commercialised news!

“Dhoni sports a new hairstyle”. The fact that this was the news bulletin flashed in all news channels is something to ridicule about. With so many things happening around us and so many more things to focus their attention on all the news channels were talking about was how Dhoni cut his massive lock of hair? Is it of any importance to the public if he cut his hair, kept it long or shaved his head? The news channels can talk the slums in India, changing phase of the technology or the youth which are more news worthy than some cricketer having cut his hair. Even the farmers could be provided with some attention when they are alive rather than just reporting mass farmer suicides. Where is the true blue journalism spirit? One of my lecturers made it a point to stress in class that soft core news or rather entertainment news journalist was not something to desire for after doing a course in journalism in our “esteemed” college. So does reporting Dhoni’s new hair style become a part of hard core journalism? With the advent of 24 hour news channels, news has now become a more of a commercial product to be packaged and sold effectively and raise TRPs of the innumerable 24 hour news channels. Another news which baffled me a few days ago was the coverage of Kareena Kapoor being seen with Saif Ali Khan in a the fashion week. This was covered in the main sheet??? Don’t we have a section called Bangalore Times which deals with entertainment, gossip et all. I am not saying that entertainment news is less news worth, all I am trying to say that it does not fall into the brackets of serious news items and does not deserve to find a place in the main sheet of the newspapers. Journalism has sadly lost its true essence in the might battle of falling and raising TRPs in the world of fast and commercialised news .

mourning...

Goodbye BUNBURY!

u will always be my true love.

March 23, 2006 - October 9, 2007

Buh-Bye Billy!

Her smile faded. She saw Billy withering in pain. She wanted to do something but could not take him to the doctor for the fear of being ridiculed. She was helpless, so was he. Two warm tears dropped down from her cheeks. She held Billy in her hand and blew gently to ease his pain. He fell to the ground and was stamped upon by a passer-by before she could do anything. Gentle crying turned into enormous sobs as she realized that Billy was gone for ever. Billy – her pet ant!

Being 'fake' is the flavor of the season.

here and there

Her eyes searched for the familiar face in the sea of faces. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic. He was late, again. She hated being made to wait, like all the other girls in the world. Waiting was a problem, ohsir, yes, a big problem! She was just getting back from a tiring day, and just wanted to get home soon. She was trying to spot him in the crowd, when she saw him. A common friend had introduced them, she called him a chocolate hero, in private of course, not daring to say it aloud. He walked towards her, shook hands, asked her why he hadn't seen her for a week. She smiled, trying to compose herself, she thought he wouldn’t remember her. She finally spotted him! They knew each other. She wasn't surprised. Aren't Chocolate Boys supposed to be popular?! He handed her the book and left. It was now just the both of them. He stood there, making small talk. She smiled. He was pulling her leg about her accent. It was time for him to leave. She said good bye, started her walk back home, smiling sadly, confused.

That was the last day she saw of him, that was the last day I saw her.

one or hundered... the choice is ours!!!

the food in my college is absolutely horrible but when i wanted to tell this in our campus bulletin i was asked to change my article. why is this that when ever a voice is raised to bring the truth out, a hundred more voices are raised to cover that truth up? when we are given the freedom of speech, why not use it? it is only when we voice out our opinion, that the person who has made a mistake will realise and rectify it. now, until and unless we dont tell the ivy hall caterers that the food they provide to the students is absolutely horrible and no living person can actually eat it, how will they know about it? and if they dont know it, they will continue to serve the same kind of food. so isnt it better to raise our voice and let only one person suffer instead of letting another hundred million suffer because of the injustice meeted out???

fixed ideas

did she smile at me??? i was eating my food and some kid brushed past me and made me drop my spoon. i felt kinda irritated and made a face. im sure she saw it. but did she smile at me???
why is it that i can never change the image a of a few people in my mind? is it only me or does this happen to the others also?

it is good and normal to act crazy and weird sometimes and this is wat we did on the 9th of june, 2007.

democracy

Democracy – the Internet defines it as “the rule of the people” and according to the Indian constitution, democracy is
By the people
Of the people and
For the people.
India is a democratic country and we take great pride in saying this. But how much has this “democracy” helped us? We still have poverty, crime, corruption – and this is rampant all over the nation. Unhealthiness, stink, over population, poverty, unhygienic conditions, traffic congestion, pollution – this is India in the eyes of many citizens of the so-called “developed” countries. But when you ask any Indian how he sees India - cultural diversity, religious harmony, vibrant colours… this is how he will define India. We also don’t fail to mention the democratic state of our nation.
What has democracy brought to us?? The n number of political parties it has given birth to and the politicians from their parties trying out to outdo the politicians of the other parties. All the false promises made by the politicians before the elections to which majority of us fall for. The fights between the religious communities cause by the “unnamed people”.
The democracy has divided us because of the selfish reasons of a few politicians. We have been differentiated on the basis of religion, caste, jobs and what not. It is our job that we don’t let this affect us and we try to remain united. And we fight; fight together against the injustice.
I don’t say democracy is bad. What I am trying to say is just by labeling ourselves as democratic will not serve the purpose. We as citizens of this wonderful nation should show some amount of responsibility. We have to voice out our opinions from time to time. We have to fight, but as a whole against crime, corruption and not let ourselves get carried away. For starting, we can help this nation by helping with the civic amenities. The government has provided us with various public toilets so then why don’t we make use of them instead of the roadsides??
We have started to get a very laid-back attitude by saying why do we have to do anything when the government is there. But why do we forget that it is BY THE PEOPLE, OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE. It is not only the government’s duty but ours as well. We have to educate our fellow citizens and make them aware of their rights and rules. It is up to us to better this country and criticizing the government will not help the situation. It is the time to stand up and let go of all our inhibitions for the sake of our country, our fellow countrymen.

ungrateful

She looked across the street to find him staring at her. He had been doing so for the last 10 minutes. She started to get tense. He was walking towards her… She wanted to scream but her system failed to emote. She started to run and he ran behind her. He was fast and she slow. Finally he caught up with her and tried to stop her. Her system came alive: she screamed. People around looked at them and encircled them. He gave her the book she had forgotten in the restaurant she had dined last night. She tried to recall. He was the man who had served her yesterday. He was humiliated, did not wait for the token of gratitude. He did not expect it. Walked away with the resolution never to help anybody else.

we are selfish!!

it is very nice or rather pleasant to meet somebody from the same place or same city in an altogether different place, a place which is equally alien to both of them. people in such a situation tend to forget their differences, caste, status and all the horrible things they would have thought about twice had they met in the place where they originally are from.for instance, in muscat - there are many indians or to be specific bangaloreans, delhites etc etc who always bond very well with the people from their own place. they would not mind of their acquaintance' low status till they meet with another person from the same place but a position like their own in the society. human mind and behaviour is so delicate. we are very selfish. we always have the feeling to be wanted or cared for. we want to make ourselves comfortable at the cost of somebody else's feelings. we use people. i dont say that there are nice people also. but majority of them - including me; are selfish in some way or the other. so how do we make amends for this behaviour of ours???

hazy thoughts

i look around dazed, happy with myself for having completed my work amazingly fast. i am welcomed with the sounds of unanswered frustrated telephone rings, deliberatelty loud typing noises, someone conversing on the phone, some people (whom i presume to be jobless) walking around, exchanging pleasantaries...well if anybody out there is wondering what i have been talking about, it is the atmosphere or rather the working conditions of a newspaper organisation *** where i am presently doing my internship. i try to put in a word with my superior trying to ask her if there is anything else i can do; cause i seem to have completed the task i was assigned - but hell she looks like she is going to strike down the next person who attempts to interrupt her( intentionally or as it always turns out to be unintentionally). but no worries - she is a very nice person.

well i have finally got into the real world of journalism and i notice that things are not as you always presume them to be. (pretty late realisation - but thats me)...i like this world out here. though as you guessed it right - i am not given serious news but the FEATURES to do. its funny to know that you dont have to run behind the stars for all your news.. you have the wires to do that for you. now now, i am not going to reveal to you all the hard work i have been doing. will i???? its just that i have finally put behind the fear - that i had commited a grave mistake by joining this field.. i was infact destined to be here.

[everytime i write in the hope that this time i shall make some sense while writing but as it always happens - guess till now, i have given no clue as to what this conversation was all about. hmmm... this proved to be like any other writing of mine.. clueless.] - this was a disclaimer... but only at the end - to sympathise with you if you read the whole thing.

looks dont matter, do they????

"you have grown so tall!!!! the last time i saw you, you were as tiny as my palm"... well evrytime somebody meets you after a long gap, the first thing they do is comment on your size, looks etc etc... why has human mind become so accustomed to thinking only about the outer appearance?? this always happens with me, im sure it happens with the others also. why not comment on the thinking, the intellect level nd many others which are worth commenting upon. has looks and outer appearance become so important in ths world where ur intellect or ur mind power is sacrificed for the sake of looking good???? im not saying that looks are not important.. it is necessary that u present urself very well but not at the cost of ur mental reasoning or capacity.

I want...

I want…

To fly

To be free

To get rid of the evils

To eat ice cream without falling sick

To dance in the rain without any inhibitions

To run on the streets without being looked at

To become a child

To go back home…

education and exams

examsss!!!! they are an inevitable part in anybody's life.. i dont understand da logic behind having exams. if u mug something for a week and then vomit it out, does it mean u are intelligent and are worthy enough to be moved up to the next class??? then what happens after the exams are over.. u r done with it.. and then u forget whatever you learnt for a week. how does the power or capacity to mug prove your capabilities and ur aptitude??? y cant we have more of practicals so that it tests our skills as well as our capabilities???i know that theory is essential so that we have a strong foundation for our knowledge. but only theory??? if we have only a strong foundation nothing can be done with it. i have noticed that till now whatever i have studied, be it school or college... practical knowledge imparted to us is very poor. and then we are blamed that we are not practical, we just have a bookish knowledge. we get handicapped wen it comes to getting onto the field and applying our knowledge in the practical arena. so why blame us wen we are taught from the beginning that we have to mug.. why cant we bring a change in the present system and have more of a practical, on the job training..it will help us wen we set out to carve a niche for ourselves in this world and also improve our knowledge.

studying hard!!!!????

Re - kindled faith

As i sat on the sand,
In the darkness of the moonlit night;
Thoughts wavered, all across my mind.
I looked for the sun in the rising night,
Found none but gloom and plight;
Never once, never before has the dark been so bright.
The future and the past loomed before me:
But i knew not what to derive,
Hours had passed before i realised -
The sun was up and bright,
But still i could see from my mind's eye,
The darkness of the night.
I woke up and realised that -
The bad would pass us by;
All it needed was a little faith; in the Supernatural Spy.

a mediocre attempt at writing a poem(da 1st attempt)
so all u great poets out there.. do pardon moi...

DArk sHEll

I write, not because I want to; but because I have no other option. I need an outlet to my thoughts, my feelings, otherwise I shall go nuts. I cannot talk because nobody will understand me. I want to stay in the dark and just listen to music or watch TV. Or make a phone call to somebody and not talk at all. I want peace, silence, tranquility, solace... so that I can connect with myself and with God. I want to think to myself and look back at all the things I have done in the past one year. I want to review my activities. Want to ask him if I have done the right things in life, if my good deeds weigh more than my bad. When will I get time to do this?? I am loosing touch with myself and him. Infact, I have been living just for the sake of others for the past few months. Why is it that even if you try to prioritize, you always place others before you? Why???? Is this just a feeling I have OR…

gracias - the kiddie magic!!!!

today csa organised " GRACIAS 2007" (hope i got d spelling right)... it was a thanksgiving program given by the sponsored students of rajendranagar to us, the sponsorers. well it was an amazing event. people asked me if it was the kids idea to do this event, no it was our idea, but the kids also believed in it. they made thank u cards for all of us. they were so excited to be ther and actually perform in the main auditorium in front of a surprisingly large audience. a lot of time and effort had gone behind this. the volunteers, the kids, the n number of practice sessions and CHARLIE (3rd FEP) who despite being a non csa member was so enthusiastic about the whole program, he was a great help. the kids were excited throughout and were so grateful for being there. in one of the dances, the power was cut off and the music stopped, the girls performing for that piece were so confident. i am sure if i wud have been there, i definitely would have freakd out and pulled my hair.... but they were so confident and relaxed.. mann im dazed!!! and that dance turned out to be the best in the whole show. later when i was talking to one of the teachers who attended this show, she said the whole show was very realistic, the drama, the whole concept and environment. it was one of my few days which ended in lot of fun. when the kids went away, we(the volunteers) were pulling each others leg. we had so much fun. im just waiting with lot of expectations for gracias 2008.

wandering thoughts

it is funny how small things in life gives you so much happiness.. like spending a day with ur close friends, eating yumm food after a long time or just getting a small gift wen it is totally unexpected. wat is so pleasant about a surprise?? a small kid smiles at u or waves back wen u wave at him, mann it makes ur heart melt. but it also at many instances it is very difficult to please human beings???? y are we so weird??? y cant we ever be predictable??? i have a friend who does social work in a slum once a week. how ever bad her mood may be, as soon as she enters the slums and sees the kids, her face lights up. she forgets all her tensions and apprehensions. what magical power do these kids have that can heal all the problems in a jiffy!!!! the innocence, their sincerity. i wish kids never grew up and remained kids forever.

Civic sense to be re imposed!!!!

Traffic!!!!!!!! phew!!!!! It is a diastrous task 2 drive in any city.. and bangalore is no exception... even though a red signal is shown, the heavy duty vehicles keep on driving despite it being somebody else's turn. and when we try to reason with them as to it wasn't their turn but ours to move, all they hav 2 say is "Baap ka road hai kya???" why is there so much indiscipline in this country???? even policemen donot seem to scare them.. the n number of fines also dont change their habit. i guess the only option left is to put iron barricades. (the things which are put up at toll gates.) when the signal is shown red, the barricades come down. i know this would present a very bad picture of us Indians, but have we left us any option??? we claim to be the It capital but what about our infrastructure. every time a new road is made, it is dug up in a matter of days, to put some extra pipeline, what happened to the freshly laid tar. we lack proper planning. if we plan well in advance i think bangalore will be a much more nicer place to live in. i think it is also our moral duty to co operate with the city and govt officials to make this place better. we should also suggest them ideas for improvement rather than just sit and crib about it.

passion in the drains!!!!

A few days back i attended a journalism seminar in my college. the topic was Media Landscapes: Challenges & Controversies. It was very interesting as we got an insight about the media through the media persons. it was also very disheartening to know that journalism has become more of a commodity. it is like the highest bidder is the winner. how much ever we lament about freedom of press, we donot have that much freedom(there is always an upper hand by the govt 2 supress all news stories whch are against dm). they were talkin bout commodification of news and unjust publicity of silly news stories. but i dont think they ever reachd a conclusion. it was sad to know that the passion for true journalism is lost in this very commodified world. when asked about the unjust publicity of the prince issue,this is what one media person had to say: because of this issue we got to know that our army people are always ready to save us!!!! (when did we not know that???) and it was when this issue came into limelight that the village got electricity, the kid is receivn education and some cash price... what is he tryn 2 say, if we want electricity push our kid in the well???? i know im bein very critical, but all my good hopes about journalism was shattered that day. the media people were being so neutral in their stands. it was very visible that they had come only 2 promote their companies and save their jobs. where has all their passion for this field gone???? as i lay thinking about the answers to the many unanswered questions, i shall sign off...