On Blogger Themed Stuff

Somehow I landed on KM's page about blogger themed stuff that carries on a conversation started earlier on Scout's post about why not to fall for a blogger(post not available now). The idea was to substitute popular movies/music/dialog with blogger themed words. Hilarious stuff in the comments, do read. BTW, my entry was "There's something about Bloggy".

On Censorship, Toon Porn Episode

So the creators of Savitabhabhi have decided to end the Save Savita campaign, and thus India's first toon porn star will cease to exist soon.
Background, the govt of India in its infinite wisdom decided that a porn toon website posed some sort of problem to India, and banned it. The creators tried to organize a campaign to defy and/or overturn the ban, but have finally succumbed to the pressure.
Censorship, censorship. When will the Indian govt grow up and understand that if someone wants to be a pervert(not that following toon porn is perversion, but let's consider it is for the sake of the argument), one should have that choice!

(HT: Greatbong. Interested people can follow links from Greatbong's page, links NSFW.)

On "Dead Like Me"

Dear Readers,
Have been away for quite some time, and it's high time the blog got a little bit resuscitated. So here I am, briefly.
So there is this t.v. serial that used to air a while back called "Dead Like Me". The premise is that an 18 year old girl is killed by a falling toilet seat from a space station, and turns into a grim reaper. Grim Reapers are undead people, with physical bodies but face different from the one they had when they were living. Their job is to reap people's soul just before they die, and escort the soul to its final destination.
The final destination appears as a bright white light, the shape is customized to the soul, e.g., a child might see a carnival, an adventurer might see a cliff from which to jump off. The series deals with her coming to terms with her new job, the trials and tribulations the job entails, and in general a coming of age story.

The point of interest is the shape the light form takes. It is intimately connected to the desires and feelings and characteristics of the departed soul. What would yours look like?

Did you ask about mine? That's easy, it would be a huge library full of books and dvd's and a computer with high speed-unlimited download broadband internet connection.

On Stupidity, Religion, and Suchlike

According to this piece, a church wants a woman to end her relationship with her boyfriend. She doesn't want to, and it turns out her confidential conversations with her church mentor were actually not so. Now the church threatens to publicize her other sins unless she does as ordered.

WTF?

I hope she takes these people to court for breach of trust or some such. My sympathy, however, for the woman is reduced a little bit by the fact that she chose to discuss her private life with her church mentor in the first place! Not a friend, not a member of the family, but a mentor from the church--what do you expect?

It seems this particular procedure is common in that church, and she was supposed to know the consequences. Well, that raises two questions--a) How well was she informed of this when she joined the church? b) If she really knew about this, what made her join the church?

By the way, someone confesses to all sins regularly, and after death still goes to hell. Can there be a breach of trust proceedings against the church who promised salvation? Would any church actually promise such a thing, or is that a figment of my imagination? That might sound glib, but I am really curious. Someone well versed in Christian theology, please inform me.

On the Old John McCain

Where was this McCain during the election season? Humorous, confident, sensitive, analytical--statesmanlike. Why did he have to ditch this part of his self once he got the nomination!

On The Dichotomy that is California

The Golden State overwhelmingly voted for Barack Obama, he of the message of unity and tolerance and dignity.
The Golden State passed Proposition 8 banning gay marriage.
What gives?

On The Loss of Innocence

I can be innocent only in my dreams.
Not in real life. Now all I see
is hunger when I sleep. No streams
of joy, for me to swim in glee.

Once upon a time, I was a rustic.
Gullible in thought, simple in act,
My world was an ice-cream stick
of happiness. Of less intellect.

Time has passed by, I have grayed
into a complex creature. No realms
of thought are taboo now, I'm afraid
I can be innocent only in my dreams.

On Going Back In Time

I wish I could go back in time.
Some mistakes I don't care about,
Others, I do.
Correct those with the benefit,
Of perfect hindsight.

I wish I could go back in time.
I am a lot older now,
Not the same mistakes.
Oh, what's the point!
New ones are there.

On Sarah Palin's Unpreparedness in Interviews So Far

It might be a deliberate ploy to lower expectations and lull Biden into making some mistake or the other.
Republicans are master election strategists.

(Note: This is not related to relative merits of the candidates.)

On Wall Street Becoming History

With the declaration by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley that they are going to become national banks, the end of an era is marked. GS and MS were right there at the top, where we lowly mortals used to look at agape and wonder. The world needed those epitomes of elitism and exclusivity--as a source of inspiration as well as the target of scorn about everything that is wrong with the world.
Both sides were right, and both sides were wrong. In the complex world of finance where these behemoths operated, there is no black and white--it's all different shades of gray.
A tale of corporate greed and messy regulations emerges from the meltdown over the last few months. While the ego of Lehman Brothers saw them go under, GS and MS have swallowed theirs and rightly decided on the prudent course of action. Creating money out of thin air is profitable no more, and a return to banking as it always should have been will hold these companies in good stead.
With the aura of exclusivity around these companies gone, the world needs new sources of inspiration. Maybe it will be these same two companies with a new tale of good corporate governance and solid business dealings.

[Consider this a fanboy post.]

On Sarah Palin

McCain has pulled a wonderful rabbit with his veep nominee. Sarah Palin is quite the accomplished woman (at least the kind voters would love), and might prove to be the trump card if she can attract the Hillary Clinton supporters.

On Randy Pausch-RIP

The professor has died. I was very tempted to write, "lost his battle against cancer" but that would have an antithesis of everything he tried to do in his last days--never to lose, never to stop living while he was alive, never to stop having fun.

I hope I can live half a life of that kind. This is the "last lecture" he gave at CMU last year.

On Stephen Colbert Rendered Speechless

I know, that doesn't happen usually. The smartest and wittiest talk show host in America does not have a response? Well, watch this clip.
He is talking with Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings (what a name!)about the No Child Left Behind Policy.

Spellings: No one is for leaving children behind (Colbert raises his hand). Okay, maybe you.
Colbert: I have the courage to leave child behind. Not all the children, just those ones that smell like baloney. You know that kid!
Spellings: Noo, well they become television personalities.

Colbert is speechless. Well, he being who he is, recovers to end the interview with a lame "You know me too well!"

Priceless.

On Scott Adams--The Line of the Day

So I find myself delirious today, for a number of reasons. I'm exhausted, and medicated, and most of all optimistic that the ghost in the room can get one more chance among the living.

When Scott Adams can write stuff like that, one sometimes is likely to wonder why he writes only Dilbert.

On Conservatism and Liberalism--My Way

Around the world, more often than not, why are fiscal conservatives also socio-cultural conservatives, and socio-cultural liberals also fiscal liberals?

Needless to say, I am a fiscal conservative and a socio-cultural liberal.