Poly-this, poly-that

One of the base, simplistic, reactions to the last post is often, why polygamy, why not polyandry? I’m for poly-anything as long as it works in a social setting to the betterment of all involved. I don’t actually think polygamy would work in a setting that is based on Pauline (St Paul) Christian values. Or say, a post-modern Western urban setting. The woman has evolved weaker, physically, than the male and therefore, quite simply, will struggle to overthrow a polygamist regime and replace it with a polyandrist one. Guile and charm can always be employed of course, but, unlikely.

Morality

What is morality? Is morality part of human DNA? Or is morality simply humans being conditioned to live in a certain type of societal setting? After three years in an Arab Muslim social setting, polygamy is no more an issue of morality in my mind. I know and have met educated, beautiful, successful, modern Arab women, who out of choosing and even love, are second or third wives. They are not ashamed and there is no stigmata attached. They show no sign of subjugation, exploitation or denigration of the woman, that is attached to the moral stand on polygamy.

Overpunctuated

I have never been one for the technical aspect of language. Etymology fascinates me but that’s it. As a serious writer surely all aspects of language must be given a serious look at. Grammar is my biggest nemesis. Don’t ask me subject, verb or predicate, because I don’t know. Recently, recognizing that if I ever did win the Booker, it would be handy to know some Grammar, I embarked upon a book called Eats Shoots and Leaves. It’s an absolutely brilliant book on punctuation. I love punctuation now. To the point, where, if you notice, I might overpunctuate myself.

Steal my thunder

When I got my tattoos no one in my circle of acquaintances had one. And I know a lot of people. Now, every second person I meet has his/her body inked.
When I did cocaine, it was still a hard drug that you could do hard time for, and therefore, once word got around, you were looked on with awe, fear, a bit of pity and some disgust. Just before the cops in Maharashtra and Goa went ape shit on the drug scene recently, every body was powdering their noses.
Populism of the anti-culture is stealing my thunder. Damn!

The Sexiest Olympian

And just like that, the Beijing Olympics 2008 are over. I thought of doing the usual roundup – Athlete of the Games, Moment of the Games, Loser of the Games. Instead, I decided to do the Sexiest Olympian. Immediately, all male athletes were out of contention. It’s not just about the looks. To be the ultimate Olympian turn-on, you must have a super body, and more importantly, have won a medal. The sexiest athlete for me at this games, given the above criteria – Russian Yelena Isinbayeva.
The title of her autobiography will be, ‘It’s not about the pole’.

Let Kashmir go

India should be broken up into a confederation of states with a common army, but each on their own for money. The old hack stories – Bombay’s municipal taxes footing the entire bill for Parliament; Karnataka’s economic growth when taken alone, rivaling that of China’s – shaped this early view of mine. But nowhere does this argument augment itself more, than in happenings of Kashmir. For the first time the nation’s top political experts and commentators have roundly raised the issue of an Independent Kashmir. And I could not agree more. It is just not worth it any more.

Mum, skip this one. Really.

I took my kids, a girl and boy, to see the annual boob parade, where porn stars cycle down the road topless in a tribute to glory and power and mesmerizing beauty of the mammary glands. I thought it was fitting that they learnt to appreciate that a nice pair of tits is a thing to be admired, devoid of all guilt and sexual pretension. After that we went for a sandwich and coke to the local strip bar, where we discussed morality and the female body. And pole dancing. Then, headed home.
I wonder if this is possible.