Sunday, February 17, 2008

Leave poor Britney alone



Each day when I switch on the TV, I find the media gleefully relating some ‘juicy’ story or the other about Britney Spears. I'm pained to hear about her so called escapades day in and day out. Seeing the paparazzi hounding her like she's some demigod really gets my goat. Society is so driven by sensation that everyone is out to make a fast buck from her travails. Can’t you see, the anguished girl desperately needs some privacy? If this continues, I’m afraid she may meet the same fate as Princess Diana, another tortured soul.
I know Britney spells big business, but she really ought to be left alone. Why make her larger than life only to intensify her suffering? After all she is a mere human. Because of her mental health issues, the poor lost soul needs help and she probably needed it long before it ever got to this point. She is often criticized about mishandling her children. Who are we to be judgemental? For all you know, her weird actions may be a manifestation of her strong maternal instinct which is making the loss of custody of her children extremely painful for her. Probably, I would’ve reacted the same way too had I been in her shoes. It’s a good thing that her parents have taken charge of her now and are trying to cajole her into quitting show biz. Rather than criticize her, we should pray that she regains her mental sanity so that she is able to turn her life around not only for herself, but for her precious little kids as well.
Paparazzi lay your hands off her for God’s sake.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Better be safe than sorry


Here are some pearls of wisdom for young ladies on the brink of matrimony.
Before tying the knot, ask yourselves the following questions.

• Are we really on the same wavelength?
• Are our values in sync with each others?
• Are both of us aware of each other’s financial status?
• Are we prepared to make compromises during the initial teething phase?
• Would he be cool with my desire to work after marriage/kids?
• Can he put up with my relatives and can I put up with his?
• Have we discussed our own and our family health histories?
• Have we discussed whether we want kids and if so how many and how we want to raise them?
• Do I know how he’ll feel if I keep my last name?
• If I had problems with his parents, would he stand up for me or would I have to fight for myself?
• Do we plan on having separate bank accounts or creating one that we will share?
• Do I feel comfortable marrying into his social circle and he into mine?
• Do we have similar ideas on what quality leisure time is and how our vacations should be spent?
• Does he take responsibility for his mistakes or does he just stonewall me?
• Is my commitment strong enough for me to still be with him say fifty years from now?

If your answers convince you that everything is hunky dory, go right ahead and take the plunge, if not, then you have to give your relationship a serious rethink for it is always better to be safe than to be sorry.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Feed the world with Free Rice


A friend of mine told me about this interesting site, http://freerice.com/. It has a vocabulary game and for every right answer that you click, you help donate 20 grains of rice through the United Nations to feed the world's poor and hungry.
What do you get out of it? Well, its fun and stimulates your brain, it makes you smarter. It may also improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance etc. etc...So now I'm having a great time, improving my vocabulary and helping wipe out the world's hunger ! Go ahead and try it. It's enjoyable and absolutely free.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Do something different this Valentine’s Day


Here are some suggestions on how you can break the strangle-hold of consumerism on Valentine's Day and let your own heart do the talking.
• Instead of the prosaic red roses, why not be a little imaginative and get a potted plant with a pretty flower or some wild flowers collected from a meadow or a park?
• Words sound much better when they are heartfelt and come from within. Speaking out what you feel will be cherished by your loved one. However, if you are really keen on giving a card, fashion one yourself. All the love that you pour into it while making it is well worth the pain and is much more valuable than those false, over priced, mushy, readymade cards.
• A candlelit dinner in a restaurant, on every Valentine’s Day, sounds so cliché and boring. Here’s a tip you’ll never tire of thanking me for. Why not ‘cook’ up a storm at home? Put on your aprons, whip up a meal of the dishes both of you love, set a table for two with candles, romantic music, champagne n all and see how the magic unfolds. The fun and excitement of cooking together, the disasters in the process and the efforts at salvaging the meal, the laughter, the friendly banter and the ribbing will all add to the enchantment and make the day a memorable one.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Anti-Valentine's Day??


Valentine’s Day has been made into one of the most wasteful occasions around... think about not just where all those gifts are coming from, but how they're packaged, how long they last and how meaningless it is when they're delivered more of out of fear of a backlash from a loved one than because it is something special.
This is what I call “socialized consumerism” unleashed by the media in connivance with the concerned businesses who will have us believe that it is not the little things you do every day that shows you care, but how much green (as in moolah) you surrender.
Since we're falling for it, hook, line and sinker, they're inventing new 'special days' to mop up what's left of our savings.
The concept of Valentine’s Day wasn't much heard of in India a couple of decades back….was the bond of love between couples any less then? Definitely not.
I know my starry eyed daughter will disagree with me totally. Sweetheart, fire away your salvo. I'm all ears (& eyes) !

indimom