The race thing

So I have this annoying set of people around me that I work with who are hell bent on exploring the race issue like all the time. We had a lot of free time today and spent quite a bit of it in the cafeteria and of all the things that people could have fun talking about, this dude brings up the race issue again and again. He isnt probably a racist but what kind of person would join enjoy disscussing the merits and demerits of each race. It sucked so much. Really dude, do I care if the Aryan Invasion Theory into the indo-gangetic plain and later into the south really true? No I dont give a fuck. I dont care if Mughals treated Hindus badly, Yes and No, but do I want to discuss it all the time. No fucking way. Do I care if the Marathas were or were not ruling the whole of india at one point. No I dont thunk so. I dont get it where these kind of ideas get planted into people’s heads. Really, what’s the point discussing the past? What’s the point stereotyping people when all it takes is to come accross one exception to make you feel ashamed of your preconcieved notions. Get over it.

Surviving corporate workplace for dummies

Especially those dummies that are free spirits. Nothing bothers a free spirit but even a free spirit needs to earn a living often from a coporate enitiy and there is nothing anti-free spirit as a corporate workplace.

Top ten list of things to do to survive corporate culture:-

10. Look seriously worried about 5 times a day.

9.  Wear look  that says nothing all the time at office.

8. Always wear sober looking clothes. Dress casually and they think you are fun-boy. That does absolutely nothing for your career.

7. Keep socializing with peers and your boss at a bare minimum. Never smile at your boss unless he smiles first.

6. NEVER discuss race, religion, caste, gender, sexuality issues. I know your collegues will probably try to bring these senstive issues every now and then during lucnh or coffee break. Just listen and pretend you are ignorant. Let them have a go at it and laugh your ass out later.

5. NEVER give away too much personal information. Why dont you have a gf/bf? You know I havent really thought about. Right now am so into my work.

4. If you are anything of the minority that likes to actually read literature, care about arty stuff and generally have a tendency to scoff at “crass and crude” beer-and-cricket talk, dont give in to your impulse to be smug. These are things to nod about guilessly.

3. NEVER appear to be slacking. Slacking is totally recommend but only to be done subtely.

2. NEVER take your “little” problems to your boss just because you think you are new to the workplace. Try your best to solve them yourself . The boss is the last resort. He will kill your soul a little everytime he chips in to pretend to help you. That’s why it’s your last option.

1. NEVER take leave. Instead call in sick, that looks slightly more resonable than taking leave for a vacation.

Yes, you will probably burn yourself out in the process. But hey I didnt say it’s fun. Just helping you out to keep your job safe.

How long does beauty last?

When does a person start losing thier youthful “isnt-that-precious” look? After 30? 35? well the most is probably 40. And then people point to Demi Moore, is she still precious? Nah, not really. She looks beautiful and graceful but hardly the youthful beauty she once was. But for most people possibly 40 is the limit. 35 is considered the upper limit of youth. I would appreciate anyone reading this would leave thier opinions on what they consider the upper limit of youthful beauty.

Casteism == Racism?

There was an interesting story today in The Times of India about how the slavic countries insisted that India accept casteism as the same as sexism. Well the slavs got it quite wrong this time anyway. Here’s why. If I call the slavs blonde-haired blue eyed tall dumb people that’s racism. If I refuse to touch a person because he is of a certain ancestry(irrrespective of color, physical features and IQ level), that’s casteism. While both are discriminatory and abhorrent they are simply not the same. Why? For one thing physical features have little to do with it. India is country of mostly brown people. And the brown skin dominates the so called high and low castes alike. In my own personal observation, light skinned ones (the ones we refer to as fair-skinned) generally do belong to a “higher” caste. But on the flip side there are tons of dark or extremely dark “higher” caste people too. Generally it’s the brown skin everywhere. So color bears no meaning here.  Other physical features like hieght, fit or fat ness, etc matter even less. Nobody can discriminate on those issues because they present the same level of diversity in all castes. The issue is simply the one of inheritance. So did ya daddy make chairs and tables for a living? then you must a carpenter too? did ya daddy make slippers? u must make them too? See now that is what is casteism. A way of “keeping people in thier places” based on thier ancestral jobs. It aint hard, slavik people, to understand the differences you see. Just dont thrust your views as “the right view” on to others. On the final note, just incase I havent made it clear both racism and casteism are deplorable, abhorrent, subhuman practices that needs to see as quick an end as possible…but just note they are essentially different forms of discrimination.

Listenin to the inner voice

Sometimes I wonder if the inner voice is a sly, fucked up teenager who likes to mess up your life. I havent been very lucky whenever I have listened to my inner voice. My inner voice is very unconventional ( I guess it is so for everybody) and I listen to him sometimes. And on those few occassions I had to back off pretty soon, as I coludnt handle the situation my inner voice put me in. Till now I wpuld rather make myself miserable and live without my following inner voice. Coz I think my inner voice doesnt make up it’s mind. It wants so many things and does not want to give up on anything. Do I wait until the my inner voice makes up it’s mind ? This is definitely one of those fuck moments. Fuck fuck fuck.

Tall + Beautiful = Successful?

I could not find any data on the hieght of average Indian CEO. But apparently 90% of the American ones are of above average height. Top of the mind I can hardly recall any of them being pretty. Can you imagine these two faces being a CEO?

 

I bet there are one or two among a thousand. But then one among a thousand probably looks like an ass.

Notice how the above two (ash rai  and robert pattinson) are in an industry that demands beauty. In the regular coporate world I guess it helps to look presentable, and not have too many extra pounds. But seriously if all these studies that claim beauty takes you anywhere and evrywhere with ease can kiss my ass. It’s just not true. Maybe it helps a little for people who are into “front-facing” jobs like in the hospitality sector. But even there do notice that they are not really drop dead gorgeous like the ones above. They are just above average. Some are even average and they are ones that probably suffer a little owing to thier homely looks. But otherwise have you seen a Robert Pattison look alike as a CEO. I dont think so.  I wonder why these people (media? the research people at US universities?) are bent on making people feel miserable. Well, fuck them, live your life.

P.S:- Overwieght people really need to do some work though. Now that is probably one aspect that can haunt you in any proffession. It probably signifies laziness to other people. It may be genetic or not, but it prolly gonna hurt you.

Evolutionary Psychology Part 2 (Inflated Penis)

I am watching this insane Kannada movie starring Upendra. And he just manifested a complex(or simple rather) theory of Evolutionary Psychology. He is pestering and scaring three women into being his wives while they all know about each other. Displaying his strenght(mosty physical) in an insane attempt to “own” them all. With an inflated penis and an urge to mate with three fertile looking women and be the father of thier babies, he is chasing them left, right and centre. I would have sniggered at it, how could people watch this thing, really. Now while I still cant stand this piece of shit, but I do understand why it might stimulate a “commoner’s” brain and why he/she might considering it seriously entertaining. The Indian way of living is still a lot more unapologetically evolutionary psychology driven unlike the west where they have toned down “the primitive drives” for whatever reason. And it shows. For example, we are very matter of fact about a physical disability or mental one for that matter.  Not particularly subtle we are on that. On the other extreme we glorify and venerate film actors and cricketers(the alpha males who have it all).Some even go as far as to build temples for them. It is actually sometimes very disturbing. That life can all be spelled down to one word “Breeding”.