal value system.
Backing me up is Dubai’s chief of police, Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, who says: “The community needs to work together to improve quality of life for all. What is a reasonable profit?”
No profit is enough for capitalism and that is the problem.

I want to vote

I have voted in every Indian election since I was eligible to. This may be the first poll I will miss, unless they allow in-absentia voting. I am seriously considering flying down to cast my vote.
I have never wanted to migrate to Australia, New Zealand or Canada. I have a fondness for England, stemming from some Anglo blood far into the history of my mother’s side. I view the States with admiration and contempt, so I would love to visit. But, it’s India that is my home and India that I love and miss. I want to vote.

When bullies get beaten

Everybody loves to see a bully beaten. I noticed the general revelry over Australia’s series losses to India and South Africa in cricket. Especially with the Indian sports press, who cover cricket like a teenager having just discovered tits – with a permanent hard on. Australia’s demise as the No 1 cricketing nation was being celebrated.
In much the same vein, Dubai’s impending doom in the current scenario is being written up and reacted to with a certain glee that suggests an undercurrent of jealousy. Why, heaven knows.
Australia have just beaten South Africa at home, as for Dubai…

Legend and Blunt

I have now watched two immensely talented musicians live, and come away with the feeling that they sold out to pop. Alicia Keys, and now John Legend. When I first heard Legend he struck me as the next possible Lionel Richie.
As a producer, he may still be the next Quincy Jones, but as a performer, he is now a mish-mash of reggae, R’n’B and pop. No clear sound.
Unlike James Blunt, who has no pretension about being a legend and puts on a show that is full of the romantic angst he promises in his recordings. Simply beautiful.