Inglorious Baste(a)rds

Inspired by the Hollywood title of the recent Brad Pitt movie , i ventured to write my own list of inglorious baste(a)rds , whom I love to hate! People who occupy the places of pride in them are,

The evil souls who carelessly puff way on the roads/ public places with scant regard for the safety of the co pedestrians!

The hurried rushers who don't care to even respect the signal at the stroke of ten in the night , without even an iota of concern for the pedestrians

Those horrible morons who ride their vehicles holding mobiles between their neck and trunk as if they have severe torticollis or in one hand, putting their as well as others’ lives at risk

Those who spit on the window sills of trains and buses, not realizing that such an act could lead them to spend time behind the bars in a strict country

Those idiots who drive on the opposite side of the road in full throttle, not bothering about ignorant people standing on the sides thinking they are safe

Those who drive at full speed on the roads without switching the headlights on / with such bright headlights that, others facing it are blinded like bats

Those so called noble men, in the name of medical doctors, who squeeze out money out of their patients in the form of cuts / commission

There are obviously lot more honourables , to be added to this list , but these are just the ones I got in my mind immediately

Scaredevils

Don't get excited about whether this is another new IPL team on the anvil, probably headed by another Bollywood star( considering the hot , but not so successful romance between the IPL and Bollywood) . This is also not one of the new horrible horror movies that Hollywood keeps churning out with alarmingly regular frequency.This is something that we see every month on the roads on the new moon day in most parts of Tamil nadu; I am not sure of the other places in India. The plump green member of the gourd family , though not preferred on most days , in spite of its high fibre content , suddenly finds itself a hot property on the last days of lunar calendar. The plump thing with resemblance to a round head is given a face by drawing facial features using vermilion, though only to mimic a scary devil face. And these are thrashed on the road in the mornings with a view to ward of the evil eyes that have been laid upon the family or the business. Most shops , small and big are no exceptions to this ! I am not sure if these are potent enough to chase the evils , but I am sure they are quite good enough to skid the forms , next only to devils in the degree of polluted minds - the human beings! The juicy slippery injured and split gourd is as efficient in skidding a two wheeler, as would a banana skin be in tumbling a pedestrian ! And their presence at every ten feet on the road on the specified day, would turn the roads into an effective test course for obstacle challenge course for riders. Ones avoiding all those 'scare devils' and also not hurting any other co road users would definitely qualify for competitive obstacle challenge ! I have been lucky enough to have avoided both so far ! The dark new moon days , complicated by poor/ absent street lighting , transforms these supposedly devil scarers into devils themselves for the uninitiated as well as frequent users of the road . I don't know how a gourd can ward of the evil and even if people feel, they have the right to believe in whatever they wish, they should be sensible enough to understand that they cannot put others' lives and limbs at risk to get a false satisfaction of having protected themselves. Owing to the fact that our people have a very low civic sense , I presume it's time government does something to ban their breaking on the roads !!

Title stars

As if the Tamil movies themselves didn’t have enough humor content within them, it starts right from the first card even as the actors are introduced, just after the title card.

I am not sure if actors in any other “wood”s are bestowed upon with these honorable titles, which when taken literally are nothing but pure unadulterated fun. Me being neither a film historian, nor even an avid film buff, could only recollect a few names, but it was more than enough to laugh at the ironies, as most of them were misnomers

Nadigar thilagam Sivaji Ganesan

This name cannot be disputed as he is someone who has been appreciated by even Marlon Brando; moreover he was one who did almost all possible roles and could provide all expressions, though a little more than required , at times

Puratchi thalaivar MGR

It is a name that is indisputable, as he was a leader, nonetheless, but I am not aware of any revolution that he may have been responsible for. But still its not advisable to argue, considering the legend that, even this day there are people in interior Tamilnadu, who cannot tolerate hearing the fact that he is dead.

Kaathal mannan Gemini Ganesan

This sure was a name that is ergonomically correct as it reflected both his professional as well as personal life – I think nothing more needs to be told

Super star Rajinikanth

This is a name that has stuck on to a man who rose through the ranks. Though there are and were better actors than him, the man deserves praise for sticking to the top for so long and making run of the mill movies run so well. And towards the later part of his career, his public behavior has been quite spot on , except for the ill advised advices during the election times!

Ulaga nayagan Kamal haasan

This is one guy , who deserves the name he’s got – no, earned. I am damn sure ,he is the best actor to have come out this country and would have been so wherever he was born. However complicated his personal life may be, he definitely is an actor on par with any global star known

Purathchi kalaignar Vijaya kanth

I am not sure what sort of revolution he created with his acting skills; is it the back kicks he seems to perform with amazing ease considering his big paunch?

Supreme star Sarath kumar & Ultimate star Ajith kumar

“Supreme” and “ultimate” literally mean greater degree than “super” – you can really be sure that, these epithets don’t make sense!

Ilaya thalapathy Vijay ,Purathchi thalapathi Vishal and Chinna thalapthi Bharath

I don’t know which battalion they are commanding?? Do tell me if anyone of you knows!!

Navarasa naayagan Karthik

Does it mean that he the only one who could show all the expressions? I thought one could be an actor only if he could emote all feelings well!!

Yathartha nayagan Cheran

This is a an apt name , as he is the only one , who has never given into heroisms as an actor ; I guess he’s the only hero who has been hit by everyone and cried the most , even putting serial heroines to shame

Mirattal nayagan Jeevan

Except for the villain role in Kakha Kakha movie , I haven’t seen anything ferocious about his acting ( there too, it was more about using foul language unhinderedly , as in a real slum) except for the fact that he is choosing his roles carefully!

Little superstar Simbu

Though a talented fellow , of late only , he’s been realizing that imitating the big man wont take him very far. And I think that is a name that he has grabbed for himself , rather than being given!

Vaigai puyal Vadivelu

A popular actor, but the title gives an action image; which is totally far from his funny man roles, which make you happy as would a neat breeze!

I am not sure of other heroes’ titles; anyone who knows any other of these funny things can add a post!!

Is Decency a Weakness?

Being brought up with an aptitude for hard work and taught to move with people in a smooth way with fewer unnecessary words, gets us to a good position in life; but it is not without the negative connotations. These qualities though an asset initially in a career ,could really end up being a burden with time.

Once the benchmark is set for your ability , the peak of your performance rather than the median of your range is expected more than often, which is impossible , a lot of times. And the people concerned , tend to think of only extracting the maximum work from the ones who have shouldered it before. And the ones , who set a pace for themselves, probably even restricting themselves consciously , do not face much trouble , as less is expected of them. It also does not help if you have colleagues who are not as willing to help , as much as they would like others to help them. Add to that a management that is only concerned at swelling their own pockets , with no concern whatsoever for the staff, there builds a recipe for an excellent" stress soup" at the workplace.

Being decent and professional enough , not to avoid / procrastinate the work given , most often lets people presume it as a weakness. The inability to say' no' out of self inflicted moral responsibility is again a factor, that gets one into trouble sooner than later. One might have done the extra work , considering the situation , in spite of compromising on personal space , for the first few times. You are not sure to get complimented for that , but the first time you refuse to take that extra responsibility , for purely personal reasons , it gets misconstrued as that the person has become too big for the boots . The one who shirks that added responsibility from the beginning , seems a better off at the same point of time , as that is taken as his nature.

Obliging every request also becomes an expected norm , once you begin to do that frequently and people take you for granted. Its not just the workplace , it happens everywhere- relatives , friends , public departments , people you hire for work , even within the families- decency being taken for weakness .

One is more often likely to see the 'voice'y types get on with lesser stuff, than the docile types. But does that mean all those being decent and gentle should change overnight into obdurate , argumentative types ? Most probably not , as there is a big account being kept in a super computer up above, that He keeps and takes everything into account . So it would be ideal to strike the middle path , saying no when needed "firmly and politely " , that the ones across get the right signal that- decency is not a weakness !

passing the pandemonium

I have still not crossed the school age considering my disinclination to rise up in the morning with vigour to rush up to work. It’s not just my laziness but also the reluctance to be part of the pandemonium that I come across on the roads on my short travels forth and back home. Even having the scooterette - the best possible two wheeler for the laziest people who want to avoid the hassles of using their legs and feet while riding - does not help me much

On some unfortunate days the chaos start even before I pass the first 500 meters, in the form of form of buffaloes that amble across the road in such a way that no one would escape their swishing dirty tails. One needs at least one tenth of the maneuverability that Catherine Zeta Jones showed in the movie ‘Entrapment’ to pass through the security system for a heist. I have so far been good enough to avoid the tail marks and hope it stays so!

Just next on entry into the main roads would be a score of women trying to pack their kids into all sorts of vehicles (autos, maruti omnis, sumos, maxi cabs, and buses) to the school. I just can’t fathom how they chose the triangular junction that was already congested and unsafe. Who would have the courage to advise a woman, leave alone a group of them, with some of them in a real hurry. So I just mutter to myself and just move on

Traveling further you see another set of moms with young kids, who have chosen to walk their way to schools with kids on the danger side of the road!! I just can’t understand how the ever protective mothers could do such a thing. Kids, being kids could just stray into the road, putting themselves in grave risk. I suppose it’s probably to do with the fact that most of us are right handers and we feel we have a better grip with the right hand and hence hold the kid with the right hand, putting the kids towards the danger side. I am sure, in this situation, left hand would do a great job

The next inexcusable trouble mongers are those morons who talk on the phone while riding a bike or even worser, text on the move. And none of them who do so, seem like they would be losing millions if they dint pick that call or push that sms!! I see them as real losers who never see the bigger picture – they are keeping their lives on the line (they shall do so if it’s their choice to lose limb / life), apart from endangering all other people on the road. I get so enraged by these imbeciles that if I have the law enforcing power or some super power, I would slap them hard, confiscate that handset and throw it in the nearest drain.

The chaos gets escalated as one moves into the bottleneck that leads to the railway gate (thanks to the blatant encroachment about which no official has yet cared). In that bottle neck are stationed the autos who use all their rough skills to move the vehicles in the manner only to frighten and if possible hurt the fellow road users. I think they will understand what they are doing only if they are put through the pain that accidents can cause.

Then is the biggest of the violations. One of the railways gate allows the two wheelers to pass through the gaps on either side of the closed gates / under them. Though it could look like a gross violation, actually they are doing it a s it is the only possible way to unclog the road in between the short time when the gates are open. It has been going on for a long time; its only now that the Railways has started a subway construction, which could take about five years, knowing our Indian standards. The main issue is that, our people being our own selves, try to get through four two wheelers through the gap when there is just enough space for two. But as a community, when have we had the decency to wait in a queue?

If you thought you will just rush through a reasonably regulated GST road , there are at least five / six guys along the one kilometer starch , who just jump across the tall median a la Tarzan so unexpectedly that , they could be hurt or if not the one who avoided them be hurt. And seriously people got to be educated about the risks

Apart from these unpleasant ones are the pleasant distractions like bright good ads, scores of PYTs (if I can borrow from the page 3 literature on the road. Though pleasant, am sure these would cause the same damage as the other unpleasant ones!!

And all these make it impossible for me to ride the easiest bike for not more than fifteen minutes. Hope people become more sensible on the road or the authorities who regulate the traffic on the road or the ones who issue the driving licenses with alarming ease, as soon as their palms are greased!

Hot under the collar?

Spending the whole week in anger and annoyance over a small work related issue, I thought it would be going through the few nice quotes I had collected on anger .

As I also could find nothing worthwhile to write about , I thought it would not be a wrong idea to put those quotes down here for the occasional stumbler to this page

I think anyone who reads these/ remembers these while getting hot under the collar , would understand that getting angry is a futile exrecise that only works towards hurting us!! See if you feel so!

Always write angry letters to your enemies. Never mail them.
James Fallows

For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Get mad, then get over it.
Colin Powell

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

Buddha

How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.
Marcus Aurelius

If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size?
Sydney J. Harris

Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep.
Mohandas Gandhi

No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.

George Jean Nathan

One should not lose one's temper unless one is certain of getting more and more angry to the end.
William Butler Yeats

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. Ambrose Bierce

"Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools. “Albert Einstein

"Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one." Benjamin Franklin

"Anger is only one letter short of danger"

"The angry people are those people who are most afraid" Dr. Robert Anthony

"Anyone can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person at the right time, and for the right purpose and in the right way - that is not within everyone's power and that is not easy." Aristotle

"Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it" Seneca

"If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size?" Sydney J. Harris

"Anger is short-lived madness." Horace

"A fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man brings himself under control.

"When anger rises, think of the consequences." Confucius quotes

"The best answer to anger is silence."

My corollary after going through all these is - Never hold on to anger! Just let it go! It's like taking a fistful of dirt to slam on someone; you "might" be successful in throwing it on yor target , but you are "certainly " dirtying your hands in that process.