Is taking life your idea of entertainment?

In which case I finally understand why our newspapers only report on violence and death. Rarely any good news. I’ve written about abortion time and again. This time though, I am rather horrified. Here’s an online reality show that lets you decide if the contestants should keep their baby or abort. So yes, its fictitious, but really, why do we need others to vote in on a topic that isn’t any of their business?

I thought Rakhi Ka Swayamvar and Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayenge were bad enough, but this takes the cake. Marriage is an important enough decision to take without a bunch of idiotic, jobless strangers with no life of their own, voting on it. But to even let a bunch of strangers imagine that they have a right to vote about a right that involves taking innocent life, makes my blood curdle.  How is that pro-choice in anycase? Why exactly are we turning everything of any importance into something tasteless and puerile?

And while on the topic of taking your own child’s life, how about this one? A 16 year old Turkish girl buried alive for talking to boys. Now this is one kid they might as well have aborted if this is how much she mattered to them- apparently her lungs were full of soil when they dug out the body. I hope the family rots in hell. Even hell seems too good an option.

While on the abortion bit – another link sent by a reader on the connection between careers and abortion. I don’t know what to think. It seems to ridiculous and tenuous a connection to build. So all you worthies and my trolls, what do you have to say about this?

Mommy did a bad, bad thing

I once got a troll who told me that I talk about weight too often. Probably. I see it as the next big issue after global warming. And by that, I mean the lack of it. Someone once wanted to know why I object to botox and cosmetic surgery and liposuction. How does it harm me if someone else is doing it, they asked.

Well, it upsets me in the same way it would upset anyone else if they saw people smoking, abusing, or dirtying up the environment around their kids. You know, you don’t want your kids watching violent movies, you don’t like them breathing second hand smoke or picking it up as a bad habit. Similarly, I worry about my daughter picking up poor body image issues.  It’s ruining the environment as I would like it. You may think otherwise, but hey, the next time you’re signing a petition against anything or anyone, you’ll remember this.

Let me show you how bad this can get. A mother slips her laxative into her infant baby’s bottle because it is too fat. Really? Now we need our newborns to be in perfect shape too?  And aren’t babies just perfect anyway? Should we factor in a tummy tuck when the cord is cut?

And this kid was only 5 and a half pounds to begin with. If you thought bulimia was a bad thing, this takes the weight issue to not just a whole new level but a whole new planet if you ask me. Starving your kid and then following her to foster care and undoing what they’re doing. The obsession amazes me. Shocks me really.

Do you see why this whole looking perfect craze is a bad, bad thing ??? And don’t take me back to Chinese foot binding, and corset wearing and tell me the human race has always done this. Yes it has, but why the hell do we hark back to the worst we’ve done as a race? Why not learn from our mistakes and improve, just as we’re trying to reduce our carbon footprint?

Why not do yoga, pilates, eat healthy, be fit and look good? Why not work from inside out? I’m very, very scared. And I’d suggest you be scared too.

While we’re on the weight issue – what do you think about this suggestion that IVF should not be given to overweight women? I had some thoughts come in from friends – what about you guys?

Also – there’s some report about new fortified formula being better than breastmilk – making smarter babies. Sigh. So what about the emotional impact on mother and child? What about the fact that it protects you from breast cancer? What about the fact that breasts exist to feed with? What are they now – just fun bags for the boys? Just another ploy to market some formula I guess. Reminds me of Avatar. Did you guys like the movie?

When a television commercial

sets these standards,

you begin to understand why thirteen kids committed suicide in Mumbai within two weeks. A VP at 24? Is that what our kids should be aspiring to? Or even talking about at the age of 8? 9? How old does the little boy look?

And although I am no fan of Chetan Bhagat, I must link up this story here in the hope that it will spread near and far. So what if it mentions my old college? :p

Vote for the Copenhagen summit

In case like me, you’re getting as frustrated as me over the endless accusations and counter-accusations and the absolute lack of progress, you might want to sign this petition. I don’t know if it will help, but I know it won’t harm, so what the hell. Although when 23 nations with 14% of the world’s population are responsible for 80% of the emission one wonders what grounds there are for debate.

For those who care…

Voices from the North East

(13th – 14th October 2009)

India Habitat Centre

Siyahi and India Habitat Centre present a focused literary meet on the stories, tales and folk narratives of the North East India. The verdant seven sister states from the North East of India have a unique indigenous culture where myths, oral traditions, legends and folklore are commonplace and yet unique. It will take into account the quantum of diversity in art and culture, which is evident from the multitude of languages, ethnic groups and their common collective memory. It will deal with the art of storytelling in context to the development of North Eastern culture and civilization. The event will bring authors, poets, storytellers and performers together to engage in a cultural dialogue and understand the North Eastern literature in all its myriad forms and dimensions.