Obituary: Common Sense

An Obituary printed in the London Times........ Interesting and sadly rather true.

'Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents Truth and Trust, his wife Discretion, his daughter Responsibility, his son Reason.

He is survived by his 4 step brothers:
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim


Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Serial Killers

The other day I happened to watch an Ekta Kapoor serial for a few minutes. Basically, Mom and Biwi were watching it and I just happened to be in the same room at that time reading the newspaper.

The scene was thus. A group of youngsters dressed in party wear were talking about smoking openly at home. At which one of the girls says that her Mom and Dad were pretty cool about it and there was no problem in fagging or boozing at home. She takes out a ciggie and is about to light it when her Dad appears. This cool Dad, apparently named Mr Walia, approaches her with anger on his face, shouts at her saying she was not supposed to smoke that cheap brand of cigarettes and asks her to smoke the best and costliest brands available. And he walks away ushering his servants to serve costly liquor to his children and their friends. The scene closes with one of the girls telling what a cool Dad she had.

Now, according to biwi.. it was a plan that Mr Walia was using to get his children off smoking. Ok.

I, as a non-regular viewer, saw almost 10-15mins of the episode. There might have been hundreds across the world who might have channel surfed and landed on this channel at the time the scene in question was being screened.

They would surely not know the story, and hence such a scene forms an indelible impression on those minds. If they are young malleable minds, it might send them into a whirlpool of unhealthy activities. Not just smoking and drinking, but also expecting parents to be appreciative of that.

I might be ok with a solitary dialogue in which one protagonist might ask another to smoke or drink, but an entire scene lasting atleast 10minutes unfolding on an entertainment channel is completely the wrong thing to happen.

More views solicited.

Tagged a-long

Honoured to have been tagged by Chandni

So here goes...

I am: basically a nice chap, masquerading as a rogue.

I think: a lot of things. My mind is never ever idle.

I know: that I am capable of so many things that I dont even try.

I want: small comforts and only happiness

I have: my brains intact and working.

I wish: that people get some civic sense.

I hate: people spitting on roads and those who drive the wrong way.

I miss: Bangalore and its weather, and the uncountable hours spent at CCD 7th blk, Jayanagar

I fear: God

I feel: that there is a lot of good we can do to others if we think selfishly.

I hear: the damn alarm on my mobile every morning :(

I smell: blood!

I crave: to just take a train ride across the entire country!

I search: using Google.

I wonder: if Manmohan Singh can ever get out of Sonia's shadow.

I regret: not finding my wife earlier.

I love: my sweetheart biwi.

I ache: when I'm deprived of my rightful place in front of my comp.

I am not: a saint.

I believe: that I have the answer to all the traffic woes of Hyderabad.

I dance: when i need to make my wife laugh!

I sing: always, in my mind..

I cry: within myself. Seldom express my pain/frustrations to others.

I don’t always: get what I want.

I fight: with some bozo or the other, everytime I drive.. much to biwi's chagrin!

I write: only on my blogs.

I win: rarely against biwi... whether its arguments or a card game or monopoly.

I lose: my temper easily.

I never: will leave my biwi.. for her always.

I always: want to be the best.

I confuse: others.. naah, just joking.

I listen: to old hindi songs.. mukesh, rafi, kishore, saigal..

I can usually be found: online atleast thrice a day, either on the comp or the mobile.

I am scared: of failure.

I need: flattery.

I am happy about: the fact that I'm doing this tag.

I imagine: myself and biwi as a khadoos old couple nagging the neighbour's kids n grandkids day in and day out!!!

I tag: Chakoli, Cinderalla, Pri, Anjuli, Ria and Ankur.

A year and a half

Its an year and a half exactly to the day since me & D exchanged wedding vows (woes ??) !


Have taken an off from work and we are gonna celebrate it together. Going out for a nice drive, to be followed by a neat lunch. This would also be a gift to her for the challenge I lost a few days back. Thanks folks for the idea! I hope to have a wonderful time ahead.

Enviro-ideas

Folks

Tomorrow is World Environment Day.

Give three solid ideas that can make a small but sure positive impact
on the nature. Keep your ideas practical and simple.

The best opinions featured in the comments will be displayed in the
next post here.

Go Green.
With Trees, not envy!

Lost it !

I'm happy that I've lost the Abstainism Challenge. Even the Biwi was sure that I'd not survive the entire duration. Let alone a week, even 3 days were tough going. So folks, I'm back!

Now for the catch.. ab biwi ko kuch toh gift dena padega.. so suggest something achcha, sasta and tikau !!!