Yellow Journalism and India....

I have always been fond of reading news papers/magazines such as the TimesofIndia, The Hindu, Indian Express etc. and perhaps, that is why I am very sensitive to the radical change these newspapers have gone through during the last few years.
The website of the Times of India, now resembles a tabloid, usually containing gossip columns on bollywood stars, their sex-lives and routinely posting on it half-naked pictures of models - both, men and women. The HindustanTimes, on it's website, now proudly publishes a special section called 'HTTabloid'. Just today (04/04), the web edition of the 'Times of India', has posted a picture of three women in bikinis entitled 'Girls wanna have fun'.
What has journalism in India been reduced to? Over-sensationalizing trivial stories and giving those more importance that real news worthy items. Disgusting, is the only word I can sum those up with. India-today, a respected news magazine, has fallen into the same category regulary publishing populist stories - tap into the public mood, write what they want to see/read/hear in order to sell the news paper.
I was reading just the other day that over the last few years a dozen or so new publications have sprung up in Mumbai. The aim is not journalism but yellow journalism. Perhaps, the target audience is not the educated but targeting the vast mediocre audience that has suddenly become cash rich due to the the outsourcing boom. It is true that money cannot raise the intellectual IQ of people. The King of England was once asked by a man to make him a gentleman, the king replied, 'Sir, I can make you a Lord or an Earl, but a gentleman, I cannot'. The gentleman is a metaphor for someone who appreciates intelligent content and not mindless drivel that is what seems to be demanded by the public. We should stop complaining about America and it's press and take a look at our own house. We aren't much different from the American press. But, hey if this is what we demand, then this what we deserve.
After as the REVERED 'Times of India' proclaims, 'Girls just wanna have fun'.

Rohit Brijnath on Sachin Tendulkar.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4711292.stm

We sorely lack columnists of such quality.

Mr.Brijnath, Kudos.

'Ten'-'End'-'When'dulkar?

Well, India lost the test match against England - from 75/3 to 100 all out. 7 'recognised' batsman got out for 25 runs.
Tendulkar scored 34 and was the highest scorer. This season has been tough on the poor fellow. Age has been a major factor but mainly, playing for 16 years has left him prone to injuries. He is going to miss the one-day international series due to a shoulder injury. News papers all over the country have already started questioning whether the stellar career of this towering player is coming to an end. But, newspapers are as fickle as the public they publish for - printing masala about this great man.
One day they make him God, the next day he is a mere mortal. Can't we simply accept the fact that man is human? Ordinary Indians see themselves succeed in this cricketing genius. It gives them sense of pride to identify themselves with him and perhaps, forget about their own miseries and unfulfilled ambitions. Perhaps, carrying expecations of these billion Indians on his shoulders has made him more susceptible to frequent injuries

Rohit Brijnath summed it up well at the end of his excellent article -

"For now let's lock away the cheap criticism and the sweeping judgements, and enjoy the final chapters of a decent man and superior batsman. The season of Tendulkar is not yet over"

I hope, in his last test match, he, like Bradman, scores duck because his eyes were so filled with tears that he can't see the ball. That would be the making of Tendulkar's legend.

More flying peeves..

according to dictionary.com, peeve = grievance.

Anyway, I fly around the country a lot for work and when I write a lot, I don't kid around. Here are some examples

a) Washington Dulles - Los Angeles, 6 Months.
b) Washington Reagan - Portland, 1 week.
c) Washingto Dulles - Dallas, 3 weeks.
d) Washington Dulles - Denver, 5 months.
e) Washington Dulles - Chicago, 1 week
------------------------------------------------
Total Number of Miles (United): 135,000 (Priceless).


So, after flying for over a 100,000 miles, the best looking person next to me has been an empty seat.

I have been blessed with having sometimes fat, really fat and simply too large to fit on the plane people, arrogant men, obnoxious old middle-aged women but most of the times, nice middle-aged men occupy the sit next to me.

Why, I ask, for once can't a good-looking, petite, 110 pound woman sit next to me? Not that I would or could do anything but still, if I turn my head, I would have someone nice to look at. It would be like looking at a picture of a beautiful woman, thus, making my journey pleasant.

I am married, and mind you, I love my wife very much and she loves me too. So, don't get any wrong impressions. But still, no luck - no good looking woman next to me.

Perhaps, it's my destiny to fly sit next to fat, obnoxious people and perhaps, this destiny is due to my love for my wife, or her's for me.

How I usually start my Monday Morning..

Wow! It's been almost 7 months since my last entry.

Being a consultant, I fly out everyday and I thought why not, after catching a 6:00 am flight to Denver, share my experience through a blog.

a) Wake up at 3:30 am
b) go back to sleep at 3:31 am
c) Wake up, reluctantly, at 3:45 am.
d) Get ready and Get Dressed and wait for my cab.
e) Cab Arrives at 4:30 am
f) Enter into a healthy discussion with the cab driver who emphasized his Republican leanings throughout the conversation. I gained enough knowledge about Virginia's traffic problems and how the Democrats screwed the whole thing up in the first place. Tim Kaine - if only you had caught this cab. (4:35 am - 5:00 am)
g) Arrive bleary eyed at the airport and go through security. It's amazing to see how many non-business people travel at such an early time. Always makes me wonder where these folks are travelling to(5:00 am)
f) Get in to the People Mover (For the ignorant, it's a inter-terminal shuttle). Watch the driver struggle to align it in it's slot at Terminal C. (5:15 am)
h) Walk up to the gate and try to change my seat from 32 C to anywhere in the front, finally settle on 11C (5:20 am)
i) Enter the plane, sit on someone else's seat only to be politely reminded that I am in the wrong seat. Turn red, apologise profusely, and change seats.
j) Watch as an oversize man put this oversize bag into the overhead compartment and overstuff himself in the middleseat next to me. Luckily, I had a window seat.
k) At around 6:20 am, after the was at 35K feet, the oversize man complained vociferously to the purser because they had forgotten to change the movie from last week. Why on the earth, at 6:30 am, would you want to watch a movie when 90% of the plane was asleep.
l) Tried to sleep on the plane but Mr.TooManyFriesFromMcD's oversize palm kept prodding me. (6:00 am to 7:45 am Mountain Time)
m) FInally, land in Denver, only to find thatDenver is as cold as Cheney's mechanically kept alive heart. (7:45 am)
n) Stand in the line at the Car Rental (Hertz). Every person in front of me seemed to be involved in a deep discussion with the Car Rental advisors. Felt like shouting, for goodness sake's people, you are just renting the car and not deciding the fate of the world. Leave that to Messrs. Bush and Blair. (8:15- 8:45 am)
i) Drive in to work only to find there was no need for me to fly in that day (9:30 am).

Exciting stuff eh!