The 700 Billion Dollar itch

Derivative trading has sucked the air out of America. Every billionaire on wall street as got his media crew jumping up and down at the evil house owners, who had the audacity to not repay their high interest sub prime loan to built a house they could call their own. But nobody wants to talk about how these risky loans got financed in the first place. Home loans are just a part of the much wider network of derivative trading. It is what gave the Banks and investors the courage to fool around in high risk sub prime lending. 8 years of the current President's rule is coming to an end. Americans saw tax breaks for the rich and less regulation on how they earn money. This is what they got in return. Derivative trading cannot be stopped. This is just my two cents here so go ahead and correct me if I am wrong. You can start staggering and regulating the derivative market till it eventually comes to a halt (if that is something that can be done).

Some analysts say the derivative market is several times the GNP of all the nations in the world. I may not be an economist but if something is priced more than its value, pretty soon people will stop buying it. Then its price will crash. I think it will crash several billions below the GNP of all the the nations in the world.

Incidentally.. I say "incidentally" because it seems too stupid to take it seriously.. there is an $700 Billion bailout package for these institutions. Wow! That was fast!! It was only last week that these institutions collapsed. The Bush Government has improved. Remember when they said they don't have money for healthcare, levees in New Orleans, education reform etc?

The Indian Democracy

The Indian experience of Democracy is going through its toughest test till date. There have been many times in the past where Indian Democracy was tested. Problems with the Princely states, Hindi as a national language, regional succession campaigns - Tamil Nadu (oh yes... note the name Tamil Nation), Punjab, Assam, Kashmir (still going), life after Nehru's death, the Emergency, etc. All of these were limited to government, governance and politicians and were limited in their reach.

Today, our democracy faces :-

1. Radicalization of Hinduism (.. who could of thought that could ever happen), Islam and imported evangelists (it begins at your doorstep with "we want to talk to you about world peace") etc. The last time communal tension was this high was when Hari Prasad and Mohammed Ali insulted each other at the border at the time of independence. Today the Bajrang Dal and RSS have a national movement with no one to question them. Many Indian Muslims have found it easier to identify with Arabs and their causes than their own countrymen.

2. Rampant corruption in bureaucracy, politics and judiciary - in the order of origin (no! politicians did not start it). Check your history.

3. Trampling of the right to freedom of expression. The great justices of Madurai High Court loose no time in registering cases against those who exercise freedom of expression. Right to freedom is the backbone on which democracies are built. It is wonder that these justices are not aware of this.

These above problems are not limited to government / politicians, a particular section of the population, region etc. It is all around us now.

This is make or break moment for our nation. In the next few years, we will know if our nation stands united or disintegrates entirely.

Taboo

Ok, I realise that this is my second same-sex themed movie review. But in my defense, (i) the previous one was about lesbians... so I am going to use "its a guy thing" card to count it out
(ii) I was looking for the American movie named Taboo.

I have never seen a movie like this. Set in medieval Japanese Army camp, a young recruit (see him above) upsets the mundane goings on at the camp. That is the official synopsis. If you ask me, there is a geisha joint next door to the camp to cater to these lonely soldiers. If these guys are getting enticed by the recruit, they were swinging their monkeys the other way long before he came in.

Anyway, the guy turns out to be a slut and sleeps with a couple of guys and one gets murdered. There is an inquiry. I think the investigator also sleeps with the recruit. No, I have not given off any interesting bits or the end of the movie. I could not understand the ending!! And as per IMDB, neither could a lot of people.

PS :- If you were at a Kabuki play with your Geisha, would you be able to tell the difference between players and her?

Dus Ka Dumb Show

This highly rated show on Sony is one of the most moronic shows on TV. I wish I could say more but to do so, would be give it more credit than it already has thanks to its undiscerning audience.

Jon Steward - The Daily Show

Those of you, who have never seen this show.. my advice.. SEE IT!! It is not just a laugh riot the way of David Letterman, Jay Leno or our own Cyrus. It is an intelligent look at news makers of the week. Nothing escapes it. The US politician differs from the Indian in his suaveness and his command of English (albeit American English). The Daily Show does not let the politicians and the opinion makers in the newsrooms from getting away with their double standards and half baked ideas for the country.

The Daily Show is US centric, but that does not stop us from enjoying the show and learning something from it. When we see our newsreaders on NDTV, CNN-IBN, Headlines Today etc going from newsreaders to pushing their opinions onto us or plugging a story till it is blue on screen, we remember the Daily Show. When we see our politicians shift positions almost every hour, sleep with their enemies at the first sign of favours, or jump on top of any issue that could show their opponents in the poor light or cause trouble, we remember the Daily Show.

It is not enough to know that something happened or something was said. We must also understand why it happened and why it was said AND WHY IT GOT REPORTED. Become aware.

Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan

Saw this girl's interview on CNN-IBN, where she was talking about her book and her blog. Apparently, she has been blogging for years about her life. She talks about everything including family and friends, work, woman's issues, politics, love life, sex life etc. Having seen the show.. she does look pretty (not in this photo), I decided to visit her blog, the Compulsive Confessor. After an initial read around the posts flagged with "sex and dating", I gave the rest of the posts a thorough read. Her posts are funny and entertaining. I do find her trumpeting every now and then about her drinking habits, parties (pahtays), sex life (sometimes feels like somebody else's experience quoted as her own) etc. That's ok really. We are all allowed to say we caught a bigger fish than we did. After all, it makes the story more exciting, doesn't it? They enjoy it, you enjoy it, so whats wrong... anyway ok upto a point (Example :- "I caught Moby Dick" is not on!!)

A lot of people criticise her work and say it reads like a softcore porn. She is quite temperamental for a journalist / writer... one post called her many critics "Trolls" with nothing better to do. I don't think her posts are softcore (I would know). It is a girl's blog. If a girl was open and did not feel threatened to speak her mind, her blog would read like this to varying degrees both up and down.

The idea for the blog and her just released book, "You Are Here" may be a copy of Bridget Jones' Diary (Bollywood is famous for this... and the girl is from Mumbai) but the contents are original and hers.

The Matrix - Transcribed so that it is understood.

Neo and the Architect’s famous dialogue

Architect : Hello Neo.

Neo : Who are you?

Architect : I am the architect. I created the Matrix. I have been waiting for you. You have many questions. Although the process has altered your consciousness, you remain irrevocably human. Ergo, some of my answers you will understand and some you will not.

Concordantly, while your first question may be the most pertinent, you may or may not realize it is also the most irrelevant.

Neo : Why am I here?

Architect : Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation, (Images in the monitors changes. Shows people in different activities) inherent to the programming of the Matrix.

You are the eventuality of an anomaly which despite my sincerest efforts… I have been unable eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision.

While it remains a burden assiduously avoided, it is not unexpected and thus, not beyond a measure of control, which has led you inexorably here.

Neo : You haven’t answered my question.

Architect : Quite right. Interesting. That was quicker than the others.

Neos (in the Monitors) : Others? How many? What others? (Neos in Monitor going crazy)

Architect : The matrix is older than you know. I count from the emergence of one integral anomaly to the emergence of the next. In which case, this is the sixth version.

Neos (going crazier in the monitors) : Five before me? You are lying. Bullshit.

Neo (Our Neo) : There are only two possible explanations. There were 5 before me. Either no one told me or no one knows.

Architect : Precisely.

As you are undoubtedly gathering, the anomaly is systemic… creating fluctuations in even the most simplest equations.

Neos (really mad now) : You can’t control me!! I am gonna smash you to bits!!! You can’t make me do anything. You old, white prick!!!!

Neo (Ours is very calm) : Choice. The problem is choice.

(Trinity is getting into trouble. Our Neo is unaware of this)

Architect : The first matrix, I designed was naturally perfect, a work of art. Flawless, sublime. A triumph equaled only by its monumental failure.

The inevitability of its doom is apparent now… as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human. Thus, I redesigned it based on your history… to more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of your nature.

However, I was again frustrated by failure. (pause and deep breath)

I have come to understand that the answer eluded me because it required a lesser mind. Or perhaps a mind less bound by the parameters of perfection.

Thus, the answer was stumbled upon by another, an intuitive program… initially created to investigate certain aspects of the human psyche. If I am the father of the Matrix, she would undoubtedly be its mother.

Neo : The Oracle.

Architect : Please. As I was saying, she stumbled upon a solution whereby 99 percent of the subjects accepted the program, as long as they were given a choice even if they were only aware of the choice at a near conscious level.

While this answer functioned, it was fundamentally flawed. Thus creating the otherwise contradictory systemic anomaly that if left unchecked, might threaten the system.

Ergo, those that refused the program, while a minority if unchecked would constitute an escalating probability of disaster.

Neo : This is about Zion.

Architect : You are here because Zion is about to be destroyed. Its every living inhabitant terminated, its entire existence eradicated.

Neo : Bullshit.

Architect : Denial is the most predictable of all human responses.

But rest assured, this will be the sixth time, we have destroyed it and we have become exceedingly efficient at it.

(Trinity is in serious trouble)

The function of the One now is to return to the source, allowing the dissemination of the code you carry, reinserting the prime program. After which you will be required to select from the Matrix 23 individuals – 16 females, 7 males, to rebuild Zion.

Failure to comply with this process will result in a cataclysmic system crash. Killing everyone connected to the Matrix, which coupled with the extermination of Zion, will result in the extinction of the entire human race.

Neo : You won’t let it happen. You can’t. You need human beings to survive.

Architect : There are levels of survival, we are prepared to accept.

The relevant issue is whether or not you are ready to accept the responsibility for the death of every human being in this world.

It is interesting reading your reactions.

Your 5 predecessors were by design based on a similar predication. A contingent affirmation that was meant to create a profound attachment to the rest of your species, facilitating the function of the one. While others experience this in a general way, your experience is far more specific. Vis-à-vis Love.

(Trinity is getting thrown out of the window in the monitors)

Neo : Trinity!!!

Architect : Apropos, she entered the Matrix to save your life at the cost of her own.

Neo : No.

Architect : Which brings us at last to the moment of truth, wherein the fundamental flaw is ultimately expressed and the anomaly is revealed as both the beginning and the end.

There are 2 doors.

The door to your right leads to the source and the salvation of Zion. The door to your left leads back to the matrix, to her and the end of your species.

As you so adequately put, the problem is choice. But we already know what you are going to do, don’t we?

Already I can see the chain reaction, the chemical precursors that signal the onset of an emotion designed specifically to overwhelm logic and reason.

An emotion that is blinding you from the simple and obvious truth.

She is going to die and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

(Neo moves to the left door)

Architect : Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness.

Neo : If I were you, I would hope that we don’t meet again.

Architect : We wont.

(Neo leaves thru the left door and saves Trinity. Architect and Neo never meet again.)

Glossary

Anomaly : (noun) irregular, abnormal thing.

Apropos : (adjective) 1. to the point or purpose. 2. (adverb) incidentally.

Architect : (noun) Designer of building and ships.

Assiduous : (adjective) persevering, diligent.

Concordance : (noun) agreement; index of words used by author in book esp. Bible.

Ergo : (adverb) therefore.

Grotesque : 1. (adjective) comically or repulsively distorted; incongruous, absurd. 2 (noun) decoration interweaving human and animal forms with foliage; comically distorted figure or design.

Inexorable : (adjective) relentless.

Intuition : (noun) immediate apprehension by mind without reasoning. Immediate insight.

Irrevocable : (adjective) unalterable; gone beyond recall.

Neo : (in combination) New.

Quintessential : (adjective) purest form or manifestation of some quality etc.; highly refined extract.