A universal phenomenon!

A recent blog post by Bilbo talks about a universal phenomenon, the 'blame game' with respect to politics. Everybody blames somebody else. Bilbo suggests that we tackle this by voting for the perfect candidate...'nobody!'

I couldn't agree more!

And I quite like this poster-cartoon that captures the essence of this phenomenon:

















So true, especially with respect to the Indian political scenario!

On that note, here are some more toons around politics...

Missing the obvious

Sometimes, we're so busy focusing on the different aspects of a situation that we miss out the most obvious ones, just like the penguins in this toon did:

Poetry in a toon: Embracing change

Whenever I'm in a particularly contemplative mood, I choose poetry to express myself rather than the usual comic strips or toons. Here is one of my earliest toons, a rare combination of a poem presented in the form of a toon.



The inspiration behind this toon was the fact that I was contemplating taking on something completely new that would have changed my life drastically. However, the human tendency to fear change and cling on to familiar ground crept in to my mind. As we grow, we become more and more resistant to changes. So, after procrastinating the decision for as long as I could, I created this toon essentially to clear my own confused state of mind.

Now when I look back, I can happily say that it helped me a great deal. I confidently took the plunge and took the decision I was holding back for so long. Not only that, I also shed all the fears that were previously haunting me and faced the many new subsequent changes, that followed my decision.

"it's time for a change
And deep down you know it too
Embracing the unknown may seem strange
But that's what really best for you"

Yes, I knew it was 'time for a change' but I had been avoiding the decision for very long because it fearing the unknown. Although it did seem 'strange' for quite a while initially, it did turn out to be the 'best' for me in the long run.

To this day, the very prospect of a change (however big or small) still continues to worry me. But, over time I've come to terms with the fact that change really is the most inevitable fact of life. Also that most changes are healthy and bring about positive effects on our lives.

There is nothing constant in life, except change.
Accept change!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Why I don't like to watch TV news

This is why I don't like to watch TV news as often as I used to.

As kids, we were always encouraged to watch the news on TV so that we could stay tuned to current affairs and I do feel that it helped inculcate a good habit.

However, most of the news content today is horrifying by itself. The lurid sensationalization with which it is reported by news channels only makes it much worse. We now take care not to put on the news channel while the kids are around.

Maybe, its time we got separate news channels for the kids.

On thin ice...

For the first time in recorded history, the North Pole may be free of ice this summer, according to a Fox News report.

Scientists worldwide are trying to figure out why the Arctic is warming and melting faster than computer models predict.

I can't possibly imagine a north pole without ice! So much for finding ice on planet Mars!

Meanwhile, here are some more thoughts on global warming...

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Un-social networking?

The very definition of 'social networking' seems to be undergoing a drastic change.

Thanks to the popular 'social' networks online, people now seem to be getting more and more complacent about staying in touch with old friends and making newer ones.

While it might be great to be connected with all your friends and acquaintances through online social networks, they are hardly much of a replacement for the qualitatively richer face-to-face interactions, meetings and get-togethers (unless, of course, those are anyway not possible due to distance issues and / other issues!)

No offence to fans of social networks, please go ahead and socialize with orkut, facebook, myspace and the scores of other networks out there.

As for me, I'd prefer a real hug anyday over a virtual facebook hug!

Food for thought?

Sometimes, when I tend to get into a 'thinking' frame of mind, I create extremely thought provoking toons (atleast I think they are!) which are therefore called the 'Food for thought' series. Here is a typical example:

If you'd like to see more of this series, they're available right here.

Two good reasons why they're bothered

There are two pretty good reasons why the government appears to be bothered about the inflation and fuel price hike...

Merely a lack of imagination?

Why not? I agree with the alien's (or rather Sovereignjohn's) point of view...

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

'Money can't buy you happiness!'

I was inspired to ponder over this age old adage once again today, as I read Bilbo's post about the ten million millionaires in the world.

That is not to say, of course, that one can be happy without money. You just need enough money to take care of the basics and a little bit left over to be able to indulge in some of the simple (nevertheless pure!) pleasures of life.

And if you can have just that, then who wants (or needs!) to be a millionaire?

I for one, certainly don't!

Oil crisis : The Bigger Picture

The Oil crisis truely has a 'global' impact...

Gravity of the oil crisis...

Yes, the Oil consuming nations have been requesting that Opec start producing more oil to meet the growing demands.

But, we all know that the problem in question is not a simple one of less supply Vs. more demand. Oil reserves are limited. Increasing production now, would mean further depleting the oil reserves that were reserved for the future!

Oil prices therefore, can only continue to move in one direction...

Slow and Steady may no longer win the race!

I stopped believing in the age old fable of 'The hare and the tortoise' that I'd grown up listening to. In today's competitive world, there's no way you can win the race simply by being 'slow and steady.'
You've got to be fast and consistent or else be easily overtaken by your competitors!

The only lesson that still stands true is, don't be overconfident about your abilities (like the hare in this story was) or else you'll end up blotching any chances you might have of winning the race!

Discovery of ice on Mars: Icing on the cake?

These are a few of my favorite things...

'Wordle' is a cool site that lets you create a cloud of text. I just tried typing in a list of my favorite things and here's what I got:

Click on the embedded wordle above to view the full size version of my 'Favorite things...'
Colors change every time you try creating a new wordle of text (even if you use the same words!)
And the text size changes in accordance with the number of times you type in each word.
This sure is fun!!!

On second thoughts...

It may not be a man's world, but its definitely not a woman's country...
In India, emancipation for women is definitely a myth. What with a crime against an Indian woman every 3 minutes and a rape every 29 minutes, we cant even talk about safety for women, forget anything else!

Happy Birthday to my favorite cat!

Yes, Garfield turned 30 today!!!

As a kid, I loved reading the Garfield strip in the newspaper. For one, the fat extremely lazy lasagna loving gluttonous cat was a stark contrast to the superhero comic characters that everyone (but me!) seemed to 'idolize!'

This tabby cat has not only been a great source of humor and inspiration but also a character that I could mostly relate to, especially because his personality reflects a combination of several traits common to most humans! (BTW, some of these are also well represented by the seven dwarfs from 'Snowhite') Also because, the strip in turn offers a humorous look at human problems and the pet-owner relationship!

Garfield's witty retorts to Jon and Odie have kept readers fascinated over the years and wanting more which led to the strip's vast popularity. It comes as no surprise that Garfield currently holds the Guiness record for the world's most widely syndicated strip!

Think lasagna, think Garfield. My love of the strip has even led to a conditioned association of the word 'lasagna' (as frequently seen in Italian food joint menus) with the image of the fat cat!

Yup, I'm no cat lover (I love my dog, though!) but this, is one cat that I simply ADORE!!!

And this, is the first ever Garfield strip, created 3o years back on this day...

Children of today!

Today's Kids know and understand so much about the world!
Not only that, they are also quick to put their perceptions in into the simplest of words without wasting any time thinking through, measuring and / choosing them (as most adults would!)



Sometimes, even we as adults are left speechless and can learn a lot just by interacting with them!

Its not a man's world after all!

More on the Fuel Hike...

Cricket as Business!

For the first time, cricket successfully turned into a business model with the Indian Premier League!

Cricket in itself is the biggest unifying force of the nation, to the extent that it is often referred to as India's biggest religion!

So here you have cricket as the central ingredient, clubbed with several bollywood biggies and top notch industrialists, who not only bring in the money but also add a whole lot of glamor value!

To add to this, you have various teams constituted from a combination of fresh talent (as was the case with the Rajasthan team!) as well as acclaimed players of the cricketing world not only from India but also from other countries!

What's more, you follow the short and sweet maximum-interest-retaining 20-20 format (which has significantly gained in popularity over the traditional ODI and test match formats!) and you also ensure involvement from a city-based competition perspective as each team is aligned to a different city!

Garnish this with some strong branding, media publicity and entertainment factors such as the cheerleaders (not to mention the resultant controversy that evolved around them!) and what do you have?

A winning recipe, distinct from all others by its very design!

Fuel to cost an arm and leg!

Fuel Vs Wallet!

With the hike in fuel price, you can either afford to have a full tank or a full wallet, not both!
Thankfully, we still have the Delhi metro!!!

Fuel Price Hike

Who knows what the fuel price hike will ultimately lead to? One day, we might end up wanting schemes like this!