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Sunday, February 26, 2006

Double Standards

Help! The Arabs are taking over our ports!

We like globalization but only when we can explot cheap third-world labor, and sell the product back to them at an enormous profit. Such is the double standard being exhibited by the US of A right now. Even the worldly literati (like Maureen Dowd in today's Toronto Star) are crying foul. I can't characterize this reaction as anything but selfishness. I'm sorry America, but you can't expect the world to let you lead when you portray such blatant double standards.

On one hand the argument goes something like this. We're the world's most powerful nation. We don't like Arabs. We feel very scared right now. So we must have everything our way. Well - guess what America - you don't have everything your way. Here's what the politicians are not telling you. Your enormous national debt is being financed by Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and many emerging economies. A fraction of your oil dollars are ending up in the hands of terrorists. Your own domestic oil industry is heavily owned and controlled by Arab oil interests. One of your biggest banks - Citigroup - is controlled by Arab sheiks. All your consumer goods are made in China - a communist nation. Many of your well-respected corporations are incorporated offshore - outside the clutches of US law. Do you feel scared now?

On the other hand, does the world cry out when the US Navy controls all the major shipping channels in the world? No. Does the world complain when Microsoft collects $99 on (almost) every PC produced in the world? No. Do we flinch when yet another American CEO collects a $100 million bonus? No. Do we complain when Wal Mart wants to set up shop in our backyards? Maybe a little.

Now one might argue that American busiiness are held to higher standards and accountability as compared to a shady Arab outfit. Well, first of all not all Arab outfits are shady. Citigroup is one of the world's largest, well-respected banks - with the biggest shareholders being Dubai-based sheikhs. Secondly, two of the world's largest bankruptcies happened in America: Enron and Worldcom. As far as the security question goes - America still has the world's largest military. They created the TSA because private airlines couldn't be trusted with security. Why are ports any different? Besides, guarding the ports is a well-defined function of the US Coast Guard anyway. So there you go.

Dubai is one of the largest, most efficiently run ports in the world. One would think they qualify based on merit to operate a large volume of the world's shipping trade. The only argument that should be raised here is the issue of consolidation. It's never a good idea to concentrate too much in the hands of one power group.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Raat Baki

Raat baki, baat baki
Hona hai jo, ho jane do

Socho na, dekho to
Dekho haan, janeja
Mujhe pyaar se

Kashti jawaan dil ki toofan se takara gayi
Manzil muhabbata ki ab to kareeb aa gayi
Aaa dekhle, hai kya maza, dil haar ke

Awaz yeh hai to anjaam hoga haseen
Deewane parwane marne se darte nahin
Aa dilruba, khul ke zara, mil yaar se


Downloaded and heard this song after AGES. Pretty fucking cool. It's like one of the earliest songs I remember taking a fondness to :) Parveen Babi swooning over something ... can't remember. Gawd I was gay!

Friday evening

- Sleep all evening
- Wake up at 8:30pm after repeated wake-up calls from friends.
- Waste time till 9:15.
- Make 4-egg, 1-yolk omlette
- Enjoy with leftover wine
- Smoke a bud with a friend
- Head to Tangos at 10:30 - woo hoo ... no line
- Get insanely drunk
- Exchange sly glances with cute twinks on dance floor
- Let wisdom prevail and not pursue cute twinks
- Leave at the decent hour of 1am
- Stop by Pizza Pizza on the way back and load up on a cheese slice
- Write blog entry - anything to avoid sleeping :-)

Adsense II

This is getting interesting. I've made about a buck in one week. The ads have been interesting so far:

- plastinated human specimens
- Canadian cooking supply store
- weight loss
- Hong Kong relocation
- Canadian Fur

Let's see how this goes.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Associations

Notice how a particualr song, or piece music takes us back in time? Back to where we were when we heard it most? Your mind starts to feel the same way again. You can see flashes from your past. The sights, the smells, the tastes, the emotions start to come back.

Currently playing - "Let's Talk" by Coldplay. Takes me back to July 2005. This CD was in my car player on those long drives between Virginia, Pittsburgh and Toronto. Also in my car the day Siddharth was born - the long drive early on Tuesday from a sleepy overcast Toronto to a sunny, busy Pittsburgh, my only directions being to look for the Forbes/Oakland exit in downtown Pittsburgh. Later that week, trying to jump-start the car multiple-times with the dead battery and all. Huddled under the hood trying my hand at replacing a car battery (cause the Germans make their cars so complex, no one dares to touch them).

In a perfect world I would forget all this stressful stuff, but these memories are also mixed in with some very happy ones. Welcoming a new addition to the family. Watching in awe as this tiny precious life squirms, squints, takes one look at you and goes back to sleep, feeling safe in your arms.


So you don't know where you're going, and you wanna talk
And you feel like you're going where you've been before
You tell anyone who'll listen but you feel ignored
Nothing's really making any sense at all
Let's talk

So True

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Movie Quotes

Some memorable movie quotes:


Auntie Mame: "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death"


Mommie Dearest: "NO WIRE HANGERS - EVER"


The Opposite of Sex: "(I feel) like the Baroness in The Sound of Music. While everybody's just singing and climbing an Alp. And I just wanna STUFF THAT GUITAR UP THAT NUN'S ASS!"


As Good As It Gets:
Carol: Why can't I have a normal boyfriend? Just a regular boyfriend, one that doesn't go nuts on me!
Mom: Everybody wants that, dear. It doesn't exist.

Melvin: "People who talk in metaphors oughta shampoo my crotch."


Breakfast at Tiffany's: "Well, when I get (the mean reds) the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then - then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name!"

AdSense

Yayy. My AdSense account is up and running. And guess what? My blog has been viewed 158 times in the last two days (and there aren't the same people reloading the page). Hmm ... who would've thought.

So far I have made 11 cents - based on one ad click - which was probably just me fooling around :)

Monday, February 20, 2006

Bhel

Just made some sweet-corn bhel. Except I have no bhel-mix - and too lazy to drive out to Gerrard St. Just realized what would've made this bhel complete. Chopped raw mangoes. I have to make do with amchur instead.

Body Worlds

My friends and I spent this afternoon at the Ontario Science Centre checking out the Body Worlds exhibition. It was a cross between an anatomy class and an art show. Carefully dissected and plasticized body parts in display cases. Entire bodies flayed out and arranged like art installations. Thinly sliced sections of body parts mounted on glass. Overheard comments like - "this is making me hungry". There was a section of a leg that looked like ham. Learnt something new about the male anatomy, and saw parts of the female anatomy for the first time.

Although I have a good stomach for this stuff, the only part that disturbed me was a 3 month old fetus inside a cut-open uterus. Got me thinking about abortions. Although I am a firm defender of choice in these matters, it will definitely make me think twice if I am faced with the situation.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Shopping Diary

Confessions of a brand whore.

H&M: Hasn't changed much. Found a fabulous floral-print fitted shirt. Checked if I could pull off a Small. Who am I kidding - swapped it for a Medium. A lovely shade of red catches my eye - full-sleeve shirt - more dressy than the other one but fits like a charm. Explore various varieties of dog tags. H&M is a great place for cheap accessories. Finally settle on a green-bead wrist thingy - and a cloth belt to match. Ran into Aman again - he probably thinks I'm stalking him.

Walk down two escalators to avoid the Sears labrynth. Blue Note tees looked too butch. Stiches had nothing for boyz. On I go. Now who the hell put up a tropical bar in the middle of Eaton Centre?

Hollister: If this is the future of shopping - I might as well take up 'sanyas' right now. Apparently Toronto winters aren't depressing enough so they build this dark, wood-paneled thing that looks like a tropical plantation home - at night. The only lighting in there is strategically placed spots on their wares. Walk in. Feel suicidal 30s later. Walk out. Stuff looks like A&F.

Club Monaco: Not much new since the holidays. Strut in. Check out the boyz. Try on jeans - wash looks interesting - fit is not. Strut out.

Browns Shoes: Interesting pair of Diesels. $180. Promptly return to shelf and strut out.

Mexx: Sad. No sale rack. Strut out.

Gap: Same old same old.

Le Chateau: Casual-wear is disappointing. Formal-wear is interesting. Shoes even more. Lone sales guy in mens' section too busy attending to Arab shopper. Strut out.

Banana Republic: The Canadian editions continue to disappoint. I won't return till I need more of their crew-neck colored tees. Those are the best. Awesome colors, snug fit and they keep their shape. Great for layering and color-coordinating.

Town Shoes: I see potential. Unfortunately my shoes situation is in a mess right now. Need to match up with some outfits.

Sephora: Nose overwhelmed the minute I walk in. They need better air-handling. Try about 30 different colognes. Nose numb. Settle for Hugo Boss - they've been good to me since the 80s. Mental note to look for Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet at Heathrow.

Closing time. Come home, make some cheese toast and enjoy with excellent Pinot Grigio to Salaam Namaste soundtrack.

Bluffmaster

Hats off to those guys for making Bombay look SO fabulous! Fun movie too.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Experiment - II

Ok. So there's more to this. After a sign-up process the Gods of Google have deemed that my account needs a 'review' before full activation. Until then, we will be goaded into helping hurricane victims untill one of us dies of shame, or OD's on crawfish and alcohol. Damn I should've attended Mardi Gras.

Experiment

Often, while browsing through the blogger dashboard, I've come across the little link called "AdSense". Today curiosity got the better of me and I enabled Google ads on my blog. Now before y'awll go all ghetto on my ass, I'm not doing this to make money - just attempting two answer two very important questions:

- what's makes Google ads so compelling?
- does anyone read my blog?

First up is a Public Service Announcement from Google goading us to help Katrina victims. Maybe Google hasn't finished digesting my blog yet? Or maybe my blog isn't worth anyone's advertising dollar?

I promise the ads will be gone soon. But meanwhile, don't hesitate to click if you see something you like ;)

Rose By Any Other Name

More in the tradition of political hypocrisy.

Iranians love Danish pastries, but now when they look for the flaky dessert at the bakery they have to ask for "Roses of the Prophet Muhammad."

Freedom Fries come to mind. Hate the creator. Not the creation. Cause giving up unhealthy indulgences did not poll well.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Hidden Gems

Lately I have been complaining about the lack of aesthetic sensibilities in Toronto. Perhaps those 8 years in the DC area have spoilt me. Washington, DC, as many of you know, is a culturally vibrant city, with an artistic surprise waiting for you at every corner. The urban fabric consists of ornate mansions, richly restored townhomes and elegant apartment blocks from the heydays of the 20s, mixed in with ultra-modern condo conversions. The business district has its share of 70s bare-concrete edifices, but thankfully they're keep well-hidden by the height restriction. Overlayed on all of this are some of the finest landscaped parks and public spaces in the world, connected by criss-crossing avenues and parkways that're designed more for aesthetics than driver convenience. Every out-of-town driver in DC has at least once been stuck in this 'chakravyuh', only to end up in the ghettos of South-East. Even the ghettos are garnished with once-pretty townhomes, reminiscent of the vibrant residential neighborhoods they once formed - and will soon again.

Cut to Toronto. Largely ignored until the 70s, when paranoid bankers, fearing a separate Quebec, abandoned Montreal and relocated to anglophone Toronto. The urban landscape is dominated by 70s-style bare-concrete office blocks. Towering over these is the CN Tower - apparently the world's tallest freestanding structure. We're Canadian. We're big. We have penis envy so we erected the world's biggest phallic symbol. Whatever.

Largely absent from this landscape is green space (I'm sorry but High Park and Trinity-Bellwoods are sorry excuses). This city needs a heavy infusion of landscape artists, gardeners and nitrogen fertilizer. Heck - even Ottawa has some green patches in the middle of winter! Also absent are the grand residential neighbourhoods that grace every major North American city.

Anyway, the reason for my post is that lately I have been noticing a lot of urban art scattered around the city. Foil-cut figurines of kids climbing a large concrete column. Giant concrete sculptures shaped like buds about to bloom. Abstract sculptures that I can't even begin to describe. It makes me appreciate this city a little more. Also, today's wintry weather has left a silvery lining of wet snow on the bare trees, giving them an element of charm. Sitting in the back of a cab, riding up University Avenue, I was able to appreciate the architectural detail of the (somewhat) historic buildings with elegantly landscaped grounds. I just realized that's one thing I've been missing - being driven around the city, eyes free to wander and admire the hidden gems.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

FOBjection

Ennis at Sepia Mutiny decides to write this oh-so-enlightened piece about how FOBs hate ice in their drinks. Could it be because ice-cubes 'over there' are loaded with germs and god knows what else? Could it be because one can get sick 'over there' from drinking a frozen beverage when it's too hot?

Boo Sepia Mutiny - you're perpetuating the same sterotypes that you're trying to demystify through your blog. Here's my response to this piece:


Filling a glass up to the brim with ice, and then adding an itsy bit of liquid to fill up the crevases is an American thing. I dislike it for the following reasons:

- I want a drink. If I wanted to eat ice, I'd ask for it. I prefer my drink to last more than three gulps, without having to wait for all the ice to melt and turn the drink into a watery mess. The only time that is a good idea is while drinking scotch on the rocks - or sambuca.

- Parts of this continent are frickin cold! I've just walked into a bar when it's 15F outside. I order a vodka tonic. He hands me a mound of ice that I'm supposed to hold for the next 20 minutes while trying to look cool and scaning the room for potential dates while my hands are being cryogenically preserved. Not a pleasant experience.

- It only takes about 3 decent sized cubes of ice to keep a drink cool until you finish it, without turning it into a watery mess. Maybe 4 or 5 if it's summer in LA.

- Loading a glass with ice simply continues the American tradition of excess at the dinner table - in line with the 2000 calorie entrees. Ice doesn't just happen. It has to be produced and the process consumes a *lot* of energy. Tossing 20oz cups of soda half filled with ice is just as bad as tossing a half-eaten steak, or driving Hummers. Maybe a necessary evil during LA/FL summers, but an unnecessary excess in NYC in January.

That's all. It has nothing to do with ingrained notions of ice being dirty, or cold drinks giving you brain-freeze in a hot country. It's a cultural difference. Once you're hooked on a soda glass filled with (gasp) soda, it's hard to settle for the frozen stuff.

There's a time for slurpies, and there's a time for sodas!

FOB

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Sunday Musings

1. It's winter here again. We had a respectable snowstorm this week and temperatures have dropped.

2. Margaret Cho is funny - no matter how many times you watch her. On a related note, Bjork is a very easy target.

3. I need a cleaning lady. I have no time for housekeeping anymore.

4. Desperate Housewives has gone downhill - but then you knew that.

5. Apparently lots of people have a morbid interest in dissected human bodies. The exhibition was sold out today. On an unrelated note, Casa Loma closes at 4pm.

6. Staying in on a Saturday night once in a while is good for you.

7. I think my car's suspension is giving away again. There goes my next paycheck. Damn city roads.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Comments?

Not sure how I feel about this. By the way, the prints on his shorts are old Bollywood movie posters

Song

Falling in love with a song from the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack - "A Love That Will Never Grow Old", sung by Emmylou Harris, and written by Bernie Taupin. Listen to it if you can.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Sunday Musings

1. Who knew bookstores could be fun? Normally, they're quiet hangouts where you can commune with your inner thoughts, load up on caffeine or impress a date with your literary knowledge. Today the Indigo Books at the Manulife Centre felt like a fiesta (minus the food of course). They had a live band playing fabulous salsa music. Feet were tapping, bonbons were shaking and the place was buzzing with life. I now have a newfound respect for salsa music :)

2. What is it with me and fried chicken? The southen-style, batter-fried boneless variety. It'll kill me someday but I can't stay away from it.

3. It would be nice if Toronto had at least one real snowstorm this winter. We've had piddly dustings so far. I want to see at least one nasty mofo of a winter storm - the kind where I can walk out onto the street behind and make a respectable snow angel. Of course, I wouldn't be saying this if I had to shovel any of it :)

4. Seinfeld is still funny.

On Turning 30

It just hit me. In another 7 weeks, I will have to say goodbye to my 20s :( It's that sick feeling in your guts. All along I've been consoling my friends by saying 30 is the new 20. Sounds cool - doesn't it? Yet - when its your own turn, that sick feeling takes over. If I had any food left in my stomach, it'd be out by now.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Guess Which One Am I?

Brokeback Mountain

Ok. Everybody is talking about it. You can't pick up a newspaper these days without finding some reference to it.

I don't like bragging but I was one of the few early birds to watch this movie at the Toronto Film Fest back in September. Ang Lee had just won the Venice award and skipped the Toronto premiere, but he was back in time to watch the screening I attended. It was the middle of the day. I skipped work, bought tix and went to Paramount Cinemas on Richmond/John. The huge line full of industry professionals, critics and press-types should have been a give-away. I sat next to this particularly chatty Jewish ex-New Yorker. She was interested in Bollywood and I gave her a list of must-see movies. The Chinese girl next to her only spoke sign language, and was glad to find someone to 'talk' to (not me, the ex-New Yorker).

And then the movie began. The starkness of the scenery had me mesmerised. The meadows brought back memories of 'Legends of the Fall'. Heath Ledger was entirely convincing as a cowboy. Jake Gyllenhaal less so. The storyline brought back a flood of emotions. Like one of the newspaper critics said, the movie felt like someone kicking you in the guts.

I usually don't cry during movies, and I'm not sure I did at this one. It feels like I did at some point - or was at least about to. The music was mesmerizing - specially this guitar piece called "The Wings". The movie ended. The credits rolled. Ang Lee appeared - back from Venice. He answered a few questions and then we all left - everyone visibly shaken in some way.

Brokeback Mountain is a good movie, that also happens to be a gay movie. I hope it teaches the world that being gay is a feeling in your heart, not a lifestyle.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Escape

Yayy! I'm going to Bombay - in less than a month! It's only for a week - but I'll have some of my friends there! I've always wanted to party in Bombay with my close friends and now I'll finally have that chance. Can't wait. So glad February is a short month.